The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(77)

She sighed. “If it helps, I’m pretty sure she has no idea what she’s doing.”

“Makes two of us.”

She turned to go, but stopped. “Do you think you could rush the blood work?”

“I’ll put in for a rush, but don’t hold your breath. The fastest I’ve ever seen this test come back was three days.”

She drew a deep breath. “I’m putting out feelers, looking for our dad.”

Deck went still. “She know that?”

“There’re so many definitions of ‘know’ . . .”

“Shit,” Deck said.

“I told her the morning after I found out we were sisters, but she didn’t like it. I don’t care. I happen to think sisters should be open and honest with each other, but still be their own person.”

“I agree,” Deck said. “And while Kinsey’s honest about who she is and makes no apologies for it, she’s not exactly an open book.”

Brynn sighed. “Yeah. But, hey, maybe there’s a silver lining. Maybe I’ll find our dad and he’ll be a match and a great guy who wants to save his daughter’s life. And maybe I’ll also be a match. Maybe she’ll have choices.”

“That’s a whole lotta maybes,” he said.

Yeah. It was. “Well, while I’m wishing on stars, maybe Kinsey will be grateful that I’m doing these things.”

His mouth twitched. “Wouldn’t bet my life on that, cute stuff.”

She blew out a rough breath. “Yeah, so ‘grateful’ is a little much, I agree. I’ll settle for her not killing me.”

“It’s been good knowing you.”

She laughed. “Okay, you’re doubtful, and I get it. But I think she’s . . . changing. Slowly.”

He didn’t say anything to this, which probably meant he thought she was foolish.

“Look,” he finally said. “I’m going to give you some advice you didn’t ask for. You should talk to her about this stuff. Before you find your dad, because it might be there’s a good reason for her to feel the way she does.”

Wait. Did he know something she didn’t? His voice had been his usual calm, not giving anything away, but she searched his face. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

He didn’t say anything to this, just busied himself gathering the vials, setting them in a holder.

“Deck.”

He pulled her out of her chair. “This is between you and her. She’s made it clear where I fit into her life, which right now is nowhere. Sorry, but you’re on your own with this one.”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe that. You care about her too much. You love her.”

“I do,” he said, and that this big, huge guy who looked so tough could so easily admit his feelings made her throat tight.

He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, and then met her gaze. “I also got tested. I’m not a match,” he said.

And he clearly wanted to be a match, badly.

“But it wouldn’t have mattered if I was,” he said. “She wouldn’t take a kidney from me. And not from you either.”

She took his hand. “I’m sorry. But if I’m a match, she’s damn well going to take it if I have to shove it down her throat myself.”

He looked at her and then gave a small smile. “I like you. You’re going to give her a good run for her money. She needs that. Don’t let her push you away too.”

“I won’t.”

“And watch your six. If she figures out what you’re up to, it won’t be pretty. She seems like a curmudgeonly grump, but it’s coming from a place of wanting to protect those she loves.”

Brynn’s phone buzzed with an incoming call from Raina.

“Take it,” Deck said. “I’ve got to get to my next patient.”

Brynn hugged him hard. “My sister would be an idiot to let you go. She’s not an idiot.” She kissed him on the scruffy jaw. “She’ll come to her senses.”

He nodded, but she could tell he didn’t believe it. Hurting for him, for Kinsey, she walked out and answered her phone.

“Guess what?” Raina asked.

With Raina, it could be anything. “I don’t know, Mom. I need a hint.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” she heard Olive say. “Give me that phone.” There was a tussle and then Olive said two words into the phone. “Found him.”

“What?”

“We found your dad.”

Brynn’s heart flung itself against her rib cage. “Tell me everything.”

AT SUNSET, KINSEY was standing alone on the beach, feeling sorry for herself because she wasn’t out on the water with Deck. Or out to dinner with Deck. Or in his big, amazing bed with Deck doing big, amazing things to her body, the same body that only felt alive when he was working his magic.

And whose fault was that . . . ? a little voice asked.

God, she was such an idiot. She hadn’t gone to the bar the other night. Max had stopped her, and that was for the best. After all, she’d been the one stupid enough to let Deck go.

When her phone rang with an incoming call, she almost didn’t answer it. But she didn’t have that luxury. It could be her doctor, or the hospital telling her there was a donor. It could be about Deck; maybe his motorcycle had finally done what she sometimes had nightmares about and he’d been in an accident.