“Oh, I’m sure Sandy can fill you in on the nonsense of the week,” I smirked. “You two enjoy the beach this weekend,” I said, knowing he was a great surfer, having surfed with him after Sandy begged me to hang out with him and give her my take on the kid.
These two practically lived at the beach and loved it when I offered up the beach house to them for weekend trips to Malibu when I saw her at wit's end with the others in my office staff. She was like a younger sister to me, and that was the only reason I trusted her with the house.
Surprisingly, I approved of Gabe. He wasn’t an idiot or a player. She snagged herself an old soul who made me look like the immature guy no one should dare to enter a relationship with, lest they end up neglected or cheated on.
That was until Ash waltzed into my life, and all that playing, crazy-ass nightlife shit came to a screeching halt for me. I couldn’t nail down the effects she had on my sorry ass, but until her dad was rushed to the ER that night, I could’ve sworn she was sent into my life that weekend in San Francisco as prayers answered for revenge from all the women I had screwed over with my fuck ‘em and leave ‘em lifestyle.
Speaking of taming my nightlife, I had rounds at the hospital tonight before I was free to catch up with the guys at Darcy’s.
“Mr. Taylor,” I said, smiling at Ash’s dad, who looked a thousand times better since post-op checkups. “You about ready to get out of this place?” I asked, seeing his vibrant expression while flipping through his charts. “I see you’re following all the rules,” I smiled down at how well this patient was doing. “Except for one…” I folded my arms, the curtain opening behind me, me catching a glance of two female interns kindly announcing their entrance to the room.
“Listen, Doctor Mitchell,” he said, giving me an authoritative stare, “I’ve been walking, do the breathing…” He held his arm out for vitals to be checked.
“He’s doing great!” Ash’s voice was like a wave of energy that soothed me to my core.
Fuck. I smiled at her, sitting next to her father’s bed. I had to hold my shit together. The last thing I needed was to find out she didn’t remember who I was—don’t think that thought hadn’t entered my mind more than once since the night her dad was brought in. Now, I needed to keep my bedside manner the same. My God, if her dad wasn’t here—fucking stop this shit and focus.
“He’s our best patient,” Nurse Rose said.
“Charming the ladies, eh?” I smiled at Rose, then Mr. Taylor.
Wrong fucking choice of words if Ash has put two and two together and realized the man she’d fucked all night was not Mitch but an alias I’d used. She’d screamed that name more than once, and my dick was going to start to betray me if I didn’t knock this shit off. How the fuck can I think with this beauty in my presence? Her low-cut shirt and tight pants weren’t helping my sorry ass at the moment, either.
“What can I say?” Mr. Taylor played along with all the young and beautiful women in the room.
Exercising the supreme skill of focus, my ability to think in chaotic environments, and having a meticulous physician’s mindset while I was in the hospital—I switched over to that side of my brain so I could stay on track.
“Well, I keep getting reports, stating you will be missed greatly by all of my staff when you’re discharged tomorrow morning,” I said, eying his charts again. “Have you worked with a nurse to set up your cardiologist appointment?”
“I mentioned that I preferred seeing you, Doctor Mitchell, but you aren’t accepting new patients.” He sighed. “We’ll find another if you can refer—”
Jackie, your old hag ass is mine! I thought, knowing that bitch would pull this shit behind my back. “Nonsense,” I said, not looking over at Ash, who sat perfectly still in the corner of my eye. “I will have the discharge orders put that I will be taking you as a new patient,” I said, writing that down in my charts. “You live close to St. John’s?” I asked.
“We just moved here,” Ash’s voice spoke up with cheer in it, “This part of LA County is a bit crazier than Santa Clarita.”
With my feet planted firmly, I steadied myself and looked at her as my patient’s daughter, and not the woman I desperately could not get out of my thoughts. “That it is,” I managed, sounding like a jackass. “Listen,” I said, bringing the seriousness that I knew was at hand to the surface of my mind. “I’m sure you were informed of what I found while bypassing the artery that failed.”
“Yes,” he said, eyes guiltily looking over to his daughter in shame and then looking back at me, “I just never gave a second thought to the fact that my heart defect would come back and bite me in the ass.” He chuckled.
“Dad!” Ash rolled her eyes, and then she looked at me, “Can we lower his dosage on the pain meds?”
I smirked at Mr. Taylor. “I assume this is your daughter?” I asked, seeing Ash’s face fall the second I asked it. What the fuck did I say?
“Yep,” he shrugged, “always keeping me in line.”
“Well, she’s about to keep you awake in pain all night if you don’t stop swearing, it seems.”
She leaned into him, all humor gone. “I lost mom to something she couldn’t prevent, and I’m sure as hell not losing you too.”
He ran his hand over her cheek as a tear slipped out of the corner of his eye, “I know, sweetheart. That’s why we’re pretty lucky to have Doctor Mitchell take my sorry butt as a patient.”
“The discharge nurse will go over the rest with both of you. I just left my office, and it looks like you’re in luck, Mr. Taylor,” I smiled at him, “I was informed my Monday afternoon appointment canceled. Hopefully, you’ll be able to make that slot?”
“We’ll take the first available,” he said, his eyes apologizing to his daughter for reasons I could not tell.
I scribbled on the chart and flipped it over. “I’ll have the information sent with your discharge papers to my office,” I said. “Any other questions you have for me before meeting on Monday?”
“We’re good, thanks,” Ash said, her voice cold.
What did I do to piss her off?
“All right. I’ll see you on Monday, Mr. Taylor.”
“Hey, Doc?” he called out.
I turned back.
“Thanks for saving my life.”
I nodded. “Thank your daughter.” I smiled at her, “She was extremely proactive, and after reading your charts and the events that led you to my OR, I can safely say she played the most critical role in keeping you alive, sir.”
“That she did.” He patted her hand on his cheek.
I couldn’t stand here and gawk at this endearing moment. He was the father of the woman I couldn’t get out of my head. A woman who, if she did remember me, I had no idea what the fuck she thought of me after our night together a year ago. God knows I wasn’t acting like a goddamn chief surgeon in my room with her all night.
I turned to leave, keeping it my head that I was at least grateful she was in my life—if only by her dad becoming my patient.
“Doctor Mitchell?” Ash’s voice called out softly from behind where I was walking toward the nurses’ station.