Chapter 13

Thirteen

Cassie

First night back at work and it's already a shit show. Working in an ER, there's always a theme. Some nights it's frequent flyers. Other nights, it's all flu and respiratory shit. Tonight, every asshole with a six pack of beer and a power tool is in here to get stitches.

"Number twelve needs an ortho consult," the doctor says. "Went straight to the bone and maybe took a chunk out of it."

I saw that one coming. I mean, the dude's chainsaw kicked back on him and laid his thigh open. Of course, if he hadn't been trying to carve the Kentucky Wildcat out of a tree stump in his yard because he saw someone do that on TV, it wouldn't have been an issue. Leave the woodcarving to the woodcarvers. End of story.

"It's already in and waiting for you to sign off on it."

He sighs. "Cassie, your ability to read my mind might be the only thing getting me through the night."

Dr. Silas Blake is damn good looking. Young. Single. A doctor. He's flirted plenty with me in the past but always in a respectful and not skeevy manner. There's only ever been one flaw with Dr. Blake. He's not Cam. "That and the full octane coffee that is definitely not standard issue around here."

"Right," he agrees. "Heading down to seven for the kidney stones."

"Girl, that man is so into you!"

I turn around to see Janice, our tech, who has been working the ER since God was a boy. "I'm not exactly single, Janice."

"Deputy Fellows?" she asks, waggling her eyebrows at me in the least subtle way possible.

"Yes, ma'am. But if it doesn't work out, we'll see. Dr. Blake is a real sweetheart." Not something one typically says about a doctor, but in this case it's true.

The ER erupts into chaos as one of the EMS crews comes in with a patient in full code. There's no more time to talk about Cam or Dr. Blake. Everything is in crisis mode.

It's almosteight in the morning by the time I finish giving my report to the dayshift nurse. The patient who coded has been transferred to ICU after being resuscitated, but it's not looking good. A pediatric case came in and we're awaiting air transport for them to Vanderbilt. It's been a shit show of a night.

I'm so tired I can barely drag my ass to my car. But as I get near it, the tired fades a little and adrenaline rushes in. Jenna is there—Brandon's sister. She's leaning against the driver's side door and it's clear she intends for us to have a conversation.

"Can we not do this?" I ask.

"No. We cannot not do this," she replies, sneering at me. "What the hell did you do? I know you told your deputy boyfriend to go after Brandon! He's in jail because of you."

"Brandon is in jail because he made questionable choices," I reply, trying to keep my cool. "I saw him at the grocery store sitting in a car with Joe Stevens, and yes I did tell Cam, but not to get Brandon in trouble. I wanted Cam to talk to him and figure out if he was in some kind of trouble. Brandon has a wife and baby to support. I never wanted this for him!"

"Then you should have kept your fucking mouth shut."

My temper snaps. "Brandon was already on police radar before I mentioned him to Cam. They'd been setting up that raid for weeks. You cannot put this on me, Jenna. Maybe if you and your whole goddamn family would stop making excuses for Brandon and let him be held accountable for shit, he wouldn't be in this mess."

She lunges forward and, instinctively, I step back. I've got way more to lose in this situation than she does. We're still on hospital grounds and my job could be on the line if things get too crazy.

"Weak ass bitch," she says with a grin as she moves toward me.

The blip of a siren stops Jenna in her tracks.

I look up to see Cam getting out of his cruiser. "Is there a problem?" he asks.

"No problem," Jenna replies. "Just having a conversation."

"Is that what it is, Cassie? Just a conversation."

"It's not even that. We're all done here," I say. "Move away from my car, Jenna. Last time I checked, forcibly keeping someone in a place against their will constitutes false imprisonment. I think one of their children in jail at a time is more than enough for your parents to have to deal with."

Jenna glares at me and then turns her attention to Cam. "He won't always be playing the hero for you, Cass. We all know it's just a matter of time till he fucks around on you like he has every other woman he's ever dated. Like father, like son."

With that parting shot, she saunters off, as disgruntled and mean as she's ever been.

"Well, that was not exactly what I envisioned when I decided to swing by here this morning," Cam observes wryly. "Why the fuck does she hate you so much?"

I shrug. "No idea. She's always hated me. Even when Brandon and I were dating back in high school, she couldn't stand the sight of me. But I don't want to talk about Jenna or Brandon. What are you doing here?"

He leans into the cruiser and pulls out a familiar paper bag and a steaming cup of coffee from Sally's. "A chocolate chip muffin and your favorite coffee … I heard it had been a long night here at the hospital."

I move toward him and take the cup. One long sip and it feels like the caffeine goes straight to my soul. "I think this makes you more of a hero than keeping me from having to tangle with that moody bitch."

Cam grins. "I'm not gonna say that the idea of watching two women wrestling one another isn't a fun one … but you look wiped out. I'm pretty sure she could take you right now."

"You and me both."

"Get in," he says. "I'll bring you back for your car later. You're dead on your feet. And I've got a king‐size bed where we can both crash and cuddle for the rest of the day."

"No offense, but your idea of cuddling isn't exactly restful." That does not make it less tempting though.

"So we'll use your definition … for a while anyway. When we wake up, then we can renegotiate."

I hand him my overburdened work bag that is full of everything. My whole life is practically in that bag. Then I grab the little take-out bag from Sally's in his other hand. "I'm not sharing my muffin."

"Honey, that's not the muffin I want. Now get your ass in the car."