by Sofia Finn
“So, you and the cute nurse,” he said, eyes gleaming with curiosity. “What’s going on over there?”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on. Yeah, you do.” He wiggled his eyebrows like a teenager. “Everyone in the hospital is talking about it. We’ve seen the way you look at her when you think she’s not looking. It’s pretty intense, man. Are y’all in love or something?”
I frowned. Love? The idea was laughable.
Randy must have mistaken the look on my face for something else because his smile grew even wider. “Well, I’ll be damned. Dr. Cage Burke is in love. Hell, I don’t blame you. She seems like a sweet girl. And I saw that little kid y’all have, she is super cute—”
“Ela’s not my daughter.”
Randy gave him a perplexed look. “Really? Are you sure? Because she kinda looks like you. I mean, y’all have the same eye color and everything. I just assumed that she was you and the nurse’s love child back when y’all were young, and now y’all found each other all these years. You know… like that movie on hallmark…what’s the name….”
“Ela’s not my daughter,” I repeated. “Randy, is there a point to this conversation because I’m pretty busy?”
“No point. Just wanted my theory confirmed, that’s all. I’m a sucker for love, you know.”
“I already told you nothing is going on with Maddie and me. Now, if you’re happy, you can find your way out.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to snitch on y’all,” Randy continued in that infuriating southern accent of his, as if he hadn’t heard me talk. “I’m not trying to blackmail y’all or anything. I think it’s a stupid rule anyway that nurses and doctors can’t date, just because one dumbass couldn’t take no for an answer. I say both of you should be free—”
“ Randy, get the hell out of my office.” I had finally reached the end of my patience with the nosy man. “I’m not going to ask you a third time.”
Randy held out his hands non-threateningly, but he smiled. “Okay, okay, I’ll get out of your hair. Just know that if you need any love advice…I’m your guy.”
I cocked my eyebrow at him.
“Fine, fine. I’m leaving.”
At least, he’d had the decency to shut the door behind him.
Now, as I sat in my study, my mind drifted back to what Randy had said. Love? The word dropped like a bomb, sending a faint shard of panic into my chest. I couldn’t be in love with Maddie.
We were just together.
And she was mine.
Her smile lit up my world. And yeah, I liked having her near me in my home. Heck, spending time with her and Ela was the only thing that soothed me. But that was all there was to it. It didn’t mean I was in love with her or anything.
Then what exactly do you think it means, asshole?
I sighed and rubbed my temples. I didn’t even know what love was. I had thought my parents had been in love, but after Haley’s death, I had seen the way they had torn into each other maliciously with vicious vitriol that no child should ever be witness to. That was what might have fucked up Ben and me even worse.
Speaking of Ben, I probably had to call him soon.
I glanced at my phone. It was time for me to head to the hospital for the board meeting, and I was running late. Again.
It took me a few minutes to get to the hospital. I went in and immediately looked for Maddie, but she was nowhere to be found. I checked back at the nurse’s station first.
“Hey,” I asked Carol. “Do you know where Maddie is?”
“Um, she’s in with HR. She’s in a little bit of trouble.” Carol looked very uncomfortable, even more so when I frowned.
“In trouble. Why? What happened?”
Carol hesitated. “There was an altercation with another nurse, and … you should probably just go up there. They’ll explain it all to you.”
I nodded at her, mind racing as I headed upstairs to where the HR office was.
Bailey Woods, our HR head, was at her desk and sitting at the very end. Tessa had a very red mark on her face and Maddie, who adopted a mulish look, reminded me very much of her daughter.
For some reason, Hastings was in there too, sitting at Tessa’s other side. Shouldn’t he be up at the board meeting?
Bailey glanced up when I walked in, taking in the tense atmosphere.
“Anyone want to explain what’s going on here?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Hastings spoke up in that smug tone of his. “See, I was just walking up on my way to the meeting when I witnessed a physical altercation between these two nurses here. And I say physical altercation, but in fact, it was your friend over here…” he pointed at Maddie, “Who slapped the shit out of the other nurse Tessa. And so you see, Bailey over here tried to suspend her for her actions, but she has refused to go home. We were just about to call security when you walked in.”
I looked at Maddie. She didn’t look sorry at all for what she had done. If anything, she looked even more determined.
“Is this true?” I asked Maddie, but Tessa chimed in immediately, gesturing dramatically. “Yes, Dr. Burke…she attacked me….”
“I wasn’t asking you,” I said, and she shut up. I kept my eyes on Maddie.
“Nurse?”
She finally looked at me. “Yes, I did hit her. And yes, I know it was wrong, but if it makes it any better, I was provoked. She called my daughter a bastard.”
She called my Ela a bastard? I looked back at Tessa, and the fury she saw on my face made her pale.
“And you can suspend, fire me or do whatever you want. That’s fine. But not before I get someone to listen to what I have to say. You can’t send Tate Collins back to that family. His father physically abuses him.”
“And do you have proof of this?” Hasting sneered. “Cage, did you notice any signs of abuse on the boy’s body? I’m sure you checked before operating. The preop nurse didn’t notice anything either.”
“There are ways to do it that the marks won’t show.” Maddie turned on Hastings fearlessly like a tigress. “Believe me, I know.”
I growled. I didn’t care about the looks I got. What did that mean? Had Maddie been abused? She glanced at me and must have seen the question in my eyes because she shook her head. I relaxed slightly.
“That still doesn’t give you the right to hit another nurse,” Bailey said.
“I know. And I already said I’ll take whatever punishment you want me to take for that, but not until I know that you’re not going to send Tate Collins back to that family. And not to the orphanage either.”
“This is ridiculous.” Hasting threw his hands up. “Do you think this is a hotel? A homeless shelter? We can’t just keep the kid. We have other patients to worry about.”
“Please,” Maddie was looking at me, not Hastings, as she made the request. “Just one more month while they conduct an investigation.”
I was quiet while I thought about it.
“Are you actually thinking about this Cage?” Hastings gaped. “Unbelievable. So just because you’re fucking her, you’ve gone completely nuts, huh?”
“Wait,” Bailey blinked. “You two are dating? But… Dr. Burke, that’s against hospital policy.”
“Exactly,” Hasting’s eyes glinted, his whole face aglow with victory. “Seems you’ve gotten a little derelict in your duties, Cage. Maybe I should take this whole thing up to the board and show them what you’ve been up to with the shrewish little nurse. I think they might finally agree that it’s time for you to step aside as board chair.”
The whole room went silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Hastings, still high on the illusion of power, stood up.
I smiled back at him. It was time to him who the fuck I was.
“Over your dead body, Hastings,” I told him. “And death won’t be long coming for you if you ever insult the woman I love again.”
16
Cage
I couldn’
t tell who was more shocked by my declaration—Maddie, Tessa, Hastings, or me.
As soon as I said it, the truth sank into my soul. It felt right. I was in love with Maddie Flynn.
Because, of course, I was.
“You can try to get me voted out if you want.” I shrugged. “But I guarantee that if you do, this entire hospital will crumble. But I won’t let it. Because I’ll buy you all out instead.”
“You can’t…” Hastings looked around for support, but it wasn’t coming. “You can’t just do that!”
“I can, and I just did,” I looked him straight in the eyes, daring him. “What are you going to do about it?”
The staring contest lasted about a minute, and I could see the internal war in Hastings. He wanted to argue, but he knew I had him trapped. His plan backfired, and that enraged him. What further angered him was when I added, “It was a stupid rule anyway. One doctor was a piece of shit. It doesn’t mean that we should ban doctors and nurses from being together.”
Hastings glared at me.
“And,” I continued. “As for Tate Collins, he will be staying at the hospital until the investigation is finished.”
“Under what grounds?” Bailey asked in a concerned tone.
I shrugged. “His surgery was very complex. Maybe I want to observe him for another few weeks to ensure there are really no complications. And if the hospital doesn’t want to foot the bill, then put it on my tab. If the parents sue, then put that on my tab too. Either way, the kid is not leaving.”
“That’s not fair,” Tessa exploded. Hastings looked nearly apoplectic with rage. But neither of their expressions interested me more than Maddie’s.
She looked shell-shocked, but there was something else in her eyes. Something more than admiration. She looked at me the same way she had all those years ago, when I had met her at the pillar. Like I was her hero.
The look sent warmth to my chest.
“Now, if anyone needs me, I’ll be up at the meeting. With my board of directors.” I said the last part with a pointed look at Hastings, daring me. He said nothing, just glared. Oh well. Buying him out would be a hassle and would strain my funds, not to mention a legal headache, but it wasn’t impossible. And not having to deal with Hastings anymore would definitely be a plus.
The meeting with the board of directors only lasted a few minutes. It went smoothly, with a visibly subdued Hastings. I came out and immediately went looking for Maddie. She had accepted the one-week suspension but insisted on finishing off some of her duties before she headed home, so we weren’t short-staffed. I found her at the hospital entrance about to leave and wrapped my arm around her waist from behind.
“Hey,” I whispered in her ear.
From the corner of her face, I saw the smile bloom. “ Hey.”
Now that our relationship was out in the open anyway, I no longer held myself back. I kissed her right there in front of the hospital entrance. She didn’t push me away. Instead, her body melted into mine. Then suddenly, she froze. “Wait, I have to tell you something.”
“Later.” I wanted to kiss her some more, but she wedged her hands against my chest and pushed.
“No, Cage, this is really important. Do you have time now?”
I sighed. I really didn’t. I still had a bunch of papers on my desk that needed signatures before the end of the day.
“No, not now.” I checked the time. “How about we grab dinner around 6ish, just the two of us? Leave Ela with the nanny.”
“How about I make dinner when I get home,” she suggested. “I still haven’t shown you my Spaghetti special.”
I grinned. “Fine. But I gotta go now.”
I gave her one last kiss and then turned to head towards the parking lot.
“Oh and Cage,” she called. I looked back. She smiled. “I love you too.”
As I drove back home later that day, I tried to sort it all out in my head.
I had somehow fallen in love with Maddie Flynn.
Maddie was my brother’s ex and had his kid.
It was clear that the thing between Maddie and I was serious. Very serious, in fact, and Ben deserved to know. My brother needed to know about everything.
Guilt broiled. Maddie was really the love of Ben’s life. The woman he’d nearly killed himself for. After she left him, Ben hit rock bottom. He’d taken a concoction of pills leading to a severe overdose. Luckily, the housekeeper found him and called 911 before we’d lost him forever. And then, he’d gone to rehab for the 3rd time.
There was always the possibility that it might happen again if I told him about Maddie and me.
Or not. I mean, it had been years. He’d sounded very zen the last time we’d spoken. He could be over the whole thing.
I had to talk to him first before I decided whether to tell him or not. I had to see where his head was and how stable he was.
I decided to do it the minute I got home—to get it over with. But as I sat in the living room, I held the phone in my hands for several seconds before I finally hit the dial button.
A soft voice answered. “Hello, this is Sunshine Rehabilitation clinic. How may I help you?”
“Hi,” I said. “Can I speak to Benjamin Burke? Tell him it’s his brother.”
“Alright, hold one second.”
It took a little more than that before I heard my brother’s clear bass. “Hello.”
“Hey, Ben. It’s me.”
“Big bro,” he said cheerfully. “What’s up, bud? Finally calling to check in on your little brother?”
“Yeah. Sorry I haven’t been calling a lot. Things have been really crazy at work.”
Ben sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry too that I’m not there to help. But hey, good news, I think I might be coming back next week or so. I’m finally ready to come back. The doctors think I’m ready, and to be honest, I think so too. I feel great. I mean, the cravings still hit here and there, but I’m getting much better at dealing with it. Hey, what do you think about going to the beach house when I get back? The two of us can just hang out and relax.”
Shit. If he was getting out so soon, I had to tell him. I couldn’t have him coming home to find out that his brother had kept a big secret from him. At least, if he freaked out at the rehab, there were people there to help him. God, it was so screwed up. Why on earth did I have to go and fall in love with Maddie Flynn. “Ben, there’s something I have to talk to you about.”
“Sounds serious.” The mirth disappeared from Ben’s tone. “Is it about work?”
“No. Just…” Come on, stop being a pussy, Cage. Just get it over with. “Do you remember Maddie? Maddie Flynn?”
Ben was silent for some time, and when he spoke again, tension lined his words. “Why the hell are you bringing this up, Cage?”
“Just answer the question, Ben.”
“Hmm, Maddie Flynn.’ His voice was instantly angry, sarcasm dripping from every word. “You mean the woman who I thought was the love of my life who skipped town and never spoke to me again? That bitch?”
“She’s not a bitch,” I growled sharply, unable to suppress the savage protective instinct that demanded that I end my brother for insulting my woman. “And just because things didn’t work out between the two of you doesn’t make it her fault.”
“How the hell would you know? And why the hell are you bringing this up now?”
I tried to calm down. It wouldn’t do any good if we were both mad. “Well, she’s here. In the city. Works in my hospital actually, and… the two of us are dating.”
This time, the silence built and built like a mountain until he finally broke it in a hushed, tremulous tone that was somehow louder and more forceful than a shout. “What. The. Fuck.”
“Listen, Ben…”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re kidding me, right, Cage?” He sounded like a man on the verge of losing his mind. “I mean, you have to be fucking kidding me because I know my brother, my own flesh and blood, did not just tell me that he is screwing the sam
e chick that broke my heart four years ago. Tell me that’s not what you’re saying, Cage. Tell me that when you say dating, you mean something else entirely.”
I said nothing, but that only seemed to make Ben angrier.
“Oh my God.” A rough bark of laughter left him. “Oh my God. And here I was like an idiot feeling bad for you! Reminiscing about all the times we used to spend together! Trying to get better in this fucking place so I can be there for you! You were probably fucking her behind my back the whole time, weren’t you? Bet you guys had a laugh about what an idiot I was. Just like old times, huh?’
“What are you talking about, Ben?”
“I’m talking about how nothing ever fucking changes! No matter what I do, I can never measure up to you. Do you know that every girlfriend I’ve ever had always eventually wanted you? Sure, they like me at first, but they all eventually get sick of my shit and want the good brother. The dependable one. The brother who doesn’t consistently fuck up. Who, by the way, also looks like a Greek god.”
“Most people say we look alike, Ben.”
“Maybe before, but not anymore. I look like a strung-out alcoholic, while you look like someone who actually has their life together. Shit, no wonder Maddie wanted you. She probably wanted you since the beginning, the whole time she was with me? Do you know we stopped having sex for months before she left? Do you know why? I felt like whenever we did, she just got disappointed. Because she was hoping I was someone else. I guess I know who that someone was.”
“That’s not true, Ben.” I sighed. Was it? “Maddie and I had nothing to do with each other while the two of you were dating. Neither of us betrayed you.”
“Oh, but you sure wanted to? Admit it! Admit you wanted her. And fuck me sideways, but she wanted you too. I was just the consolation prize. That’s me. Ben, second-string brother. Second-string son. Everyone always liked you best. Even mom.”
That gave me pause. “What?”
“Oh yeah,” Ben continued, sounding more manic in his ranting. “Mom let me know all the damn time after you went to boarding school. It got worse. And when you joined the army? God, dad wouldn’t let me hear the end of it either. It was always Cage this and Cage that. And I was just Ben the screw-up.”