Sister. That made sense. They had the same shape of eyes, same full lips. Kelly was two inches taller than Sheila. He wondered what kind of doctor she was and if they gave her time off to eat, because she was so thin she’d be pokey to cuddle.
Julia took several candid photos of the two of them.
Finally, Sheila motioned towards Brock. “This is Brock Mattock, the center fielder for the Redrocks. And this is Julia, out social media specialist.”
Sheila said specialist instead of guru. It sounded better. She had a knack for making things sound good, even him. Her introduction had a hint of pride to it, like she was proud of what he did for the team out there in center field. He lifted his chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Weaver.”
“Thanks.” She took his proffered hand, holding it for a tad longer than was comfortable. “I just finished rounds, so I have a few minutes to show you around.”
Sheila swatted her hand through the air. “You don’t have to do that. I’ve been here enough that I know the route.”
“Nonsense. It will be my pleasure.” She took Sheila by the arm and bent her head close, whispering and glancing over her shoulder at Brock.
Sheila stiffened and lifted her chin. She shook her head emphatically, and Dr. Weaver’s grin spread.
Julia nudged him with her elbow. “Someone’s got an admirer.”
Julia was much too interested in his reaction for him to be comfortable. It made him feel like a steak, and she was a hungry animal waiting to devour his story and spit it out for her followers.
“You think?” He stared at Sheila’s back. She didn’t give off any inviting vibes.
“Oh yeah, the doc is totally into you.”
He blinked and shifted his gaze to Sheila’s sister, who was glancing over her shoulder. When their eyes met, she ducked her head.
Huh. He suddenly felt like his arms were too long and his neck was tight.
Dr. Weaver showed them into the first room. She waved her hand over the ten-year-old in the bed, his leg in a long red cast and his eyes glued to the television screen, where he battled aliens. “This is Brady. He broke his femur while skateboarding.”
The three visitors cringed in unison. Julia looked around. When she didn’t find an adult in the room, she slowly lowered her phone with a frown. Brock smothered his grin. Julia’s angle was easy to spot.
Dr. Weaver grabbed a controller and paused the game.
“Hey!” Brady whined.
Sheila shook her head at her sister in disappointment.
How Brock knew she was disappointed, he wasn’t sure. Her face surely didn’t show it. Neither did the slant of her shoulders, which were confident and sure. It was something else, something in her eyes, that rebelled at her older sister making the decision for Brady to pause the game instead of asking him to do it.
“Brady, this is Brock. He plays for the Redrocks,” Dr. Weaver introduced him.
Brady’s mouth fell open. “No way.”
“Way,” Brock countered. He pushed past the ladies to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed. Pediatrics was brighter than the rest of the hospital. The wall behind Brady’s head was bright blue, and there were rainbows and butterflies painted on the ceiling tiles. He also had aStar Warsblanket draped over his good leg.
Kelly put her hand on Brock’s shoulder blade and leaned over him to talk to Brady. She smelled of hand sanitizer and fruity flowers—a combination that made his nose tickle. “You’re so lucky he had time to come see you today.”
Brock shifted slightly. “Actually, I’m the lucky one.” He shared a fist bump with Brady. “So, how are you going to milk this to get out of school?” he joked.
Brady’s face lit up. “I could be out until Halloween.”
“Halloween, huh? And be back on your feet to trick-or-treat. Nice.” They shared another fist bump.
“Brady?” Sheila’s smile was warm and inviting. Man, she was good. If he didn’t know this was all about gaining new fans and solidifying loyalty, he’d think she actually cared about these kids. “Would you like to pick something for Brock to sign for you?” She brought the wagon closer to the bed. “We’ve got baseballs, posters, maybe a tee shirt.” She held up a teddy bear. “I don’t think you want this, do you?” She made a sour face.
Brady laughed. “Can he sign my cast?”
Sheila’s smile grew, and Brock blinked, blinded by the sincerity of it. “Sure. He can even sign both your cast and something from in here.”
