“Dinner time! Help yourself to the food, everyone. You know what to do!”
Dad hushes the crowd by saying, “Hang on, Mom, I want to say something!” His long legs hurry up the steps to the porch so he can see everyone’s faces, using a voice we all can hear, “We’re here to celebrate my son Caden’s return home when we thought we’d lost him for good.” Much applause, which he nods thank you for as if it was all his doing. As it subsides, Dad motions to my brother. “Also, all of you know Max and Natalie are engaged. Make sure they tell you how he proposed. But what you don’t know—because he’s too humble to boast—is that he got a deal with Amazon and you’ll be able to see this movie he’s been working on!” They clap like crazy, Eric whistling louder than anyone.
Hunter shouts, “Hey Caden, he’s stealing your thunder.”
I yell back, “This time I’ll let it slide! Because I helped!”
Max makes a face. “You did not!”
“Your success is because of me!”
“You were at one casting!”
“More than one…I think! And it was of your lead character—our father! You’re welcome!”
Everyone laughs, and Dad rolls his eyes, “Just thinking of me being the subject of a movie…” walking behind the potted plant tucked decoratively in the deck’s corner, he lifts a frosty pitcher, filled to the brim. “I need a drink!” He tips the missing ginger-ale back directly into his mouth, claiming it with his germs, as everyone cracks up.
Grandma Nance screams through laughter, “Jason Cocker!”
He wipes his lips, looking innocent. “I do something wrong?”
CHAPTER 47
ELIZABETH
When Caden returned, Chief spoke privately with him and apologized in the way sincere men often do, briefly and with few words. I was relieved when I heard about it, but I haven’t sought out Oberhan since I gave him an ultimatum.
I used to go to him for counsel about cases.
It’s better for my sanity to keep him at arm’s length after his fall from grace, so I’m not pleased that he seems to want to talk with me right now.
“Myers.”
“Chief.”
We pass patients and their families, as well as some of our busy staff, walking together up the corridor as I head for the E.R.
“Have a moment?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he redundantly says, and his voice lowers to share, “Irene left me.”
I scan his somber features. “You fine with that?”
“I deserve it. I know that. What has happened is my fault.”
Sighing I stop walking to face him. “Okay, this is none of my business, but do you want it over?”
Troubled, he confesses, “No.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
He stares at the wall. A head-shake is his only answer. Strange to see a grown man with such authority appear so insecure.
Glancing around to make sure nobody is eavesdropping, I begin, “First you need to ask yourself why you cheated in the first place. Then you’ve gotta dive real deep and find out if you want her back just to make yourself feel better by being forgiven, or because you love her and can be a good husband. After all that soul-searching is over, if you decide to win her back, you’ve gotta do everything in your power to earn that trust, and know right now that it will take time. If you take that time, maybe something will come of it. But that’s a maybe. Now after everything I’ve just said, if you still think it’s the only solution to your future happiness, then you have a chance. But she might turn you down in the end. With love there are no guarantees. That’s part of the miracle.” My eyebrows fly up to silently ask if he heard me.
He nods.
I leave him to his decision, walking into an E.R. that will quickly pull my entire focus back to what I was born to do. Save lives.
Lord knows I’m no therapist.
CHAPTER 48
ELIZABETH
“He’s coding!” I shout.
Sharon rushes up and loads adrenaline into a syringe.
I slam defibrillator pads on the patient’s right pectoral muscle and lower left ribcage, his plaid shirt ripped open.
“Dr. Helm!” I shout, and demand of Sharon, “Where is Dr. Helm?”
Shaking her head she administers the shot.
Caden heard my call and sprints into the trauma room, up to the AED machine. At the right moment he says an urgent, “Charged!” I hold onto the pads and we repeat this over and over.
After an anxious two minutes and thirty-five seconds our patient gasps, body lurching with a coughing fit, eyes searching us as he chokes, “Did I just…die?”
Caden, Sharon and I exchange quick, exhaling glances.
I tell him, “For nearly three minutes, yes. Don’t scare us like that again, okay?”
He blinks at me as I nod to Sharon to take it from here. “I’ll be in the E.R.” She smiles like Caden and I are leaving to make out. I roll my eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Sharon.”
“It’s in the clouds, Dr. Myers!”
The entire staff now knows we’re a couple. We slowly let the secret out, person by person until gossip ran rampant with the news.
Dev, in particular, took it very well.
We leave as I grumble to Caden, “This first-year is driving me nuts. Helm! Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you walked by when you did—but where the hell did he go?”
“Makes you miss Janet, huh.”
“Um…no. I miss you a little, though, if I’m honest. Seeing you run in there, I relaxed because I trust you to handle it. I need to talk to Helm. He keeps this up and he’s done.”
Caden opens the door for me, his arm high so I can walk underneath it. “It was supposed to be me.”
Frowning as we move at a quick pace, I ask a confused, “What?”
“Remember Bill Patterson? That one we lost in a situation just like this one, only roles reversed.”
The memory returns from a fog of all that’s happened since.
I stop. “You remember his name?”
“I try to remember all
