Page 58 of At Last

“Those are all from—”

“Your patients.” He cuts me off. “My count, you and Duke are gonna be eating tuna noodle casserole and lasagna for a year.” The jerk laughs as he shuts both the refrigerator and freezer doors, and then resumes his spot against the counter sipping hot coffee while I stand stunned into silence.

My patients aren’t mad that they have to deal with Dr. Misogynist-who-doesn’t-do-house-calls again? And for who knows how long?

“Jesus, Caity. You look constipated.”

So Hero’s a hot young biker who works a tight pair of jeans like a workaholic, could easily grace the cover of a romance novel and has a smile that could induce an orgasm just from aiming it at a girl. I walk over to him, over my stupor, and knee him in the boys. Albeit, my movements are slow and choppy due to my injuries and thus easily defendable. Thus, causing no pain except for maybe the one in his side from laughing at me.

“Mama,” Jade calls over to me. “Can I pway outside?”

Bad mom award. With all the heavy and latter not-so-heavy tête-à-têtes happening this morning, I forgot my girl was sitting in the living room, probably soaking up every bit of our conversation. “Sure Princess Jade, we can go out back. But first, you have to help Mom unzip her dress. I need to take a shower.”

Jade jumps up to help me but is stopped by Hero. “Sorry. Breakfast first, then shower.” When I roll my eyes at him, he holds his hand up for me to stop. “Duke’s orders. He said you’d argue about eating, but I wasn’t to let you out of the kitchen until you ate something. So sit your ass down, and I’ll fix your breakfast.”

Breakfast? Is he serious?

Jesseis dead, while Jade and I walk around with big, neon targets painted on our backs inviting Houdini to take his best shot. My man left me alone in bed, cold and casted, to go off doing God knows what, which means it probably has to do with the accident. Although, no one will explain a god dammed thing to me about the case. Do they have any leads? Are they planning a counterattack? Would it be safer for me to take Jade and visit my parents for a few weeks?

Because, I will repeat, Jade and I have big-freaking-neon, Houdini-inviting targets on our backs.

And they’re worried about breakfast?

I love that these men want to take care of us. Though I could live without the not listening to me because I don’t wear a patch or because I have a vagina, part. I don’t have the strength to fight it out today, which leaves me one choice. “You and Jade eat anything you like, but I’ll just have some yogurt and fresh fruit.”

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