“I was aware of that, yes.” Rich nodded, his lips twitching.
“Of course he knows. He’s seen more broken bones than you’ve had hot dinners.” Grant shook his head. “Speaking of which, when it comes time to take off my cast, will you do it?” He batted his eyelashes at Rich.
“I’m not that kind of doctor,” Rich pointed out. “You’ll need to follow up with an orthopedic surgeon to have your cast sawn off and make sure the break is healed.”
“Damn. I was hoping to live out my hot doctor fantasies.” Grant sighed and poured out some coffee. “You want one?”
“Nope. I’m heading to bed.” Caffeine was the last thing he needed. He wanted to zone out, not get jittery.
“Oh my, are you working nights?”
“Yep.”
“No wonder you look so tired. Go.” Kevin did a shooing motion. “We can catch up another time.” He followed Rich to the door, opening it with a smile. “Hey, do you know if Meghan’s around? We’re excited to finally meet her.”
“She’s away, I think.” Rich frowned. He really didn’t want to talk about her.
“That’s a shame. Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“No idea.” He glanced at her door again. She’d said she was going to L.A. for a few days, but nothing more. He hadn’t really let her tell him any details. Because he was an asshole who made women cry. “I gotta go, before I collapse in the hall.”
“Of course.” Kevin hugged him again. “Let’s get together for dinner soon. I was thinking of inviting all the neighbors. I’m so excited to meet Meghan and Isla face to face. She’s hella funny by email.”
“You’ve been emailing her?”
“Yeah, ever since she moved in.” Kevin blinked. “You look weird. Is there a problem with that?”
“No problem.” He grabbed his keys from his pocket, giving Kevin a nod. “I’ll see you later.”
“You will. Now rest up.”
Rich walked over to his apartment, hearing as Kevin carried in the rest of their cases. “Nobody should look that good in scrubs,” he heard Grant saying. Rich closed his eyes and shook his head, then slid his key into the lock and walked inside.
He was asleep within ten minutes, his body finally succumbing to the sweet siren call of exhaustion.
And thank goodness. Because oblivion was so much better than having to think right now.
29
The driver pulled up outside Meghan’s parents house. Isla was sitting next to her, playing with the new iPad Dylan and Natalie had bought her so they could keep in touch while Dylan was touring. Natalie would be staying in L.A., but she seemed to love Isla as much as Dylan did, and promised to play Animal Crossing with her over the internet.
Her father’s car was parked on the graveled driveway. That wasn’t unusual for Friday at 5pm. He always finished work on time on Fridays – the weekends were strictly for church and family. Even as a child, she could set her watch by him.
“Could you wait here please?” she asked the driver.
Isla looked up. “We’re at Granny and Gramps house?” Her little brows knitted. “Why?”
“I just want to talk to them for a minute.” Meghan climbed out of the car and leaned in to help Isla unbuckle her strap. “Then we’ll go home.”
“Can we swim tomorrow?” Isla asked. “I can’t wait to show my friends how I can dive now.” Dylan had spent yesterday teaching her. “I’m
almost a professional.”
Meghan and Dylan had spoken this morning, just the two of them, while Natalie took Isla out for breakfast. Dylan wanted to pay for a security guard to take care of them, but Meghan had refused. Apart from Carlyn, they weren’t in danger from anybody in Angel Sands. The thought of having a guard with her constantly made her feel like she was a child again.
He’d asked about having his name put on Isla’s birth certificate, and Meghan agreed to liaise with his lawyer about that. He also wanted to deposit a huge sum of money into her account, but she’d refused that.
“You can spend your money on her when she’s with you, and I’ll spend my money when she’s with me,” she’d told him.