by Abby Brooks
“No, shit? That’s hilarious. I wish I’d known. I’d have teased her mercilessly when we met up the other day.”
Hold up.
Excuse me.
The other day?
The other fucking day?
As far as I knew, Kennedy hadn’t seen Collin since the night I introduced them. I said nothing, waiting for Collin to correct himself. Or at least clarify.
My silence was an iceberg Collin didn’t see until he ran right into it, clarifying the fuck out of everything.
“She’s so funny,” he gushed. “She had me in stitches the whole time. Don’t get me wrong, I can see how you two clashed at first, but she’s something special, that girl.”
“I wasn’t aware you two were that well acquainted.”
Even to me, my voice was hard to recognize. It grated past a tight throat and a clenched jaw.
“Oh, we’re not. Not at all. You know…” Collin hurried on with some bullshit excuses that reminded me he was a shitty liar, too.
And apparently a shitty brother, hanging out with my special girl behind my back. I didn’t know what to say, but the more he tried to backtrack, then just sidestep away from the conversation, the more I knew he was covering something up.
Just like I knew Kennedy was covering something up last night.
Apparently my trust issues were well-founded.
Somehow, I ended the call without going ballistic, then paced the room as if I could outrun the truth. Common sense tried to take a stand and I did my best to listen. I wanted it to prevail. No…I needed it to prevail.
Collin would never do something like this to me…or Harlow. I’d put my life on hold for his. I’d spent decades protecting him. He’d told me time and again that I was the only reason he was alive. Surely, surely he wouldn’t return those favors by messing around with the first woman to catch my attention.
There had to be something else going on here.
For every good point I made for reason, I found one hell of a counterpoint for chaos.
Collin was the only person in my life who hadn’t betrayed me. Generally, I counted that as a good thing, though perhaps I’d been a bigger asshole than I thought to believe he was above it. Maybe it just hadn’t been his turn yet.
And while I was really digging in and being honest, this was just the peachiest time to remember Kennedy had done a lot more than catch my attention.
She dominated it.
All I thought about was her. How to make her happy. How to meet her needs. How to keep her safe. How she fucking looked in bed, with her hair spread out over my pillows.
She’d become my focus, the same way Collin used to be. How stupid was I to let that happen? I was supposed to start living my life for me. I’d been living it for her…while she pretended to like me to get to my brother.
That’s not true, whispered a voice deep in my heart. She agreed to date you before she knew he was your brother.
“But just barely,” I said to the walls. “Just fucking barely.”
We weren’t even sure we liked each other the night I took her to meet him. What if…what if…she’d only pretended to care about me because I paraded her in front of her favorite musician?
My phone buzzed from the night table. Except that wasn’t right because I’d just shoved it in my pocket after talking to Collin. Confused, I stalked toward the sound and found Kennedy’s phone. My first thought was that I should rush it up to her because she was sure to be having a bad day without it.
But that thought disintegrated when I picked up the device and saw the text she just received.
CollinFreakingWest: Close call with Joe. I might have blown our cover. Probably nothing to worry about, but thought you should know, just in case. See ya soon!
It felt like my insides detonated. My stomach imploded and my heart was a black hole. My mind caught fire, sending smoke and ash whooshing through my system. Electricity vibrated just under my skin as adrenaline hummed through my veins and the muscles in my neck and jaw were clenched so tight I feared they would break.
Of all the fucking weeks for Maxine to put a halt on work.
I needed a project. Something to occupy my mind because I was going off the deep end and needed a time out. Raking my fingers into my hair, I growled, then came to a stop in front of the pile of George’s stuff. Kennedy was against the shadowbox idea, but as of ten fucking seconds ago, her thoughts and needs were overruled.
It was time I started doing what I came here to do—to live my life for myself.
Not for Collin.
Not for Kennedy.
Not even for Maxine.
For Joe Channing, the guy who went out of his way to be everything for everyone else.
Besides, If I didn’t get my mind on something that wasn’t her, I’d tear myself apart.
Chapter Thirty-One
Kennedy
This day was one of the worst I’d had in a long time. Not only did I leave my phone at Joe’s, but Emmanuel glared every time I came out of a room. He never said one word to me. His stopwatch? Nowhere to be seen. The two of us had been making progress. While I doubted we’d ever fall into a routine like I had with Dorothy, life was so much better when he liked me.
While I should have been celebrating my newfound freedom from the timer of doom, anxiety festered in the pit of my stomach. I certainly wasn’t getting any faster with my patients. If anything, a combination of difficult visits and my curiosity over why Emmanuel wasn’t pouncing had me running further and further behind.
The growing sense of dread didn’t help matters.
Something was wrong. And not a little wrong. Something was very, very, horribly wrong. Like sneezing while applying mascara wrong. Or serving oatmeal with chunks of hot dogs wrong.
I just couldn’t put my finger on what had my nerves jingling and jangling. The awkward conversation the other night with Joe could have been to blame. For days, I’d avoided the topic of all things Collin West specifically because I was a terrible liar. I fully and completely blamed the Painkillers for the slip up I kept hoping wasn’t as bad as I thought. Those tasty little treats were deadlier than they looked.
I’d only have to sit on the secret for a few more days, though. So there was that.
In the meantime, I could distract myself from that unfortunate turn of events with the strange atmosphere at work. Not that it did anything to relieve the tension.
Ramsey avoided me like the plague. No nose boops. No impressive smiles or up-close views demanding I appreciate his bone structure. The number of times he walked past me without so much as a side-eye had me wondering if I was trapped in a bad dream where I’d gone invisible.
I rolled my eyes.
First, I was irritated because the man wouldn’t leave me alone.
I got my wish and had the nerve to be upset over the lack of attention.
Pick a lane, Kennedy.
When Mira Dixon, the office manager at Key West Pediatrics, approached at the end of the day, my nerves shot through the roof. This had to be a dream. One that was quickly devolving into a nightmare. With her shoulders square and her jaw set, Mira gave me a tight smile that died before it met her eyes.
“Doctor Monroe?”
“That’s me!” I gave Mira a smile that fell to the ground between us.
“I’d like a moment of your time.”
She didn’t wait to see if I had time. (I didn’t.)
She didn’t wait to see if I was following her. (I was.)
She just hightailed it into her office with me hot on her heels, my heart in my throat, my mind a hamster in a wheel running over hot coals.
Mira lowered herself into her highbacked leather chair behind her desk. “Would you please close the door behind you?”
I did as she asked and took a seat across from her. Back straight, tush barely perched on the edge of the cushion, nerves doing the Macarena at record breaking speeds. “Is there a problem?” I asked, then chided myself for such a stupid question.<
br />
Obviously, there was a problem.
All the woman needed was a cat cradled in her arms to fully embrace the “evil villain about to ruin my day” vibe. I never knew she had it in her, what with her pink pantsuits, pearls, and perfectly styled blonde bob.
“I’ll make this as brief as possible.” Mira clasped her hands on her desk, offering me the saddest of smiles. “I’ve been thinking very seriously about letting you go.”
My eyes widened and I let out a gunshot of a laugh. It all made sense. Emmanuel’s missing stopwatch. Ramsey treating me like I didn’t exist. Mira’s sudden flip in attitude.
They were playing a joke on me.
Doctors didn’t get fired unless they’d done something truly awful. Aside from running late most days, I was good at my job.
“That’s funny. You guys totally nailed it,” I said as I let out the breath I’d been holding and melted into the chair. “You really had me going there.”
Mira drew her eyebrows together in the least sincere “bless your heart” I’d ever seen. My laughter dissolved into a choking cough. I covered my mouth with my fist and got control of myself post haste.
“I’m afraid I’m not joking. You’ve had trouble keeping up with the workload. Something Doctor Middleton has made multiple offers to try and help you with…which I understand you’ve turned down time and again.”
I frowned through the high-pitched siren blasting in my head. “At the time, I didn’t realize his invitations were professional in nature.”
Pro-tip: they weren’t.
Mira tsked, then shook her head as if to say I was a fool for thinking someone like Ramsey Middleton would be interested in little old me. “I was prepared to let all that slide, because I feel like you have a lot of potential, even if you are a little rough around the edges. But, Doctor Monroe. Inviting Ramsey for drinks under the pretense of needing help? Only to turn around and sexually proposition him? I admit. I didn’t see that coming.”
“That’s not what happened.” I laughed again, my jaw dropping as all the blood rushed from my head. The nerve of that guy. Not only did he trick me into meeting him for drinks, but when things didn’t go his way, he ran to our boss and tried to get me fired.
Or succeeded in getting me fired.
The next few minutes would clear that point right up.
Mira waved my statement away. “Doctor Middleton also suggested you volunteer at a free clinic in your spare time. Is that correct?”
“I do.” I frowned as anger crept up my spine. “I can’t see how that would be a problem.”
“You’re telling me that a new physician with time management problems wasting precious energy at a free clinic seems fine to you?”
“What I do in my spare time is up to me.”
“And what you do while you’re here is up to me. From where I’m sitting, not only are your priorities skewed, but you’ve made a seasoned doctor uncomfortable in his place of employment. He said it was either him or you.”
“And you’re choosing him.”
Mira arched an eyebrow. “Not exactly. Like I said, I see a lot of potential in you and I hate to throw that away, but Ramsey is more than potential. He’s an asset to this practice.”
“He’s also lying to you. He tricked me into going out with him, promising he had nothing but a professional interest in me. When that turned out to be false, I told him I wasn’t interested romantically and left.”
I expected my revelation to take Mira by surprise. I expected her to ask questions. To clarify my side of the story. I did not expect her to roll her eyes and dismiss me with a wave of her hand.
“I’ve decided to put you on probation. You’re to work directly with Doctor Middleton to improve your performance and professionalism when dealing with patients. I highly suggest you discontinue your affiliation with the other clinic while you focus on improving your approach to medicine.”
“You mean the approach where I focus on my patients and the realities of their problems instead of prescribing the drug with the best marketing and sales department and calling it a day?”
Mira’s jaw dropped. “I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but you are way out of line.”
I choked back the rest of the tirade. Arguing wasn’t going to get me anywhere. The decision had been made, and if it had been that easy to come to, I really didn’t want to continue working for Key West Pediatrics in the first place.
“You know what? Your first instinct was right. It’s better for all of us if I don’t work here anymore.”
“You can’t just quit.”
“I think I just did.” I stood, thanked the woman for the experience, and left in a daze.
Collin West crooned over my speakers on the way home, the familiar lyrics doing nothing to help my mood as I beelined for the one person who would know exactly what to say to make an awful day better.
I needed Joe like I needed my next breath. He had a way of saying exactly what I needed to hear. He’d twist the situation like a jeweler studying a diamond and say, “There, right there. See? This is really a good thing.”
I needed his arms. His comfort. His strength. I needed a night of drinking, laughing, and making love to lead me to a better mindset so I could figure out what to do with my suddenly jobless self.
When I exploded into the backyard, Joe was hard at work, staining what looked suspiciously like a shadowbox. Of all the days for him to bulldog himself into doing things his way, he’d chosen the worst possible one. I needed him to be caring and supportive, not stubborn and obstinate.
When I stopped in front of him, he barely looked up.
His jaw muscle pulsed. His focus locked on the long, slow swipe of his brush against the wood. The more I watched, the more meticulous he became.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was purposefully ignoring me.
“Hi.” I bit off the word, the awkward silence lighting my already short fuse.
He bobbed his head without meeting my gaze. Not even a grunt of recognition or the ghost of a smile. After a day like I’d had, I wasn’t sure I could handle old-school, grumpy Joe.
“Is that a shadowbox?”
“Very perceptive. Congratulations.” The gentle, joking tone I’d come to expect from him was gone, leaving only the biting assholery that had me ready to pepper spray him on day one.
“I thought we weren’t going with the shadowbox.”
“You weren’t going with the shadowbox. I’ve been a fan since I suggested the idea.”
“Gotcha. So, just like in everything, you’re going to push your way in and make all the decisions. Even a gift for my grandmother has to be done your way.”
Joe slowly lowered his paintbrush and met my eyes. I flinched.
He’d never looked at me with so much disdain. Even when we thought we hated each other, there was always something that said he liked being around me.
His glare lacked any warmth whatsoever, and that fact dropped a rock into my belly.
The day just kept proving my anxiety correct.
Something was wrong.
Something was very, very wrong.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Joe
Constructing the shadowbox had been a great way to get my mind off Kennedy and Collin, but a terrible way to deal with the shitty thoughts running laps in my head. I’d shoved my anger into a dark hole while I focused on the perfect lines and angles of construction and expected the problem to just go away on its own. A tried and true tactic that never failed to let me down.
But now that she was standing right in front of me?
And not at all being sweet or nice or any of the things I’d come to expect from her?
My anger zoomed back into focus with the ferocity of a hurricane.
I rested my brush on the can of stain and wiped my hands. “I figured I’d have to get a move on if we were ever going to finish this for Maxine. A person could grow old and die waiting for you to think about someone other than yours
elf.”
Kennedy flinched. Her jaw dropped. She blinked once. Twice. Then shook her head like a fighter who got his bell rung. Considering that was how I felt when I saw that text from Collin, it only seemed fair to return the favor.
“Excuse me?” Her voice squeaked and cracked. “Joe…what’s wrong?”
“The fact that you even have to ask that question says everything I need to know.”
The rage I’d ignored all day raced up my throat and devoured my sanity. The first person I’d trusted in years was trading me in for someone better—just when I’d been foolish enough to hope I’d found something real.
I’d had enough of that in my life.
“Can we not fight today?” Kennedy let out a long breath. Deep lines stood out around her frown. “Work was…well…it wasn’t great and I need you.”
“Sure. Let’s go ahead and make this about you. Some more. Again.”
She puffed out her cheeks. “Can you at least tell me why you’re so upset?”
The pain on her face made me question my rage, which only made me angrier.
Angry with her for making me feel both betrayed and ashamed of feeling that way.
And angry with myself for not being man enough to cut through the crap and ask what the hell was going on with her and my brother. For a split second, common sense tried to have a voice, but in the end, letting loose felt too good to hold back.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Was I not clear enough? Here. Let me spell it out for you. From the moment we started being nice to each other, I’ve gone out of my way to make your life better. You know why? Because that’s what you do for people who matter.” I listed all the times I’d taken extra care to ensure she had what she needed. The meals I’d cooked. The massage at The Hutton Hotel. Showing up at The Drunken Goat to help fight off that flirtatious dickhead at her so-called business meeting. “You like fruity drinks? I’ll fucking hand squeeze you some OJ and make you one. And what, exactly have you done for me in return? Nothing. That’s what.”