She grinned. “We should refuel. Maybe rinse off.”
“Conserve water, shower with a friend?”
She rolled her eyes. “Down, boy.”
“You started it at five thirty this morning.” I pulled her closer. “I’m just trying to keep up.”
Her laughter faded into something softer. “Last night was so good.”
“Which part? The wine? Multiple plates of your mother’s cooking? Drinks and after-dinner activities?”
“All of it.” She looked up at me. “You being here. Talking through everything. Feeling like I’m not letting you deal with this alone.”
“You’re not. You’re here and I know it. I feel it.” I kissed the top of her head. “And those documents you put together? That’s some next-level shit, Harper. You covered everything.”
“Thanks. You need to send them to your attorney once you get him retained.” She sat up, shivering a little and pulling her robe closed. “Your dad said he’d connect you with someone, right?”
“Yeah. Guy out of Atlanta. Dad said he’s supposed to be good.” I poked a finger into the opening of her robe and pried it back open.
“Cole,” she chided, but she was smiling. “I’m trying to have a serious conversation about your legal situation.”
“And I’m trying to see you naked.” I tugged at the silk. “We can multitask.”
She sighed, pretending to be exasperated, and lay back. I leaned over her, pulling both sides of the robe open just to look at her.
“The sooner he has everything, the sooner we can figure out your strategy.”
“Mmmhmmm. Strategy,” I repeated, tracing a finger between her breasts, then around each nipple.
“I’m in this thing, whether Rice likes it or not.”
“She’s going to lose her mind when she finds out I lawyered up.”
Harper’s laugh was cut short by the buzzing of my phone. I reached over to grab it from her nightstand, squinting at the screen. The number had an Atlanta area code.
“I think this is my dad’s lawyer.”
Harper sat up, pulling her robe closed. I made a face as the view of her breasts disappeared. “Answer it,” she said, nodding at my phone. “Put it on speaker.”
I pressed accept, switching to speaker. “Cole Vaughn here.”
“Dr. Vaughn, Vincent Cross from Cross & Associates.” A rich voice tinged with a Southern accent boomed through the speaker. “Walter gave me the rundown on your situation with Ridgeway Medical, said you might need a hand. I’ve got a gap in my trial calendar and I’m glad to help. Especially for the son of an old friend.”
“Mr. Cross, hey. Thanks for calling me back.” I watched Harper slide into work mode, her eyes flicking up to mine. “Justso you know, you’re on speaker, and Harper Sutton is here with me. She’s in Risk Management at Ridgeway.”
“Ms. Sutton. Walter mentioned you’d been helpful. Good to know Dr. Vaughn has someone on the inside who understands both sides of this.”
Harper leaned closer to the phone. “Thank you. I’ve been trying to make sure Cole—Dr. Vaughn—has everything he needs to go into this meeting next week.”
“That’s smart. Being prepared is going to be key here. So…” Papers rustled on his end. “Dr. Vaughn, I want to start by saying what Walter already told you. From what I understand about this case, you made the right call. My job is to make sure everyone else understands that.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Here’s what I need from you. First, you need to officially retain my services—I’ll email an engagement letter today. Once you sign it, everything we discuss is protected, so the hospital can’t compel you to share our conversations.”
“Got it.”
“Second, I need all relevant documentation. Medical records, your surgical notes, ER intake reports, any internal communications about the case. Ms. Sutton, I understand you have a good grasp on the material?”
