Page 27 of The Exception

“You know mom. She’s busy keeping everyone in line. You should call her. I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.”

Truth is, her mom asked about him just as much as he asked about her. The divorce had been a result of her dad denying that he needed help, not because of any absence of love.

He sighed. “Nah, I’m not there yet. But tell her I asked about her.”

“I will.”

Her dad went quiet again and Sonya could picture him fiddling with the gold watch he always wore. It was a retirement gift from her mother and even when he’d lost nearly everything else, he’d held on to that watch.

He cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking more about moving back that way. I probably should’ve done it when you suggested it four months ago, but I couldn’t see that then.”

Sonya wanted to fist pump the air but she reminded herself to stay neutral. She didn’t want to be too excited and spook him into second-guessing this idea which would be the best thing for him.

“Yeah?”

“Dr. Ray thinks I need to stay put for now but she thinks it would be a good idea later on.”

The doctor’s opinion was right in line with Sonya’s reasoning for not wanting to make him travel for the wedding.

Even though her dad couldn’t see her, she nodded. “When you’re ready, I’ll do everything I can to help you get here. We would see each other more often.”

“I want that. I’ve got a lot of years to make up for.”

Sonya bit the inside of her cheek. She’d wanted her dad to get healthy ever since her parents divorced. It was the one thing she’d asked for in every prayer and birthday wish since he’d come home from Iraq different than when he’d left.

“I want that too, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They spoke a little bit longer about trivial things, but Sonya’s mind was stuck on the possibility of her dad finally being her dad again. It was the first good news she’d had in days.

Fourteen

Where is he?

Sonya glanced at her watch—again—and tried to temper her rising annoyance. Lunch break had ended six—no, seven minutes ago and Trav was still nowhere to be found. He must’ve taken that run a few days ago to mean they were friends and he could start slacking off. They were most certainlynotfriends and he was about to earn his second demerit.

Still, she couldn’t shake the idea that this was her fault somehow. She’d already been kicking herself for challenging him to that treadmill run in the first place. It was too friendly but it also invited him into her world a little bit, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted him there. They were preceptor and intern, not buddies who had a good time running together until their legs felt like jelly.

Her mind drifted back to the way his damp t-shirt clung to his abs and those thick arms when he pulled a hand through his sweaty hair. Then, she noped those thoughts right back to the depths of her subconscious where they came from. She wasn’t about to let the memory have any control.

She needed to get to work, so after letting Heather know where she would be when Trav turned up, she took off down the hall to see one of her long-standing patients.

Frank was a retired soldier, and he reminded her so much of her dad that she couldn’t help but grow attached to him. It didn’t help that he had a daughter that was around Sonya’s age when her parents split. All of those things had her more invested in Frank’s outcomes than she probably should be.

Sonya peered through the cracked door to Frank’s room only to find her wayward intern handing Frank… ice cream?

“How’d you get this?” Frank asked.

Trav chuckled. “Let’s just say it was tactically acquired.”

Sonya watched as Frank quietly accepted the cup of ice cream and immediately dug his spoon into it, while Trav flopped into the chair next to Frank’s bed and pulled out his own cup.

She was going to have to have a word with him. All of the professionalism and skill he’d displayed over the last few weeks had lowered her guard and now he was taking advantage by having a snack break with a patient.

She was about to go in there and do just that when Trav said, “You know, I never appreciated vanilla ice cream until Afghanistan. I used to be one of those guys who liked all the flavors and mix-ins, but the lucky days we got vanilla ice cream from the mess were as close to heaven as you could get.”

Frank didn’t look up from his cup, but his spoon paused on its journey to his mouth. “You’re ex-military? What branch?”

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