Page 46 of Keeping it Real

“Yeah.”Alek shoved his fingers through his hair.“The asshole suggested I was Finn’s father.We both know that’s impossible.”

She continued to stare at him, open-mouthed.

“Right?”he demanded as a fission of doubt coursed through his body.

Her eyes narrowed.“The gestation time of a human baby is the same here as it is in Canada, you idiot.Do the math.”

“I did!”he snapped.“But there were a lot of curveballs coming out of nowhere that summer.I have no idea what really went down.”

She seemed to deflate right before his eyes.“Finn isn’t yours.Not biologically, at least.For the time being, though ...”She shrugged.“You handled today well.All of it.”

He let out a humorous laugh as he sat down beside her.“You make a better nurse than I do.”He bumped her shoulder with his.“In fact, it’s impressive watching how you interact with him.”

“The important thing is not to panic.Staying calm helps keep the attack from escalating.”She patted his hand where it rested on his thigh.“It’s always scary.But if you can keep your cool, it helps.”

Alek captured her hand when she went to pull away.He threaded his fingers through hers.“Finn knows about me and Madison.”

She snorted.“Figures.Nothing is ever secret for long in a small town.”

“Were they happy?Madison and Jamie?”

Her head whipped around to stare at him.Her lip quivered slightly.“What do you mean?”

“Finn mentioned Jamie and Madison fought a lot.”

Sheridan sighed.“It was hard on both of them when they didn’t get the life they both expected.”

Alek scoffed.“Yeah well if Jamie and Madison fought, it was likely about money and the way that idiot was draining their finances for who the hell knows what.”

It was the wrong thing to say given the abrupt way she yanked her hand free and stood.

“They are gone, Alek.And they’re never coming back.There is no point in rehashing their life.Or the choices they made that summer and after.It’s water under the bridge.”

“I got you some gummy bears, Aunt Sheridan,” Finn announced when he came back into Kellogg’s office.He beamed up at her.“Now you won’t get hangry at the doctor’s office.”

Alek was immediately jealous that the gorgeous smile was back on her face.

“You are going to make the perfect husband someday,” she told Finn.“Let’s go get you a doctor’s note for missing school today.”

Thirteen

“Guten Tag, Fräulein,”one of the attending physicians called out loudly when Sheridan arrived for her shift the following afternoon.

“Danke schön,” she replied, hoping everyone would quickly laugh it off and move on.

She’d debated calling out of work tonight.The thought of leaving them shorthanded in the ED on a Friday nearly gave her hives, however.Besides, everyone working there was a professional.No one would comment on the dumpster fire that was her personal life.

She was wrong.

Social media was still having a field day with the images from Halloween.Photos of her in the skimpy costume Sloane had picked out for her circulated all over the Internet, making Sheridan the latest thirst trap.Even worse, the pictures of her angrily confronting the creepy dad had been turned into memes poking fun at the Mayhem.It didn’t help that the team dropped another game last night.Not even poor Hattie could escape the ridicule.

The trolls believed Sheridan and Hattie were the catalysts for Alek’s inconsistent play this season.One even put forth the theory that Sheridan was a Wiccan who had cast a spell over him, taking over his house, while Hattie was a demon occupying a dog’s body.Others simply made lewd comments about where Alek’s “head” was.

All of it was outrageous.And so demeaning.

“Shame on you, girl,” the charge nurse said.“You’ve been holding out on us.”

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to believe everything you see online?”Sheridan quipped as she scanned the board listing all the patients.

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