18
“Tessa, can I see you in my office for a moment?”
Tessa turned at the sound of her boss’s voice and nodded, praying the exhaustion she felt deep down in her bones didn’t show on her face. She hadn’t been sleeping too well since Max had lost his fight right in front of her, and she’d bared her soul to Murphy. She kept waking up in a sweat thanks to nightmares where it was Murphy who gave her a wide-eyed look before leaving her forever. What made it worse was that Murphy was having similar dreams and waking up right along with her. They would either hold each other until one of them finally fell asleep, or make love until they were both too exhausted to dream. Now, she felt like a walking zombie, and she knew Murphy had to be feeling the same.
His brothers weren’t letting him on the jobsites other than to walk around the side of them and check in. They knew as well as she did that though Murphy might be finished with this first round of treatment, they still weren’t out of the woods.
Although she and Murphy had declared their love for one another, things still felt as if they could fall away from her at any moment. They had gone to the funeral together yesterday to say goodbye to one of Murphy’s first friends. She’d almost broken down when she witnessed Abby’s strength at the gravesite. The other woman had said her goodbyes; her cheeks dry from tears, but she’d looked broken beyond measure. Even so, Tessa knew that Abby would put all her energy into her unborn child. And no matter what, Tessa would make sure she was there for her. She had a feeling that Murphy would help her, but Tessa would be there for Abby, as well.
But Tessa wasn’t at the gravesite today and had to remember where she was.
“Of course,” she said, reminding herself that she was at work and needed to focus and not have her head in memories and promises. She followed her boss to his office, giving her coworkers nods as she passed.
Gerald Randleman had been working at the hospital for longer than she could remember, and was a decent boss. He was scarce on the compliments but never belittled anyone in public. In fact, he usually brought someone back to his office to reprimand them now that she thought about it, and suddenly, she wished she hadn’t had that third cup of coffee.
“Take a seat, Tessa,” he said as he gestured toward the chair opposite his side of the desk. He sat down before she did so she quickly scurried to take a seat, as well.
“What can I do for you, Gerald?” she asked, keeping her tone light and professional.
He tapped a file on his desk, and she looked down to see her name on the tab. Oh, hell. She could not lose her job right now. Her best friend had been let go from this very hospital because of budget cuts, and though Liz now worked at a place better suited for her, Tessa didn’t want to have to find a new job. She liked the hospital, even if she worked long hours.
“I’ve been doing performance reviews for everyone under my umbrella over the past few weeks. You know there were budget cuts recently, and now they’re pushing us to do another cut.”
Tessa bit her tongue so she wouldn’t say something and get herself fired sooner. She was damn good at her job and did all she could for those in her care, but that could have been said of Liz also, and look what had happened to her.
“I brought you in here to tell you something I don’t tell everyone,” he continued as if she hadn’t been going through worst-case scenarios in her mind the entire time. “You are an asset to this hospital.”
She froze, her eyes going wide. “Excuse me?”
Her boss did something then that he rarely did, he smiled. “You heard me, you are an asset. You put a hundred and twenty percent of yourself into each case that you get. These patients aren’t just numbers and insurance codes to you. You want them to be healthy, but you also don’t want them walking out of this building with impending debt and even more tears. Though you never cross the line. You never twist the rules to your benefit. But you spend hours making sure that you do every single thing you can for these people. You put your all into it, and I for one am grateful. And my bosses noticed, too. So keep doing what you’re doing, and one day, you might just have my job or end up being my boss.” He winked as he spoke, and Tessa just blinked.
This was totally not what she’d been expecting, and she wasn’t sure she could fully process everything he had just said.
“Oh, well, thank you.” She knew she sounded like an idiot, but she really hadn’t been prepared for any of that.
Gerald nodded before sliding her file underneath a stack of others. “I just thought you should know. So keep up the good work and get back out there. Close the door on your way out, please.”
Dismissed, Tessa did as he asked and went back out to her small desk. She couldn’t quite believe everything that had been said in Gerald’s office. But the truth was, she did put her all into her job. She didn’t work as hard as she did for the accolades; she did it for the people she was trying to help. She put her all into her work and was now trying to find a balance between that and a life she could have with someone else.
But in order to do that, she knew she had to do something she should’ve done a long time ago. And, thankfully, she’d already made plans that could help her tonight. Maybe, just maybe, she could handle it all.
“Are you sure you want me with you?” Murphy asked from the driver’s seat. He gave her a look as he pulled into her parents’ driveway. “I can just drop you off if you’d rather do this alone.”
Tessa leaned forward and kissed his cheek, loving the soft beard he now wore since he wasn’t shaving anymore thanks to his blood issues and not wanting to risk getting a slight cut that might get infected. He might be on the right track to bruising less and being able to shave again, but she loved his beard and didn’t want him to get rid of it. It felt so good in…certain places.
“You’ve met my parents before—without me, I might add—so it’s not like you’re meeting them for the first time. Yes, this is sort of a get-to-know-the-parents thing, but they already love you like I do. Okay, maybe not exactly like I do, but you get the picture.” She was rambling just a bit since she was nervous about tonight, but she’d get over it soon. However, she knew she needed Murphy there. He was her rock—something she hadn’t expected to have—and now he was stuck with her.
Murphy turned off the engine and leaned forward, capturing her lips in an intoxicating kiss that made her wish they weren’t sitting in her parents’ driveway.
“You need me, I’m there,” he said softly.
“I know.” And she did. It was so weird relying on someone as she was. Knowing they would always be there. Before, she’d only thought Liz would fit that role, and yet she knew Murphy would always be there no matter what. It was daunting and warming all at the same time.
“Let’s do this, then,” he said with a wink. “I’ll be your charming boyfriend and promise not to keep you out too late.”
She smiled widely, loving the sparkle in his eyes. He hadn’t had that intensity since Max’s death, and she knew he was still hurting—they both were—but he was healing.
“You can keep me out as late as you want, Gallagher. I’ll just be sure to find a nice little plaid skirt to wear when you do.”
He groaned and adjusted himself before narrowing his eyes. “I’m not going into that house with a hard-on, so stop.”
She winced, knowing they’d gone a little too far in their play, even though she liked that just her words could make him hard. “Think about Graham’s bare ass. That’ll help.”
Murphy winced before letting out a chuckle. “Well, that’s one way to do it. Let’s go, baby.” They both laughed and got out of the car and headed up the walkway to her parents’ front door. They didn’t even have to knock before Tessa’s mom was opening the door and smiling widely.
“I saw you pull up, but your dad held me back from going out and meeting you at the car. I’m trying to be better about waiting for you to at least get to the door before I open it.”
Her mom opened her arms, and Tessa walked right into them, hugging her back hard. Tears stung the backs of her eyes for some reason, and she inhaled that soft scent that was uniquely her mom and reminded her of the good things from her childhood.
“I’m so glad you’re here, baby. Now go hug your dad so I can hug this very handsome young man you brought with you.” Her mom winked, and Tessa laughed before going into her father’s arms. Her dad squeezed her tightly, and out of the corner of her eye, Tessa saw Murphy hug her mom hard before handing over the flowers in his hand. Yeah, her man was a charmer all right, and that was just fine with her.
Murphy said hello to her father as her mom led Tessa into the kitchen where they put the flowers in a vase, and Tessa helped her mom set up for dinner. Murphy and her dad walked in soon after and helped set the table. Her mom had already done most of the work, so all Tessa really had to do was stir the potatoes before putting them in the serving dish. By the time they sat down, the table was laden with roast beef, creamy gravy, potatoes, two kinds of vegetables, and homemade rolls. Tessa’s stomach growled, and she had a feeling someone would have to roll her out of the house after she finished eating.
“This looks fantastic,” Murphy said after pulling out Tessa’s chair. Such a gentleman.
“Thank you.” Her mom beamed. “Since this is the first time Tessa has brought a boy home in a long while, I wanted it to be special.”
Tessa held back a wince at the reminder of her ex, but her parents moved on to the subject of Murphy’s family business. Her parents only knew some of the story when it came to Andy, and she wasn’t sure if she would ever tell them everything. There was no use worrying them over something that couldn’t be changed. But once dinner was over, she did have a few things to say.
They gorged themselves on the best roast beef she had ever had, and she was pretty sure she ate about a dozen rolls, but she didn’t care. She’d just go on that evil run tomorrow so she could fit into her bridesmaid’s dress for Liz, and not regret a single thing she inhaled tonight.
They cleaned up as a group, Murphy doing the dishes so her mom didn’t have to. From that move alone, Tessa knew Murphy had endeared himself to her parents. And though he was truly being a nice guy and probably sucking up to her mom and dad, she had a feeling he would’ve done the dishes anyway. The Gallaghers had been raised right.
After dinner, Tessa’s stomach rolled, and at that point, she regretted how much she’d eaten. Murphy knew what she planned to say tonight, and she had even practiced it a few times with him. She just hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.
“Mom? Dad? Do you have a moment? I have a few things I’d like to say.”
Dad gave her a weird look, and her mom looked worried. She hated that concerned look, it was something she had seen all too often. That was part of the reason why she was here tonight.
“What is it, darling? You know you can talk to us about anything.” Her mom patted the seat beside her on the couch, but Tessa shook her head.
“I think I need to stand for this, if that’s okay.” She took a deep breath and figured she needed to start from the beginning. “I know I wasn’t the best kid.”
“Now, Tessa, don’t say that,” her dad began, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“Let me just say what I need to, okay? I needed to say something like this long ago.” She looked over at Murphy, and he gave her a nod. She rolled her shoulders back, grateful that he was there for her.
“I wasn’t the best kid,” she repeated, “but I had the best parents. I don’t know why I kept pushing you guys away, but I think it maybe had to do with me thinking I had to make you guys prove that you would never leave me. When I look back on it, all I see are stupid decisions and fear that I would end up alone. You guys loved me from day one. You saved me. And I threw it back in your faces. I think I did it because I knew you guys wouldn’t leave. You guys would never stop loving me even when I didn’t love myself. So I just want to say thank you for being the parents that I needed, the parents that I wanted, and the parents that, at some point, I didn’t think I deserved.”
“Oh, baby,” her mother cried, but didn’t move to get up, and for that, Tessa was grateful because she wasn’t sure she could continue if she had.
“I put you guys through hell because I had this notion that I needed to find myself. I was stupid, and I made poor decisions that hurt everybody around me, especially you. You got hurt because I was an idiot who couldn’t listen to authority.”
“You changed,” her dad said firmly. “You learned from your mistakes.”
Tessa nodded. “You’re right. I did. But I never apologized for those mistakes. And because of that, I ended up pushing you guys away when I shouldn’t have. I was the one who put this distance between us, and for that, I am sorry. I never want that distance again. I never want you guys to feel like you have to be on the outside, looking into my life. I want you to be part of my future and my present. I love you guys so much, and I want you to be a part of my life, I want to be part of your lives, more than just a dinner when we can arrange it. So, if you can forgive me for putting up those walls, I would love to be able to tear them down with you.”
Tessa’s mom was openly crying, and her dad had tears in his eyes, as well. Before she knew it, they were both standing and opening their arms for her as she rushed toward them, hugging them tightly.
“You’re our daughter,” her dad said, his voice stern. “You were from day one. I don’t care what blood says, you’re ours. And you didn’t have to apologize for what you did as a child and teen. You more than proved yourself as a young woman. But the fact that you did tells me we raised you right. You’re such a good person, Tessa. We love you.”
“And, yes, we want to be part of your life even more,” her mom said with a little cry. “You’re our baby girl. But I have to warn you, now that you’ve let me in, I’m hard to get out.” She looked over Tessa’s shoulder. “That means you, too, young man. If you’re part of our baby girl’s life, then I’m going to want to mother you just as much.”
Tessa pulled away slightly so she could look at Murphy. He’d stood and had a giant grin on his face.
“I think I can do that. In fact, I think you and my mom would have gotten along just fine.”
That set Tessa’s mom off again, and Murphy somehow ended up in their giant hug, laughing with them as Tessa’s heart healed even more. She should have let go of her pain and guilt long ago, but she’d been scared. Now, though, she could feel the weight being lifted off her chest and knew that from this day forward, things would be different.
She wasn’t the same Tessa Stone she used to be: scared of where she’d come from and on edge because of it. She’d made poor choices and had run into the arms of the wrong man before, but that wasn’t now.
Now, she had Murphy, her family, a job that valued her, and a life she could see coming together one day at a time.
Finally.
By the time they made it home, Tessa was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. She was stuffed from dessert, and her heart was full to the brim.
“I’m proud of you,” Murphy said as he pulled in next to her car. “I know you were scared, but you rocked it. And your parents are pretty amazing.”
She beamed at him, leaning back in her seat. “They are. And now they’ll be stopping by to see the house.” She winced. “So I guess we should probably actually clean up a bit.” She paused. “And maybe just move you into my room and make the other room an office or something.” She didn’t look at him as she said the last part, her words spilling out of her mouth quickly.
Murphy kissed her hand. “I think I’m going to like waking up to you every morning. Now let’s get you inside so I can rub your feet.”
Her toes curled since she knew he wouldn’t only be rubbing her feet by the end of the night. She got out of the truck as quickly as she could since she wasn’t all that tall and there was nothing graceful about sliding out of the darn thing, and made her way to the porch, only to freeze.
“What…”
“Why is the porch light out?” Murphy asked as he walked to her side. “I thought we turned it on before we left.”
Tessa tried to speak but came up empty. “There’s something on the porch.” Her words were a whisper.
Murphy tugged her behind him and cursed. “That’s a damn dead bird.” He paused. “A big dead bird. Looks like a goose. And it’s fucking torn open like a wild animal got to it.”
Chills slid up Tessa’s back, and she gripped Murphy’s shirt. “I think we need to call the police.”
He frowned down at her. “What?”
“Between this and the tires…I don’t know…something feels off.” She looked around, feeling as if someone were watching her. In fact, every instance where she’d felt off in the past few weeks came back to her, and bile filled her throat. “I think someone’s watching us.”
Murphy cursed again and tugged her toward Owen and Liz’s. “We’re going to call the cops from my brother’s. And you’re going to tell me anything that’s happened lately that seemed weird, even if it’s nothing. Because you’re right, that bird didn’t just die on our porch.”
She pressed her lips together, fear coating her tongue. There was something going on, and she was missing a key element, she just didn’t know what it was. But she had this sudden fear that if she didn’t figure it out soon, it would be too late.