"Hi Auntie Len," I call out to the woman who has been my mom's best friend her entire life. She's not her actual sister, but in our family blood ties mean little. Aunts, uncles, parents, and grandparents earn their titles from more than just blood bonds. "How are Uncle Mike, Essie, and Ethan?"
“We’re all good over here!” Len calls back. “How’s Conner Garrison? Rough day for him.”
What? “Umm… yeah. I guess. I don’t know how he is but I’m sure not good.”
“Mac, honey, can you tell me why I had to find out you’re dating him from a WAGs gossip site?” Mom asks. “Well, Aunt Len found out that way and told me.”
“It was an Insta account,” Len clarifies. “They sometimes mention Ethan on there. And they had the cutest throwback picture to Chooch in his rookie season the other day.”
Len also married a hockey player, like my mom. She married goalie Mike Choochinsky, who everyone calls Chooch, including her, which always makes me laugh. But I’m not in a laughing mood right now. “It’s on the internet?! Jesus. It’s not even accurate.”
“You’re not dating him?” My mom sounds disappointed. “He’s such a lovely boy.”
“No. I’m not… really.” I swallow and frown. “I mean we’re going on a date, to the hospital New Year’s party. And we…”
I am not about to tell my mom and Aunt Len about our foray into bed buddyhood. I shake my head. "It's not a thing. We are not a thing. God, that Heather has a big mouth. I can't wait for my residency to be done so I can leave Silver Bay, which iswhy I'm calling. Mom, do you know of a doctor named Norman Bradley?"
Mom’s voice gets high with excitement. “Yes! We had several conversations about a year ago. He came and volunteered at the charity for a month too. Smart and kind. Is he starting his foundation?”
“He is, and I might potentially be able to work with him,” I say and thankfully that gets my mom and my aunt off the topic of Conner and me and our impending date and fake relationship.
I feel more and more hopeful as my mom details all she knows about Dr. Bradley and his ideas for this Portland Foundation. I have to get off the phone to do rounds with the doctor on duty before Aunt Len can grill me about Conner again, thankfully.
After rounds, I make my way down the hall toward the break room and that’s when I glance at my phone to check on whether Conner has been picked up by a new hockey team. He hasn’t. The rumors are swirling now that he will, in fact, be sent to the minors and my heart clenches in sympathy. I know this is his biggest nightmare.
“Mac?”
I drop my phone into my lab coat pocket and turn to see who called my name. Callie Garrison is standing in the hall by the sign that points to the oncology wing. She's in an elegant black winter coat and what looks like a cranberry-colored homemade scarf and hat. Her cheeks are pink and I can tell she's just come in from the cold outside. Callie is a breathtaking woman. I've thought that from the moment I met her when I was a kid. She's not just beautiful with her big brown eyes and thick, glossy brown hair, wide mouth, and flawless skin, she's fierce, independent, and unashamed of who she is. I've never been intimated by her, but I've always been in awe of her.
“Hi! How are you?” I ask and start to walk toward her. “Is everything alright?”
It's more than a little weird she's in the hospital today. She nods and waves a gloved-covered hand in front of her face. "Oh yeah. Have a follow-up with Dr. Perry. I had cortisone shots in my back a few months ago for sciatica. I blame Liv and Mae. They were big babies and my body has never been the same."
I smile and nod. “The Orthopedic department is in the blue wing.”
She nods. “But you know, I’m happy I ran into you. I was going to ask you a favor.”
“Oh?” I can feel my eyebrows pinch. “Sure. You know I’d do anything for a Garrison.”
Somehow that sounds incredibly suggestive, even though I don’t mean it that way. Strange how putting Conner’s dick in my mouth has altered my perception. Callie squints at me. “Are you okay? You look… flushed.”
“I’m fine.” I wave a hand in front of my face. “I’ve just been running around all day. Lots of… work. Working hard.”
“Well, I promise not to keep you but I just… I heard you and Conner have become reacquainted in the short time he’s been back home,” Callie says and the look on her face is purposely diplomatic. I know instantly that she’s heard all the gossip too. Great. Ugh. Kill me now. “I’m not going to poke around in your private business, or Conner’s, although I will say I hope the rumors are true. But I also want to say, even if they aren’t, and you two are just acquaintances, I’m asking as a concerned stepmom who loves him like my own, can you keep an eye on him?”
“What? Yeah. I mean… how?”
“Conner is so much like his dad,” Callie confesses. “Prideful, stubborn, and also incredibly hard on himself. He isn’t used to failure. It’s kryptonite to his DNA and I just don’t want himto spiral more than he already is. Whether he’s picked up by a team tonight or not, he’s still going to take it hard. See the whole thing as a reflection that he isn’t good enough. Devin did that with his divorce and let me tell you, it was not pretty. He made all the wrong choices. Can you just…”
She pauses, her eyes dropping to the scuffed-speckled flooring and then back up to me. "I know you can't treat him, because of ethics and whatever, but can you monitor the situation? And just let me know if I need to intervene or get him someone like you. There are sports psychologists. I do not want him to lose himself like his dad almost did.”
I find myself nodding, even though it somehow feels a bit wrong. I remind myself she's not asking me to treat Conner, which I would never do. I was too close even before we saw each other naked. But I can, as his friend, keep an eye on him. She hugs me and I swear my ribs almost crack. Callie is a hell of a hugger. "Thank you, Mac. And don't be a stranger, okay? Please come by the house and hang out with Liv or Mayhem or even just me. You and I have a lot in common. I love your dad and mom and promised I would look out for you and I intend to."
“I’m good Callie, I promise,” I tell her. “But I might swing by when I’m not working. I’ve let my friendships kind of fall apart. It’s been easier to throw myself into work than face people after being cheated on.”
“Well, at least you realize what you’re doing and work isn’t that bad of a vice,” Callie says. “Devin threw himself into booze, puck bunnies, and self-loathing, which is what I’m worried about with Conner. Although he did go to the gym with Grady this morning so that was a productive choice.”
I nod because it is a smart choice. I should text him and check on him. Callie hugs me again, just as hard as the first time but briefer. And then she trots off down the hall. When she's gone from sight, I pull my phone out of my pocket and pull upConner's number. We've messaged a few times since our Christmas morning sexcapade. In his last message, he said his phone would be off, but I texted him anyway. In case he decides to turn it back on.