Read Abruption for Free Online Page B

Don’t you forget.”
    It took all of two hours and she discovered the way into my son’s three-year-old heart. Impressive. She might have been a little too chipper for my liking; others might call it confident and friendly, but it worked. I hoped her clinical skills were as impressive.
    The tap was uncomplicated. My son made Power Rangers look wimpy—he didn’t utter a peep. And as promised, balloon guy arrived just as the last piece of tape was placed over the small square bandage covering his puncture site.
    I stepped out into the hall, leaving Maya to handle the drama of balloon sword color decisions, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Was this ever going to get easier? My boy deserved a break.
    A deep voice calling for Jules interrupted my pity party. The sharp suit leaned on the elevated counter where Finn’s perky nurse was typing her notes. He was sporting more hair product than a man should ever use and sucked at flirting. I would know, back in the day when life was simple and I could breathe easy, I rocked the flirt.
    “Lucca, what are you doing here?” Jules almost stumbled her words.
    No idea why, I grabbed Finn’s chart and pretended I didn’t have the thing memorized. Eavesdropping twice in one day, what the hell was up with that?
    “You weren’t picking up your cell, and I had a late lunch meeting around the corner.” Bullshit. Hair gel dude needed better game.
    “Yeah. Sorry, we’ve been swamped, several new admissions.”
    “Not a big deal. Thought I’d stop in. See how the hospital is treating the new manager.”
    “Lucca, shh.” Jules sprung from the seat with her index finger against her lip and circled the counter. I must have missed the secret. “Assistant manager,” she corrected him.
    For as confident as she seemed with me, she was worried about stepping on toes in the long chain of entitled nurses. I didn’t get it. Must have been a nursing thing. As long as you were good at your job, who gave a rat’s ass what your title read? Not sure how it evolved, especially in medicine, but the higher the title, the more flat asses and pushed paperwork. Manager or not, so far, Jules was as hands on as it got. I hoped it stayed that way for Finn’s sake.
    “Same thing,” he dismissed and then tapped the tip of her nose. “Anyway, tomorrow night I’m taking you out to celebrate. You can wear some Gucci pumps and I’ll spin ya around the dance floor. Dinner at Il Besito first.”
    Of course Hair Gel suggested a restaurant with a three-month wait for reservations. The only reason I knew that was because I’d been in search of some real Mexican food since I moved to the East Coast. Besito was rated as the best in one of those magazines. Disappointingly, it didn’t even come close to a Route 1 taco shack.
    “Good. It’s settled. Tomorrow you’re mine.”
    I couldn’t believe Hair Gel didn’t wait for her to answer. And did he really just growl mine? What was this, the fifties?
    Why the hell am I even listening to this? It’s not like I’m jealous.
    I took a gamble on a party girl concerned with the latest hotspots and fashion accessories once and look how that turned out.
    “Hey, Dr. Hunter. How’s Finn? Tap went well. Smooth.” I looked up from pretend reading and lifted my chin to greet Meg and her pearly whites. The third-year peds neuro fellow was an integral part of Finn’s medical team, and also a pretty girl, who, on more than one occasion, made me aware she was quite available. A different time—my old self—I might have bitten. But Meg knew my deal, one of the few here who did, and she also knew I had nothing to offer. That being the case, she didn’t let the rejection get in the way of our working relationship. She was cool like that.
    “You were great, thanks. You were the only one I trusted to do it.”
    “Like I’d let anyone else lay a finger on that boy. He’s my favorite patient. I’ll stop in tonight to check on him, change his bandage. Call me