While suturing closed, Erika said, “I’m not staying in town.I have to finish my residency so I can sit the board exam in the fall.”
In my ear, Sarah warned me not to fight with her.“Let her finish.”
Erika continued, “My father owed you money.Not me.He forged my name as the loan guarantor.”
I almost said “wow” as I watched her tie a Chinese finger trap suture around the chest tube, something I vaguely remembered learning in school and remembered the name of, but I’d never had the need to do one.Without thinking I said, “I’m pretty sure Tilghman said you signed it.Even if you took it to court, who’s going to believe you over the lawyer?”
“What the hell are you doing?”Sarah barked in my ear.“Damn it.”
“We’re done,” I whispered defensively into the phone.
“If you have something sweet or chocolate, I highly recommend you shove it in her mouth in the next five minutes,” Sarah warned.“You’re about to see hangry stressed-out Dr.Chomping.”She hung up.
“This town is a cesspool of disappointment,” Erika said, ripping off her gloves with a crack before yanking off the surgical gown and hurling it into the laundry bin.“I’mdone.”
“Oh, come on,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.“It’s not that bad.You just pulled an arrow out of a dog’s chest to save his life.That’s not disappointing—that’s heroic.That’s the kind of thing people write articles about.That’s pretty damned exciting.”
“Petey could still die in recovery or two days from now from infection.”She stretched her back which brought her gorgeous breasts into relief.“I can’t stay here.This place doesn’t even have a Starbucks.”
“Stine Run Coffeehouse downtown is pretty good,” I said casually.“You should try it.”
Her shoulders went rigid.She turned around slowly—too slowly.My stomach dropped; I’d clearly stepped on something explosive without realizing it.
“Oh?”she asked, her tone sharp and dangerous.“Is that where yourgirlfriendworks?Or is she just one of the many girls you’re seeing now?”
Heat flooded my face, but I didn’t know if it was because of Milly or because Erika incorrectly thought I was cycling through women like coupons about to expire.
“Uh-huh,” she said, her voice tightening.“Their drinksmustbe incredible.When Milly stopped by my house this morning, she brought me one.I didn’t drink it out of fear she poisoned it to remove what she thought was her competition in your bed.”
“She stopped by your house?”I wondered what the hell Milly was up to.
“Of all people, I can’t believe you’d go out withher.She pretended to be the welcome committee but ended up warning me away from you like every other insane woman in this town.”
“What exactly did she say to?—”
She wasn’t listening as she walked out of the room.
I swallowed the rest of my question and helped move Petey to the recovery area.
* * *
ERIKA
As the adrenaline from surgery wore off, I craved carbs, chocolate, and a nap.Maybe chocolate was carbs?A chocolate chip cookie sounded incredible.
I clenched my hands to hide their shaking.This was my post-procedure blood sugar crash.I rattled off instructions to Josh.“The chest tube needs to be evacuated every two hours.The skin area of the tube must be cleansed and rebandaged every twelve hours.Do your techs know how to use a stopcock when draining the tube?This can’t be left open, or it’ll draw air into the chest and cause pneumothorax.You know what…” I grabbed a sharpie off the counter and labeled the stopcock so everyone would know which turn opened the tube to allow air out and what closed it.“Are you going to have them take him to the emergency clinic?”
He didn’t say anything right away as if expecting me to keep talking.Finally, he said, “Nah.They suck.I’ll do it.”
“I can’t stay here and work in this practice with you, Josh.I have a condo with a mortgage—and a whole life up north.I’m already under contract with the emergency clinic in Philly.”I rubbed my forehead, suddenly exhausted.“I don’t know what I’m going to do with Vinny.I’ll figure it out.I have to.My only way out of the financial mess my dad left me in might be taking out a second mortgage just to pay you off.”
“What do you mean, what you’ll do with Vinny?”
I swallowed.“I’m his guardian,” I said.The words tasted strange and heavy in my mouth.“Apparently, there’s no one else.”I tried to smile, but it collapsed halfway there.
“Your plan is to rip him out of school and away from his friends?Away from his baseball team?Away from everything he knows?We’re going to have a great season.We’re even traveling to Raleigh and Greensboro for tournaments.He’s just a kid.He needs stability.”
Guilt tightened in my chest.“I know,” I said quietly.“And I hate that I’m the one who might take that from him.”I snapped, lashing out, but instantly wanted to take it back after it left my mouth, “Do you want to adopt him just to keep him on the team?”
