Crazy for Your Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #5)(26)

Three words: Wow. Fine then.

After getting that curt response, I was glad I could have the conversation with Beth in person, but now, I’m suddenly dreading it.

“Hey, Carter,” Beth says, flipping her red hair over one shoulder.

Teagan blinks up at me. “Do you know everyone?”

“Beth’s a good friend of mine,” I say. “She used to work at the department with me.”

Beth folds her arms and fights a smile. I know her well enough to know she’s thinking, Yeah, and we fuck on a semi-regular basis.

Teagan shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Beth. I knew that. I swear, I forget what a small world Jackson Harbor is.”

“No worries,” Beth says, her eyes darting back and forth between Teagan and me, as if she can judge the status of our relationship by nothing more than the air between us. “I forget too, believe it or not.”

Her words are heavy with meaning, and I can tell she’s not going to talk about us in front of Teagan, but there is a conversation to be had. I shake my head—later. “Teagan, can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure.” She puts down her pen and swings around the nurse’s station. I fall into step beside her, and she leads the way to an empty room labeled “family comfort area.” Inside, there’s a television, a couch, a couple of chairs, and a shelf stacked with paperbacks and magazines.

“Are you going to get in trouble because of Shasta?”

“Isaiah’s mom?” Teagan grins. “Oh, hell no. Shaun wanted to get her out of the room. I’ll talk to Isaiah’s guardian, and if she agrees, Shasta won’t be allowed on the unit next time she tries to visit.”

“Marta will agree. She’s had enough of Shasta to last her many lifetimes.” I exhale. “He doesn’t need her around while he’s trying to recover.”

“How do you know him?”

“Isaiah is Max Goldright’s son.”

“And Max is . . .” I see the moment the name snaps into place for her. Sympathy casts shadows over her face. “He was on your team at the fire department. He was the one who died at that warehouse.”

The one who died. The one who should still be here raising his son. “Max was raising Isaiah on his own, so Isaiah had to move in with his grandma after . . .” An unwelcome surge of emotion presses down on my chest. I focus on my breath. In and out.

“After Max died,” she finishes for me.

“Marta’s a good woman. She looks after him as best she can, but . . .” I shrug. Teagan’s studying me so intently that I’m afraid she can see right through that shrug and to the shredded heart in my chest. “Seventeen-year-old boys need their dads, and he doesn’t have that.” He’ll never have that.

“I didn’t realize . . .” She bites her bottom lip and studies me again with that burning intensity. “I’m so sorry.”

I roll my shoulders back, but it does nothing to lessen that feeling that she’s seen too much. “It sucks. For all of us, but especially Isaiah.”

The little radio clipped to her scrubs beeps. “Teagan, the mother of the patient in 2B wants to talk to you.”

She presses a button. “Thanks, I’ll be right there.” She drops the radio and cocks her head. “Have you given any more thought to the wedding?”

“Are you afraid I’m going to back out?”

“Not exactly. I just . . .” She studies the sign on the wall that lists the visiting hours and rules. “Did you talk to Myla? Is she okay with it?”

“Myla isn’t my keeper. I don’t need her permission.” I sigh when I realize that doesn’t make Teagan feel better. “I told her that you and I were seeing each other. I promise she won’t get in the way.”

“I’m sorry you had to do that.”

I’m not. I’m a little surprised to realize it’s true. Myla knows I’m not looking for a relationship, but lately, I’ve felt like she’s been hoping for more. I don’t want to lead her on, even unintentionally. Maybe it was time for us to end things. “It’s not a big deal.”

I don’t tell Teagan that I’d do anything to protect her from Rich. I don’t tell her that my few minutes talking to the guy last year was enough to make me grateful she asked for my help. “I work tonight and tomorrow, but I was able to get the rest of the week off.”

“Thanks.” She gives me a shy smile as she pulls the door open. “Then I guess I’ll see you Thursday.”

“I can’t wait,” I say, and I mean it. I’m looking forward to this weekend far more than I should.





Carter


When Teagan is gone, I sink into one of the waiting room couches, lay my head back, and close my eyes. Between my anxiety about the hero worship at the auction, Isaiah’s accident, and everything that’s been going on with Teagan, the past few days have been a rollercoaster. And now I need to talk to Bethany.

My phone buzzes, and I grab it from my pocket.



Unknown Number: You didn’t respond to my text. Does that mean you don’t want to see me?



Shit. I completely forgot about the text from this number yesterday. When I decided it was a wrong number, I put it from my mind. But here she is again.