Page 25 of Dr. Brandt

I raised my glass. “They’re both mine. I will fix the boy, marry my girl, and be the happiest man on the mother fucking planet.”

“Cheers to that,” Alex said in a menacing yet humorous voice. “I think I’ll enjoy this particular shit show more than all of the others.”

Jake chuckled. “To the great Cameron Brandt,” he eyed the men around the table. “May the odds forever be in your selfish favor.”

Half-drunk or not, I knew this was a stupid idea. Why couldn’t I have owned this like a man, gone home, and thought long and hard about the right way to handle this? Why the hell did I come here and cry like a bitch about my problems? The guys were going to get a kick out of every wrong move I made now.

Chapter Twelve

Jessa

The weekend seemed to last a year. I couldn’t get answers for Jackson soon enough, and despite the luxurious accommodations, I’d hardly slept a wink since Cam booked Jackson and me this penthouse suite.

Now that it was officially five in the morning, I felt I could justify getting out of bed and making coffee while waiting for Cam’s secretary to call me and schedule my son for his appointment.

Once I set the coffee in motion, I strummed my fingers on the counter, staring at my fingernails while a string of worries ran through my head like they were trying out for the Olympics. Making its way to the top of my anxieties was Warren and his “k” response to the text I’d sent him with the details of Cameron taking on Jackson as a patient.

I felt a weird spasm in my stomach, realizing that Warren was acting like he didn’t care about what was going on and there was zero support from him. It wasn’t the first time Warren had pulled a cold-hearted move, but we always found a way to make up and move forward. This was hitting me very differently, though.

I wiped a tear that’d streamed down my cheek, feeling hurt that Warren was treating Jackson and me this way. A lot of what attracted me to the man was how he provided security and cared for us. Even on his worst, busiest workday, he was always reliable. He was always there, whether by text or phone call or by surprising me and showing up in person. I’ll be damned if I could understand why he was acting like this now.

I knew it wasn’t because he was jealous of Cameron. I didn’t think so anyway. If he knew Cam was competition for him, he’d find a way to work remotely so he could be here with us. How fucked up was it to think that if he was at least jealous, I could have the man’s support?

Ring! Ring!

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the phone rang, and I saw Warren’s caller ID show up. I didn’t want to answer the call; under other circumstances, I would not have. But I was in such a precarious situation, needing support like never before, and part of me wanted to be able to explain his horrible behavior away. I wasn’t sure I could deal with drama on top of everything else, so there was only one way to find out how to move forward from here.

I answered. “I thought I’d never talk to you again.”

“Ha,” he said dryly as if he needed to continue making a point that he was displeased. “So, what’s the deal with Jacks?”

“I’m supposed to get a phone call around seven or so from Cam’s secretary to set up an official consultation.”

“Ah, so Cam is not calling you himself to set this up?” He mocked Cameron’s name.

I was wrong to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s pissed and jealous.

“No,” I returned flatly. “Why would he? I texted you that he confirmed he would take Jacks as a new patient. Doctors don’t do in—”

“Does he know that he’s Jackson’s father yet?”

“Jesus, Warren, why did you call if all you’re going to do is continue your dickish behavior? This isn’t about me hooking up with a boyfriend who ditched my ass a million years ago. This is about getting Jacks the best treatment possible.”

“Right,” Warren said in a low voice. “Well, does he know that he didn’t only skip out on you, but he also left his son behind in the process?”

“Why does it matter?”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Warren shot back.

“I’m not. And yes, he knows. Jacks looks exactly like him. He’d be blind if he didn’t see the obvious resemblance.”

“And with this information, what does he plan on doing?”

“He plans on taking Jackson as a patient. So why the hell are you calling me and acting like this? If you were worried about Cameron, you shouldn’t have pulled that stunt at the airport. This is my son’s life hanging in the balance.”

“You’re acting as though it’s owed to you to have Cameron Brandt take him on as a patient, and you’ve pulled a hell of a lot of shit since you’ve been trying to demand an audience for Jackson. Do you think he’s doing this for anyone but himself?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

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