“That you’re his father? No. He doesn’t. Chris knows that Joel wasn’t his biological Dad, and that he was adopted. I mean the kid is smart, he figured it out the same way you did.” I sweep my hand out toward the photographs. “I’ve never told him who his real father is though.”
Silence grows between us and fills the air like a scream. A scream would be better actually. My skin begins to prickle as I wait for Mack to say something. Anything. Does he hate me? Does he want to be in our lives?
“I’m sorry,” Mack’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“What? Why are you sorry?”
“I’m sorry that I never looked back. I was young too, I was hurt that you wouldn’t even try to stay together when I left, so I tried to erase you from my memory. I didn’t realize that it was impossible, you were more than a memory. You were etched on my soul. When I lost my leg, and … my men …” his voice wavers as his emotions battle on his face. He clears his throat and his eyes focus back on mine, “You were there.”
“You mean you thought of me?” I try to make sense of his words.
“No, you were there. I could see you. Smell you. Taste you. I felt your hand on mine. I knew that if I died then, it would be with a heart full of regret for ever letting you leave. I knew I could never die happy until I found you again.”
Tears prick the corners of my eyes and the rock in my throat feels even heavier as I struggle not to cry. “I never thought I’d see you again,” I confess. “I already felt like a piece of me had died the day you went to West Point.”
He scoots over on the couch and puts his arm around me, I lie my head against his chest and let his heartbeat sing me a lullaby. “Were back together now,” he soothes me, running his hand over my hair. “All three of us. We’re gonna make this work. Ok?” He grabs my shoulders and holds me inches from his face. I’m lost in his eyes, transfixed by them.
“Yes.”
28
Mack
2014
“Hey, sexy.” I sneak up behind Lauren and wrap my arms around her, pulling her plump ass back against my cock. I watched her come into the building this morning, her hair perfectly in place and her uniform trim and pressed. Miles away from the naked wild cat I was gagging with my cock only hours before.
“Mack, you can’t sneak up on me like this,” she pushes my hands down from her hips and twists around. Her lips are pressed into a solid line and she’s got her cute little nose scrunched up at me.
“Aww, c’mon, you don’t want to have a quickie in the supply closet? Where’s that naughty girl I was flipping around all weekend, huh?” I pull her tight against me and I can see her pulse quicken in her neck. I let my hands slide down over her perfect ass and cup it, pulling her against my stiffening cock. Maybe she just needs a little inspiration.
Lauren quickly looks over my shoulder toward the closet door, she doesn’t need to worry though, I closed it behind me.
“A quickie? Are you crazy? This is where I work, Mack. It’s bad enough that you spent the weekend at my house,” she presses her hands firmly against my chest and steps back, “you’re gonna get me fired.”
“I didn’t spend the weekend at your house, I was visiting my wonderful Aunt Mildred, remember?” I smirk, but she isn’t budging. Neither is the fixed line she has her lips in.
“No, I can’t,” she hisses.
I want to sweep my hand over the medical crap crowding one of these metal tables and flip her around, bending her over it. I want to hold her down with one hand and rip her pants down with the other, fucking her wildly until she’s dripping with my cum. The idea makes my cock throb painfully and I adjust myself so the sensitive skin isn’t pressing directly against my zipper.
I may want to do that, but I won’t. I’m a persistent guy, but I know what lines can’t be crossed.
“Fine,” I hold my hands up in surrender. “I just thought you looked really sexy this morning and wanted to show you how crazy you’re making me. I get it though, no quickies at work.” I step back, giving her some space.
Lauren looks back over my shoulder at the door nervously. “No anything at work, Mack. I can’t lose this job, especially not for messing around with a patient. I’ll never find another hospital that will hire me after that. Look,” she closes the distance between us and runs the back of her fingers down my cheek and over my beard, “I want you, ok. Trust me, you have no idea,” the glint in her eyes speaks volumes. “We’ll figure this out, I promise. Now, please, get out of here before someone else needs something out of here.” She urges, but she doesn’t break away from me. Lauren stands her ground, her breasts lightly pressing up against my chest.
I hold her chin between my thumb and forefinger and blanket her lips with mine, a hard kiss for how hard she’s made me. Lauren relaxes against me and her mouth opens, inviting me to take the kiss deeper. As our tongues collide, I slowly step her back, one step at a time, until her back is flat against the wall. I pin her in place with my hips and grind my ready cock against her hot little pussy as our kiss continues. Like I said, I’m persistent.
A stream of light floods in from the door and I pull back quickly. Lauren gasps and runs the palms of her hands down over her shirt like she’s trying to iron them to her body.
“Uh, Doctor Galt. Um, Mack, I mean, um, Captain Forrester just needed …” her eyes search the closet frantically as I turn to face the cock-block at the door.
“I needed some bandages,” I state matter-of-factly. My eyes leveling him.
“That’s not what it looked like from here,” cherry stains his face and he blows his cheeks out like a puffer fish. “This is highly unprofessional,” his face twitches with irritation as he looks over at Lauren. I don’t need to look at her to know what she looks like right now. I don’t want to see the shame tattooed to her face.
“What’s highly unprofessional about my nurse getting me bandages?” I interrupt his glare. “If you ask me, that’s kinda the definition of professionalism right there.”
His eyes flicker wildly as he attempts to push his chest out. These small guys are always the same, like little Chihuahuas trying to be pit bulls. “I don’t want to hear it, Captain. I know what I saw.” He looks back over at Lauren, who’s still silently being shielded by my body. “And if you think for one second that this isn’t going to be reprimanded, then you are mistaken. I’ve never seen such amoral conduct in a hospital. This man is your patient, Nurse Brickman. This little … relationship,” he spits out the word like it burned the roof of his mouth, “is against your medical oath and it’s against the law.”
I can see him winding up like one of those symbol crashing monkey dolls we used to play with as kids. Nope. Not happening. Fire burns up in my gut, licking flames of fury into my throat.
Who the fuck does this guy think he is? He doesn’t get to talk to my woman like that! My hands ball up at my sides and my eyes narrow into slits.
“No, you listen, doc. I’ve told you that Nurse Brickman has been professional, which is much more than I can say about you right now. And the last time I checked, I walked in here with a media team and worldwide news coverage when I came to your little hospital. So, if you want to pursue this, who do you think people are going to fucking believe? A national war hero who left his leg in the desert for his country? Or you?” I sneer down at him.
Galt’s chest deflates and his shoulders drop as he considers my words. “Listen, I’m not trying to start anything like that,” he starts back pedalling. “The media doesn’t need to be involved in this. I’m just trying to run a hospital here. It’s important that our staff follow proper procedures and conduct themselves appropriately.” His eyes flash at Lauren.
“I know, I’m sorry,” she finally finds her voice behind me and the words scrape across my eardrums like the squeal of Styrofoam being twisted.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t say sorry.” I put my hand in the air, interrupting whatever incriminating thing she’s about to confess.
“As for me being a patient, I can leave this hospital at any time. In fact, I’ll be checking out today, thank you. I don’t need this attitude or negativity from a place that’s supposed to be helping me heal.” Galt’s mouth puckers tight like an asshole. With the shit he’s been spewing, I think it’s appropriate.
“I’ll be doing some more media appearances soon with my blade, too,” I continue. “They can really go one of two ways. I can sing the praises of your fantastic rehabilitation center and shine a light on the wonderful care I’ve received here,” I look back at Lauren, I hate the fear I can see in her eyes. “Or, if you want to pursue reprimanding Nurse Brickman here, I can shine an entirely different spotlight on your center. It’s up to you.”
I stroll across the floor and Galt’s mouth is gaping wide. If his lips looked was an asshole a couple seconds ago, then it just got fucked.
“Captain, I don’t see that there’s any reason you need to cut your rehabilitation short. I’m sure we can discuss this like civilized adults,” he pleads but doesn’t try to block the door as I approach.
“I’ve done all the talking I intend to do; the rest is up to you.” I stare straight into his little eyes and walk out the closet door.
“Captain Forrester, please, wait!” he calls but I continue on down the hall, leaving Lauren and her career dangling by a thread behind me.
Shit. How am I going to make up for this one?
29
Lauren
2014
This has been the longest day I’ve ever had. I’ve been riding a roller coaster of emotions for hours and it’s making me nauseous. It feels like this morning, in the supply closet with Mack, was weeks ago.
I’m starting to feel numb now. I’ve gone from dripping wet with desire to paralyzed with fear to utter disbelief as I watched Mack make good on his word and pack up his bags.
By the time he walked out the door, Dr. Galt was practically begging him to stay. Only Mack could get caught breaking rules and have people apologize to him for inconveniencing him with them in the first place.
That was about four hours ago. Ever since I’ve been trying to lay low and look busy, but I can’t stop agonizing over what Mack is doing. He hasn’t been answering my texts or calls. I have no idea where he went, or where he plans to stay.
It’s such a mess.
In twenty minutes I’ll be off for the night and hopefully we can figure it out together. A light tap on my shoulder makes me jump from my thoughts.
“I need to talk to you in my office, Ms. Taylor,” my chief gives me a scalding glance and jerks his head as he hands out his orders.
Damn it.
“Uh, sure,” I follow him as he marches down the corridor. My stomach feels like I ate lead for lunch. I’m so fired. There’s no way I’m not getting fired. Now what am I going to do? How am I going to look after Chris? Pay the mortgage? My thoughts spin around in a cyclone of panic as I approach Dr. Galt’s office.
He opens the door and storms into the room reserved for the chief of medical staff. I scurry in behind him.
“Sit down there, please,” he points to the chair in front of his imposing desk and doesn’t wait for me to respond before sitting down on the other side.
His desk looks comically large for him, is he sitting on a couple of phone books back there? I fight the smile trying to take over my lips, but he looks like a cartoon.
Be serious, I scold myself silently. What is going on with you? Maybe my mother was right all those years ago, when I was eleven and got caught dropping balloons full of ketchup on cars from the overpass with Mack. She said then that he was a bad influence on me. There’s just something about him that makes me relax and stop trying to make everything perfect. Something that makes being bad feel so damned good.
“You know I can’t let you leave for the day without addressing some issues.” Galt looks across his desk at me, snapping me back into the present.
“Yes, I understand.” My heart picks up the pace, pumping like a little drummer boy.
“I don’t think I need to explain to you the awkward position you’ve put me in here,” he rubs his thumb and forefinger over his wedding ring. For a second, I try to imagine the woman who decided that this man was the one for her. All I can picture are arranged marriages, mail-order brides and robot sex dolls. My money is on the sex doll.
“As you can imagine, it’s important that we maintain our reputation as a world class rehabilitation center,” he continues. Waves of guilt begin to wash up over me. “People come from all around the globe to receive care here, they do that because we’re known for our cutting edge clinics, but also because we’re known for our highly professional, top of the line staff.” My boss rolls his ring around his finger and the guilt rises like a tide.
“I know that, sir. And I don’t believe that what happened today needs to change any of that.” I hope I can plead my case.
“You don’t? How do you expect our facility to remain internationally respected when,” he clears his throat and every muscle in my body tightens? Here it comes. The pink slip and a walk to the front door. Tears spring to the corners of my eyes and I try to think of what I can possibly say to save my job. “When one of the biggest war heroes that America has ever known decides to cut his rehabilitation here early?”
Huh?
“I, um, I’m not sure?” I blink in surprise. My mind is trying to sift through his words like a gold panner in the Klondike, searching for a tiny glint of something familiar.
“It doesn’t look good at all.” He looks up at me with his eyebrows climbing skyward, worry clouds his eyes.
“I don’t think anyone would really notice that Mack, er, that Captain Forrester isn’t a patient here anymore.” I try to reassure him. “It’s not like they knew his program here or had a timeline of how long he was expected to stay.”
“Yes they did, I gave them one when we had the media conference,” he answers glumly.
Of course he did.
“Ok, but still, people discharge early for all kinds of reasons all of the time. I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.” I reassure him.
Galt’s eyebrows settle back down and the corners of his mouth twinge, almost imperceptibly. I can’t be sure, but I think he’s happy. “That’s true, as long as he doesn’t bad mouth our facility during his upcoming interviews.” His mouth turns back down. It was fun while it lasted.
“He won’t. I’ve known Mack since I was a child. He was just blowing smoke. He won’t say anything that will damage the hospital.” My mom heart twinges for him and I almost want to reach across his overcompensating desk and hold his hand.
Almost. I mean, let’s not get crazy here.
Galt nods slowly, digesting my words. “He said the same thing when I called him earlier,” he confides.
Wait just one hot second, Mack answered his calls but couldn’t return a single text from me?
“He did make a request that you be awarded a few days off to give you time to deal with personal issues you’ve been having. It’s no problem, of course, especially since your sole patient left today and also left a hole in your schedule.”
“I’m sorry, you were talking to Mack? And he told you what, exactly?” I drop the “Captain Forrester” routine and cut to the chase. I think it’s safe to say that the cat is out of the bag anyway.
“He mentioned the troubles you’ve been having with your son, and now with this adjustment you’ll need to make to your program, I don’t see a problem with you having a few days leave. I just wish you would’ve let me know that you were having issues. That’s what I’m here for.” He catches my eye quickly, but I can’t see any sincerity in him.
“Well, that’s very kind of you,” I answer through clenched teeth. Who the fuck does Mack think he is? First he follows me into the medical closet and almost gets me fired, then he tries to fix it by spilling secrets about my family? I’m fucking unimpressed. “However, I won’t be needing any time off.
I have everything under control, I can assure you.” I hiss out my words.
“No need to thank me,” Dr. Galt steamrolls over me. Did he actually listen to anything I just said? “I’m hoping that on your extra days off that I’m granting, you’ll be able to speak with Captain Forrester and remind him of how well he was treated here? Just in case he has any hard feelings from our little outburst this morning.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, he rolls his chair back and pulls out a drawer on his desk, clearly searching for something.
“I can assure you that I’ll definitely be speaking to Captain Forrester.” I nod. I won’t tell him that I will most certainly be giving Mack a piece of my mind, but that I have no intention of being a walking infomercial for Spalding.
“That would be appreciated,” he reaches into his drawer and shuffles around, pulling out a pink piece of construction paper. “Here, do you mind giving this to him? It’s from my daughter. I was supposed to give it to him the day he arrived, but I must have forgotten.” He slides the homemade card across the desk to my fingertips.
I pick it up and look at the sprawling message written by a child’s hand. It has a picture of what I assume is Mack on the front with hearts around him. Inside she wrote, “Thank u. My hero!” My hand trembles a little as my throat feels like it’s closing down. I struggle to dam up the flood of tears threatening to fall.
I’m not sure what’s sadder, the fact that my boss didn’t care enough about the card his daughter made to do anything but stuff it in a drawer, or the fact that he’s only now trying to have it delivered so he can try to manipulate Mack into caring about this stupid hospital. My heart breaks for a little girl I’ve never met.
“Sure, I’ll pass it along,” I mumble, never taking my eyes off the card.
“Fantastic, ok, well enjoy your days off!” He dismisses me and I stand up, making my way to the door. “And, Ms. Brickman?”
American Bad Boy: A Military Romance Page 14
