Page 30 of Dr. Brandt

“Oh, sure.” I reached up and grabbed the glass from him.

“I understand you’re under pressure, Jessa. I feel that too. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been such a dick. I know that Jackson needs help, and,” he paused and stared into his glass, “well, it just sucks that I can’t be the one to help him.”

“I think we’re at the point where it doesn’t matter who the hero is. What matters is Jacks getting help.”

“I understand, but you see what I’m up against, right?”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and returned my gaze to where the sun began to set on the horizon, creating a bright sparkly effect on the rippling water beyond the shoreline.

“It’s not about you, though, is it?” I sipped my wine, irritated at Warren’s words, but I could tell that the man, who had zero sense of humor, was trying to lighten the mood with silliness.

“You know I’m kidding, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” I responded, feeling the Grand Canyon-sized distance between us. “Do you think he’s as nervous as I am about this?” I questioned Warren about Jackson, who’d excused himself earlier to call his girlfriend in New York.

I thought of my son’s bright smile, bringing a smile of my own to my face. This kid was undoubtedly a strong boy, and given everything he’d gone through already, I knew he must have felt stronger than I did.

“He’s nervous,” Warren answered. “He’s going to need his mama’s strength, though, more than I’m sure he’ll ever care to admit.”

“I feel numb.”

He sipped his wine, crossed a leg over the other, and ran a hand through his meticulously combed hair. “I get that. It’s hard to imagine the surgery he’ll have to go through. Do you trust Dr. Brandt enough for this? I guess that’s the pressing question.”

“Cameron is a lighthearted jokester. That’s how I knew him, anyway. But he always had this air about him when it came to school and his future career, and when that kicked in, the humor faded, and he got shit done. He’s precise. Always has been.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Warren stated.

“I didn’t answer the question how you wanted me to,” I snapped, feeling my nerves on edge. I gulped my wine, hoping it would chill me out. I didn’t have the energy for a fight.

He sat up, dropping his legs over the side of his chair, and turned to face me. “Do you or don’t you trust this man to perform this surgery?”

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “This is huge, you know? It’s not something I ever expected to face, even after accepting that my son had epilepsy. It’s just too much right now.”

“I understand that, but if you have no faith in the surgeon, what is the point of any of it?”

“The point is to get my son his life back, Warren. Whether or not I trust Cameron, I just don’t know.”

“I’ll help you out a little.” He pulled out his phone. “I took the liberty of researching this man.”

Oh? Because I wasn’t responsible enough to? How condescending can this fucker be? Someone give Warren a medal. He Googled. He’s so responsible.

“Go on,” I said, knowing Warren was waiting for me to give him my undivided attention. God, he could be so full of himself sometimes.

“Well, I think you already know the history of the college and universities he attended.”

I was so goddamn annoyed with this conversation.

“Of course, I know this. I also know that he’s made global news with spinal and brain surgeries, Warren. The man’s a genius in this profession. And he knows this too, or he wouldn’t recommend we meet with his patient. I just need to accept this is Jackson’s journey. I’m just not sure I’m there yet.”

“Hold on,” Warren rolled his eyes as his phone started buzzing. “Got a call.”

I welcomed his business intrusion because I wanted to stop talking more than anything, which was contrary to how I’d previously felt when his work interrupted a serious moment. Ordinarily, I would’ve been upset by something like this, but as I told him earlier, I was numb, especially regarding him. I honestly couldn’t muster any feeling about him or what he had to say.

I placed my wine glass on the end table and picked up my phone. I opened a search to find testimonials about Cameron, curious about what I might find.

I clicked on a link that brought me to Cameron’s bio, ignoring the black hair, blue-eyed, gorgeous man’s ridiculously hot picture, and found the testimonials section.

“Dr. Brandt has remarkable skill and talent. His bedside manner was impeccable, and his love for children was apparent in every interaction with our son. We couldn’t be more thankful for Dr. Cameron and his help.”

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