Troublemaker (The Men of Matiz 2)

I laugh because he's about to endure a surgery he may not survive. "To Lark."

His brow furrows and his hand presses harder against his chest. "She works at Matiz. She knows nothing about what we do at Benton. She already has enough shares. If you give her yours and I die, she'll have controlling interest."

"As it should be. She's more equipped to run that ship than anyone else." I lean down and kiss his forehead. "You've been a bastard to me, old man. You should have given me a chance because I loved you. All I wanted was to be loved back."

Before he can respond, I stalk across the room to the curtain that separates the exam room from the corridor and I leave behind the man who took more from me than he ever gave.

Chapter 39

Crew

I walk out of the exam room and into my mom's arms. She's a small woman, but her arms have always been the safest place on earth to me.

She's loved me without reservation from the first day we met. She read to me, taught me how to tie my shoes and when I graduated college she was in the front row screaming my name with tears streaming down her face.

I am her son as much as Kade and Curtis, my older brother, are.

"You talked to him?" She takes a step back to look up at me. "How did it go?"

"Fine, mom." I kiss the top of her head. "I said my peace. He said his. We're good now."

She's at peace too. Her life hasn't been easy. I've tried my best to offer her refuge from the storm of his temper. He's never touched her in anger.

My siblings have always been safe from that too.

I wasn’t as fortunate.

It was never overt. I didn't have bruises but the pushing and shoving and name calling created scars that no one can see.

"He'll need to have surgery. Kade will stay here with me." She squeezes my arms. "I want you to go home, sweetie. Take Lark with you. Her son needs her, and there's a woman who needs you."

"What woman?"

Her hand brushes my arm as she points into the waiting room. "That beautiful woman over there talking to your father's doctor needs you more than I do."

I look back over my shoulder and see the woman I love.

Adley is deep in conversation with Dr. John Tate, the cardiologist brought in to take over my dad's case. My mom requested him personally because of his reputation for being a leader in his field.

No one expected him to be in the hospital this late since he's not on call tonight, but he was in the cardiology ward. When I mentioned to the admitting doctor that I know Dr. Tate's daughter, Sydney, personally, he relayed the message, and within five minutes I was shaking John's hand and thanking him for his help.

I watch Adley as she plays with the hospital visitor badge strung around her neck on a lanyard. I see how focused she is on everything he's telling her.

I see her dream now.

The stack of medical books on the coffee table in her apartment.

The catalog for the New York School of Medicine that was on her kitchen counter.

The poster of the human heart hanging behind her bathroom door.

I assumed it was Sydney's dream to follow in her father's footsteps, but this is Adley's dream.

She turns toward me then, her face searching for mine. I know she feels the same connection I do and when she finally locks eyes with me, I have no doubt that I'm looking at the future Dr. Adley York, Cardiologist.

***

"We can stay," she says softly after kissing me. "I'm fine with staying."