Page 20 of Single Greatest Threat
Shaw made a helpless gesture. “I just started having a bunch of thoughts about how I’m failing. Once they started, they just kept snowballing and getting darker. I mean, I spent years letting you down. Why should you believe in me now?”
Joesph shrugged. “Because I do. I’ve studied every detail of us over the years and I don’t think for a second I kept coming back because I’m desperate. It’s nothing like that. I see you. This is love.”
He always awed Shaw with his love and forgiveness. “No one else out there holds a candle to you.”
A doctor strolled in, bouncy and chewing gum like it was the middle of the day and not the night. Light blue eyes landedon him and then quickly—almost like a double take—swung Joesph’s way.
“Holy shit.” He covered his mouth for half a second, as if horrified by his unprofessionalism. “Sorry. I just can’t believe it’s you.”
Joesph pushed his way to his feet. A huge smile lit his face. The doctor met him more than halfway. They hugged. “Wow. It’s so great to see you. I didn’t know you lived here. What about the position at Vanderbilt?”
The guy pulled a face. “Yeah. Turns out I’m better at home.”
Shaw eyed the pair. They were obviously close friends. The doctor was objectively handsome with his dark hair and light eyes. Shaw kind of wanted to punch him in his gorgeous square jaw.
He motioned toward Joesph’s cane. “What’s going on here?” Shaw hated how concerned he looked.
Shaw cleared his throat.
Joesph stepped back, drawing Shaw’s attention to how close the pair had been standing. He motioned Shaw’s way. “This is my husband, Shaw. Shaw, Dr. Kace Brightly. We went to college together.”
Kace stayed focused on Joesph. “Husband? Dang. I really hoped you’d invite me to something that huge.”
Joesph winced. “He’s actually my fiancé, but for hospital reasons, he’s my husband. The nursing station left me worrying my ass off for like nine hours. My future father-in-law had to come up here and straighten things out, so I’d be allowed to stay.”
“Oh. Well. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do in our community. An unfortunate number of homophobes are feeling emboldened these days.”
Great. He was gay. Shaw was here, a mental mess, and Joesph had this guy who looked at him in a way Shaw loathed.
Kace finally focused on him. “As long as you’re cool with us openly talking about all your tests, then I’m good. I can’t have Joesph worrying.” He tossed a wink Joesph’s way. Shaw immediately hated him.
Shaw would be damned if he let Joesph out of his sight around this Lothario. It was obvious they had slept together at some point. “I’m good. We’re getting married this weekend.”
Kace sent Joesph a laughing look. “And you acted like I hadn’t been invited because you weren’t married yet.”
“No one’s been invited yet. My number is still the same. Text me your address and I’ll make sure you get an invitation.”
“You’re getting married this weekend and you haven’t sent out invitations yet?”
Joesph shrugged. “It was a last-minute decision to have the wedding this soon, and we don’t intend to invite many people. Shaw says he’ll take care of everything. There’s no one I trust more to do exactly that.” Joesph paused. He looked worried. “Unless these tests are about to steal all of that.”
Kace startled a little, as if he had forgotten he held a small laptop and was there for Shaw. Almost as if he had slowly been falling into Joesph’s eyes. “Oh. Sorry. Seeing you again is just… I can’t believe it.”
Joesph smiled in a way he only did for Shaw.
Shaw’s blood pressure shot through the roof. A machine blared.
Kace turned doctor in an instant. He eyed the machines while turning down the sound. “You see this?” He pointed at Shaw’s rapid heartbeat.
“I can’t breathe.”
Joesph was at his side in a second.
Kace nodded. “Take a few breaths. I’ve ordered some medicine for you.” He pointed at the screen again. “Your heart shouldn’t beat that fast unless you’re running a marathon. We ran all the tests and ruled out all the big stuff. I think this is a case ofyour heart messing up its signals. Your heart is just an electrical device, keeping you alive. If one node stops talking to another, you end up with what’s called an arrhythmia. Unfortunately, in your case, you’ll definitely need medication to manage it. This is a manageable thing, but you have to stick to a schedule with your meds, get plenty of exercise, and rest. More than anything, you need to cut back on stress. Manageable or not, this is still a life-changing diagnosis. You need to take it seriously. If you don’t keep your heart rate in check, through everything I’ve listed, your heart could eventually fail. I don’t say that scare you. As I said, you’ll be okay if you take this seriously. But I know how men can be, since—you know—I am one. We like to think we can’t be struck down. Everyone can and you have. It’s time to slow down.”
Shaw couldn’t stop studying the guy, deciphering his every shift in his expression. While he understood he had been given a scary diagnosis, he still felt oddly relieved. It wasn’t a panic attack. He didn’t need to go back to inpatient treatment. This was physical. He could fight something physical. It was the mental bits that always kicked his ass. “Okay. Whatever keeps me here longer with Joesph.”
Kace nodded. “Definitely. We were pretty close back in college. I wouldn’t want anything to make him sad.” He looked away, dismissing Shaw for Joesph. “Now, tell me about the cane.”
