“Actually, I’m not sure what that was about. I think she was worried, but she didn’t say it. She knows all about the lawsuit and how I had to go meet the family today.”
“Damn, I bet that was rough.” He pulled the towel from over his shoulder and wiped the bar down after tossing their empties.
“It wasn’t pretty. But it is what it is. I’m playing hardball with them. They sat there telling me how they didn’t want my money or need it, but they’re suing the shit out of me. And that woman, I think she’s crazy.”
“Oh, man.” He shook his head.
“Yeah, it’s hard to imagine a nice guy like Shawn having that dragon lady as a mother.” I cringed, remembering her posturing glares.
“They are trying to put a value on their son’s life that is grossly disproportionate to the case. They’ll lose. I’ve seen it a thousand times. The world is full of bitter-ass people.” I finished off my beer and pushed my empty glass toward him.
“I hope it works out, man. At least you’ve got a good woman to help get you through it. That one’s a keeper based on looks alone. Do you ever say no to her? I’d give her anything she wanted.” He shook his head and put my glass in the wash bin.
“I plan on it, if I can keep her interested.” I was trying to play it cool, but the truth was, I would do exactly that and give her anything in the world. And, he was right — it was nice knowing that no matter how shitty things got, I had Lexa to bring me out of my slump.
I stood from the bar and fished out my keys. “I’m going to quit while I can still drive myself home. I need to get going. It’s been a long day.” I stretched my arms, which were still sore from my workout. I’d gone to the gym before showing up at the bar.
“Take it easy, man.” As I waved to Glen, I glanced down at my phone to see if Lexa had texted, but found Layne had called again instead.
I had turned my phone down because it wasn’t like I could hear it in the bar, anyway, and I didn’t want anyone other than Lexa disturbing my drink. I decided to call him before it got too late and before he woke me up too early the next morning.
I pushed his number and waited for him to answer. “’Bout time, Aiden.” I hated when he answered the phone that way, and it made me want to remind me that my time was my own and I wasn’t living on his.
“What?” Keeping it short was always best with Layne.
“They aren’t going to settle, so we’re going to trial. I wanted you to know before you hear it in the press circuit.”
“Offer them half.” I headed out to my truck and unlocked my doors.
He groaned. “Dammit, Aiden, they aren’t going to settle, and that’s more than they deserve, and you know it.”
“Offer it, see if they want it. If not, we go to trial. I want this shit over with.”
“It would be admitting fault.”
Any form of settlement was going to be admitting fault, but I knew I couldn’t get around paying them something unless I went to court, and having a long, drawn-out battle would be hell. It was bad enough I had to put up with this much of Layne on a daily basis. The two of us had always had a shaky relationship, and my dad had been the buffer.
Layne resented me not joining the firm and taking my father’s place since he and my father had done so much for me in law school, but what I’d never admitted to him until my father died was that I didn’t want it. I hadn’t ever wanted any of it. But for some reason, I was good at law. Guess it ran in my blood.
I thought about everything going on and how I wanted nothing more than to have a normal life again. Not the life I had before Mattie showed up and cleaned the house, but the one I was on my way building for myself before the accident. To do so I might have to practice law for a little while, but I knew with my heart that it wasn’t all I wanted to do, not forever. For the first time in a long time, I could actually see myself living again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lexa
Things happen fast in the ER, so one has to stay on their toes and be ready for anything. I had known that going into this field, but somehow that never prepared you for how real it could get.
I’d only sat down and glanced at my phone when I got a call that I was needed. There I’d been reading a text from Aiden when it happened. So as I hurried out for the call, that was all I was thinking about. All I could think about.
The text had come through only minutes before I took my break and found my phone in my locker. I usually kept it on me, but some days, I kept it locked up along with my other belongings. He said he couldn’t wait to see me at our date, but then hours later and his next message was what had me distracted. Hey, I have something important to talk to you about.
He’d somehow found out who I was. That was all I could figure from the change of his tone. It was bound to happen. Had he gone online to dig up information on my parents and learned about me? Had someone told him about me? It would serve me right.
Tasha's voice rang out across the hall. “ETA is under two minutes.” I turned to see she was filling Dr. Rob in on our newest arrival, who was on his or her way.
“This one’s critical, multiple injuries, cardiac on the scene.” She continued rambling as I scrubbed and gloved.
Minutes later, the man of the hour was wheeled to the ER, and as soon as I saw him coming through, I sprang into action. That is until someone said the magic words. Motorcycle accident.