Page 130 of No Way Home
Magnolia guided me onto the couch. “I have to tell you something?—”
“Just remember, she told me first,” James said. His words were playfully bossy, but too hollow to sound natural.
Magnolia turned to face me, eyes bright. “James and I havebeen talking a lot about Sage and the difference an early diagnosis would’ve made for her.”
My brother’s expression went hard. “It would’ve saved her life.”
Turned out, Sage had a heart attack in the ambulance from the stress of not knowing if James was going to make it. It was a miracle they’d delivered Willow safely.
Unlike Billy, the cardiologist called when he found out and offered his condolences. He was sick with himself, but he couldn’t have predicted a car accident. He assured us that under normal circumstances, Sage would’ve made it through the delivery fine.
Magnolia slid closer, excited about whatever she was about to tell me. “I think…” She nibbled her bottom lip as she drew over the lifeline on my right hand. “I might want to specialize in family medicine. Maybe I could open my own practice here in Seddledowne,” she said really fast. “Then we can live near your family and my dad. And I can be the kind of doctor who’s an actual first line of defense, the way family doctors should be.” She bounced on her cushion. “What do you think?”
Willow’s pacifier fell out and she stirred. James glanced at the bottle of formula on the TV tray beside him. Maggie hopped up, handed it to him, and returned to her spot next to me. As James stared at the bottle like it was the enemy, a single tear rolled down his cheek. Sage had been so excited to breastfeed, and he felt like he was betraying her every time he had to give Willow formula. But Willow sucked away, settling right down, no worse for the wear.
Maggie watched me expectantly, waiting for a response.
“I mean, I love that idea.” I scowled. “But I know how much you wanted to be a thoracic surgeon or hematologist-oncologist.” I didn’t want her to change her plans to make me happy.
“Yes.” She leaned closer, expression animated. “But I realized something over the past six weeks. A lot of health issues that could be fixed or at least managed well with early intervention get misdiagnosed at the primary care level. Or ignored altogether. Some doctors just want to give patients a slap-a-bandaid-on-it fix and send them on their way.” She squeezed my hand, eyessparkling. “Sage isn’t the only person whose life might’ve been saved if she’d been diagnosed earlier. My mom might’ve been too. Her oncologist told us that.” Magnolia’s eyes welled the same way James’ still were. “Do you know how devastating that is? To find out that your mother’s death could’ve been prevented if her family doctor, who should’ve been her medical watch tower, had run the proper blood work?” She blinked, forcing the tears to stay put. “I want this,” she pleaded as if she needed my permission. “It feels right.”
“Magnolia.” I kissed the tip of her adorable nose. “I am game for whatever you choose. If you feel good about it, that’s good enough for me.”
She beamed, cheeks bursting with a smile, and hugged her knees to her chest. I laughed when I caught sight of her toes.
“You likey?” she asked, wiggling them for me to see.
She’d gotten a French manicure—only instead of the normal pink and white, her toes were bright orange with the ends painted navy blue. The big toe on each foot had a V-sabre, our alma mater’s logo.
“Oh, I likey,” I said, pressing a kiss to her mouth. “I likey a lot.”
We stared into each other’s eyes and at the same time whispered, “Wah-hoo-wah.”
I glanced over at my brother, realizing I probably needed to cool my jets for his sake. But he’d tipped the recliner a little further back and was sleeping with Willow in the crook of his arm.
“I swear, Ford—” Griffin bellowed on the other side of the kitchen wall. “You always gotta be up in everybody’s business, manipulating people, and throwing your money around! Nobody asked for your help.”
James woke up then. He had no choice but to stay where he was. But Magnolia and I jogged back through the kitchen. We slid into the living room to see Juliette tugging on Griffin’s hand, trying to get him to back down. The extendedfamily had gone outside and was now playing touch football, thankfully.
Ford stood in front of Griff, neither ruffled nor surprised.
“We’re not up in your business,” Peyton stepped between them, trying to shield Ford from Griffin’s vitriol. “We’re just giving Juliette an opportunity.”
“The opportunity of a lifetime,” Ford amended.
Griffin shrugged, eyes like granite. “Well, I hate to have to inform you, but your little ploy to get me back to Seddledowne isn’t going to work. Jules is perfectly happy modeling for DayGlow.” He snorted. “Did you actually think your start-up idea was going to lure her away?”
I winced at the disrespect in his tone. Aunt Peyton looked like she was two seconds away from throat-punching him.
Ford didn’t seem the least bit fazed by Griffin’s hurtful words. He folded his arms and looked Griff in the eye. “If that’s the way you want to see it, that’s your choice. At Clean Slate Productions, we enjoy giving people a fresh start. It’s what we do. But we’re also a business, and facts are, your wife could level up by starting her own makeup line. And we could level up by diversifying our interests. We feel that between Peyton and Juliette, they could make something really great happen.” He tilted his head. “So you might want to start thinking like a husband, discuss it with your wife, and make the decision together.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Or you could continue to make a jackass of yourself and keep throwing out hateful jabs you’re going to regret later. It’s really up to you.”
A muscle in Griffin’s jaw ticked, but he at least turned to face Juliette.
“Ford’s right,” she said quietly. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. I’d get to start a company with my name on it and model makeup thatIcreated?”
Griffin’s jaw ticked. “Let me guess, you have to stay in Seddledowne to do it. That’s part of the deal.” Juliette’s silence answered that question. Griffthrew his hands up in frustration. “Jules, this is what Ford does. He twists people into doing what he wants. Well, guess what?” He whirled on our favorite uncle. “I'm not going to be your stupid puppet. I’m perfectly happy out west, and I am never,evermoving back. So juststop,” he seethed. “Stop manipulating my wife and using her as a pawn so you can be the hero that got Griffin to come home.” His eyes flashed. “The answer is officially no.”
“Griffin,” Magnolia groaned under her breath.
