Brady leaned over the edge of the bed to get a better look at the contents of the wagon. “I think I want a ball.”
“A ball it is.” She nodded to his cast. “And where do you want him to sign on your cast? It’s already so full.” She used her teeth to open the plastic bag the ball came in. Brock stared at her mouth for a moment too long.
Brady glanced down, his fingers tracing over the words Mom and Dad and then brushing down to the other names. “That’s my soccer team. They came to visit last night after they won their game. I’m the goalie.”
“Sweet.” Brock found an open spot. “How about here?”
“Yeah, then I can see it.”
He wrote carefully, not applying too much pressure. The marker didn’t exactly glide over the bumpy surface. He drew a bat next to it just in case no one could read his name. He wanted Brady to have something to show off for his friends. When he was done, Sheila handed him the ball, and he did the same thing on the white leather so they matched.
Kelly leaned over his shoulder, her hair brushing his arm. “That’s so sweet of you.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay!” Sheila said just a bit too loudly. “Brady, we’ve got to hit the road. You get better soon.” She handed him the controller with a wink.
Dr. Weaver reached up and turned off the TV, making it impossible for the kid to keep playing. “Sorry, big guy, it’s time for a nap.”
“Awww.”
Sheila rubbed her lips together. It looked like she was swallowing back twenty-some-odd years of sisterly rivalry and it was bitter to choke down.
The next two rooms went about the same as the first, except Sheila and Kelly didn’t have a reason to butt heads. They were both so subtle in Brady’s room that he started to forget it had even happened.
The third room had a teenager in it. He’d been in a car accident and had internal injuries. Surgery had fixed him up, but he had another day of observation before he could go home. Julia enthusiastically shook hands with the parents. She chatted them up about being on the website and social media pages and had her release papers signed in no time.
Brock waited, knowing she would want the hellos on film. Sheila didn’t wait. She sat on the edge of the bed and started talking. “I’ll bet your girlfriend is missing you something fierce right now.”
The poor kid turned bright red from his neck up. “Maybe.”
Sheila grinned and nudged his arm. “I knew it. What’s her name?”
He was putty in her hands, and Brock was jealous of the kid. He had Sheila’s smile. The teasing glint in her eye. And Brock was standing there alone like a prized dog waiting to show.
Kelly sidled up to him, brushing her fingers down his arm to get his attention. “I think this is so wonderful, what you’re doing here. They say kids are resilient, but they need to see that they’re worth something.”
He turned to her, tipping his head as he thought about her words. “I agree, Doctor.”
She twittered a laugh again, like she was a bird in a tree and not a five-foot-nine medical professional with a stethoscope around her neck. “Kelly. Please.”
He inclined his head, indicating that he’d use her given name from now on. “So, you’re a doctor in pediatrics?”
“Yep. I did my residency in South Virginia but wanted to come home to practice.”
“I can see why. St. George is unique in its beauty.”
She blushed.
Ah shoot.He didn’t mean to flirt. He meant the red rock canyons and Zion National Park.
“Brock,” Sheila called. “Come on over and meet this charmer.”
The kid flushed again. Sheila should go easy on him—he just got out of surgery and was already weak. If she kept making him blush like that, they were going to get kicked out. She didn’t have to lay it on so thick; the kid was already a fan of hers.
Brock sat on the other side of the bed and asked about school. Joey was a junior.
He asked about extracurriculars. He played the trumpet in the marching band.
