A cheerful voice piped up, “I brought bundt cake tonight.Want some?”
I spun around and hugged Sarah.“I missed you.Thanks again for helping with that surgery.”
Her normally frizzy hair had been tamed into neat braids, pulled into a bouncy ponytail.Her smile crinkled the dark skin around her eyes like warm chocolate.She extended her hand.“You must be Vinny.I’m Sarah, your sister’s best friend up here.”
“I’ll take some cake.”Vinny shook her hand like a man on a mission.
“What’s the plan?What’re you doing with the clinic and Mr.Hota—” She snapped her mouth closed and shot me an “oops” with her eyes.“Mr.Hotstuff down there?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Sarah leaned down like she was about to spill the juiciest secret to Vinny.“Do you think Dr.Hurst has a thing for your sister?”
Vinny giggled.“I don’t know.She accused him of pooping in his pants.Then they had a nasty argument after the funeral yesterday.”
Sarah’s eyes went wide.“You didwhat?Pooping in his pants?”
“He rubs me the wrong way.”
“Bet you want him to rub you in some way,” she muttered.
I hit her shoulder with mine as I started to walk past her into the office.
“I can’t do another week without you here, girl,” Sarah said.“You are staying, aren’t you?”
“I—”
“What the hell is that doing here?”Jay boomed down the hallway behind us.He pointed a finger at Vinny as he paced our way.He looked disgustingly good, like always—scrubs crisp, white coat pristine, dark hair in a perfectly tousled and moussed style.He was Italian-olive handsome, the kind of handsome that makes you want to trip him just to restore balance to the universe.He was living evidence that beauty was only skin deep and the jerk underneath was fully intact.
“Later,” Sarah whispered and left.
“Dr.Renfroe, this is Vinny, my brother.”I pulled Vinny into me with a hand across his chest.
“We don’t allow kids back here.We definitely don’t host bring-your-kid-to-work day.And personal pets?Absolutely not.”Jay crossed his arms and leveled a death glare at Tracker and then us.
“Vinny can’t stay by himself at my place.He’s eight.I just pulled in from driving all day, so I didn’t have time to run Tracker home.”I despised being on the defensive with Jay.
“This was your mess to clean up.You were supposed to put the kid up for adoption or have a child service take him away.You’re not the kind of person who can be a parent.”He looked at Vinny like he was a piece of trash someone forgot to take to the curb.
Vinny looked stricken as if someone had told him he was kicked off the baseball team.He looked up at me.“You meant it when?—”
“No.I never said that.”I gave him a small squeeze against me.“I said if you went into foster care, itcouldbe like that.You’re not going anywhere.”To Jay I said, “Back off.You forced me to drive up here immediately after the funeral to make my shift.We’ve been on the road all day.We got in five minutes ago.It’s not like I can pull a babysitter out of my ass.I don’t even know people that might do that overnight.”
“That’s not my problem.You can’t have a kid here.”
“What would you suggest, then?”I noticed Tracker had moved to stand between Jay and me.I wondered if he’d protect us.The dog had never been tested in that way.He’d never been allowed in the same room when Jay got a bit aggressive.Although, I had heard him barking at the door to get to me when it happened.
“I don’t know, but he can’t be here.Call a babysitter.”He rolled his wrist to check his watch.“You’re late for rounds.”
“You’re being ridiculous.This is about the fact that I caught youcheating in my bedand threw your lying ass out.”I shoved Vinny behind me, stepping toward Jay.“You better be gone from my place.Completely gone.”
“I moved my stuff to give you space.”He took a fast step forward.
My stomach dropped.His right hand lifted suddenly, and instinct yanked me back.Tracker’s growl rumbled, low and dangerous.
Jay scoffed, flicking his hand like the whole moment was beneath him.“This will blow over.You’ll come to your senses.I’ll be back in your house—ourhouse—in a week.”
He glanced at his watch again.“I’m docking your pay by an hour for this waste of time.”
