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“Don’t worry about it, Anna,” Sophie said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure my family and friends feel silly for rushing down here.”
“On the contrary, Soph. I, for one, was terrified. I actually stopped at the hospital chapel on the way up here,” Will said as he dug through a basket of lollipops intended for six-year-olds.
“Knock it off, Will. Don’t mock the chapel. And don’t belittle Sophie’s injury,” Brynn snapped.
“Says the big sister who was more focused on ogling her ex than worrying about Sophie,” Will muttered under his breath.
Gray stiffened awkwardly. This was a conversation he didn’t want to have…ever. Sure, he owed Brynn an explanation, but not here.
Sophie apparently agreed, because she scowled fiercely at her family.
“Dad, you can’t go abusing your hospital connections just to spy on your kids. I’m sure Anna or Dr. Hoyne could have told you over the phone that it was just a finger scratch and not head trauma.”
Both parents looked away guiltily.
“And Brynn,” Sophie said pleadingly, “please quit looking at me like I just shot your cat. Nothing happened between Gray and me; we were just together for work reasons.”
Brynn sputtered, obviously not enjoying being called out. “I wasn’t worried about that, I was just surprised…”
“And bitchy,” Will said around a neon green lollipop. Did the man never stop eating?
“And you,” Sophie said, turning on Will. “Thank you for coming down, but come on. You didn’t know better? You couldn’t have run interference?” She glanced meaningfully at Brynn.
Will shrugged, unperturbed as ever. “Brynn called me saying that there’d been an accident and that she was worried about you.”
“Brynn called you?” Marnie asked.
“And you actually came?” asked Dr. Dalton.
For the first time since Gray had met him, Will seemed to falter. “I came for Sophie, obviously. I was worried.”
Awkward silence settled over the group.
Gray wondered what his next move should be. Did he try to explain to the family why their daughter was at his home on a Friday night? Out of habit, he looked to Sophie for guidance. She was forever giving him hints on appropriate social behavior.
But not this time. She was too busy staring at the bandages on her fingers like she could heal them with her eyes.
Gray cleared his throat nervously. “Ms. Dalton, if you’re feeling better, I think I’ll let you spend time with your family. I’ll see you on Monday. Unless, of course, you need a ride home,” he finished politely.
Sophie’s head snapped up, her wide eyes blinking up at him.
“Ms. Dalton?” Will said. “What a stiff.”
Gray wanted to snap that he wasn’t deaf, but confrontation wasn’t really his style. Neither was playing nursemaid, and he silently begged Sophie to excuse him from this awkward mess.
“Sure, I can get a ride home from my parents,” Sophie finally replied, sounding uncharacteristically formal. “Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to drive me over here. I apologize for the”—she shook her injured hand in a little wave—“inconvenience. Hopefully it won’t adversely affect my typing skills on Monday.”
That made his head snap around and he met her gaze. “For God’s sake, you know it’s not your work I care about—”
Will cleared his throat.
“I should go,” Gray said finally.
Hating himself for his curtness, but feeling completely out of his element, he walked quietly out the door and nodded an awkward farewell before escaping into the blissful anonymity of the hospital hallway.
Traces of conversation followed him as he headed for the parking lot.
“Good Lord, did the man just bow to us?” Will asked.
