Page 14 of Dr. Stone
“I love you, Momma,” I said, hugging her, grateful I had her when I needed her most.
Her grief was different from mine, but hearing her share her intimate stories was healing. The love she poured into me filled every empty space, and I was determined to give that same love to my son.
I’d spent too much time in the dark. No more. I promised myself that no matter how hard life got, I’d keep my head up, fight, and find our silver lining.
EIGHT
Jace
I figuredwork was the only thing that could bring me down from the high I continued to ride ever since that golden goddess rocked my world. A woman rarely entered my mind every day for a solid week after I had my way with her. Come to think of it, I never really thought of women again after I hooked up with them.
So, why was I still thinking about this one? Because the sex was out of this world, that’s why. I’d never had a woman be so controlling with me, but she wasn’t just a taker. No, she was a giver, too. Our sexual chemistry didn’t need words; every move, every reaction, was in perfect sync. It was like she’d been custom made for me.
At this point, however, I did need to get this woman out of my mind. Today was a huge day for Jake and me. We’d finally gotten word that a donor heart was a match for Jake’s patient, Ruth Alberta, and we were able to schedule transplant surgery, which was no small undertaking.
Ruth was a sweet woman, only fifty-two years old, with a beautiful life ahead of her if all went well. And it would. Jake and I were both performing her transplant today, and our transplant team was made up of some of the most capable cardiologists in the country. She was in the most capable hands, and I expected a positive outcome.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Jake said through his rolled-down passenger window before he parked way too close to my car as he always did whenever he had the chance.
“You know, when we’re done with the long, arduous day we’re about to have, I willnotbe in the mood to climb through my passenger’s seat to get into my car so I can go home.”
Jake chuckled, stepping out of his Bugatti, removing his wire-framed Ray Bans, and walking over to examine hisparking skill.
“Damn, I’m good,” he said, then clapped me on my shoulder. “And today won’t be just a long day, my good man. It will be a stupendous one. We’re about to give Ruth her life back, and for that, we’ll be celebrating over drinks at Darcy’s tonight.”
I smiled. “Damn straight,” I confirmed. “I assume you’ve got me trapped like this to slow me down, so I don’t beat you there after we’re off?”
Jake shouldered his leather briefcase as we began walking toward the cardiac entrance of our hospital. “Nah, man. It’s to teach your ignorant ass a lesson.”
“Well, you are my chief, which means lesson teaching is your job, so I’d love to hear it. Please explain what the lesson is in parking so damn close to my car that I can’t even open the door.”
“Simple,” he said. “If you had the proper vehicle, one that fits the way you drive, you wouldn’t have a hard time getting into it when dipfuckers such as myself park like assholes next to you.”
“That fits the way I drive?” I laughed. “Dude, I’ve gotten two speeding tickets in that Aston in the last two weeks. I think the car I have fits the way I drive perfectly.”
“No,” he said. “Your ass needs to be in a crossover, learning to obey laws and not driving recklessly and risking lives out on the road. The cops would leave your cocky ass alone, and everyone out on the road would be safer for it.”
“You want me to drive the car of a soccer mom?” I said with a laugh. “Not quite my style. Maybe for the future wife, though.”
“You’d look fucking adorable driving a Subaru, too,” he said dramatically.
“Right,” I said, rolling my eyes.
If there was one thing I knew about Jake and Collin Brooks, it was that they always started talking nonsense when they were working an angle to dig up dirt. I knew exactly what Jake was after, and this motherfucker was never going to stop badgering me for details about what happened between Andie and me on his yacht.
"I know it’s a depressing subject for you, but it is what it is," he said as we stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button for the seventh floor, where the cardiac operating rooms were. “Some of us are amazing in bed and have no problem landing the ladies. And some of us,” he gave me a pointed look, “couldn’t score the perfect soccer mom even if she was drunk at the country club.”
“I’m sorry that never happened to you, buddy,” I said. “Must be tough living with that kind of failure.”
Jake snorted. “Ha, my wife is beyond that, and you know it. You, however, are a cautionary tale in the making. You’ll be a lonely, white-haired old man yelling at neighborhood kids from your balcony, wondering why no one visits.”
“Really? Soccer moms are your way of trying to find out about my night with Andie?” I asked.
“Well, neither you nor Andie are coughing it up, and it’s driving me up the fucking wall,” he said like this was the only secret in the world that had ever been kept from him and he was determined to crack it.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. I watched Jake’s mood shift instantly as he zeroed in on his patient, Ruth, and the ticking time bomb in her chest.
I nudged his arm as we walked past the nurses’ station, where nurses moved in and out and heart monitors beeped in steady rhythm. “I’ll give you this,” I said. “Andie’s pretty cool not to be telling anyone, especially your sneaky ass.”
