Chapter 46
forty-six
GEORGE
The key to surviving this horror is appointing the right people to do it for me. Fortunately, there are good ones willing to do the work.
Sharp turpentine and varnish flood the office. Fresh paint and carpet, too. I didn’t ask for any of it. But Sins wanted my fancy dean’s space to look professional.
“So when we take over, we’ll leave the legacy for the kids.”
Grimacing, I brush a thumb over the gilded plaque outside the door. George Turner, MS, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. My mom would’ve been proud.
In her own way.
“Dean Turner? I have your coffee. Black and hot.” It startles me when Miller, my assistant from my last job, uses the new title.
I was fortunate that he came with me when I begged him to.
Can’t do anything without him. Sins thought it was genius to start plugging spots with people who don’t know Northview University.
“Thanks, M.” I give his area a once-over. “Fancy, huh?”
He smirks. “We’ve definitely stepped up from shitty labs and cold warehouses.” His expression grows serious. “Will you be bored to tears?”
I sigh heavily. “Yep.” The gray winter sky looms outside. “But it’ll be worth it. For my kids.” Nodding at the students bustling across the same paths I used to take all those years ago, I clear my throat. “And for the rest of them.”
Miller suddenly gets a weird look. His eyes shift toward my office.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’ll be out here if you need me, sir.”
I narrow my eyes but turn toward the door and fling it open. A soft laugh escapes my lips.
My wife stands in nothing but her white lab coat, sitting on my desk like a bad decision. Especially when she raises her leg, perching it on the chair arm…and isn’t wearing any panties.
“Where’re your clothes, princess?” I ask, carefully closing the door behind me.
She shrugs. “Didn’t need them this morning. Figured you could use a reward for taking on this role when you didn’t want to.”
Strolling two steps toward her, I gather her up and crush my lips to hers. “You’re fire. I love you.”
What was supposed to be a quickie turns into an afternoon. Before heading out the door, I gather up my stuff. “I’m taking Scout to our place at three.”
Sins fixes her hair and gives me a satisfied grin.
“I have a few extra patients later, so I’ll see you for dinner.
” She taps a kiss on my cheek while she’s perched on her tiptoes.
“Xavier Cardell’s made moves. Between me at the medical school, you here in Arts and Sciences, and now he in as Dean of Northview Business College, I think we’re making the right steps. ”
“Business College?”
“Um, yeah. The last dean disappeared two days ago.”
I tighten my lips and nod knowingly. “Ah. So how many positions are left?”
She thinks for a moment. “Education. Communication. Design. Public Health. Health Sciences. Fine Arts. Engineering…”
“Okay, so there’re still a lot of positions to fill. Not to mention, the elders still have the final say on the bylaws. And they only listen to the gods.”
Her fists clench, but with a tone that belies her worry, she says, “Yes. But we’re making the right changes. To fight.”
She reaches for my hand and squeezes it.
“And our daughter and her husband are currently controlling the POT. The president has backed off, like she’s afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing with Elle Joseph ready to expose all they’ve gone through.
Even the cameras in their university appointed apartment. ”
“Why doesn’t Elle—”
“Take over for Dean of Communications? That’s another step. She’s looking into it.”
My watch beeps, alerting me it’s time to go. I place a kiss on my wife’s lips and dash toward the faculty parking lot.
Within the hour, I make it to the planetarium for my favorite part of the month.
Stargazing with Scout.
In the empty, dark room, the lights drift by lazily. Some float behind clouds. Peace settles in my chest. Just like when Scout was a baby and she’d nap on me.
I miss those days.
“I like your husband.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Scout smile. It settles something in me. “I do, too, Dad. He’s really great.”
“Solid man.”
The kind you trust with a life. Even my daughter’s.
“He broke his back for me.”
“Mm-hmm. And a leg.”
She takes a long, deep breath as we settle into the quiet.
“I’m going to miss you when you leave me for med school.”
When she doesn’t respond, I glance over at her. Her neck tightens as she swallows. “I’m staying. Here in Northview.”
I blink rapidly, waiting for her to expand. When she doesn’t, I pry as much as I will. “That’s new.”
The white of her teeth glows as constellations sparkle with brilliant focus all around us. “I…have a new plan. Something I wanted to talk about with you and Mom.”
I shrug. “Of course. Want to call her—”
Her eyes greet the sky again. “In a minute.”
There’s a long silence where we settle in until she breaks it with, “I want to help here. If I left to go to Hopkins or somewhere else, I’d be abandoning everyone around Northview. It’s not what I want anymore.”
I try to hold back my excitement. “And that’s what you want?”
A genuine smile shines back at me, the sparkles of the night lighting up her face. “Yes.”
“I bet Apollo was excited.” But I say it because I’m doing internal cartwheels myself. Kins will lose her mind and throw a party.
“I haven’t…told him that part yet.”
My eyebrows lift. “Oh? Why not?”
“Waiting for the right moment.”
I nod slow. “How’s the POT going? Are they giving you any trouble?”
“Dad?”
“Yeah, my Padawan? You need me?”
“No. We made the right moves.”
I reach for her hand and squeeze. “Perfect.”
“And you and Mom will be at the next board meeting?”
I meet her eyes. Ones that look like a mirror of mine. “Of course. It may take all of us, but we’ll tear down the system.”
“And rebuild it the way it should be.”
“I’m home!” I call out loudly so Apollo doesn’t get up.
He’s made it to the sofa while I was at class, his crutches leaning against the side. Gaming controller shoved in his hands. Sans shirt. Sweatpants low. Crushed bags of chips and cookies surround him.
“My tulip! Wait. I’m in a boss fight! Just a second!”
I chuckle. After the hospital, he’s been slacking, and he deserves it. I don’t think he would have made it if Valen and my brother Bo hadn’t shown up as soon as Apollo hit the roof. They were able to call the paramedics immediately.
Walking into this scene, tossing my keys into the bowl next to the door, kicking my shoes off in the closet?
It feels…like more evidence I made the right decision to stay in Northview.
There’s no way I could abandon this place.
I’d be thinking about everyone here. I’d be leaving everything I love.
My friends… Stallion Sundays at the Griffins.
Monthly planetarium visits with Dad. Friday nights with Mom.
Plus, I feel the urge to dismantle this entire system now. It’s paramount.
I press a kiss to Apollo’s sweaty forehead as he smiles at me, still a little high from his pain medicine.
“You okay? I stopped by your parents’ to grab your mom’s pastitsio. She wanted to bring more over, but she didn’t need to do that and go to work tonight.”
He tosses the controller aside and reaches for me. I lean down for a side-hug. “Thanks! She already stopped by twice today anyway. Brought me breakfast, then lunch. How was the thing with your dad?”
“Good.” Shuffling into our little kitchen, I cut a slice up for Apollo, arranging his dinner tray.
I fluff the pillows under his cast, then fix the ones behind his back so he can sit up more.
“I hate you doing this—” he says, snagging my hand.
“Well, I love it. So sit back and eat.”
His phone buzzes on the kitchen island, and he sighs heavily, shoveling a large bite into his mouth. Between chews, he says, “I’m sorry. I left that in there after lunch. Can you grab it and read whatever the text is to me?”
“Sure. What’s the code?”
“Zero one twenty-one.”
Realization hits me until I glance up at him as he stares straight ahead.
“Wait… Is that… Is that our wedding date?”
His brown eyes flutter as he shoves in another bite. “Mm-hmm.”
It’s hard to swallow. How did I get so lucky to have such a romantic husband?
Blinking slowly, I unlock the phone. Stomach fluttering. My brow furrows in confusion.
His notes app is already open. And the top one is labeled: SCOUT GRIFFIN.
“What’s this?” I ask, scrolling down to look at it.
“What’s what?”
I read aloud:
“Coffee: two tablespoons vanilla creamer. No sugar.
Shoes: bring flats if she wears gold or black heels.
Loves lemon drops. Never lollipops.
Gets cold easily. Put a blanket in the car. Don’t forget next time.
Favorite flowers: tulips now.
Music: the amazing Tyla Silk.
Loves my quiche and Mom’s lasagna. Make those every week.
Tell her she’s brilliant when she doubts herself.
She likes it when I hold her fist in public.”
Tears fall over my cheeks.
Apollo’s fork is half to his mouth as his eyes widen. Like I caught him doing something bad. “I took notes.”
I’m still scrolling. Still stunned.
“All my likes. My dislikes. You have my period schedule in here? When my car’s due for an oil change? My restaurant choices. Fast-food orders.” I glance at him as he sets his tray aside. “My soccer schedule?”
“Uh, some of those I got from your mom. So if they’re wrong, I blame her. It was easier than trying to read and write from those books you gave me.” He shrugs. “At least I had an interest in the subject.”
“You wrote all this?”
“Um, yeah. Sorry? Was that too…stalkerish?”
I rush toward him and toss the tray aside, scrambling into his lap.
He grunts with pain, but I don’t care. My lips are on his, the taste of garlic and onion making my stomach grumble.
I press little kisses along his stubbled jaw.
His thick neck. His brawny chest. “I love you. I love you,” I whisper between each.
“Shit, tulip. I was hungry for Mom’s food. Now, I need you.”
“And apparently, I need you. More than I thought I did.” I hold his face with both hands. With a heart filled with gratitude, I tell him, “I’m so fucking glad I married you.”