Chapter 46
***Boone***
Sitting at the dining room table the next morning, I was mentally going through what I needed to do to get ready for the week ahead at work.
It was going to be a busy one. I had several surgeries that were going to be extensive and I wanted to be focused.
Focus wasn’t something I’d had a lot of since Memphis came into our lives, however.
I looked out the windows to see if I could see her, but of course I couldn’t.
Memphis came and went like a thief in the night.
I told myself not to be angry about her repeated disappearing acts, but I was angry.
I was pissed off that she’d so thoroughly disrupted my life and seemed to be just fine without us.
After one of the hottest nights of my life, she’d strolled out of the house like she’d stopped by her local male escort service, had a little fun, and then had better places to be.
She wasn’t in better places, though. She was just locked away in that fucking house, reading.
At least that’s what Beatrix told me she did all day.
She didn’t ask to go out anywhere, she didn’t talk to anyone who wasn’t on our staff, and she still hadn’t worn any of the clothes we’d bought her, with the exception of the ballgowns.
I wanted to go back into her little hidey-hole and demand she come out and play, but after being in that house the first time, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go back.
I wasn’t a rip it off like a bandaid guy when it came to old wounds.
I apparently preferred to pick at the scab, throw some salt on it, and then ignore it until the scab got itchy again.
The woman Remy had hired to do yoga with Memphis came strolling down the path from the guesthouse, a frown on her face.
I fought a smile as I tried to imagine what she was going to say.
It was her second session with Memphis and the first one hadn’t gone well.
According to her, Memphis didn’t appreciate the art of yoga. She’d just giggled the entire time.
I stood up and walked to the doorway to watch as the woman started up the stairs just as Remy was coming down them. He spotted her and frowned.
“What now, Mrs. Hall?” He had half of his attention on his phone and looked like he’d run right over her if she didn’t get out of the way.
“I can’t work with her, Mr. Hawke. I’m sorry.
I’ve tried. She refuses to take it seriously.
” Mrs. Hall followed Remy as he made his way towards the front door.
He was dressed for a run and he was in just as foul a mood as I was, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if he just sprinted away.
I also wouldn’t have been surprised if the determined Mrs. Hall ran right after him.
“Will the yoga help with the birthing process?” He stopped and rubbed his temples. “If yes, then we’ll triple your pay and go to every other week for sessions.”
Mrs. Hall still hesitated. “And you’ll speak to her?”
Remy’s eyes narrowed on the woman. “She’s a grown woman, Mrs. Hall. I’m not going to talk to her about behaving for you.”
“Well, I’m not sure I can keep the job.”
Remy looked back down at his phone and shrugged. “That’s fine. Have a good day.”
I made my way back to the table, grinning as I wondered what the hell Memphis had done to the women to make her turn down three times her normal exorbitant rate. I was still laughing to myself when Remy stomped into the room, already ranting.
“If she doesn’t come out of that house soon, I’m going to bulldoze it so she has to move in here.
” He stared out the window and shook his head.
“I saw you eavesdropping. Somehow, our sweet little Memphis managed to run a woman off who lives by relaxation and meditation. I would be impressed if I wasn’t so fucking frustrated. ”
“She has to come out one day this week. A friend connected me with a top OB/GYN. He’ll be doing a house visit when he can stop by. A house visit to this house.” I checked my phone. “Dr. Steve Braddock.”
“A man?” Remy had the decency to look embarrassed by his clear jealousy. “You know what? Great. I don’t care. I don’t care if it’s a goddamn unicorn. I need to go burn off some of this energy.”
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned in time to see Wells hurrying down the path. I could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was pissed. I sighed as I stood up. “Well, I can sit here and wonder what that’s about or I can just go see. I’m going to go see.”
“Have you always been such a nosey asshole?”
I grunted. “I see that you’re following me.”
He grunted back at me. “This is just the way I’m running today.”
“Let’s both save our pride and just go be nosey together.” I pulled open the back door and groaned as a wave of heat hit me. “This had better be good.”
We heard the shouting before we spotted them. Running the rest of the way, we found Wells angrily shoving Pete away from Memphis, who was on the ground, sweaty and bright red.
“If you wanted to help, you should’ve sent her in before now!”
“Stop, Wells. I’m fine. I just stood up too fast.” Pulling herself to her feet, Memphis swayed slightly before rushing over to a bush and throwing up.
Pete looked almost as worried as I felt. “She was fine and then she just fell over. I don’t know what happened.”
Wells looked like he was ready to punch the poor man so I pushed Remy towards him while I went to Memphis. She tried to wave me away, but I rubbed her back and held my fingers to her inner wrist to check if her pulse was elevated.
“How long have you been feeling sick?”
She groaned as she stood up and wiped her mouth. “About a week.”
“So you weren’t just avoiding us?” I scooped her into my arms and carried her towards the main house. “You should’ve said something, Memphis.”
Remy pushed Wells towards the house and nodded to Pete before following us. “Get that doctor here, Boone.”
I looked back at Wells, who still looked shaken and turned to him. “Take her while I make the call.”
Snapping to attention, he held Memphis close to his chest and breathed out a hard sigh. “I saw you fall back. Do you understand how much you just scared me? I’ll live at least ten years less now.”
Memphis wrapped her arms around his neck. “You shouldn’t have been spying, Wells Hawke. This is called karma.”
Wells sputtered in frustration before grunting at her. “Funny. I’m laughing so hard right now.”
“You’re about as much fun as my yoga instructor right now, Serious Sal.” She yawned and then giggled. “Farts are funny. I’m not wrong about that, am I?”
Remy looked at me and then back at her. “What are you talking about? Maybe we should take you to the hospital.”
“Oh, hush. I’m fine.” Memphis carried on like she hadn’t just shocked Remy by telling him to hush.
“I’m just tired. I haven’t been able to sleep much.
Morning sickness is not a good name for what really happens, apparently.
Anyway, farts. Mrs. Hall got mad because she was in the middle of showing me Rocking Baby or whatever and she passed gas.
I laughed. Was I supposed to ignore it? I told her it was fine.
We all fart. But she stomped out of there so fast, I wasn’t sure if she was just that angry or if the fart hadn’t been just a fart. You know?”
Unfortunately, Dr. Braddocks’s assistant answered the phone right then and I choked on a laugh while trying to convey the seriousness of the situation to her.
It was probably hard to believe while she listened to me chuckling.
Eventually, I got through to her, though, and she said she’d have Dr. Braddock call me right back.
True to her word, he did call me in less than two minutes and agreed to come by within the hour.
With the doctor arranged, I was free to be consumed by the massive fear sitting on my chest that something was wrong with Memphis.