anything to do with it if I have my way.
Unfortunately, she did succeed at one thing today because when I finally fall asleep, my last thought is that maybe I’m that thing that’s not good for Cade.
Damn.
“You look like death warmed up,” Noah says coming up beside me at the nurses’ station Friday morning.
I turn to look at him. “Hello to you too, sunshine.”
“Late night?” His eyes dance with amusement, and I know he’s trying to get a bite.
My lips twitch. “Something like that.”
“Things good with Abi?” He leans a hip into the desk.
“Is this you or your wife asking?” I retort, knowing Zoe’s propensity for gossip.
“If I say both will you tell me anyway?” he says with a grin.
“Probably,” I reply dryly. “Things are good.”
“Real good, if the size of your coffee if anything to go by.”
I take a long drink of the coffee in my hand and narrow my eyes at him over the lid. “You here for a reason?” I lower the cup onto the counter.
“Just letting you know that it’s your turn to hold a barbecue.”
“Who decided that?”
“I did. Well Dan did too, but Thomas offered.”
“I’ll be sure to thank him for that later.”
“You know the deal. We know Abi but we don’t know her, so we figured we’d give the girl a chance to escape your bed and make sure she’s good enough for you.”
I lean over and look down the front of his scrubs before pulling back.
“What are you doing?” he asks with a laugh.
“Checking out your rack, because it’s obvious you’ve turned into a woman.”
He frowns. “What?”
I lift my hands up and make air quotation signs. “You want to make sure she’s good enough for me? Who are you, my mother?”
He barks out a laugh. “There’s no way anyone missed Annabel checking out your date at the fundraising ball. She went from wary, to skeptical, to downright scowling by the end of the night.”
“Mom’s good like that. Unless I’m dating a high-society debutante with family connections that will benefit Carsen Capital and my father, no one I date will be worthy.”
“She’s not that bad . . .”
“Are you hearing what you’re saying? This is Annabel and Cade Carsen the Second we’re talking about. Mom was trying to hook me up with Emily Gregory again.”
“Oh, that ol’ chestnut?” he says with a grin. “Emily is dating a Chicago Bulls player now. Doesn’t matter if you’re a hotshot doctor. From what I’ve heard, she’s smitten.”
“I would be too,” I say with a grin.
“See? Maybe instead of seeing if Abi’s worthy enough for you, we’re really seeing if you are good enough for Abi.”
“Probably a good idea,” I reply dryly. “We had another event yesterday. She was absolutely flawless. A little distant afterwards, but being around that high-brow scene when you’re not used to it would do that to anyone.”
“Careful there, Carsen. I’m starting to think there’s more to this little arrangement of yours,” he muses.
“So,” I say loudly, clapping my hands together to mark a clear change of subject, “when is this barbecue supposedly happening?”
“Next Sunday. Gives you and Thomas enough time to clean up your house.”
“I have a cleaner, so that point is moot.”
“You’re the only two without kids and therefore your house is not a shit fight. Also gives Abi has the opportunity to learn about you and your quirky traits before the party, Caden Carsen . . .” he teases, shaking his head in mock concern.
“What do you mean by that? There’s nothing wrong with wanting a clean house.”
“There’s clean and there’s sterile. You need to learn the difference. Jeez, anyone would think you were a surgeon,” he muses with a huge shit-eating grin.
It’s then I feel the air in the room change, the energy becoming stifling.
“VIP,” Noah mutters, looking over my shoulder. I follow his line of sight, spotting my father and the hospital board director walking through the emergency room, Dad being stopped by a number of people wanting to shake his hand.
“Fuck,” I spit out, but Noah just grins.
“You’re probably gonna have to get used to this, Carsen. Lots of photo opportunities, holding babies, you name it.”
I chuckle. “Months of seeing my father everywhere. Fun times.”
“Just smile and nod and go with it. It’s not worth making waves.”
“I know. Doesn’t mean I need to like it.”
Noah reaches out and claps my shoulder. “That’s why you have all of us. We’ll always keep your feet firmly on the ground. I’m sure Abi is a good distraction, too.”
I can’t help it—I