Page 146 of Payoff Pitch

“To be clear, you’re asking me to move in with you, my ex-husband, so I can help our daughter’s nanny, who’s your lover, and I need to take a leave of absence from a job that Ilove? Add in the fact that your lover’s batshit crazy sister will also be there. Oh, and I have to handle all the logistics because you’re not allowed on the phone or a computer right now?”

I can’t help but smile at the complete and total absurdity of it all. “Correct.”

She smiles in return. “Like I’ve said before. Weirdest. Divorce. Ever.”

BAILEY

I awaken in a hospital bed. There are wires and tubes coming out of my entire body. Every inch of me aches. My mouth feels like I swallowed a bag of cotton. A bag of cotton that a skunk slept on.

I see Kam asleep on Cheetah’s shoulder. I can only manage a whisper. “Kam.”

Her eyes pop open, and she sits up straight, immediately taking my hand in hers. In a soft voice, she asks, “Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Like the morning after you made me take twenty-one shots on our twenty-first birthday.”

She smiles. “That was a fun night.”

“But a terrible morning after.”

“Hmm. Possibly.” She reaches up and presses a button above my head. “They said to ring when you’re awake. By the way, your surgeon was so hot. Like he belongs onGrey’sAnatomyhot. McSteamy-level.”

I sigh. “How thrilling.” I smack my lips together. “I think something died in my mouth.”

She leans forward and takes a few sniffs before scrunching her face. “Ooh. I’m not sure whether to get you a mint or toilet paper for that situation.”

Cheetah lets out a laugh. I roll my eyes. “Water. I need water.”

She fills a cup for me and helps me drink water through a straw. Several cups. I think I down about two gallons.

I move my tongue around, desperately trying to get some saliva in there.

After finally feeling a bit more hydrated, my memories start to come back. Memories of being unable to feel my legs. “Am I going to walk again?”

Her face falls. “You don’t remember talking to the doctor last night?”

“No. I know they said something about two surgeries. I was in and out. I don’t remember much else.”

The door opens. Tanner walks in with the man I’m assuming is the doctor since he is, in fact, extremely attractive. As if it matters. He’s also in a white coat. Tanner has a bandage around his head and is wearing sunglasses.

The doctor smiles. “Hello, Bailey. How are you feeling?”

“Like I was in a car accident.”

He nods. “I have no doubt.”

Tanner walks over. He takes my other hand and kisses it. “I’m going to take care of you. I promise. Everything is going to be okay.”

Kam scoffs. “You already failed at taking care of her. I still want to know why she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.”

The doctor interrupts, “Bailey, I’m Dr. Cooper. As your friends and family know, Reagan Daulton is my sister-in-law.”

“Oh. I met your wife. She works with Reagan.”

“That’s their other sister, Skylar. My wife works at this hospital.”

Kam’s phone pings. She looks down. “Shit. It’s Arizona. They just landed and saw the news. They want to fly home.”

I attempt to shake my head but can’t seem to move very well. “No. They’re on the other side of the world. Tell her they’re not allowing visitors or something along those lines. They need to goenjoy their honeymoon. There’s nothing they can do for me right now.”

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