Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
The shuttle pulled up before Mackson could reply, and the three of us filed on, along with about ten other people.
When we arrived at the ER, I was surprised to find the entire place filled with people. Staff from all shifts were there with smiles on their faces to welcome me back, and I waved at them all.
Sadly, I was quite uncomfortable with the attention and the amount of people in the room, so instead of mingling with everyone I clapped my hands and said, “No offense, ladies and gentlemen, but I’m really looking forward to getting back to work. Eat and hang out! But it’s time to save some lives for this old man.”
Val snorted. “You’re not old.”
“He’s definitely old.”
I looked over to find Zip there munching on a celery stick.
“What are you doing here?” I asked her.
“I was in charge of bringing food for her,” Zip pointed at Val. “She couldn’t be bringing food to your surprise party.”
I grimaced, looking over at Val accusingly.
I couldn’t believe she knew about this crazy plan and didn’t warn me.
My look caused Zip to laugh. “I’ll have you know, Val is like a vault. We never know what she’s feeling. Just one day she blows up at you and you want to kill yourself for causing Val to get mad at you.”
I snorted. “Val doesn’t blow up.”
And she didn’t.
Val was an emotional person, but I knew how to read her like a book.
I knew when she was mad or sad. I knew when I needed to give her space or cuddle up next to her. I also knew that the sight of the woman walking up to us was about to make her want to brawl.
“It’s so good to see you…” Tammy trailed off just as Val’s head whipped around. “Oh. Family reunion?”
Val and Zip crossed their arms over their chests, then moved in front of me protectively, as if they could actually do something to prevent my getting hurt by sheer will alone.
“Leave, Tammy,” Val said softly. “This is your one and only warning. Don’t talk to us. Don’t mention our names. Don’t give him looks from across the hospital. If you end up having to work with one of us, be professional, but stay away, because I was really, really good about all this. I could’ve handled it differently, and had honestly been planning to, but then Felix was hurt, and I couldn’t think about both you and him at the same time. So I had to choose, and I chose him. It’ll always be him. But I am telling you now, my anger is still there, beating like a living heart beneath the surface of my skin. I’m angry, and don’t think I didn’t notice that you stole years of our lives from each other.”
“And truthfully, like I was just about to tell my future brother-in-law, Val is a vindictive bitch,” Zip said. “Don’t get on her bad side or you’ll regret it.”
“We’ll see.” Tammy rolled her eyes. “I’m glad to see you back, Felix. We’ll talk later.”
Tammy left with a roll of her eyes.
I sighed.
“This is going to be so stupid of her,” Zip said. “Do you want me to call Folsom?”
Val laughed then, and to be completely honest, I was kind of scared of it.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Val said. “I have it completely taken care of.”
With a kiss to Val’s lips, I escaped to the ER.
And I did, indeed, save some lives.
• • •
Later that night, I arrived at my place with a feeling of exhaustion nearly overwhelming me.
As much as I’d enjoyed being back at work, I still wasn’t what one would call one hundred percent.
I was about seventy percent, which had gone down from the eighty percent I’d felt this morning.
Nothing was more humbling than heading to a twelve-hour shift and being reminded how out of shape you could get in about six weeks’ time.
I’d also had to make a stop at the store to pick up Val’s ring.
I’d taken it in eight weeks ago to get it resized, but this was the first time she’d let me out of the house by myself since the stabbing had happened.
The box was warm in my pocket, and I couldn’t stop the stupid grin from overtaking my face as I pushed through the door of the home I’d chosen with her in mind—albeit a bit more vindictive of reasons than I sometimes liked to admit—and called out to her. “Poppet, I’m home!”
She came walking around the corner, a huge smile on her face.
A smile that dropped off when she saw the exhaustion on my face. “You overdid it, Felix Alexander Kent!”
I smiled at her outrage.
God, I loved her.
“I might’ve,” I admitted, voice filled with exhaustion.
She was just about to reply to that statement when a sharp bark filled the air.