ALLIE

“Izz he alive?” I slur, my words coming out thick. “Did he die?”

“Who?” Caroline’s face comes into view, her sweet voice pulling me from my very unflattering sprawl on what appears to be a hospital bed. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”

“Did he die?” I struggle to sit up. “The gunshot guy. Blood everywhere.”

“Oh, no he’s—”

“Was it a gunshot wound?” I ask. “I’ve never seen anything so horrible before.”

“Gunshot wound?” Caroline wrinkles her nose. “We haven’t seen a gunshot wound here in months. Let me call Dr. Darcy in here. I’m a little worried you hit your head harder than he thought.”

“No, no.” I lunge forward and pull Caroline close to me. She smells fruity and bright, like strawberry Jell-O, and I take a sniff. “I like your perfume.”

“Um, thank you.”

“Leave Jack out of this,” I mumble, sounding highly intoxicated. “Just tell me what happened. Sorry about the whole fainting episode.”

“Oh, Allie.” Caroline titters as she leans forward to confide in me. “Dr. Darcy always says you’re hilarious, but I’d never guessed he actually meant it.”

“Oh, I’m not hilarious.”

“You are! And adorable. It’s just that Dr. Darcy’s so serious...I guess I didn’t expect you to be his favorite person.”

“He’s serious, but he’s also very nice...and handsome.” I squeeze her hand and don’t let go. “Don’t you think he’s handsome?”

“The two of you are so funny,” Caroline says again, grinning from ear to ear as she disentangles her fingers from mine. “I just love it. Anyway, the man you saw walking in the door is named Carlos. It wasn’t a gunshot wound.”

“What was it?”

“Well, Carlos is a nurse here at the hospital. Turns out, Shane opened the door for him too fast. Carlos was looking at his phone and walked straight into it; the situation ended with a pretty decent bloody nose.”

“But—”

“He’s perfectly alive and is already home. In fact, the only reason he came back was for a tissue.”

“That can’t be the same person I saw. There was so much blood, you don’t understand.”

“Sorry, but there are no gunshot wounds here.” Caroline shrugs. “But Carlos will be at the game tonight! I’ll have to introduce you.”

“This is...” I hesitate. “So embarrassing.”

“Stop worrying. Anyway, Dr. Darcy caught you as you hit the floor. He had me wait here with you just in case—he wanted to stay, but he was late already.”

“I’m fine, really.” I feel my face warming as the situation sinks in from start to finish. “This is really embarrassing.”

“Don’t say that! We’ve all been there. I fainted during the first operation I watched.”

“Yeah, but I’m guessing it wasn’t a bloody nose.”

I pinch the bridge of my own nose, thinking mortified would be a great word to describe my state of mind right now. Not only did I make a fool of myself by eavesdropping on Caroline and Jack’s potentially first romantic conversation ever, but I got myself invited to their kickball game, almost interrupted their car-ride-alone time together, and then proceeded to pass out in Jack’s arms at the first sight of blood.

I don’t know why I suspect Caroline and Jack would be a good fit, but it just feels like something I need to encourage. Maybe because she’s pretty and perky and sweet, and she’s smart and well-adjusted, and basically everything I’m not. Jack’s parents would approve of her, whereas they’d never approve of anyone like me. As a kindergarten teacher, I don’t quite fit into the Darcy Family Hall of Fame.

“I’m sorry,” I say again, trying to return to the reason I’d come here in the first place. “I should probably skip the game tonight—”

“Too late,” she interrupts, shaking a good-natured finger in my direction. “I already added your name to the roster. You’re stuck with us!”

“I’m still a little woozy.”

“Here.” Caroline hands me orange juice and a little lollipop. The kind doctors give out to children for being good sports during shots. “This might help. Maybe you didn’t eat enough this morning.”

“Oh, I ate plenty,” I drawl. “In fact, Jack cooked breakfast for four, and it was only two of us—”

“Dr. Darcy cooks?”

I freeze, watching a smile creep onto Caroline’s face. I probably shouldn’t have insinuated I’d slept over at Jack’s. “It’s not what you think,” I tell her. “I was giving him a ride to work, and—”

I pop the sucker into my mouth—for no reason other than it gives me something to do.

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to driving?” Caroline asks as I struggle to my feet and stumble toward my purse. “You can rest here for a while longer if you’d like.”

“I’m good,” I say, collapsing against the door frame. “I’m really, really great, thanks.”

“Okay, well, I have to get to work, so I suppose we’ll see you tonight?”

I nod, and then conclude with the dumbest finger wave known to man.

Caroline probably thinks I’m a few fruit loops short of a box. It’s highly likely she assumes that Jack Darcy only spends time with me because I’m a charity case. Or maybe it’s because I’m a weird medical mystery and he wants to research me with that big, fat, super-smart brain of his. I’m sure I’m an anomaly.

I make my way out of the hospital, one hand shielding my eyes to avoid any future run-ins with blood. I make it through the front doors after bumping into no less than seven door frames along the way. But I haven’t fainted, which makes this journey a stunning success.

When I reach the outdoors, however, my success is short-lived.

I glance around, searching for my car. I have my phone and keys in my purse, but the car that matches the keys has vanished.

“Just saw them tow something that might’ve belonged to you,” an old, creaky-looking guard says from behind me. “Black Nissan?”

“No! Seriously? I mean yes, that’s mine.” I clutch my keys and furiously press the alarm button in hopes my horn will go berserk. “I don’t have time to have my car impounded. I parked in a thirty-minute parking spot.”

“You parked in a fifteen-minute slot, and it had been there for nearly an hour.” He sizes me up. “Did you lose track of time?”

“I guess you could say that.” I glance at my phone, unfortunately confirming the accusations. “Well, shit.”

I pause, thinking for a moment, and scroll through my contacts. I instantly think of calling Jack, but that won’t do a whole lot seeing as he’s working here, and his motorcycle is at home. I thumb through my phonebook to the next best option, hit dial, and wait for the one person to answer who I know will not let me down.

“Dad?” I say once he picks up. “Say, a weird thing happened today.”

“What’d you do this time?”

“What’d I do? I wish you had more faith in me,” I say, cringing because I know what’s coming next. “I’m just calling to say hello.”

“Hello, and...?”

I let out a sigh of frustration. “I’m sorry. I’ll call more often.”

“What do you need, honey?”

“I got towed at the hospital. Long story.”

“Good, you can tell us about it over tea.”

“Tea?” I shake my head, then realize my dad can’t see that. “You’re not bribing me. Forget it; I’ll walk home.”

“I’m on my way, pumpkin. Don’t you dare move.”

“Dad!”

“I’m not sitting through high tea alone, honey.”

“Are you taking me hostage?”

“I’ll pay the impound fees on your vehicle and give you a ride.”

I bite my lip. The offer is a good one, and he knows it. “Fine, you have a deal. But I can’t stay long because I have a game tonight.”

“What kind of game? Bingo?”

“Dad. Come on. I know sports.”

“What’s your favorite sport?”

“The uh...” I hesitate. “One with the ball.”

“See you soon, pumpkin. By the way, it’s the Darcy’s today.”

“I’m reneging on our deal.”

“Too late.”