Page 22 of Thunder

“Dad’s apparently cut her off,” I say, and she raises a disbelief brow, and I nod. “Yeah, I know,” I say, “That is how I looked when he told me, and honestly I don’t think it will last.”

“I’ve spent years taking care of myself, years watching him and Mama believe everything my sister said. I can’t let him in, I just can’t.”

“You will be able to at some point, it’ll just take time,” she replies and I scrunch my nose up making her chuckle, “It’s the truth and you know it,” before she says, “It seems to me he noticed that Rachel hated that she had a sister. Heck her husband is probably cheating on her too.”

Shaking my head, I open my mouth to say maybe, but instead I mutter, “Speak of the dick, and he shall show,” as I notice the man himself walking into the ER like he owns the place and Tilly growls, “He doesn’t even work, so what’s with the suit?”

My lips twitch, but I hold the smile off, so my brother-in-law doesn’t get the wrong idea, though she does have a point.

As soon as his brown eyes lock with mine, he makes his way over, not looking anywhere else, causing Tilly to snort.

“Sapphire,” he says as he stops near the desk, putting his hands in his suit pockets, and I raise a brow.

“I’ve told you not to call me my middle name, Kavan, it pisses your wife off,” I say as I open the next chart and quickly look over the notes, wincing.

Ouch, nail in the hand…

“It’s what I’ve always called you, so I’m not stopping now,” he says firmly, and I side-eye Tilly when I hear her growl.

He only used that name because he didn’t like the fact that he was dating a girl with a boy name. I should have opened my eyes and seen what a douche he was then.

“What are you doing here?” I ask him with a sigh as I close the chart.

He clears his throat and admits, “I’ve been offered a job on the fourth floor.”

Oh great…

I raise a brow and mention, “I thought you only taught psychology.”

He gives me a slight smile and murmurs, “Now I’m going to be seeing patients, I’ll get to see you more.” He side-eyes Tilly who growls again because the idiot seems to be forgetting he cheated on me with my sister then married her, before saying, “Sapphire, I uh, thought maybe we could–”

I shake my head and cut him off before he can make a fool of himself with his sister-in-law, and I ask, “How’s Sammie?”

He swallows and rocks on his heels and admits, “Upset, wouldn’t speak to your sister or me.”

“You mean his mother,” I say, not allowing him to try and dismiss the fact his son is my sister’s child.

“You should have been his mama,” he says, and Tilly mutters, “The fucking nerve of him,” and again I have to bite back a smile.

“Well, I’m not, I’m his aunt,” I say before mentioning, “I’m off again this weekend, so I’ll pick him up from school and take him to school on Monday before my shift here,” no longer fighting having him.

Kavan nods as his brown eyes look over my features but I ignore him and turn to Tilly who is still glaring his way. Before I can explain I may need her help with the next patient because his notes state he’s a hypochondriac, I hear, “Kavan?” and I quickly spin towards the doors to see my father. I have to admit, I’m not happy with the panic that overtakes me, especially when he’s never been there for me.

“Marshall,” Kavan replies coldly, but I ignore the idiot and put the chart on the counter and rush over to my father, Tilly’s, “Yeah, you’ll forgive him,” just hitting my ears.

“What are you doing here?” Dad asks Kavan as he walks over towards the desk but stops when I get to him and begin checking him over as my pulse skyrockets.

First Sammie disappears and shows up at the MC. I know he was hoping to set me up with Bradley, a man I have only said a handful of words to, bearing in mind – and now my father showing up in the ER.

“I got offered a job on the fourth floor, and I accepted it,” Kavan admits, and I grab Dad’s wrist and begin to count his pulse.

“At the same hospital that my daughter works at? The one you cheated on with her own sister for a year?” Dad questions with suspicion, and Kavan clears his throat at his father-in-law calling him out, but is saved when Dad asks, “Scottie, what on earth are you doing?”

“I’m checking your pulse,” I murmur with a frown.

It’s normal…

“Why?” Dad asks with humor and I scoff, “Why? Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’ve shown up in my ER,” as I grab my stethoscope but before I can put it on, Dad takes it and chuckles, “I came to see if you had time to have a coffee with your old man,” and I look at him with wide eyes.