Look up, kiddo. Look up!
I scan the area again, trying to find someone who might be Griffin’s ex. There’s a tall, pale brunette at the desk arguing with Kina about something. That’s got to be her. I glance back at Charlie, and she’s finally looking up. She spots me and recognition makes her expression brighten.
I wave enthusiastically, like I have no idea why she’s here and I’m just happy to see her. “Hi, Charlie!”
I walk over to her casually, but my legs ache, they want to run to her so badly. I bend down in front of her chair. “I’m Nurse Sadie. Remember me?”
She nods. “My daddy likes you.”
“I like him,” I reply calmly. “And you. Do you have another raisin problem?”
She shakes her head with gusto. “No. I’ve been good about ignoring stupid dares from stupid boys. I promise. My dad is going to get me bow and arrow lessons if I stay good. Like Merida inBrave.”
Oh, my heart. She’s a tomboy just like I was. And Griffin embraces it just like my dad did.
“Archery? That’s great! You’ll be good at that,” I tell her and pause, giving her my best silly, overexaggerated perplexed look, and she smiles. “So why are you here tonight so late? Is your dad with you?”
“No,” she says sadly. “My mommy’s friend got sick so we’re here.”
“That’s too bad,” I say and try not to grit my teeth, I’m so angry. Thank God she’s naïve about it and isn’t overly traumatized—yet. “Have you told your daddy yet?”
“Excuse me!” I twist to look behind me and see the brunette. “Why are you talking to my daughter?”
I stand up and face her. She’s pretty. It’s one of those stupid things I can’t help but notice. Like model pretty. “I’ve met Charlie before. I just wanted to say hello.” I extend my hand. “I’m Sadie Braddock. My brother plays for the Thunder, and I know Griffin.”
She blinks—a lot and fast. It’s like watching a computer pinwheel spin to process information. “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
“I was wondering that about Charlie,” I say, sidestepping her question. I look down at Charlie. “We should call your dad.”
“She’s with her mother. That’s all you need to know. Excuse us.” She gently takes Charlie’s hand and guides her across the waiting area to another row of seats. I head outside to the parking lot and call Griffin.
“Hey,” he says, and his voice is low and gravelly, and I worry he was already asleep.
“Griffin…Charlie is fine, one hundred percent, but she is here at the hospital with her mom,” I say. “She is perfectly fine,” I repeat. “I just talked to her myself.”
“What? Why? I’m on my way,” he says, and I can hear the panic. “What happened? Is it Lauren? Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“Lauren is fine. I’ll explain when you get here,” I promise. “Just hang up the phone and drive safely. I will meet you in the parking lot.”
He gets here way faster than he should have, but I don’t call him on it. He jumps from his Range Rover and rushes to me. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the waiting room,” I explain, holding his biceps because I’m worried he’ll just bolt before I can explain everything. “I can’t tell you why they are here because it would violate my work rules, but I can tell you neither of them is hurt in any way. They’re just in the waiting room.”
He’s confused and frustrated, but I think he gets it, because he just nods at me, pulls away, and starts stalking toward the building. I chase after him. Everyone in the waiting room looks up as soon as he enters. His energy is dark and fills the room even more than his hulking physical presence. Well, everyone except Charlie, who has curled up on her chair and fallen asleep with her head in her mom’s lap. His ex’s face falls as soon as she sees him. She looks like a kid who was caught stealing the car. It would be funny except it’s so completely not.
Griffin walks right over to her. He starts to scoop up Charlie.
“Daddy!” she says in sleepy elation and wraps her arms around his neck.
“I’m going to take you to the boat, okay, kiddo?” She nods, eyelids still heavy.
The ex opens her mouth, but Griffin’s intense stare steals any sound that she might have made. He speaks, calmly. Too calmly. “I’m going to take her to my place to sleep in her bed. You’re going to follow me to the parking lot.”
“But—”
“Lauren.”
She nods. He turns to me and hands me his car key fob.
