Page 15 of Someday You Learn

Or would I be a thirty-year-old divorcé who’s even more bitter after finding out that his wife was a lying, cheating alcoholic that cared more about booze than him?

I’m betting on that last one.

I toss my phone on my desk just as Beth comes into my office with a knock on the open door.

“Dr. Sheppard?”

“Yes?”

Handing me a stack of files, she says, “These are half of Dr. O’Neil’s patients for the week. You’ll need to become familiar with them.”

“Of course.”

“And don’t bother making any evening plans this week. You and Seth are going to take turns managing our surgery patients until the night shift comes in.”

I was already expecting that, but I humor her. “Not a problem.”

With a curt nod, she leaves. I place the files on my desk and step up to my mirror. Adjusting my tie and glasses, I give myself a quiet pep talk.

“This is your chance, Parker. Show Dr. O’Neil that you can handle this. Show Beth and the staff that you can juggle chaos and remain as cool as a cucumber. And before you know it, you’ll get everything you’ve been working for. Good things are coming. Just…don’t fuck it up.”

Famous last words.

***

“A woman just came in who says she wants you to take a look at her goldfish.”

I look up from the dog I’m examining, glaring at Cassandra. “Are you serious?”

“Well, I have to say, it’s more original than the ones who ask you to look at their kitten.” She lifts a brow, giving me a look and says, “I think we both know that’s code for pussy.”

Emily, the technician beside me, snorts. Sighing, I remove the stethoscope from my ears and hang it back around my neck before I begin running my fingers over the dog’s body, checking for lumps. “Can we just put a sign on the door that saysIf you’re looking for Parker Sheppard, he’s entered the witness protection program?”

“Kind of hard to back that up when you’re right here,” Cassandra retorts.

I roll my eyes. “I don’t have time for this shit. If Willow wasn’t my sister-in-law, I’d slap her with a lawsuit for making my life a living hell.”

Cassandra folds her arms across her chest. “You’re not even going to consider taking advantage of your situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“Imean, all of these women are throwing themselves at you. You could be banging a new woman every night, and yet, you act repulsed by the whole thing.” She snaps her fingers. “Oh, I get it now! You’re gay.”

“What?” I practically shriek, and not in a manly way, I might add. Lowering my voice, I say, “I’m not gay, Cassandra. What on earth makes you think that?”

She tilts her head, inspecting me. “I don’t know. The glasses? The hair?”

“Plenty of straight men wear glasses, and what’s wrong with my hair?” I reach up and pat my short, light brown locks. Everything seems to be in place, and I just got a fresh haircut last week.

“Nothing really, but you also never have a girlfriend or go on dates.”

“That’s because I prefer being single.”

And the last woman I slept with left an impression on me that I can’t seem to shake. Not only was she beautiful, witty, and phenomenal in bed, but she sprang out of my hotel room so fast afterward that it shook my confidence a bit, I’m not gonna lie.

“Which would make sense if you were taking these women up on their offers, but you’re not,” Cassandra retorts.

“In case you haven’t noticed, these women aren’t after casual sex. They’re after a husband. They want to marry the man that Willow portrayed in that video and I’m actually…”

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