Page 129 of Undeniably Enemies

He throws me a disgruntled look, but since Octavia waits for no one, he rushes to her side and helps her down the stairs, even though she doesn’t seem to need much aid other than the railing.

“This isn’t done!” Owen calls out to me.

“Get over it!” I yell down at him.

“Oh my goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.” Estlin does a little shimmy and dance. “Right, Rory?”

Rory is still puzzled. “Why is Daddy upset, and why are you so happy?”

“Because Uncle Jack and Aunt Wren love each other.”

Rory shrugs. “Okay. That’s cool, I guess.”

If only adults got it the way kids do.

“I love you.” I give Estlin a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Talk your guy off the cliff for me.”

“He’s fine. He’s just doing the big brother thing. I know someone who used to do that too.” Estlin gives Wren a hug. “I truly am so happy for you both. Be nice to my brother. He’s had it bad.” She looks at me. “Be nice to my friend or I’ll kick your butt.”

Estlin and Rory head down the stairs after Octavia and Owen, and I blow out a breath and spin on Wren. “How muchworse do you think this will get when he learns I told Katy first?”

Wren grimaces. “Uh, yeah, I’ll talk to him tomorrow and paint you as Saint Jack.”

“Heading into the holiday season, I might need that distinction.” I sigh. “That didn’t go well.”

“Not really, but it’s not like he punched you out.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “That’s our metric for success?”

“I don’t know. I guess. But now that I’m dressed, maybe we should go out for Mexican instead of making it.”

“I think I need shots.”

She grins and draws up onto her toes to kiss my chin. “Lots of shots. We’ll party like it’s nineteen ninety-nine or whenever it was that you graduated high school.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m not that old. Only Sorel loves all things nineties.”

“Whatever. Let’s go out. I’m starving. Tomorrow we’ll tackle the Owen battle, but with Octavia, Katy, and Estlin on our side, he has no argument.”

It’s true, and that does make me feel better. A little.

I take her hand and place her coat on her shoulders. Owen will come around. He won’t have a choice. And honestly, I’m not sweating it the way I was. I wish I had been the one to tell him. I wish he and I had sat down over a beer, and I could have told him man to man.

But I didn’t get that luxury with him and Estlin, and now he didn’t have that with me and Wren. We’ll find our way through it. It’s what best friends do.

Wren locks up, and we head out into the cold November Boston evening just as my phone vibrates in my pocket. I assume it’s Owen, but it’s not.

Callan: I am not sending you this message, and I never told you anything, but the board unanimously decided tokeep you as the new chief and will notify you on Monday before they make the formal announcement. Harrison came in ten minutes after you left, having no idea you had been there, and threw out multiple accusations about you that the board already knew were bullshit. The board questioned him on those and on the past and current claims that he’s inappropriate with staff, and he freaked out. He became irate and told the board he wasn’t sure if he would be able to stay there as a physician and then threatened to sue the hospital. I think he’ll be gone before the first of the year. Have a good weekend, and we’ll talk on Monday, Chief.

Well, I’ll be damned.

I guess sometimes a man can get everything he wants, and karma does change hands.

I show my phone to Wren and let her read it. Her eyes go round, and her jaw drops.

“Oh my god!” she screams in the middle of the sidewalk and jumps on me, practically climbing me like a tree. “Shots! We’re so doing shots! And call Owen. He can get over his period and meet us out. We’re celebrating.”

“Come here.” Without waiting, I kiss her. I kiss her deeper and harder and with more passion than I think I’ve ever kissed her. Because this girl. This fucking girl. She’s it. “I love you. For always. Thank you for being my everything while giving me everything.”

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