The Good Father

“Did it change anything for you? Where we’re concerned? Seeing me with Jason. Are you interested in exploring any kind of a relationship with me at all?”

He was interested in having sex with her again. As soon as possible. And then again after that. And maybe for the rest of his life.

“The only reason we’ve been back in touch was f

or Jeff and Chloe. You didn’t even know until you called that Chloe was ready to see Jeff. Which means there was no reason for your call...unless something’s changed...”

She knew him well. And was calling him out in a way she never had in the past.

“No, El.” He heard the words he knew were true. “Nothing’s changed.”

He heard the click on the other end of the line and realized he didn’t even know where she’d been talking to him from.

Or if she’d have someone there to wipe away the tears he’d heard in her voice when she’d asked him that last question.

* * *

ELLA DIDN’T HEAR from Brett again during her day off and told herself that she was firmly over him as she dressed in yellow scrubs with kitty cats Tuesday morning. Brett hadn’t called, but Jason had. He invited her to lunch in the hospital cafeteria on Tuesday. A big step. They were going to be seen together in a nonworking moment in front of their peers. Some had already seen them together at the Bistro. It wasn’t like there was anything to hide.

Still, Ella hadn’t really been ready to broadcast their dating status to the entire hospital. It wasn’t as if they’d agreed to be exclusive or anything.

But she accepted the invitation. It was all well and good to talk about getting on with her life, but the words meant nothing if she turned her back on opportunities to do so.

Which was why she greeted Jason with a more intimate smile than she might have otherwise when he arrived to pick her up, ten minutes later than scheduled. He leaned forward, as though he might kiss her cheek, and her pager sounded. A 911.

From the emergency room.

Which meant that someone had asked for her specifically.

Jason went with her to see what was wrong.

Ella’s heart raced the entire time she stood in the elevator. Standing beside her, Jason waited for other staff members to exit the car when it stopped on the sixth floor, and then, when they were alone, held her hand the rest of the way down.

“The page was from a nurse,” she said.

“Someone you know?”

She shook her head.

There’d been no callback number given.

Just a 911 to emergency.

“Maybe it was a mistake.”

She’d already tried Chloe. Had been sent to voice mail. So she’d sent a text, just checking in, she’d said, not wanting to alarm her sister-in-law if she wasn’t involved.

She was in a children’s hospital. She didn’t know any other children but Cody.

A nurse was waiting for her when Ella got off the elevator. “We have an adult female. We tried to get her to the hospital,” the young woman said, referring to the Santa Raquel general hospital, as the children’s hospital couldn’t treat adults except in cases of severe emergency, “but she wouldn’t budge until she saw you. Dr. Johnson has her in triage, just until we get her out of here. She just walked in off the street, and she’s got a baby...”

Chloe?

At a run now, beside the other woman, Ella made it to the examining room first. She pushed inside.

Horror immediately followed relief. It wasn’t Chloe.

The woman was Nora Burbank. One eye swollen shut. Her mouth misshapen. Her nose obviously broken. But she clutched her son to her and wouldn’t let go.