Talk about a special circle of hell. Of course Bradley’s wife would be working here. I’m guessing she’s perfect and docile and everything I was unwilling to be. Hell, she probably gets along with his mother, who chose to serve a dish I’m allergic to at our rehearsal dinner. More power to her with that insufferable cow.
“I’m sure I can handle it,” I say, trying tosound more confident than I feel. “Bradley and I aren’t exactly enemies.” Although we sure as hell aren’t friends. “I don’t even know Marie. It might be a lot given my?—”
I stop myself just in time, but Casey’s sharp enough to catch the near slip.
“Given your what?” she asks gently.
I take a breath. Casey has been nothing but kind to me, so if I’m coming back to the hospital, she deserves to know what she’s dealing with.
“My condition,” I say quietly. “I’m fourteen weeks pregnant. No doubt the hormones are at least part of why I had such a strong reaction to seeing Bradley and his wife. Everything feels about a gazillion times more intense.”
Casey’s eyes widen slightly, but her expression stays kind. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful news. If you don’t mind me asking, are you and the father together?”
I let out a laugh that’s only slightly hysterical. “Not exactly? It’s complicated, but we’re figuring it out. I have a great support system in town with Sadie and my friends. And the father is...” How do I even begin to explain Felix? “He’s supportive.” Also infuriating and charming and a puzzle and far too easy to fall for. But I don’t mention any of those things, of course.
“That’s important.” Casey taps her pen against her desk. “Look, Piper, I want you back. But you need to be sure this is what you want. We’re a community hospital. You could be working with Marie, and you’re bound to see Dr. Carlson in the halls or the cafeteria. Dealing with the stress of this job and the long hours while pregnant is no joke. You know that.”
“I also need to stand on my own two feet,” I tell her, echoing the phrase that’s been running through my head like a mantra. “For myself and my baby. I can’t rely on other people to take care of me.”
Casey’s expression turns thoughtful as she studies me. “I haveno doubt you’re going to be a good mother, but being independent doesn’t mean doing everything alone. The best thing you can do for your child is build a strong community around both of you. You have options, Piper, and accepting help doesn’t translate to weakness. You know that, right?”
Her words land in the vicinity of my heart, lodging there like a splinter I can’t remove, because I don’t know anything of the sort.
“I appreciate you reminding me,” I say finally. “Can I think about things and let you know by the end of the week?”
“Of course. There’s always a place for you here. Whatever you decide, I’m rooting for you.”
I thank her and leave the office before the tears stinging the backs of my eyes can make an appearance. I’m halfway down the hall when I see him.
Bradley Carlson is handsome in a polished, bland way that photographs well but makes him look like a generic toothpaste commercial model in real life. In his white doctor’s coat, tablet tucked under one arm, there’s that familiar look of mild superiority on his face. I used to mistake it for confidence, fool that I was. Fool that I am, thinking I’d be safe from running into him, given my short visit to the hospital today. What the hell is an orthopedic surgeon doing in the peds unit anyway? Oh, right. His wife works here.
He’s alone—praise the Lord—but spots me before I can duck into a stairwell. “Hey there, Piper. I heard you might be coming back.”
“News travels fast,” I say, keeping my voice neutral.
He studies me in the way that always made me feel like I was being graded but could never earn an A. “Running away didn’t work out so great, huh?”
The comment stings, as I’m sure it was meant to, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. “I needed a break. But Skylark is my home, and I’m a kick-ass nurse.”
“Right.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “If you decide to come back, you’ll have plenty of chances to get to know Marie. Everyone loves her. My mother certainly does.”
“Lucky Marie,” I mutter. I don’t need the reminder of Mrs. Carlson’s thinly veiled disdain for me, or to know that Marie fits into Bradley’s family in a way I never did. My life might be more questions than answers at the moment, but I know for sure I dodged a bullet when my future mother-in-law put that shrimp-laced sauce on the rehearsal dinner menu. I might have gone through with marrying the douche canoe standing in front of me if it hadn’t been for that.
“Oh, and you’ll see us both at Christy’s wedding next weekend,” Bradley continues, like he’s doing me a favor by sharing his social calendar. “Marie and Christy go to the same yoga studio in town. They’ve gotten really close.”
“You’ve been back less than a month.”
He shrugs. “Marie has that effect on people. You wouldn’t understand. Are you bringing a date?”
The question catches me off guard, and I answer without thinking. “No.”
“I’m surprised.” Bradley’s laugh is laced with a layer of judgment that lands like a calculated cut. Just as he intended. “I thought you would have found someone else to take care of you by now. I guess Sadie’s still stuck in that role.”
Right. Because I’m the helpless little sister who can’t manage her own life, incapable of standing on my own.
The worst part is that a piece of me believes he’s right.
My stomach lurches suddenly, and I’m not sure if it’s morning sickness or just an innate physical reaction to Bradley and the mistake I almost made. The nausea builds into the uncomfortable roll I’ve been dealing with for weeks now.
