Chapter 3
three
Nev
For some ridiculous reason, I wasn't braced for a Zander run-in.
It was stupid since Finn is his dad, and even though they fight a lot and there's as much bad blood between them as there is good, I should have known he'd come to the hospital to check on him.
Still, I'm having a nearly impossible time looking his direction.
Jameson, Zander and I stand like silent observers, watching Finnegan Wilde, a notorious criminal and womanizer and one of the toughest, fiercest men anyone could meet, as he sips a cold cup of apple juice like a happy, red-cheeked toddler.
Finn drains the cup. "Hmm, not bad but would be better with a splash of gin."
I take the empty cup from him. "Gin is probably on the same no-go list as coffee," I say.
The curtain slides over. Nate has returned with his twin brothers.
They're dressed in dust-covered motocross gear.
Ronan and Colin are as different as they are the same.
They finish each other's thoughts, like most twins, but Colin is wiry and muscular, a true athlete, with dark blond hair and blue eyes.
Ronan lacks the athletic discipline of his brother, but he's still tough as nails.
He's got his Irish mother's black hair and green eyes.
Ronan is one of those always-up-for-a-good-time kind of guys, whereas Colin takes life more seriously.
Not that he isn't a major party boy like all his brothers. He just manages it with more finesse.
"Dad, what the hell?" Colin's voice is shaky. "You scared the hell out of us." He crosses the small space, and Finn reaches up a hand. They clasp hands for a second. It's probably the most affection I've ever seen from Finn. This health scare really smacked him hard.
"I'm fine. Not going to get rid of me that easy," Finn says. He's lighthearted and jolly now, but a few hours ago, he looked plenty scared that this was the end.
The curtains get pulled back wider. Dr. Patel, a lovely woman with a gracious smile, glances around at the five big men standing in the room.
Separate, the Wilde brothers are always attention grabbers, but standing together, in a cluster of muscular hotness, they are downright breathtaking.
"Ah, this explains why there's so much nervous, excited energy at the nurse's station," Dr. Patel says.
"Dr. Patel, these are my boys." It's impossible to miss the pride in Finn's tone, and he has every right to be proud. Somehow, through his shoddy, spotty parenting, he managed to raise five great men. I decide it's time for family only and make my way out.
"Where are you going, angel?" Finn calls.
I feel a warm blush cover my face as I turn back.
Everyone is looking at me, and I can feel the blush deepen.
As usual, I avoid looking straight at Zander because that always takes an extra dose of courage.
"I think we can drop the angel nickname, Finn.
Calling for an ambulance isn't quite the heroic feat you make it out to be.
Dr. Patel is your guardian angel." I smile at the doctor. "I'll leave you to talk to the family."
I make a quick exit. It's been a crazy day, and I left Mona, my assistant, all alone at the sandwich shop.
Summer is basically over, so the crowds have shrunk, but Mona isn't exactly a sandwich making pro.
In fact, her only real talent is taking cute selfies and posting them on Instagram.
I searched for an assistant for months but couldn't find one, and my sister's patience on pitching in to help me run the place was wearing thin, so I hired Mona out of desperation.
I'm slowly training her to be better at her job, but she's one of those one step forward, two steps backward type of people.
I hurry through the waiting area to the exit. I rode with Finn in the ambulance, so I'm going to need a ride. I glance at the time. Kinsley is off from her bank job in half an hour. She won't be thrilled when I tell her that I need a ride home from the hospital.
I need a ride home. I'm at Basset General. I'm fine.
I type quickly as if she can read my text in real time.
I'll explain later. I'll be waiting outside the emergency room doors. Let me know when you get this text.
Her manager, Mrs. Sully, is a real tyrant, and she blows her stack if she catches any of her tellers checking their phones, so I'm sure Kinsley won't see it until she's off work.
I call the shop next. I know that Mona's boss is far less of a tyrant, and her boss, me, also knows that Mona will have her phone nearby.
I decide to call, and she answers energetically.
"Nev, is that you? Oh my gosh, what a morning.
I can't believe how cool and calm you were through the whole thing.
I can tell you I was freaking out. I've never seen a person die before, and I was sure that poor old man was going to keel over right there on the shop floor.
" I take a second to smile at Finnegan Wilde being referred to as that "poor old man. " Boy, would he hate that.
"Mr. Wilde is fine. Just a mild heart attack. He'll recover. How's it going?"
"Uh, real good. I got like a thousand likes on this picture I posted wearing cat ears."
"Actually, I was asking about the shop. How is it going at the shop?" After her last response, I'm fretting the answer.
Mona's laugh is sharp enough that I have to pull the phone away from my ear.
"What an idiot I am. Of course that's what you're asking about.
Everything is just great. I made a little mix-up on one woman's order.
She asked for the vegetarian, and I stuck some ham in there.
She came back with the reddest face. It was just an honest mistake and, really, she made a big deal out of nothing. "
"No, Mona, that is a big deal. If she's not a meat eater, I'm sure she was horrified to bite into ham. You've got to pay attention when you're making sandwiches. You could end up giving someone with a deadly food allergy the wrong food. Please pay closer attention."
"I will." That's the nice thing about her. She takes criticism and genuinely tries to make the changes I request.
I'm facing the parking lot. It's crowded. Busy day at the hospital for midweek. Behind me, the big doors slide open. I look over my shoulder. Zander is walking out.
"I've got to go, Mona. I'll be back just as soon as I can. Start cutting the vegetables for tomorrow. See you soon."
"All right and don't worry. I've got everything under control." I love her confidence, but I'm not quite at her level yet.
I can almost feel his heavy steps behind me.
The smell of dirt and sweat and masculinity wafts around me.
I turn to face him. My heart rate is just starting to slow to normal.
I know so much about science and biology, but I can't figure out why, after all these years, Zander Wilde still shocks my nervous system into overdrive.
"What did the doctor say?" I ask quickly to avoid our usual awkward silence gaps where we stare at each other tongue-tied for a long stretch.
"He'll be fine. He's going to have to lay off the booze and steak and cigars, but we all know that's not going to happen.
" Zander combs his fingers through his thick hair.
There's a smudge of dirt on his arm. It blots out some of his tattoos, including my personal favorite, a cobra that circles his forearm.
His work shirt is rolled up to expose most of his massive forearms, and the movement of fingers through his hair makes the muscles slide past each other.
It shouldn't be erotic, but something about the muscle flex and the smear of dirt sends a surge of warmth through me.
It takes me a second to find my words. I'm no longer fourteen-year-old Nevada Mason, cool, smart and insanely nuts about Zander Wilde, but at this moment, you couldn't tell me from teen Nev. "Uh, maybe this scared him enough to make him change his ways."
"I don't know about that. You saw him in there. He's already back to his ornery self."
I roll my lips in not sure whether or not to release my next comment. Zander knows me too well. "Uh-oh, Nevvie has something to say. She always pulls in those plump, pink lips when she can't decide whether or not to say it."
"I do not pull in my lips," I say, defensively. It's silly because I know that I did exactly that just seconds ago.
"All right. My imagination. Guess I spend so much time staring at those lips, I've got them memorized."
Zander always knows exactly what to say to fluster me and turn me into a blushing fool.
My phone buzzes, and I'm thankful for the interruption. It's Kinsley.
Can't you find another ride? I'm going shopping with Monica for her engagement dress.
"Damnit," I mutter. I'd forgotten about her plans.
"Trouble? By the way—" Zander scans the parking lot. "I don't see your car. How'd you get here?"
"By ambulance."
"Wait, you rode with Dad in the ambulance?"
I'm still hesitant to say anything, but again, Zander is reading my mind. He does that too easily.
His blue eyes squint with comprehension. "He asked you to go with him." He tries to make it sound like a question, but he knows by the look on my face.
"Don't say a word to him," I warn.
"Nah, I won't. What exactly happened?"
"Your dad walked into the sandwich shop. I thought he looked kind of pale, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead, far too much sweat for the temperature. He was squinting up at the menu trying to pick a sandwich."
Zander shakes his head. "Refuses to wear those 'old lady glasses' as he calls them. You see, real men don't have eye trouble."
I smile. "He's a real larger-than-life character, isn't he?
I guess that's why I was reluctant to tell you that he asked me along in the ambulance.
Seeing Finnegan Wilde scared—well, that was a humbling experience.
He started rubbing his left arm, and he lost even more color.
Sweat was pouring off him and then it seemed like talking was taking too much breath.
I circled around to the customer side of the counter.
There were a few other customers. One of them helped him to a chair while I called an ambulance.
It didn't take a medical professional to see that he was having a heart attack.
He denied it at first, but the pain increased.
He took hold of my hand." I chuckled. "He pulled me closer and whispered through short breaths—'Nev, I love your shop, but don't let me die ordering a fucking sandwich.
' The medics arrived and stabilized him.
He reached for my hand again. 'I don't want to die being surrounded by people I don't know.
' It was his way of telling me he wanted me to go with him. "
Zander falls silent for a moment. "Shit, never knew he had it in him," he says quietly.
"Fear, that is." He lifts his blue gaze to mine, and suddenly we're back into our old magnetic stare trick, where we both silently dare the other to look away first. "Thanks for being there, Nev.
I'll get Jameson's keys and drive you to the sandwich shop. "
"You don't have to. I can take an Uber."
"Shit, Nev, you just saved my old man's life. Not entirely sure whether to thank you or not, but I can at least give you a ride back to the shop. Be right back." He turns to go back inside but stops. "Wait, he said you saved his life twice."
I roll my eyes, embarrassed to have to tell him.
"It's stupid and I had about as much hand in saving his life then as I did this time.
It was a long time ago. I walked up while he was underneath his truck clanging away on something.
I was delivering a birthday cake that Nana baked him.
She did always have a soft spot for you Wilde boys.
" I wink. "He rolled out to take the cake and thank me.
Just seconds after he rolled out, his jack broke and the truck fell.
So, you see, it was my grandmother who was the true guardian angel. I was just the messenger."
Zander smiles. "Your grandmother was everyone's guardian angel. I'll get the keys."