Page 36 of Baby Me

I laughed. Hard. Did Evie just make ajoke?

“Now, now, Evelyn. Why don’t you leave the doctor duties to me?” He winked at her, and Evie bit her lip. I wanted to hurl. Maybe it was a good thing that I’d been unconscious untilnow.

“How long have I beenout?”

Charlie marked something on his iPad and began to check myvitals.

“Forty-six hours. You had a serious bacterial infection in your abdomen. Hence the IV and theantibiotics.”

“Jesus. Next you’re going to tell me that I can’t leavetoday.”

Charlie set his iPad down and braced his hands on the bed rail. “You got it. Five days minimum. Doctor’sorders.”

“No, no, no. That can’t happen. I have to goback.”

“Kate is just fine. I spoke to Silvia yesterday morning and afternoon. Kate was out in the backyard when I called. You have nothing to worryabout.”

“And I called Jax to tell him that you’re okay,” Eviechirped.

“You didwhat?”

“I called Jax because I couldn’t get a hold ofBrook.”

“Evie, you shouldn’t have. Charlie, I thought you said I had nothing to worryabout.”

My friend looked at me with apologetic eyes, “I didn’t know about the phonecall.”

“Don’t be so angry. It’s just one call. It’s not like I called your parents oranything.”

Thank God she hadn’t. Any of my family members could have had their lines tapped or been followed to get toKate.

“If you wanted to help you wouldn’t have picked up the phone. Evie have you listened to anything Brook told you about oursituation?”

“I didn’t mean any harm.” She pouted. “And I used the hospital payphone.”

I made a note to call my brother to ensure he’d destroyed that cell phone. If I knew him well enough, then he already had. “Fine. But no more phone calls to anyone,understand?”

“Of course, I understand. I’m not as stupid as you’d like to believe, and if I were you, I’d be concerned about creepy detectives who show up at the hospital and oogle you like you’re a five-mealcourse.”

What was she talkingabout?

“If you’re worried about anyone following me from New York, you don’t need to be. I’ll be staying at Charles’s home.” Frustrated, Evie stood up and left theroom.

Once she was gone, Charlie sat down on the chair beside my bed. “You’re pretty hard on her,” hesaid.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to awall.”

“You’re not. She hears you. She just wishes you heard her aswell.”

Was he right? Was I being tooharsh?

“Listen, why don’t you let me take care of Evie from now on? I’ll keep her out of your hair, and you can concentrate on getting better andKate.”

Why did it feel like Charlie was asking me for Evie’s hand inmarriage?

“Yeah, sure. Have your go at her. Maybe you’re the one who can talk some sense into thatgirl.”

“It’s not as difficult as you think. You just have to understand where she’s comingfrom.”

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