Chapter 11
Rowan thanked his team and noticed how upbeat they were as they left recovery after rounds.
He’d brought his entire team in to have them participate and learn from all of his surgeries today.
Nellie was right, he had hired good doctors and the best OR staff he’d ever known.
They just needed the opportunity to show him how good they were. And they did just that today.
Rowan used the hospital showers and pulled his charcoal-colored dress pants on before the French blue button-up shirt that hung in his office closet.
He was dressed and was going to make the party on time for once.
He checked his phone on the way to his car and found that Damon had texted, letting him know that Maggie and Nellie were getting ready at his garage and would be there “whenever Maggie stops forcing Nellie to try on more dresses than you’d believe she had room for in her car.
” Rowan smiled at that. He appreciated Maggie and the rest of Shadows Landing taking Sue Ellen and Nellie under their collective wing.
WET wasn’t far from the hospital and Rowan parked in the garage across the street. The bouncer recognized him and opened the velvet rope for him without even having to show his ID.
Inside, the place was already filling up. Bartenders were shaking up drinks as music played and people danced. In another hour, the place would be so packed it would be hard to flag a bartender down, but that only made people want to get in even more.
Rowan climbed the stairs to the VIP section and was instantly greeted by his brother Wilder. Bex was dancing at the rail that overlooked the DJ and the dance floor. Although, it was hard to see her with the wall of men surrounding her.
“Ro!” Bex called out as she turned to look for her husband and saw Rowan standing with Wilder. “You made it! Where’s Nellie?”
Bex pushed through the wall of men and hurried over to him. “I’m already no longer important. That didn’t take long,” Rowan teased.
“Don’t feel bad,” Forrest said, joining them as Bex and Jordana squealed and hugged. “I, too, am of no consequence.”
“Where’s Nellie?” Jordana asked after hugging the birthday girl.
Rowan and his brothers shared a look that left him laughing.
He wasn’t going to admit he loved that his sisters-in-law had adopted Nellie so quickly.
He would gladly admit that he was already thinking of a real relationship, marriage, and kids with Nellie.
He didn’t know how since it had only been a short time since he met her, but those thoughts were not going away and he found he didn’t want them to.
“She’s getting ready with Maggie. They’ll be here soon.” Rowan kissed each of their cheeks and handed Bex a gift. “Happy birthday, Bex.”
“Thank you!” Bex glanced over at the wall that had now moved once again to be behind her. “You remember my family, right?”
Rowan nodded. “TJ,” he said, shaking hands with Bex’s eldest brother who was an NYPD Swat officer.
“Ray, Jimmy,” he said, shaking hands with her other two older brothers, who were both NYPD officers, before turning and shaking hands with PJ, Johnny, and Phil, who were all various law enforcement.
They were Bex’s cousins. Then he turned to the final set of cousins, who were also various New York City law enforcement, and shook their hands.
“Frankie, Bobby, Richie. It’s good to see all the Morettis again. ”
“Good to see you too, Doc,” TJ answered for the family.
The Moretti family was a large, close-knit Italian American family from New York City and the Townsend men instantly bonded with after watching what they put Wilder through when he started dating Bex.
It was very reminiscent of what the Townsends put Granger through when he was dating Olivia.
“How are you all doing? Up to no good in the city?” The Townsends were from Upstate and the Morettis were all downstate, but every New Yorker knows there’s only one city ? New York City. The group started to break up as drinks were served and more of Shadows Landing arrived.
Peter joined them while his new wife, Karri, joined the women.
TJ shook hands with Bex’s boss and friend and turned back to Rowan to answer his question.
“We’ve lived in New York for generations, but I have to admit, we’re missing Bex.
And the politics in the department are getting out of hand.
It’s honestly making me not want to be a cop anymore. ”
Peter nodded in understanding. “I wish I had room on our team for all of you, but there are no openings at our office right now. However,” he said, dropping his voice.
Rowan and TJ had to lean in to hear. “Your department isn’t the only one having trouble like that.
I’ve heard the Charleston department is under review.
The state attorney general is keeping it very quiet, but rumors are circulating that it’s bad. ”
“I understand. We’ve had so many officers quit and then internal affairs is working overtime.
Lots of accusations of officers getting payoffs and doing dirty jobs on the side to make more money.
It overshadows the good we do.” TJ looked away from them and then back to Rowan. “I think your woman is here.”
Rowan turned around and his heart stopped before restarting at double time.
Nellie wore a black leather pleated miniskirt and a gold top, which had a draping neckline and spaghetti straps.
Her blonde hair was in a stylish ponytail with a gold sparkling hair tie.
Her makeup was minimal, but also leaned into rosy gold tones. She looked stunning from head to toe.
“Rowan!” she said, her lips instantly turning up into a smile and all the tension leaving her shoulders. It made him feel like a freaking hero.
“Sweetheart, you look divine.” Rowan placed his hand on the small of her back and kissed her cheek as he pulled her to his side.
“And I thought you looked good in scrubs,” she whispered to him. “This is even better.”
Rowan hid his groan under a cough. TJ didn’t buy it and looked highly amused. “Sweetheart, this is TJ Moretti, the eldest of the Moretti family. He’s Bex’s brother. TJ, Nellie Katherine Hale.”
TJ shook her hand and winked at her. “Your girlfriend is beautiful, and it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s so nice to meet you too. I love your sister. She’s helping my sister out right now with a case. My brother-in-law tried to kill her.” Nellie froze. “That came out pretty blunt. I’m sorry. It’s not polite conversation.”
TJ smiled at her and shook his head. “It’s the kind of conversation I’m used to. I’m NYPD Swat. My whole family is in law enforcement.”
Nellie put her hand on her chest and let out a breath. “Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t make a bad impression. I promise, it’s not my sister who is the problem. We’re nice people.”
“I don’t doubt that. Look, we’re all in town for the next week visiting Bex. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
Rowan tried to hide his smile. Wilder was a saint. All Moretti siblings and cousins were staying at his house. All ten of them. “Where are your parents and aunts and uncles?” Rowan asked.
“They’re coming down tomorrow and staying at the Bells’. But seriously, we’re trained and you don’t want us getting bored. So if you need us, you know where to find us. Now, Nellie, come meet the rest of the family.”
Rowan kept his hand on the small of Nellie’s back as they made their way around the VIP area meeting all of the Morettis and anyone else she hadn’t met before.
Drinks were flowing and a colossal cake decorated with sparklers was carried in by two staff members.
Rowan looked down at the big smile Nellie wore as she sang Happy Birthday with the rest of the group while Bex blushed at the attention.
“Sorry,” Olivia said as she cut in between them. “Girl time.”
Rowan didn’t have time to protest before Olivia had Nellie by the hand and was leading her to where Natalie, Maggie, Waverly, Jordana, Olivia, and Bex were lining up for a photo.
“You have it so bad,” Granger said, slapping him on the back. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
“Not me,” Damon said, crossing his arms.
“Hey, is that Sutton Ramsey?” Granger asked, his brow furrowing as he looked behind Damon.
“Where?” Damon spun around and Granger burst out laughing.
Rowan pursed his lips not to taunt his older brother, but it was funny.
Damon and Secretary of State Sutton Ramsey had a love-hate relationship.
It was often hard to tell if it was love or hate, but he’d never seen a woman stand up to Damon the way Sutton did.
And he’d never seen his brother so alive as when he was verbally sparring with Sutton.
“Screw you,” Damon snapped.
“It’s not me you want to screw,” Granger teased back.
“I hope Olivia has a girl and then you’ll come crawling back to me begging for my advice,” Damon told Granger.
Peter shook his head. “Congrats on the baby, Granger. But, I’m going to leave you two to this. I like Sutton Ramsey and will be voting for her to be our next president this fall. But a biker as the First Gentleman?” Peter started chuckling as he walked away.
“Peter has the right idea. I’m going to go dance with Nell.”
Rowan headed across the VIP area to where the women were being caught up on Sue Ellen’s day by Maggie and Nellie. Damon had already texted Rowan the summary, so Rowan gave them some time to finish chatting and talked with Stone and Hunter who were standing close to the circle of women.
“Sounds like Peter is getting close to an arrest,” Stone said as he sipped his beer.
“I hope so,” Rowan told him. But at the same time the end of the case meant that Nellie would be safe to go back to Holland Springs.
“Yeah,” Stone said, pausing to take another drink of his beer. “It happens that fast, you know. It really does, Ro.”
“Huh?”
“Falling in love. Well, except for dumbass over here,” Stone said, tilting his head to their brother, Hunter.
“I’m not—” Rowan paused though and it wasn’t because he didn’t know what to say.
It was because he was lying and he knew it.
He was falling in love. He’d known something momentous was happening the first moment he saw her and working with Nellie under pressure made him respect her even more.
He knew she had his heart when they slept together without actually sleeping together.
Although he couldn’t stop thinking about what that would be like either.
“I might be a dumbass, but even I know that look. He’s a goner. Just go ahead and make Damon happy and propose already,” Hunter told him.
“So, when are you two having kids?” Rowan asked loudly. The women all stopped talking and immediately surrounded them. Rowan smirked at his brothers and slid from the crowd. Game. Set. Match.