CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

VEGAS:

Present day…

Sho claimed in the morning that she had news to tell me. Since Terrance had my car, I'd suggested she pick me up from work and we have a heart to heart at the hotel bar near the house.

I figured her news had to do with her burgeoning relationship with Tony and she needed to spill. I was down for that. If my girl required an ear to bend, it was the least I could do. Sho had listened to me talk about my fears concerning Jae time and time again. Matter of fact, we had stayed up late the night before discussing the meeting Jae had planned.

Shondra was selfless like that, always taking care of others before taking care of herself. Her dealings with Axel and his father, and all of those years of having my back, proved that.

"So, what do you have to tell me?" I asked, buckling my seatbelt.

Shondra shook her head, "I'll wait until we're settled at the bar with a drink in my hand."

"That serious, huh," I said with a tease in my voice.

Shondra's lips molded into a thin line, preventing her from answering. She pressed the car forward from the hospital parking lot and into the snarl of Chicago's infamous bumper to bumper traffic. "This mess will cut into our time," she said, muttering a few choice curses.

I hastened to ease her stress, "Don't worry about it, Sho."

Shondra had promised to get me home early in order to give Kale her bath. The little Bandung had taken to hiding when the nanny tried to round her up for "tub time."

Kale was a creature of habit. If Aunt Sho or I wasn't there to dress or bathe her, she would make it very difficult for anyone else to do it. My shift tomorrow was perfect—seven to four. I could have breakfast with Sho and my baby. Then it was off to work for nine long hours of rounds, patient care and fun—now that Shelia Caldwell had taken her ass to a conference.

Even after six weeks of putting up Dr. Speedwell's snarky attitude, the belittling of my work, and her overall negative demeanor, I still loved my job. I'd made more than a few friends, and the other doctors respected me, complimenting my knowledge more than a few times. My colleagues and I also commiserated with each other as I wasn't the only one to suffer Shelia's wrath.

Two other residents, women of course, all young, talented, and pretty, suffered from her stank-a-dude. When the She-Devil was on duty, she worked us like indentured servants. We suffered through in silence, taking pleasure in tearing up the good doctor by inventing alternative names to call her behind her back.

One of my fellow laborers, Gertrude Ehrenberg's grandniece, came up with the perfect nickname—Shelia the Squeaky. Granted, Shelia had a cultured voice when talking down to us, but it rose to a high pitch when she flirted with men. Not idle gossip, I'd seen it with my own eyes, and hearing of her many, many, many affairs. During my meeting with Jae, I planned to find out exactly what he knew and how much. I didn't want Kale exposed to such a woman, and if Jae couldn't agree with that... he'd see Kale under supervision.

"You still nervous about seeing Jameson tomorrow?" Shondra asked, turning off the expressway.

"No, not really." It was mostly the truth. I didn't expect Jae and I to magically come together. He had his wife, and I had Terrence—the man who loved me enough to be okay with any closure I might need, up to an including sex.

I hadn't read between the lines, Terrance had given his blessing in plain words.

The next day after the fundraiser, I'd told him I'd run into Jae. He kissed me on the forehead in that absentminded way of his and said, "Whatever you need to do Vegas, including goodbye sex, is fine with me. I want you to be free of all past ghosts, so that when we are married, you will be truly mine."

At first, incredulity shocked me into silence as I processed his words. Once I did, I got scared. Not because of what would happen if I followed through with his suggestion, but what if I didn't want to say goodbye?

Shondra put her blinker on and slid over into the next lane as a white truck with tires bigger than body let us in. Shondra waved to the driver. He flashed his lights in return.

"What about you, Sho? How are you getting on with Tony?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." She fell silent, her eyes focused on the road.

"Well? Don't leave me hanging."