by Gia Riley
Garrett
“GRACE, I’M NOT SURE THIS is a good idea,” I tell my sister, for the third time in half an hour. Despite my hesitation, she stands in the doorway with a smile on her face.
“It’s a brilliant idea. You’ll love her, I promise.”
I wrap a tie around my neck, the collar of my dress shirt already squeezing tighter than what’s comfortable. I’d switch out dress clothes for scrubs any day of the week, but tonight, I have to dress to impress. Or so Grace says.
“You told me I’d love the last girl you set me up with. She ate six tacos doused in hot sauce and drank enough tequila to knock a grown man on his ass.”
Grace chuckles, still amused by that catastrophe. “A healthy appetite doesn’t mean she’s a poor choice, Garrett.”
“No, it doesn’t. It was the constant burping and complaints about her killer heartburn that did me in.”
She was gorgeous, so much so that I wanted to like her despite her shitty manners, but when she turned into the sloppiest drunk I’ve ever seen, it was time to call it quits. I want a girl I can take to hospital functions and be proud to have standing next to me. Not a woman who acts like a girl on spring break.
“Just try one more time, Garrett. If it doesn’t work out, I promise to leave you alone. I won’t even make any more comments about your nonexistent love life.”
That deal alone is worth going out on this date, even if it ends up being another mismatch.
“I can live with that,” I tell her. Maybe once the pressure from my sister is gone, I’ll actually find a girl worth a second date.
She must be okay with my answer because she starts digging inside the luggage she calls a purse. “It’s in here somewhere.”
“You know, if you downsized, this wouldn’t be so difficult. Do you really need everything in that bag?”
She rolls her eyes because I get on her about her purse almost as much as she gets on me about dating.
“You know nothing about fashion, Garrett. Ah, there it is.” She holds out her hand, offering a single key dangling from a silver keychain.
When I take it from her, I notice there’s a heart on it with the word always engraved beneath. “It’s a little girly, but thanks. Why did you change your locks?”
“I didn’t. It’s not for my house,” she says, coyly.
When she won’t make eye contact with me, it’s a dead giveaway that she’s up to something. Whatever she’s plotting, I want no part of it. I hand the key back to her and loosen my tie.
She sighs, but doesn’t let me walk away from her. She reaches out, grabbing me by my elbow before I’m gone. “Garrett. You don’t even know what it’s for. Let me explain.”
“You’re right, Grace. I don’t have a clue what it’s about. But if this chick is handing out keys to her place before she even meets her dates, she’s not the kind of girl I want to get to know.”
Grace shakes her head and dangles the key in front of me again. “The key fits in your front door, okay?”
I stare at her, and then at the key. “I don’t get it. Why do I need another key to my own house?”
Exasperated, Grace takes my hand that’s balled into a fist and pries my fingers open. When I relax a little, she lays the key in the center of my palm. “Garrett, I had a feeling you’d fight me about this date and this key. But the key is for her—she’s the one. That’s how much I believe in this match. You’ll see it yourself if you ever get your ass to the restaurant.”
I stare at the key, wondering how she can be so sure about who I’m going to fall in love with when this is a blind date. I get how desperate my sister is to marry me off, but this is over the top—even for Grace.
I’m tempted to leave the key on top of my dresser, because even if I do want to see this woman again, there’s no way I’m giving some stranger a key to my house that soon. But with Grace watching, and the beginning of a fight brewing, I try to avoid another argument. Like I’m supposed to, I tuck the key into the pocket of my suit pants.
She stands on her toes to hug me, and says, “You’ll see, Garrett. Just trust me.” And like the whirlwind she is, she’s back in her world of sunshine and rainbows, practically skipping out of the room.
She’s lost her damn mind. Still, I kind of love her for wanting me to be happy.
The temperature dropped since I left the hospital, and by the time I get to the restaurant I wish I would have worn a heavier coat. As I sit staring at the entrance, I have no choice but to go inside and get this over with. I may not want to be here, but Grace thinks this is the only place I should be tonight. For that reason alone, I get out of my car and take this date like a man.
Once inside, I look around for a woman sitting alone, hopefully who’s also as nervous as I am, but don’t see anyone who could be here for me. Maybe she’s not coming.
“Will this be okay, sir?” the maître d’ asks as he shows me to our table tucked away in the alcove along the back wall of the restaurant. I requested privacy in case this date ends up being a flop, too.
“This is perfect, thank you.” I slip him a bigger tip than usual, thankful he was able to meet my request on such short notice.
Sliding into the crescent-shaped booth, I check my watch to see how late she is. I’m the kind of guy who is fifteen minutes early for everything, and if you’re not, you’re considered late. As of right now, she’s two minutes late and counting.
Grace gets on my case for being such a perfectionist, but as a surgeon, there’s no other way. With absolutely no margin for error in the human body, I’m meticulous with details, almost to a fault.
I pick up my phone, firing off a text to my sister, letting her know she could have at least picked someone who was punctual.
Garrett: She’s late. Strike one.
Grace: Calm down. This could be your last first date. It’s worth the wait.
I roll my eyes, wondering who the hell Grace has so much faith in. As I shift in the booth, the key resting against my thigh is another reminder of how perfect she’s supposed to be. But I can’t exactly give this mystery woman a shot if she doesn’t show up.
“Garrett?”
When I look up from the scores I’m checking on my phone, I can hardly believe Megan’s sister is standing next to the table. “Vanessa? What are you doing here?”
She licks her red lips and pushes her dark hair behind her ears. She’s always been a confident person, especially in the courtroom, so I’m not exactly sure why she’s so nervous talking to me. It becomes clearer when she says, “I’m your date.”
I stand up so fast, I bang my knee on the underside of the table. The water in the glasses sloshes around, almost spilling onto the crisp white tablecloth. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised,” I tell her as I give her a hug. “Sit with me.”
She slides into the booth across from me, smiling at my awkwardness. I’m so bad at this shit, and I’m even more pathetic now that I know I’m having dinner with Vanessa. There’s no way I would have agreed to this dinner had I known who Grace set me up with. The only Bennett sister I’ve ever been interested in is Megan—even if she is a Campbell now.
Vanessa takes a sip of her water and sets her purse on the bench next to her. When neither of us jump to say much of anything, she leans forward and rests her chin on her hand, staring at me like I’m the only one who thinks this is a little nuts.
When I can’t take another second of the stale silence, I ask, “Why are you here, Vanessa?”
She smiles, sitting up a little taller as she does. “I should probably put you out of your misery, shouldn’t I?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I’d like to consider Vanessa an ally, even if we haven’t seen each other in a long time. But that’s all she’s ever going to be in my eyes—a friend.
“I know you didn’t mean anything by it, Garrett. I get how weird this is for you—me showing up out of the blue, wanting to have dinner with you.”
The waiter places two menus in fro
nt of us before uncorking a bottle of chilled champagne. “Are we celebrating?” I ask, curiously.
I lined up the table with the maître d’, but never gave him any specifics about the meal or drinks.
“We’re celebrating my sister’s freedom,” Vanessa says, with a mixture of excitement and sadness in her voice. She holds tight to her champagne flute, watching the little bubbles explode under the surface before rising to the top.
As soon as she mentions Megan, she has my complete and undivided attention. “Freedom? I’m not following.”
Laney’s in the hospital preparing for surgery tomorrow morning. I hardly consider that cause for celebration. Considering she’s not going to be able to use her legs for months, that’s not exactly freedom either.
Vanessa looks like she regrets her choice of words, but continues anyway, telling me, “The circumstances aren’t ideal, I know that, but Connor is facing jail time. He’s almost exactly where I want him.”
“Where do you want him?”
Without hesitation, she sets her champagne down and smiles like she’s close to the sweetest victory she’s ever tasted. “Out of Megan and Laney’s life. For good.”
As if this night wasn’t strange enough, this conversation is completely unexpected. I admit, I love every word coming out of Vanessa’s mouth. The little bit I know about the accident, and the aftermath I’m trying my damnedest to treat, is enough for me to want Connor far away from Laney, too. Maybe it’s selfish, but I don’t want him near his wife either. Not when he’s already hurt his family so much.
I saw Megan’s eyes and the pain behind her irises. I see it every single time she looks at me. How she’s silently begging me to make this all go away for her like I would have done for her back in high school. It makes me wish I had that kind of power.
“Garrett? I’m sorry if you don’t agree with me.”
“No, I feel the same way, Vanessa. I want Connor out of their lives. I just wasn’t expecting you to come to me with any of this. I’ve tried to keep my patient and my friend separate, but it’s impossible. I’m not two different people. Even when I’m Dr. Kristoff, I’m still Garrett.”
Her eyes are downcast, her joy sucked from her as I bring up Laney. “He was drunk, Garrett—with his daughter in the backseat of the car. She wasn’t even wearing her seat belt when he ran off the side of the road into the embankment. It’s bad enough she was injured, but he could have killed my niece. Megan would never come back from that.”
Vanessa wipes a tear from the corner of her eye, and the reality of losing Laney hits me—hard. My throat burns as I try to keep it together. How anyone could put that little girl in danger is beyond me.
I haven’t spent a lot of time with her, but the little amount we’ve talked, she won me over in seconds. Connor has no idea what he’s done, and I tell Vanessa, “He deserves whatever they give him. And then some.”
When Laney came in, the medics mentioned a drunk driver. At the time, I never imagined it was her own father who was intoxicated. After talking with Megan and Vanessa, the pieces keep forming the real story, and it’s making more and more sense to me.
I have no idea how Megan’s been keeping it together as well as she has been, which is why I’m worried she’s hiding behind her pain and fear—all alone. Connor is one hundred percent accountable for the accident, but with him in jail, Megan’s the one who has to deal with the aftermath.
“Garrett, I’m not telling you any of this because you’re Laney’s doctor, even though that’s a huge relief for Megan. I’m telling you because Connor’s been on a downward spiral lately.”
“Has Laney been hurt before?”
She shakes her head, and I’m instantly relieved. “No, thankfully. I have a feeling that’s only because Megan was home though. But she’s tired, and I’m glad she’s finally fed up. Of course, there’s a lot more to their drama, but that’s not my story to tell. Regardless, I promised her I’m going to do everything in my power to bury that bastard. He’s done as far as Megan and Laney are concerned.”
“I’m glad she has you, Vanessa, because with their history, this is going to get ugly. He’s not going to walk away from her quietly—especially with me around.”
Vanessa’s eyes brighten. “Will you be around? Outside of the hospital?” she questions, cautiously. I can tell she doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries or force me into the line of fire.
“I’ll be whatever Megan needs me to be,” I tell her as I crack my knuckles, picturing Connor’s bones snapping as I punch him in the face. And I mean it. If I had a chance to tell him what I really thought, it wouldn’t be pretty.
The waiter stands next to our table, hesitantly looking between the two of us and our murderous expressions. He looks like he’s trying to figure if he should give us more time, or take our order as quickly as possible and run for the kitchen.
Vanessa glances at her menu for the first time, ordering the lemon chicken. I planned on getting steak, but now that I’m sitting here with Vanessa, I can’t get my mind off what Megan would want. She’s living in hell right now, and here I am, sitting in a five-star restaurant like I don’t have a care in the world. Only I do care, I care that she’s all alone. But I can’t run out on Vanessa until we finish our conversation. “I’ll have the filet with garlic mashed potatoes.”
The waiter takes our menus and tops off our champagne glasses before walking away.
Vanessa clears her throat, and though I’m not nervous to have her sitting across from me anymore, I almost forgot we’re supposed to be on a date. We’ve spent all our time talking about her sister, and I haven’t asked her a single question.
“What about you? How have you been?” I ask her, hoping I haven’t offended her for taking so long to ask.
Again, she surprises me and says, “I’m not here for myself, Garrett. I’m here because Megan needs you now more than ever. She needs a guy she can count on, and from what I’ve heard from her since Laney’s been admitted, you’ve been exactly what she needs.”
“Vanessa, I would do the same for any of my friends’ children. It’s my job.”
“I’m not talking about Laney this time, Garrett.”
The fact that Megan’s been talking about me to her sister makes me feel like a million bucks. Maybe I’m not crazy for having feelings for her, despite it being one of the most inappropriate times to realize how much I still want her.
Years have passed since we were kids, yet when I saw Megan today, I was instantly taken back in time. She was still the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, only she was a woman now, and my body ached to be inside her.
“What are you saying, Vanessa?”
“I’m saying, you’ll do anything for your friends, that’s obvious. You’ve always been that way, but Megan isn’t just any friend, Garrett. The way you look when I talk to you about her means something. The sparkle in her eye when she’s talking about you. That’s had over a decade to go away, and it hasn’t.”
“You’ve been conspiring with Grace, haven’t you?” I ask her as I take a sip of champagne, biding myself a couple more seconds before I have to give her a real answer.
What do I even say to this? Grace and Vanessa are setting us up, which I would typically be furious about, but I’m not even the least bit angry. And that’s because I’m being set up with the one person I would move mountains for.
Vanessa’s devious smile is all the confirmation I need. “What kind of sisters would we be if we didn’t stick our noses where they don’t belong once in a while?” she asks me.
“If only we had been born before you two.”
She laughs, mostly because I’m smiling and not the least bit angry about the plan they’ve concocted. Once she stops, she says, “I talk to Grace often, but yes, we had a little pow wow about you and Megan. We feel helpless about the entire situation. I can only do what the courts allow, even though I want to chop off Connor’s dick and feed it to him for dinner. Grace can only do what you’ll let he
r because you can be a stubborn fool sometimes. Despite all that, there’s still one huge factor that remains.”
“And what’s that?” I ask her.
“You,” she says softly. “You can help heal my sister. You can be the man she needs when she feels all alone.”
Doesn’t she think I know that already? That is doesn’t kill me every time I have to walk away from Megan and Laney. She’s had another man’s promise wrapped around her finger for years, and I’ve had to live with that. “I’ve been trying, Vanessa.”
I exhale, running my hand over my face. Once I get my thoughts together, I realize how frustrated I am. “It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to push the two of us together or not. I think about her all day long, wishing I could get her to eat a little bit or to close her eyes before she passes out. I hate that she looks so tired and defeated all the time. I want to help her, but I’m not sure I have the power to make any of this easier for her.”
“Garrett,” Vanessa says, cautiously, “I’m sorry you came here under false pretenses. That wasn’t fair to you, but the answer you just gave me—well that proves you don’t need Grace or myself to nudge you in the right direction. It’s already been happening on its own.”
She took my reaction the wrong way. I can’t be mad at them for wanting what’s best for Megan. Or for thinking I have the ability to give her what she needs. “Vanessa, I’m not angry. I can’t be—not when I’ve wanted her for as long as I can remember.”
She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “I was hoping you’d say that. Connor’s always had her so blinded by love. When things are good with him, she’s oblivious to the rest of the world. But when they get bad like they are now, her eyes are wide open. This time, she’s finally gaining a new perspective.”
I wish it was that simple. That all she’d need is to see the truth for what it is and she’d be able to put the past behind her and move on. It’s so much more complicated than that. “Is there anything else I should know?”
Vanessa plays with the stem of her champagne glass, swirling the bubbles around some more. “I need to be honest with you.”
