Robin sighed and stroked his cheek. “I’m sorry I did that.”
“Me too. That hurt a lot, Robin. You know I can’t live without you.”
She closed her eyes and pulled him closer. “Logan . . .”
He brought his finger to her lips. “I just want you to know that I would never choose another woman over you.”
“I know that and I should’ve believed it from the start. But, well, you know what set me off.”
“Yeah. But let’s go back to May, when we were looking to adopt a child. Do you still want to do that?”
Robin sighed. “Bringing a child into all of this wouldn’t be fair to him or her right now. Or all three of them.”
“Three of them?”
“You know I wanted three babies. But definitely not spaced as far apart as me and my sisters. It always felt like it was me and Alex versus Yolanda and Nina. You know, with stuff around the house, but out in those streets, you messed with one of us, you had it with all of us.”
“You and your sisters were a gang.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “We were not a gang.”
“Keep telling yourself that, it doesn’t make it true.”
“Whatever, Dr. Baptiste.” Robin glanced at the digital display on her bedside clock. “It’s really too early to call it a night.”
“That’s where the TV would come in handy.”
“Or we—and by we, I mean you—could finish cleaning the kitchen and I’ll draw us a bath. I have an amazing bath bomb that’s good for stress.”
“You had me at bath.” Logan leaned in and kissed Robin slow and deep. Breaking the kiss, he winked at her, then said, “Don’t have the water boiling, please.”
“Oh, stop! Why don’t you bring up some tea when you’re done. The pitcher in the refrigerator has bourbon in it.”
“Gotcha,” he said, then slipped his boxers on and headed downstairs. Robin dashed into the bathroom and started filling the garden tub with water. She couldn’t help but wonder if that call had really been the media or something else.
It’s time for you to trust your husband. Just stop it. Robin went into the linen closet and grabbed her mango bath bomb. She dropped it in the water, then grabbed two shower sheets for her and Logan.
Moments later, he was walking into the bathroom with two full glasses of the spiked tea.
“That was a quick cleanup.”
“You have a dishwasher. I’m using it,” he said as he gave her a slow once-over. “I was about to hand-wash those dishes but I knew you were up here naked and wet.”
“I haven’t gotten in the bathtub yet.”
Logan set the glasses on the counter and pulled Robin into his arms. “I know there’s one spot that gets wet without the use of the tub.”
“You are something else.” She tugged at his boxers. “Get naked and get in the tub.”
“Yes, ma’am.” But before he did step into the water, Logan slipped his hand between Robin’s thighs. And he was right. She was dripping wet with desire. “Told you so.” He stepped out of his boxers and into the tub. Logan sat down and then Robin joined him, sitting with her back against his chest. The soothing scent of the mango and jasmine oil enveloped them, giving the couple a feeling of peace and stillness.
Logan massaged Robin’s shoulders and rubbed bath oil across her back. “Mmm,” she moaned sweetly. “I was supposed to be helping you relax.”
“You are. I’ve always liked touching your body. Now I see how you stay so soft.”
“You mean to tell me after all these years, you just figured this out?”
Logan shrugged as he stroked the small of her back. “I thought it was cocoa butter and black girl magic.”
“You get an A for effort, doc.”
“You should’ve been a professor at Xavier,” he quipped.
“And your grades would’ve been better in undergrad if you had focused more. You killed it in med school.”
“Yeah, I did. That’s why all of this bullshit going on right now is . . .”
“No. This bath is supposed to remove stress, not reset it.”
Logan kissed her neck and then leaned against the wall of the tub. “Lean back,” he said. She did and he put his arms around her waist. They sat in silence until the water went cold. Now it was the perfect time to go to bed. The couple rose from the tub and dried each other off. Logan cupped Robin’s cheek. “I’ve missed this.”
“Me too.”
“Let’s go to sleep, okay?”
“We will as long as you keep your hands to yourself.”
“Don’t throw your leg around my waist and we’re going to have a good night’s sleep,” he said with a wink. “Because I have to sleep naked.”
“Then no spooning, all right?”
Logan dropped his towel. “I make no promises.”
“Then you must not want to sleep. But to help you out, I’m going to put on my flannel PJs.”
“That’s cruel.” He followed her into the bedroom, and true to her word, Robin put on a pair of black and red flannel pajamas with the feet sewn in.
“Why in the hell did you get those?” Logan asked.
“I get cold at night and you weren’t here.”
“Not because I didn’t want to be.”
She crossed over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t know how I’m going to ever make this up to you.”
“Here’s a hint: After tonight, burn these.” Logan ran his hand down the shapeless garment.
“Got it.” She leaned in and gave him a slow kiss. “But FYI, the zipper is in the front.”
“Good night, Robin.”
* * *
The one thing Kamrie didn’t expect after going on TV with her story was a call from him.
“I thought your wife said we could never speak again. Why are you calling me now, Thomas?”
“Kamrie, what’s going on with you right now?”
“I’m getting what’s mine.”
“By ruining another doctor’s reputation?” Thomas asked.
“You seem to be doing fine. What the hell do you want?”
He sighed into the phone and then his voice got really low. “There was a man here asking a lot of questions about you and us.”
“Do you know who the man was?”
“Some detective, I think. Kam, what have you done to cause people to look into your past?”
“Is it my past that you’re concerned about or your own?”
“That’s not fair and you know if things were . . .”
“Save the bullshit for the next nurse,” Kamrie snapped. “You still let her lead you around by your little balls and you just do what she says.”
“I have a career and you know I . . .”
“I know you’re a coward and I’m doing what I have to do to take care of me and mine. If you’re still happy riding your wife’s coattails in Atlanta, leave me alone.”
He chuckled and Kamrie hung up the phone. How dare he laugh at her. All of this was his damned fault. Why couldn’t he have just kept his promises?
If only Logan was really Jean’s father. He would make sure that she and her son would be good. And since he didn’t want to make a life with her, she’d just dent his wallet. Why wouldn’t he want to have a family with her? He couldn’t get that with his wife. What had changed?
Granted, Logan wasn’t walking around the hospital crying about what was going on after his wife’s surgery. But when she’d overheard the story of Logan and Robin, she figured he’d be easy pickings.
Much easier than her situation in Atlanta. Logan’s career didn’t depend on his wife and Kamrie loved that. But it hadn’t mattered in the end. If Dr. Carter’s plan didn’t work, then she was going to have to go back to Atlanta and drop the bomb on Dr. Thomas Lacy and his bitch of a wife, Valerie. Like, surprise, Thomas is a father.
It would serve Valerie’s obnoxious ass right. She was old enough to be that man’s mother. Did she really think she could satisfy h
im beyond her funding his dreams?
Kamrie wasn’t in love with Thomas, but she did enjoy the scandalous nights at the hospital, in five-star hotels, and even in the basement of Thomas and Valerie’s house.
She looked at the phone, ready to save the number that he’d called from, but she realized he had called from an unknown number. At least he was better at covering his tracks now.
Chapter 21
Robin and Logan woke up before her five a.m. alarm went off. “Morning,” he said, then pulled her into his arms.
“It still looks like night to me.”
“Yeah. We’ve got a big day.”
She nodded and kissed him on the chin. “I’m going to make sure we have someone to serve Kamrie this morning. I’m thinking we should make sure she gets served at home. The folks at the hospital don’t really need to know what’s going on right now.”
“Agreed. Might get another false DNA test.”
Robin rolled her eyes, her mind flashing back to the day she got that DNA test at their front door. “And we should probably get moving so that you can get some clothes.”
“Actually, I have a bag in the trunk. No need to fight rush hour traffic before we have to.”
“Wish you had told me that before I set this alarm,” she said as the phone began to chime. A few seconds later, Logan’s alarm went off as well.
“Was going to surprise you with breakfast,” he said with a wink.
“I’ll still pretend I’m surprised. But I’ll make the coffee.” The couple rose from the bed and Logan grabbed his discarded pants and pulled them on.
They headed down to the kitchen and Robin pulled out two avocados from the refrigerator. “You know what I want,” she said with a smile.
“Avocado toast and eggs. So predictable,” he quipped, then got to work making the food.
Robin started the coffee and opened the fridge to grab the orange juice. She poured Logan a glass and set it next to him.
“You’re too sweet,” he said, then sipped the juice. Logan made the toast sort of like French toast. Robin could never make her mashed avocados taste like his. And Logan never shared his secrets.
After making the toast, he fried a couple of eggs for them and Robin poured them full mugs of coffee. Logan took his coffee black in the morning. Robin needed cream and sugar this morning. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was nervous about what was going to happen when Kamrie got her papers. Was she going to go back on TV and name Logan? What would her family think about all of this? She needed her father’s strength today, but she didn’t want to involve him in all of this.
He said he was going to support her no matter what. Looking at the clock on the stove, she knew it was too early to call him.
“All right,” Logan said. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Great.”
Logan took her hand in his as they bowed their heads in prayer. Robin asked God to let this day prove that she and Logan were doing the right thing. That their marriage was going to survive and they could go back to their happily ever after.
A feeling of peace washed over her and she knew that everything was going to be fine.
“Amen,” Logan said.
“Amen,” she replied, then kissed him on the cheek. “One day, you’re going to have to give me the secret to your avocado toast.”
“Nah, knowing how much you love it, I’m playing that close to the chest so you can never let me go.”
“Oh, you are so dirty.”
He shrugged and grabbed his coffee. “Whatever it takes to keep you in my life, I’m going to do it.”
“You know I’m not going anywhere, ever again.”
“Holding you to that.”
After eating breakfast, they each took a shower, then dressed and headed for the office together. “Do you think I should make a statement to the media?” he asked as he drove.
“No. We’re going to try to keep your name out of this for as long as we can.”
“Right. But I just don’t want other people to control the narrative.”
“At this point, if anyone says your name, we’re in position for a huge lawsuit. Nothing that witch has said can be proven. You haven’t been charged with assaulting her and that little boy isn’t your son. And when we find out who faked those DNA results, we’re suing them, too.”
“Remind me to stay on your good side.”
“I thought you already knew that.” She squeezed his thigh.
Logan grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Yolanda is the one I really should be worried about. She’s the real gangster.”
“Obviously not. I’d love to know what’s really going on with her and why she’s in need of a bodyguard. Alex doesn’t even know; she would’ve told me already.”
“As if you need another thing on your plate. I’m sure Pops is taking care of her. Sheldon wouldn’t let anything happen to his girls.”
“I know, but I’d still like to know what’s going on with my sister. It was bad enough when we almost lost Nina.” Robin still felt sick when she thought about her sister’s near fatal accident in Charlotte. Nina had pulled out in front of an eighteen-wheeler, and for a few days, it looked as if she wasn’t going to make it.
Thank God she had pulled through.
“But you didn’t. Remember that. She’s on an island somewhere being a newlywed.”
Robin snapped her fingers. “That reminds me, I have to send them a basket. I really feel like I put a cloud over her wedding.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.”
When they arrived at the office, a couple of Robin’s colleagues had shock etched on their faces. Everyone at the office knew Robin was getting a divorce. She made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with Dr. Logan Baptiste, yet here they were.
“Sheila,” Robin said to the receptionist. “Is Clark in his office?”
“Yes,” she replied. “And I’m super happy to see you guys.”
Logan smiled as Robin led him to the huge corner office. “Guess everyone knew we were over.”
“Clark was handling my divorce.”
“Then this isn’t going to be awkward at all,” he said as he opened the door to the office.
Clark looked up from his computer as they walked in. “Well, well, look what the cat drug in.”
“Good to see you, too. How were your holidays?” Robin asked as she and Logan sat down.
“The holidays were amazing. But I have to say seeing you two together leaves me happy and confused right now,” he said as he looked from Robin to Logan. “I’m no longer filing these divorce papers, right?”
“That’s correct,” Logan said.
“So, what’s going on now?” Clark asked.
“I’m taking Logan on as a client in the phony fatherhood scam with Kamrie,” Robin said. “I wanted to let you know and make sure you’re okay with it.”
“Yeah, that’s just fine and it’s good to see that you all are trying to get to the bottom of this.”
“Great, because she should be getting served today.”
Clark nodded. “Good. Cases like this make a mockery of the family court system. Frauds like this make it harder for real parents who need assistance.”
Robin sucked her teeth and nodded. “I wish there was some way for this to stay private, but since she took her lies to the media, some reporter is going to put two and five together and think they have a story.”
“And we’ll have a libel or slander suit.” Clark turned to Logan. “But I have to ask, are these allegations true?”
“Hell no.” Logan’s face burned with anger.
Robin placed her hand on his thigh. “Calm down, we have to ask these questions.”
“Sorry, Clark,” Logan said. “But I’ve been fighting against lies for too long.”
The attorney nodded. “I get it. But when we sue everybody, I want to make sure we got the whole truth on our side.”
“We absolutely do have the truth on our side.”
“Great, beca
use you two are one of my favorite couples and I don’t like people fucking with my friends.” Clark shook his head. “Let’s make this a happy New Year for everybody but that nurse.”
For the next three hours, Clark and Robin laid out everything that could happen after the summons was delivered to Kamrie. The court date was probably going to be two weeks out because of the holiday. But afterward, things were going to start moving fast. Robin told Logan she was going to make sure the DNA test was handled by a separate lab that wasn’t related to the hospital.
“Good idea,” he muttered.
“And here’s the hard part,” Clark interjected. “Do you still want to work at Richmond Medical?”
Robin wanted to know the answer to this question as well. She had her opinions, but she wasn’t ready to tell him what she thought—yet.
Logan squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I want to stay and see if I can get Cooper Drugs out of the hospital. I made some enemies in that fight. I feel like a lot of what’s going on right now is because of that. But I gave so much of myself to this hospital.”
“And what are you getting in return?” Robin asked in a low voice.
“What do you think we should do?” Logan asked.
Robin waved her hand. “Nope. Not going to make that decision for you. Remember, you wanted to keep your reputation intact when this all started and that’s why you didn’t fight this whole thing head-on before it got out of hand.” Robin’s voice had a little more fury than she meant for it to have.
“Do I need to step out for a minute?” Clark asked.
“Yes,” Logan said.
“No.”
“Yes,” Clark said. “This has moved from an attorney-client conversation to a husband and wife one. I’m going to grab some coffee.”
* * *
Once they were alone, Logan turned his chair to face Robin. “All right, let’s get this out,” he said.
Robin wiped her face and stared into his eyes. “I don’t want you working there anymore.”
“I know.”
“And it has nothing to do with Kamrie, but it’s about how they’re treating you and you’re trying to do the right thing. If they are willing to do all of this to you, why do you owe them anything?”
“It’s not about them, it’s the patients.”
Won't Go Home Without You Page 20
