CHAPTER NINE #2
Me: Your choice of a new doctor is not impressing me at all. In fact, it may be already time to call it a FAILURE and submit to your month-long coffee duty along with your reviewing residents’ charts ALONE.
Ferro: It can’t be that bad already. You have to give him a couple of days at least.
Me: He didn’t believe I was Dr. Hargrave after Darius introduced us and tried to give me orders. You can ask Darius what he thinks of him since he’s already on his bad side.
Ferro: Darius has a bad side? That’s scary. You have to give him a chance. Is he really that bad? I mean, besides not believing you’re a doctor, which I know is bad enough.
Me: It’s the whole day and his whole approach to everything. I’m seriously about to wish you harm.
Ferro: It can’t be that bad in just part of a day now, can it?
Me: Wanna bet? May all your deliveries for the rest of the year happen at three a.m.
Ferro: That’s just mean. I’ll talk to the new guy, but don’t put that juju on me. Anything but that!
Serves him right for hiring the guy. I trust him to talk to Doctor Hammond.
He takes those kinds of hexes seriously.
He should. He gave Darius a hard time a few years ago, and Darius swore that his pen would always be out of ink, and I swear it is at least a couple of times a day for him since that.
I won’t pull out a threat about a full moon until he’s had time to set the new hire right.
The only thing keeping me from storming over to Ferro’s office is the texts I’ve been getting with pictures of all three kids having a blast. Branson was all smiles, decked out with a new hat, his glove, a hot dog, and a drink.
Their seats looked close to the field, too. I know he’s in absolute heaven.
Anna texted me a few pictures of Bailey in various dress-up outfits and standing on a stool in the kitchen, stirring a bowl and making cookies. She had flour all over her face with a huge smile. She’s going to want to bake all the time now.
Ben just sent me a picture of Bentley bent over the hood of a car, with Juan and Rory on each side of him.
The amount he’s learning about engines, I worry one day that I’m going to come outside and he’ll have my SUV taken apart.
When I said that to Ben, he just chuckled and said that’s why he’s learning in a shop, so there’s a place and a time to do that.
I still think he underestimates Bent and his destructive capabilities, but he didn’t have to live through his trying to figure out how the dishwasher worked or his phase of trying to see how all the remotes work.
I really think I should have given him the middle name of Destructo.
Focus woman. Alright, I’ve got two more patients, then I can go home for the weekend. I’m ready to be off work and spend time with the people I love. This should be a good and uneventful weekend.
Ben
Pouring two mugs of coffee, I take the time to fix one just how my woman likes it.
I take a sip of mine. The house is still pretty quiet, with only Bailey being awake.
I’ve got her watching some princess show that she likes to watch on repeat.
Branson and Bentley were both still dead to the world when I checked on them.
I take Kimbra’s coffee cup and head into our bedroom.
She doesn’t know it, but today’s a big day for our household.
I, for one, am ready to get it started. I’m barely through our bedroom door when Kimbra moans from the bed.
“Do I smell coffee?” I walk over to her side of the bed and set it on her nightstand.
“You do, and I even got it the way you like it. You’ve got plans today, and I’m making breakfast in a few, so you have to start attempting to become awake.
” I lean down and kiss her temple. She opens one eye to look at me.
“What plans do I have?” She complains how Branson takes a while to wake up, but he’s just like his mom.
“Jane’s declared a girl day. Says since you had to work this week and she was home with a sick kiddo for part of it, that you two and I think maybe some of the other gals are going to do a, and I quote, ‘a mani-pedi day with a lunch that us men wouldn’t like.
’ She said she would pick you up at ten, and when you guys finish your day, you’ll meet us at the clubhouse.
Now you get up and do your thing, and I’m gonna go make some breakfast.” I head out of the room to start on breakfast, but I do catch her mumbling something about how she could get used to this.
Well, she’s going to if I have any say over it.
I might not make breakfast every Saturday, but I could see myself bringing the family to Millie’s some of the time, too.
There’s nothing quite like a diner breakfast, in my opinion.
I get into the kitchen, finish my first cup of coffee, and refill it.
I get the bacon and sausage out of the fridge and get both going.
I grab the electric skillet out of the cupboard and get it set up.
I grab a bowl and am about to head to the pantry when I’m greeted by a half-awake Bentley and Branson.
“Morning, boys. Breakfast should be ready in about fifteen minutes or so.” Bentley sits on a stool at the counter, but Branson goes to the pantry, gets out the pancake mix, and hands it to me.
“You might want to make a lot. I’m supposed to go to the batting cages in a bit with Logan and Asher, and that always burns a lot so I need to eat a lot.
” Before I can say anything, Kimbra comes out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her head and her coffee cup in her hand.
She’s wearing leggings and a t-shirt. The outfit tells me that she’s not done getting ready, but her need for more coffee is more pressing.
“What are these plans you speak of? We were together all evening, and you didn’t think to mention them or, I don’t know, ask if you could go?
” While she’s been talking to Branson, she’s filled up her coffee cup and got out milk and juice from the fridge.
Branson gets up and starts getting plates out of the cupboard.
Bentley follows and starts getting silverware out.
Branson answers his mom. “You’re going out on a girls' day, so I figured it would be fine. I was gonna ask Ben to drop me off so he’d know where I was.
” Kimbra looks at Branson in a way only a mom can.
“Even though it’s family, you still need to ask.
It’s probably always going to be okay if it's with family, but you never know what plans I might have made for us.” I can see he wants to argue with her, but I elbow him and whisper, “She’s giving you what you want.
She just wants you to remember in the future to ask.
It’s a win, take it, bud.” He huffs. “Fine, I will. Logan said he was going to text you about it, so I assumed you already knew.” Kimbra looks a little chagrined.
“I haven’t looked at my phone since I plugged it in before we did movie night. ”
As I’m starting to cook the pancakes and get the sausage and bacon off when it’s done, she goes over to her phone.
“Oh dang. I’ve got like fifteen texts. Most look like a group chat with Jane and the other gals who are all goin’ today.
” I hear Bailey coming into the kitchen.
“Ohh, are we having pancakes? Can we have whipped cream on them?” I nod as she goes to get her cup out of the clean dishwasher.
“As long as your mom didn’t use it all up, you can.
” I can feel the glare aimed at me, and I don’t even need to look at Kimbra.
“I only used a little in my coffee, and we always have more since I buy it at Costco.” I can’t help but smile.
This woman and her little quirks. I love them all.
She bumps me with her hip. “What are you chuckling about?” I turn toward her and kiss her nose.
“Doc, I think you are the only person on earth who uses the spray whipped cream in your coffee on a daily basis.” Her glare intensifies, and she gets a smile on her face that’s slightly terrifying.
“Do you know everyone on the planet, Mathis? I think not.” She turns and walks away from me, gathering a couple bananas and oranges to cut up to go with breakfast. This banter, this morning, this home and family.
All of it has been what I’ve wanted for so long and was too afraid to wish for.
Yet if everything goes my way, by the end of the day, I’ll have this secured for the rest of my days.
Pretty fucking sweet for an old biker like me.
I just got a text from Anna saying they are heading here now.
Kimbra ended up being one of the ones who drove in case she needed to head to the hospital, as she had a patient who was worried she would go into labor.
Turned out to be a false alarm as the doctor on call checked her, and she wasn’t, but as a first-timer, I’m told that can happen pretty often.
Anna lingered a bit, so the other car with Jane, Linnea, Kierstie, and Madison had a few minutes head start.
Logan just came in saying they just pulled up.
He’s got Branson on watch duty for Kimbra.
I swear Branson is going to ask me to prospect by the time he’s thirteen.
I look around the room and see that all the brothers are here and that Rory and Hanna are ready to play and sing the song that is going to be perfect for her.
A couple of minutes later, Branson comes running in through the door from outside.
“Mom just pulled up, it’s time!” I watch Bailey run up to Pres and pull on his hand.
“Come on, Bossman, you gotta help us make Mommy say yes!” Since I introduced Jon as Bossman to Bentley, he and Bailey will only call him that.
I think it tickles him because they always get a rare smile from Pres when they call him that.