Page 57 of Bite the Bullet

Unfortunately, I didn’t see that happening any time soon. I finished up for the day and thankfully, clocked out without having to see Denise again. However, when I walked out of the ER doors, I had another problem on my hands.

“Hey,” Pete grinned, standing from the bench he was perched on outside the hospital. “I was hoping I would run into you.”

“Not here,” I said, taking his arm and dragging him into the parking lot.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“My boss doesn’t like me, and she’ll use any excuse to get me in trouble. You can’t show up here.”

“Well, sometimes I have to,” he chuckled. “It’s part of the job.”

“Just don’t show up for me. And if you do have to come here, you can’t wait around to talk to me.”

He stopped, frowning at me. “Are you in trouble?”

“Not yet,” I sighed. “But it’s only a matter of time. She hates me, and she’ll do whatever she can to get me fired.”

“Then maybe I need to have a talk with your boss,” he said, turning back to the ER.

I grabbed his arm and stopped him before he could do something stupid. “Do you really think that will help? Pete, if you talk to her, you’re only going to get me in more trouble.”

“Why is she pissed? I didn’t even talk to you.”

“No, but Jack did.”

“Yeah,” he said warily. “I saw him. What was he doing here?”

“He brought my car to me. It was done and he knew I would need a ride home. He was just dropping off the keys.”

“That was nice of him.” But his tone said that he didn’t like Jack helping out.

“It wasn’t a big deal. Seriously, he dropped the keys off and left.But Denise was at the nurse’s station and accused me of having a personal relationship when I should be working.”

“Because of keys?”

“She’s a piece of work,” I muttered. “So, please, just promise me you won’t stop by to see me. It has to be strictly professional between us.”

“Of course. I get it.”

“Thank you,” I sighed. “Look, I have to go. I have to pick up Parker from preschool. But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

He winced, ducking his head. “About that…I got called in. One of the guys got appendicitis and I have to fill in.”

Irritation flamed inside me. “See, this is why I don’t want you talking to Parker about these things.”

“I know,” he rushed on. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. But I can’t get out of this.”

“I’m not irritated that you have to work. I understand that. I just…”

“Don’t like disappointing your son.”

I looked up at him. “It’s not me that’s disappointing him. I have to go.”

The look on his face almost made me feel bad.Almost. But I was a single mother and I didn’t allow anyone to fuck with my son, intentionally or otherwise. I didn’t know if anything was going to happen between Pete and myself, but I had to protect Parker at all costs. I didn’t need a man coming into his life and making promises he couldn’t follow through on.

Even if that meant I was alone.

“And then Ms. Sallysaid that I had to let other kids answer,” Parker said as I unbuckled him and stepped back. He hopped out of the car and grabbed his backpack.

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