Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
One Month Later
Grace
“Are you ready, Dr. Harper?” Jamieson asked as he looked at me.
“I’m ready, Dr. Finn.”
“Remember, we have to place the electrodes at the same exact time. If we’re even a split second off, it’s not going to work, and we only get one shot at this. I’m going to count to three. One. Two. Three.”
I was a nervous wreck, but I knew I could do it. I couldn’t let Justin down.
“Okay, let’s close him up,” Jamieson spoke.
Jamieson and I scrubbed out and went to talk to Justin’s parents.
“The surgery went well, but we won’t know the outcome until Justin wakes up. If the surgery worked, he will need to learn to walk all over again, just like he did when he was a baby. It will take time and effort, but I’m pretty confident your son will have full function in his legs.”
“We don’t know what to say, Dr. Finn.” Justin’s mom hugged him tight. “Thank you.” She turned and hugged me. “I thank God every single day you were at that intersection.”
Jamieson and I turned and walked away.
“Good job in there. Have you ever thought of maybe expanding your career and doing a fellowship in neurosurgery?” he asked.
“What?” I smiled.
“You can work under me, and I’ll teach you.” He grinned.
“Wouldn’t you be worried that I would be better than you?” I smirked as I bumped his shoulder with mine.
“Good point. But the offer is always open.” He kissed my lips before walking away.
“You two are nauseating.” Jackie smiled.
“We are, aren’t we?” A grin crossed my face.
I received a page from Jamieson that Justin was awake. As soon as I got up to his room, Jamieson was in there examining him.
“Tell me if you can feel this,” Jamieson spoke as he pricked his foot.
“Ouch. Yes, I can feel that.” Justin smiled.
“And this?” Jamieson pricked his leg.
“Ouch. Yes! Dr. Finn does that—”
“Yes. Yes, it does, Justin. You will have full use of your legs again.”
Justin and his parents teared up, as did I. It worked. Jamieson’s surgery worked; he might have just helped thousands of people walk again.
Tonight was the night of the hospital’s fundraising gala, so I left early to go home and get ready because my hairstylist, Larissa, was coming over to do my hair and makeup.
“How is everything going with you and Dr. Hottie?” she asked.
“Things are amazing. I’m really happy.”
“I think someone is in love.” She grinned. “Have you said it yet?”
“No. He hasn’t either, and I don’t want to be the first one. I’m a firm believer the man should say it first.”
“I agree,” she spoke. “But what if he doesn’t? From what you’ve told me, I don’t think he’s ever told anyone he loved them before.”
“I thought about that. He’s changed so much since we first met, and I know he’ll tell me when he’s ready.”
“You’re gorgeous, Grace.” She smiled as she stared at me through the mirror.
“She sure is,” Jamieson spoke as he walked into the bathroom. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, Jamieson.”
“Are the two of you done in here? I need to jump in the shower. If not, I can use one of the others in the house.”
“We’re done, Dr. Finn,” Larissa spoke as she packed up her things.
I walked her out and then ran back upstairs to slip into my dress. It was a mermaid-style, long black and silver, off-the-shoulder dress with flared sleeves. As I was trying to zip it up, Jamieson walked over in nothing but a towel and soaking-wet hair.
“Let me get that for you,” he spoke as he slowly zipped it up. “Or maybe, let me take it off.” His tongue slid across the side of my neck.
“You will have to wait to get me out of this dress, Dr. Finn. We’re already going to be late.”
“Fine.” He sighed.
While he put on his tuxedo, I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped my feet into a pair of strappy silver shoes with a stiletto heel. I looked in the mirror one last time to check my elegant up-do and to touch up my lipstick.
We arrived at the Le Foyer Ballroom in North Hollywood, and as soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted with a glass of champagne.
“There you two are,” Renata spoke as she hugged us each. “Grace, you look gorgeous.”
“Thanks, Renata. So do you. I love that color on you.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me I look gorgeous too?” Jamieson asked her.
“No, dear. You already know you look gorgeous.” She gave him a wink.
Jamieson and I parted ways for a bit to talk to different people. As I was talking to Dr. Park, I looked across the room and saw Jamieson’s stepmother standing by the bar.
“Mrs. Finn.” I smiled as I walked over to her. “I don’t know if you remember me.”
“Of course, I do. Dr. Grace Harper, right?”
“Yes.”
“How lovely to see you again. How have you been?”
“I’ve been great. How was your cruise?”
“Magnificent. Any time I get to spend with Carlyle is precious. You know how hectic doctors’ schedules are. I was hoping that Jamieson would be here. Have you seen him?”
“Yes. We drove together. He’s around here somewhere.”
“So, are the two of you dating?” She slyly smiled.
“As a matter of fact, we are.”
“As in long-term dating or just a casual fling?”
I couldn’t believe she had asked me that.
“I’m not really sure.” I laughed. “I’m hoping for long-term.”
“Wow. I’m so happy to hear that. You know, he doesn’t come around much. I’ve invited him to several events and dinners at our home, but he never shows.”
“Well, I know he and Carlyle don’t get along.”
“So, Jamieson told you everything?”
“He did.” I nodded.
“I can honestly say that I’m shocked. He must really love you.” The corners of her mouth curved up into a smile as she lightly placed her hand on my arm. “All I want is to see him happy.”
“Me too.”
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go find him and talk to him.”
“Sure. Of course. It was nice to see you again.”
“You too, Grace. I would love to have the two of you over. Maybe you can talk Jamieson into coming.”
“I can try.” I smiled.
A waiter walked by with a tray in his hand, and I grabbed another glass of champagne. When I turned around, I saw Jamieson’s father approaching me.
“Dr. Harper, it’s nice to see you again. You look stunning.”
“Thank you, Dr. Finn. Please call me Grace.”
“And you shall call me Carlyle. I saw your presentation at the medical conference. Very impressive. How are things going for you here?”
“Things are great. Jamieson just made a breakthrough in medicine. The two of us helped a sixteen-year-old boy who was paralyzed walk again.”
“Isn’t that nice. But I have a question for you. Are you involved with my son?” he asked.
“Yes. I am. The two of us are dating.”
Shit. There was no way I was telling him we were actually married.
“I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into. You’re a beautiful and intelligent woman. You’ll figure it out soon enough and leave him.”
Okay. Now I was pissed.
“Actually, Carlyle. I’m in love with your son and know exactly who he is. He is kind, generous, loving, and a brilliant surgeon. He is everything I ever wanted in a man.”
“I have no idea whom you described, but that isn’t my son. My son is a narcissistic, arrogant, and disrespectful man.”
I could feel the anger burning inside me, and I tried so hard to keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t about to stand there and listen to this man talk bullshit about my husband.
“Maybe if you weren’t such a terrible father, he wouldn’t be that way to you.”
“Excuse me, young lady? Who the hell do you think you are?”
His uncoordinated eye movement caught my attention.
“I’m the woman who loves your son,” I calmly spoke.
“I don’t know what he’s told you, but he’s crazy like his mother.”
He went to grab a drink from the waiter’s tray, and he dropped it.
“Goddamn it!” he shouted. “Now look what you made me do!”
“What is going on?” Jamieson asked as he walked over.
“Your girlfriend here made me drop my drink!”
“Carlyle, it’s okay, honey,” Tracy spoke. “We’ll get someone to clean it up, and I’ll get you another one.”
“You need to keep your girl in line, son. She is disrespectful to her peers.”
“And I’m sure you said something to her that warranted that disrespect,” Jamieson spoke sternly as he got in his father’s face.
I stepped between them and placed my hand on Jamieson’s chest.
“Don’t. Father or not, he’s not worth it.”
Jamieson looked at me and then took a step back. I turned to Tracy.
“About that dinner invitation, I don’t think we’ll be able to make it,” I spoke as I took hold of Jamieson’s hand and led him across the ballroom.