* * *
I awoke with a start and then flopped back onto my pillows. Glancing at the clock on my nightstand, it read five a.m.
Fantastic.
I wasn’t scheduled to be up for another two hours, but I knew I would never be able to get back to sleep, so I slid out of bed and dragged myself into the shower.
It was Friday, a week since Rooster had dropped back into my life, and seven days of doing my best to avoid him and all mention of him. I had to give it to my family, they were doing their best to honor my wishes, but it sucked for me big time, because it meant I had to avoid the fun. But it was a sacrifice of my own choosing, so I’d have to live with the consequences.
I made my way into the clinic a full hour earlier than scheduled and found Gina already there. “Hey, you’re early too, huh?”
Dr. Gina Christakos, nicknamed “Eldie,” derivedfrom L.D., which stood for Lady Doctor raised her cup of coffee toward me and nodded. This name was bestowed upon her by the departed Red Dog, one of the Burning Saints founding members and the very first Saint she’d removed a bullet from. Although, she’d been able to patch Red Dog up that night, the road life caught up to him shortly after.
She’d fallen for and married Clutch years ago and when I’d decided to take the plunge from registered nurse to physician’s assistant, she’d been a massive support, and now we were partners in a practice that was thriving. I truly couldn’t have done any of this without her and loved her like a sister.
She grimaced. “Clutch has been tossing and turning all night with this war shit. Haven’t slept in weeks, and there’s only so much sex one can have in a day, you know?”
I nearly choked on my own spit. “Uh, no, I don’t know.”
She laughed. “Sorry, way too much information.”
“I’m just jealous.”
“How about you? Why are you here so early?”
“Ghosts from my past decided to visit me and not in the good way.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, I hate that. Want to pour yourself a cup and fill me in?”
“Absolutely.”
I grabbed the biggest mug we had in thecabinet and made my coffee, filling Gina in on the Rooster situation as we opened up the clinic.
“He hasn’t contacted you the entire time he’s been gone?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“And he hasn’t said why?”
“Nope.”
“But he wants to tell you now.”
“That’s what he says.” I poured another cup of coffee.
“Are you going to hear him out?”
“No.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Aren’t you at all curious?”
“Way too little too late, Gina.”
She raised her hands in surrender. “No judgment. It’s your life.”
