By the time he handed the woman over to her son, who had been called to drive her home, his emotions were shot.
This afternoon fit right in with the hellish week he’d endured. It had been eight days since he’d left Evie standing in her backyard. Bryson had lost count of the number of times he’d picked up his phone to call her, but being unsure of what to say if she answered made him put the phone down every single time.
At first, he had been so angered by Evie’s accusations that he could barely see straight. For her to think he’d been stringing her along this entire time just so that he could stick it to his old lab partner? It was absurd. It was more than just absurd—it was insulting.
It wasn’t until he’d played back that confrontation with Cameron and saw it from her perspective that Bryson realized just how she had come to the conclusion that this had been some sick game on his part. Then he thought back to whathe’d said to her—accusing her of being just like Cameron when nothing could be further from the truth.
That’s the part that was inexcusable.
He wanted to kick himself for taking his ex–lab partner’s bait. All these years later and he still allowed that asshole to get into his head.
This time it may have cost him more than he could stomach losing.
Bryson massaged the back of his neck as he made his way down the hallway. He stopped into the daycare to check on Bella, who gave him a quick lick on the hand before running off to play with the other dogs. She’d spent the first three nights this week sniffing around the doggy bed where Waffles slept when Evie came over. Bryson had been forced to lock the bed in a closet.
He left the daycare and went into his office. The moment he sat behind the desk, his cell phone rang. He dropped it twice in his haste to answer it.
It was his mother.
“Hey, Ma,” Bryson answered, trying not to let his disappointment come through his voice. Apparently, he failed.
“Well, excuse me for breathing,” his mother replied.
Bryson frowned. “What?”
“You tell me. I call my son, and he answers the phone like he’s at a funeral.”
“I’m sorry, Ma.” Bryson blew out a tired breath. “I’m just having a rough day at the surgical hospital.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to call at such a bad time.”
“It’s okay,” Bryson said. “What did you need?”
“Well, I was just calling because your nephew is cominghome from college in a couple of weeks and he has requested a barbecue and crawfish boil.”
“Hmm,” Bryson said. “When I was growing up, I either got a barbecueora crawfish boil, not both.”
“My grandchildren don’t have to choose. Will you bring Evie with you?” his mother asked. “Wait, let me rephrase that. Youwillbring Evie with you. It isn’t a question.”
Shit.Bryson ran a hand down his face. “Um, yeah, about me and Evie.”
“Bryson David Mitchell, you better not finish that statement if you’re going to tell me that you and Evie are no longer together.”
“To be fair, we technically were not together when you met her,” he said.
But Bryson wasn’t sure if that was true or not. When had he and Evie officially become a couple? Did it ever get to that stage?
“What did you do?” his mother asked.
“Wait, why do you think it’s my fault?”
“Fine. What didshedo?”
He blew out a breath. “No one did anything, Ma. It just…” He swallowed. “It just didn’t work out.”
“This is not the news I wanted to hear when I called you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not the news I wanted to give you,” he said. He couldn’t do this. Not right now. “Ma, I’ve got another surgery in a few minutes,” he lied. “I’ll be there for the barbecue. Just make sure you and Pop don’t book a cruise between now and then.”
