I pulled up to Collin’s place close to an hour after finishing my shift at the hospital. You’d think I wasn’t born and raised in Southern California because I was dumb enough to leave during commuting hours, knowing damn well I would end up stuck in traffic for an hour just to go ten miles across town. There was no way around this bullshit, though. Taking side streets wasn’t an option because they were under construction, and the only other route would’ve sent my ass into the desert.
“Hey, girlfriend,” Collin smarted off, as he always did when he saw my Porsche. “Glad you finally fucking made it. I pushed out the dinner reservations, knowing your ass would be late since you insist on driving this Barbie car.”
“This little Barbie car can take that fucken Bugatti you drive any day of the week,” I said as I approached him in his driveway, nodding toward the closed garage where he kept his boy toy. “You know that,” I rose my eyebrows to meet his usual bright grin, “I know that, and even the cop who pulled both our asses over on PCH knows that.” I chuckled at the memory of the police unexpectedly showing up to a spontaneous drag race. Luckily, Collin’s smooth-talking narrowly got us out of costly tickets.
Collin rolled his eyes and sighed. “Well, that race was cut short, or else I would have easily smoked this car—”
“Good God,” I heard Elena call from behind us, a laugh in her voice. “I swear, if Collin isn’t trying to taunt you into illegally racing, he’s giving you hell for sleeping in or something.”
I turned and grinned at Collin’s lovely and full-of-life wife. She tucked herself into Collin’s side after he welcomed her with an open arm. These two were the perfect match. Both had gone through hell and back—amnesia and everything—but fate pulled through. They persevered through obstacles that most people can’t fathom, reinforcing that nothing can keep you apart when you’ve met your soulmate.
I’d like to think that could be true for Jessa and me. I really would. I had hoped for that night after night since seeing her again. I knew it was fate that’d brought Jessa back to me, and now fate needed to do some dirty work to get that fiancé of hers to move on and find his soulmate.
Jesus, Cam, I thought to myself. Give this bullshit a rest.
Since I’d seen Jessa again, my mind drifted to her constantly, no matter how I tried not to think about her. I couldn’t get through an entire conversation lately without daydreaming.
Collin snapped his fingers at me, his eyes glistening in humor as he stared at me with a curious expression. “Toss me the keys to this 911, my man,” he said, holding out his hand for the keys to my Porsche.
“I didn’t realize you wanted to win a street race that bad,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, in that case, forget it. Get your ass in your car, and I’ll follow you to your place,” he said, turning toward his garage.
Elena stood there and watched me carefully.
Shit, she must’ve caught my ass too. This wasn’t good. Giving Elena reason to wonder why I was so distracted was one thing, but giving Collin a reason was entirely another. I knew he would make this the number one topic of discussion when we met up with the guys tonight.
“Whoever she is,” Elena started with a smile, “she’s one lucky girl, Cam. Now, go have fun with the guys.”
My mouth dropped open. Yep, I was fucked. “It’s not what you think,” I stammered, trying to muster up some excuse. “Just going over a surgery in my head.”
She nodded. “Ah, sort of like Collin does?”
“You’re good,” I chuckled.
“I’m Cuban, and I’d like to think we Latin people know a thing or two about passion. Also, I’m married to a neurosurgeon, and you are practically his twin,” she said with a grin. “You’re both easily readable, especially when you lie.”
“Got it,” I sighed. “Well, wish me luck with her, then, will you?” Yes, I was desperate. I was this close to heading down to the closest church and asking the congregation to pray for me.
“Always, Cam.”
“See ya, Laney,” I said with a laugh, seeing that damn devious look of hers. There was no doubt in my mind Elena was bound to spill her guts to the guys’ wives when they got together.
Whatever, I was clearly obsessed. I felt like I’d been catapulted back in time, my feelings for Jessa as fresh and real as ever.
There was a reason fate brought us back together after all these years. That had to be it. Fate was at work here, and perhaps some karma, which was the part I wasn’t exactly excited about.
My phone rang as I started my car and buckled up. The display on my dash showed the call was coming from my secretary, which confused me because I was sure she would’ve been scrambling around at this time, gathering her things and heading out the door for the night.
“Sup, Janice,” I said, backing out and following Collin to the stoplight down the street from his driveway.
“Dr. Brandt?” she said with some hesitation in her voice.
“Janice? You don’t sound well. Everything okay?”
“I understand it’s after-hours with you being on call and all…” she trailed off.
“You also understand that I will never be upset when you ring my phone at any hour,” I reassured my seemingly upset secretary. “What’s going on?”
“Dr. Brandt,” she repeated my name, “there is a woman here in tears, begging me to contact you, and—”
What the fuck? “Do you need to call security? Or have me call security to have her removed?”
“No,” she said.
“I’m confused,” I said, pulling the car over so I could figure this out.
Just as I wondered if Janice was being robbed at gunpoint or something, I heard a soft, familiar voice in the background that made my heart skip a beat.
Jessa. As much as I gladly embraced the idea that she was in my office, I instantly wondered why. How the fuck was this happening? Fate was at play, and with a smile on my face, I wondered if my Jessa had been fighting a mental battle over me since she saw me last, just like I had been doing on my end about her. What a beautiful ending to this lonely chapter in my life. Jessa was back and in my office, looking for me.
“What’s the name of the woman?” I asked with a smile in my voice, giddy as fuck.
“Jessica Stein,” she said softly. “She is here with her fiancé and her son. She says she knows you and that you are her last hope for her son, and she doesn’t know what else to do.”
My giddiness came to an abrupt halt. This wasn’t exactly the reunion I’d imagined, but at least it was something.
I thought back to Jessa’s daring and bold personality, remembering how she was fearless in getting what she wanted. But her son? What could’ve happened to bring her to my office for her son?
I went into emergency mode. “Janice, if it’s an emergency, she needs to have her son seen in the ER.”
I watched Collin’s car do a U-turn and saw him pull behind me in my rearview mirror.
“She understands,” Janice said. “She was hoping to meet with you, though. She said if you turn her son away, she’s just going to fly back to New York tonight.”
“Okay, I’m totally confused,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Jessica Stein is a good friend of mine. Can you give her my cell number and have her call me? I’ll handle this from here.”
“Everything okay?” Collin questioned as he approached my window. I raised a finger to politely ask him to hold on while I worked to end the call with my secretary, who seemed just as confused as I was.
I hung up, rolled down my window, and looked at Collin. “A friend of mine randomly showed up at my office needing help, and I might have to head over there. She’s going to call, and I’ll have more information in a second.”
Collin’s forehead creased with curiosity. “Do you think that is a good idea? I mean, you know her well?”
He went into chief neurosurgeon mode, and I knew why. This was entirely out of the norm, and it probably seemed like I was about to offer a favor because I wanted to get laid or something.
Jessa wasn’t the type to do rude shit, though. If she was trying to contact me out of desperation, that was something on another level. I was not a man who questioned a mother’s instinct to protect their children.
I answered the phone as soon as the New York area code showed up on the incoming call screen.
