Page 115 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

She put the pack in his hand. “Hey.”

“What’s going on?” he asked. “I can see it on your face something happened.”

She wouldn’t mention the shotgun wedding comments. No reason for it. Coy might get worked up and she didn’t want that.

She’d have to get some thick skin and move past it or address it herself.

“Has anyone said anything to you about the marriage? Patients?”

“No,” he said. “I don’t think they know. Why?”

“Oh,” she said. “When I went into Abby’s room for the first time, my patient said she thought Dr. Bond was coming in and Abby explained I was Dr. Bond. That I was your wife.”

He frowned. “Legally, you’re still Dr. Jansen. You can’t address yourself as Bond because of your medical license.”

“I made sure to point that out,” she said. “I think I got my point across. But I also believe she is telling patients so it will make the rounds fast.”

He laughed. “What’s the big deal? You should know by now nothing on this island stays quiet long. It will all blow over in a few days.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m being sensitive and shouldn’t be.”

“I understand. Or I’m trying to,” he said. “But I don’t get the big deal either. I’ve kept my personal life private for years. You know how things are on this island. It’s not a secret we were dating and then living together.”

“No,” she said. “It wasn’t.”

“Then don’t worry about it.” He leaned in. “Us Bonds, we are known for going after what we want and doing things our way.”

“And being the Bond, no one will say anything toyourface,” she said.

“You’re a Bond too,” he said. “Whether it’s on your license or not. You can start to act like it, and trust me when I say: it will all stop very quickly.”

He was smiling when he said it. She knew it was the truth.

But she didn’t know if she had it in her to be that confident in herself.

34

WANT TO BE EQUALS

“Urgh!”

Coy dropped the spoon in his hand and went running toward his room, yelling, “What’s wrong?” when he heard Angel shout three weeks later.

He stopped in the doorway to the laundry room and saw her scowling.

“What?” she asked.

“You shouted,” he said. He noticed the dryer open and his wrinkled clothes that he’d thrown in there this morning when he got out of the shower. He’d forgotten to take them out and fold them.

“No, I didn’t,” she said, reaching in to grab his pants and start to fold them.

“Just pull them all out and put them in the basket,” he said. “I’ll take care of them. And yes, you did shout, or I wouldn’t have come running.”

“Oh,” she said. “If I put them in the basket, they will be wrinkled even more.”

“Take care of your stuff. I’ll put them back in the dryer for ten minutes before I fold them. Sorry.”

She had folded his clothes before and it wasn’t the way he liked them. He ended up having to redo them since her way of folding caused more wrinkles than if she let them go.

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