“Sadie Evans, I have a bone to pick with you.” The sound of Marylou’s shrill, scolding tone wasn’t unfamiliar after the week they spent together. Even yesterday, Sadie managed to accidentally hang up on two people waiting on hold and mix up a couple of patient charts for the techs that had them a little less grateful for that coffee. Both situations Marylou made a point to call her out on.
But they weren’t at work. She wouldn’t be coming back.
Sadie’s immediate reflex was to go on the defensive, but it was an old one. An urge she could now tell to take a back seat while she confronted the issue like a reasonable, mature adult. “Marylou, what’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what you did to that website, but you’ve double booked almost every appointment for next week. I’ve spentallday straightening it out. I was supposed to meet my daughter for the baking contest but I was stuck at the clinic and missed it.”
“I’m so sorry—”
“I can’t believe I have a voice after making all those calls. Do you know how many people yelled at me foryourscrewup?”
Sadie handed Boomer’s leash to Haylee and pulled Marylou off to the side. “I’m sorry that happened, but I didn’t do anything with—”
“What wasthat?” Marc snapped at her, appearing out of nowhere. She’d expected him to confront her after his bidding war ended, but where had he come from? One minute he was on stage forcing a smile as the bids jumped one by one. The next, he was in front of her, looking angrier than he had during the family meeting when he told her about Rebecca. “You say you’re becoming a better person. You apologize and make me think you actually might surprise me. Then you deliberately defy myonerequest. In front of everyone.”
She folded her arms, pretending she wasn’t trembling a little in her sneakers. She’d expected Marc to be upset, but to yell at her in public? “I was trying to help him out, Marc,” she hissed, lowering her voice. “He raised five thousand dollars in case you missed that.”
“I didn’t see you bidding on anyone else.”
“I’m your sister. I’m not going to bid onyou. That would be weird.”
“Yeah, a little,” Marylou muttered.
“I asked you foronething. To leave Conner alone. But you couldn’t do that, could you?”
Sadie’s heart pounded against her rib cage as she wondered if her jealous gesture meant only to save the man she was falling in love with from a nasty date was perhaps made out of fear. Fear of losing Conner. Another stolen glance at the two in deep discussion left her more uncertain of things than ever. She was already too deep. Too deep to get out without her heart taking a beating it wasn’t ready for. Not when it hadn’t fully healed.
“Why does it bother you so much?” she pressed, refusing to show any signs of weakness to Marc.
“Because you mess up everything you touch. Conner deserves better than for you to rip through his life like a hurricane.”
“Marc, that’s a little harsh—”
He turned his steely gaze on Marylou. “Did you or did you not spend all afternoon calling every single patient the website double booked? All thirty-two of them?” When he shot those laser beams for eyes at Sadie, she felt his anger boring into her. Her heart raced in warning. “You were only supposed to update the staff page. I had to call tech support on a Saturday to fix the mess you made. I’ll be sending you the bill.”
Sadie’s entire chest buzzed uncomfortably. An anxiety attack on the verge. One she had little hope to stop. She balled her fists at her sides as her throat tightened with the tension so thick in the air she nearly choked. She desperately needed to get away from all the yelling so she could calm down. Or at least have the inevitable panic attack in peace. She wouldnotgive Marc the satisfaction of seeing her at her weakest.
“At least I try to fix my mistakes,” she shot at him through gritted teeth.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Rebecca. I found her.”
Marylou, obviously sensing she didn’t belong in this intimate conversation anymore, slipped away.
All the anger dropped from Marc’s expression, replaced by a mixture of dread and sorrow. Not the reaction she’d expected. Though, Rebecca hadn’t exactly responded to her either. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“She didn’t answer me, if—”
“You’ve crossed a line. We’re done, Sadie.”
“Done?”
“I’m disowning you.”
“You can’t do that. I’m your sister.”
“Only by blood. But even that doesn’t matter to me now. I want you gone. I don’t want you interfering in any part of my life. That includes Conner. Just pack your bags and run off like you always do after you blow everything up. We’ll all be better off.”
