Internal Fixation - Tawdra Kandle Page 0,45

know I’m right.” She leveled a glare toward me. “You hear?”

“Yes, ma’am. I hear.” I knew better than to argue with my grandmother when she wore that expression.

“Hey, are you two finished cleaning up in there?” Pop wandered into the kitchen. “There’re wrapped-up boxes under the tree, and I see one with my name on it that looks interesting. Let’s get a move on.”

“All right, old man, all right. Keep your drawers on.” Gram patted my back. “Come on, Deacon. You know he’ll get feisty if we keep him waiting.”

As I stood, she reached up and pulled me close in a tight hug. “I know it’s hard, sweetheart,” she murmured in my ear. “But it’s going to be all right. Just take your time and think things through. Please.”

I nodded and kissed her smooth cheek, but all the while, my mind was swirling with more questions than answers.

8

Emma

“Thank you all for this wonderful farewell lunch. I really appreciate it.” Alison looked around the room, her smile warm. “Special thanks to Dr. Girard. With all due respect, if he hadn’t felt the sudden urge to take off for Europe for a year, I never would’ve gotten the chance to come work with you all. I’m grateful that I did.” She paused and then added, “And I’m also really thankful that he came back eventually, because that forced me to go figure out exactly what it is I want to do now. I’m excited about the next chapter.”

I slid a sideways glance at Deacon to see how he’d react to Alison’s teasing. To my surprise, he was laughing along with everyone else, and it didn’t seem to be forced. It appeared that he was genuinely enjoying himself.

“Is it just me, or is Deacon a lot more relaxed since he came back from Slovenia?” Jenny’s murmur was at my ear, since she stood behind me. “Like, less intense and more—dare I say it? Relaxed?”

I shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. Maybe. He’s not that way with me, but it’s possible that his attitude when it comes to me is a little less . . . charitable.”

Jenny heaved a sigh. “No kidding. You two are back at each other’s throats. Some mornings, I come in here and I think I’ve fallen into a time warp where it’s last year again. You’re both snappy and snarly, and the vibe around you says to people—watch out if you don’t want to be caught in the crossfire.”

“That’s not at all true,” I protested, but even as I did, guilt was poking at my stomach. “We’re both very professional at work.”

“Maybe that’s true, but you’re the kind of professional that could freeze the tits off a Polynesian maiden.”

I turned to look at her, frowning. “What’re you talking about? What Polynesian maiden?”

Jenny threw up her hands, lowering her voice when she realized a board member was pushing through to stand at the microphone now. “It’s just something my grandpa used to say, and I guess I picked it up. It means you’re very cold to Deacon, and he’s positively chilly to you. I hate being on any case that requires both of you to be involved.”

That stung. I thought I’d been doing so well, hiding my real emotions. Guess that wasn’t true at all. “I’m sorry, Jen. I didn’t realize I wasn’t managing my feelings.”

“You’re my best friend, Emma. You don’t need to manage your feelings around me. But you should be aware that you’re both getting a reputation around the hospital—no one wants to get in the middle of you. So beware.”

“Thanks for the head’s up,” I answered wryly. “So what should I do? Fake being comfortable around Deacon?”

“You were friends before. Two reasonable adults like you should be able to find that place again.” Jenny arched one eyebrow. “Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know if I can. When I think about trying to be friendly to him, all I can imagine is . . . the bad stuff. The kissing and the getting naked stuff.”

“Emma, sweetie, I don’t know how to break this to you, but that isn’t bad stuff. Some of us consider it the very best part of life.” Jenny’s knowing smile made me want to giggle at the same time that I wanted to scream in frustration. I was happy that my friend had all of the sweetness of true love in her life, but God almighty, I was missing it in mine. Hell, at this point, I wasn’t sure I needed true love—maybe just a