Chapter Six
THURSDAY AFTERNOON BONES sat in his office at the Peaceful Harbor Center of Hope, a premier East Coast cancer center, listening to his patient Wendy Stockard talk about her fourteen-year-old son Ollie’s latest musical endeavor, his friends, grades, and just about everything other than herself or the aggressive form of breast cancer she was dealing with. The disease was so invasive, it had spread dramatically in the time between her biopsy and the date she was supposed to begin chemotherapy, and they’d had to act while there was still time. She’d had immediate surgery to remove her right breast, along with several lymph nodes in her armpits and neck. That was ten weeks ago. She began aggressive chemotherapy and radiation two weeks after surgery, and the entire ordeal was taking its toll. Bones met with her every week before her treatment to go over lab reports, adjust medications, and assess her mental state. Which was currently par for the course for Wendy, avoiding the topic of herself and the disease. Though this wasn’t a case of denial. From the start she’d been determined to conquer the bastardly disease. Now he understood that, like Sarah, as a single mother she attacked everything this way, putting her son first and then dealing with her own issues. It had been a struggle for her to learn to put her health first, but she had come to understand that her well-being would feed her son’s.
She touched her headscarf, an uncomfortable expression rolling into place. It broke his heart every time he saw the familiar embarrassment in his patients’ eyes. He knew some patients had a hard time because they had come to see him initially with coiffed hair, flawless skin, and their lives under control. They thought their lack of hair, ashen skin, fatigue, and anything-but-in-control lives made them less attractive or appear weak, but the truth was, those were the signs of their strength. Bones was in awe of every person he treated and of every family member who had to deal with the hell that was cancer.
“Ollie wants to shave his head,” she said with a small smile. “He has such thick, gorgeous hair. He got that from me, you know, not the man who fathered him.”
He’d been waiting for her son to do it. He’d seen many loved ones take that step—showing the world their support and relieving a little of the feelings of helplessness that plagued them. “I’m surprised he’s waited so long.”
Ollie was as tough as his mother. Bones had been with them when Wendy told Ollie about her diagnosis. She hadn’t wanted to do it alone, for fear of breaking down. Ollie had cried for only a minute before that sadness had morphed to anger, and weeks later, when Wendy was sick and weak from treatments, it had turned to pure rage. He’d run away, and Bones and his Dark Knights brothers had taken to the streets and tracked him down. Ollie had needed something other than his mother’s disease to focus on. Something to give him a purpose and let him feel as though he was helping. They’d gotten him a job at the marina, where he earned enough money to bring his mother a little present now and then. He could have made the encouraging cards he left in her purse the mornings of her treatment, but knowing he’d worked toward them gave him a sense of pride.
He was a good kid. His world had been ripped out from under him, but he had a grip on things now, and his desire to shave his head proved how far he’d come. He was no longer running with fear; he was acting on it and supporting his mother in the only ways he knew how.
“It doesn’t worry you?” she asked nervously. “Because I want him to be thinking about girls he wants to kiss and music he wants to create. I want him to gripe about doing homework and slam his bedroom door because his mother doesn’t understand him.”
Bones had become adept at distancing himself from his patients in order to keep his emotions out of his professional medical decisions, but at the end of the day, after those decisions had been made, thoughts of his patients and their families lingered.
“You want him to be a typical teenager,” he said, “but I’m not sure there is such a thing. Every teenager has something they’re dealing with. Ollie happens to be dealing with your illness.”
“But he’s just a boy,” she pleaded.
“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Bones said with a smile, earning one in return. “He’s almost fifteen. That’s a strange time for guys. Their bodies and minds are maturing, but there’s a place inside them that fears the changes as much as they crave them. As you told me the day I shared your diagnosis, you and Ollie are all each other have. He felt powerless, and now he’s showing you that he can handle it. He wants to be in the trenches with you. I think he might be well served if you let him have the sense of doing something.”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right. Maybe I should be thankful that he asked my permission in the first place.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” Bones clasped his hands and set them on his lap. “Now, how about you tell me how Ollie’s mom is faring?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Do I have to?”
“Seems like a good idea. I hear your doctor is a pretty good listener.”
“I’m still wondering how you’re single.”
Bones chuckled. If he had a dollar for every female patient who said something similar, he could buy a second boat. “Nice try at changing the subject.”
“I really am wondering…and changing the subject.” She sighed and sank back in the chair. “I’m tired, my body is hairless, and half the time I don’t want to get out of bed.”
“And do you stay in bed?”
She nodded. “Sometimes, but not because I want to give up. Single moms don’t rest. We don’t rely on others or wallow in our misery. We can’t afford to. When I stay in bed it’s because I don’t have a choice.”
He thought of Sarah and how hard she pushed herself for her family. “And the other times, when you’re not in bed?”
“I’m either getting treatment or thanking the heavens above that I have these things to worry about and I’m not buried six feet under.”
As hard as it was to hear, her blatant honesty was reassuring. She recognized the value of the treatments. They talked for a while longer, and when Wendy left, Bones found himself thinking of Sarah and her children again. There was no escaping the worries and what-ifs of single parenting. He knew Sarah had health insurance through the salon, and she had Scott to help her if something were to happen. And she has me. If she wants me.
She wants me, he mused. Even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.
It had been such a busy week, he hadn’t had a chance to really talk with her. Sunday he’d gone on a ride with Bear and a bunch of their buddies, and Monday night they’d had church, which was what they called the meetings of the Dark Knights. He’d helped Scott Tuesday and Wednesday evenings with the basement, but Sarah hadn’t gotten home from work until after eight, and then she’d been busy with the kids. They’d texted a few times since, but even through her texts he could tell she was nervous about their date.
He pulled out his phone and sent her a quick text. Hey, beautiful. Three short hours until you go on the best date of your life.
His office phone rang. He picked it up and said, “Dr. Whiskey.”
“Wayne? Hey, man, it’s Jon.” Jon Butterscotch was an orthopedic oncologist who worked in his building, and he was a good friend. He drove a motorcycle, hung out at Whiskey Bro’s, and was an avid extreme sports fanatic with a boisterous personality. But on the job, he was purely professional.
“How’s it going?”
“Could be better. I need a consult for a seventeen-year-old girl with a brain tumor.”
After discussing the patient and setting up a consultation, he read the text from Sarah that had come in while he was talking with Jon. Are you sure you want to go out tonight?
She’d asked if he was sure each time they’d spoken. It was time to quash the question once and for all. He grabbed his jacket and stalked out of his office.
“I’ll be back in twenty minutes,” he said to the receptionist on his way out the door. He climbed onto his bike, tugged on his helmet, and drove over to Chicki’s salon. He parked by the curb and took off his helmet on the way inside.
“Hi, Bones. Do you have an appoint—” the receptionist began as he set his helmet on the desk on his way past, heading for Sarah.
Sarah was busy putting a cape around Jasmine Carbo’s neck, oblivious to his approach. Jasmine watched him through the mirror. She’d known Bones forever. She and her twin brother owned a café in town.
“Hey, baby!” Chicki called from the back of the salon.
Bones waved, his eyes never wavering from the blond beauty before him.
Sarah started when he came to her side. “Bones? What are you doing here?” Her eyes flicked to the other hairdressers, who were curiously observing them.
“Sarah,” he said evenly, gazing into her unsure eyes. He glanced at Jasmine and said, “Sorry to interrupt, Jazz. It seems Sarah and I have a bit of a communication gap. I just want to clear it up.”
“Go right ahead,” Jasmine said. “I’ve got all afternoon.”
He took Sarah’s hand in his and said, “Darlin’, let me make something perfectly clear. I haven’t changed my mind about our date, and I’m not going to no matter how many times you ask. So the next time you get the urge to send that particular text, remember this.” He hauled her into his arms, taking her in a long, slow kiss, vaguely aware of the surprise sounding around them. In the space of a breath, he felt her shock give way to an inner struggle, and just as quickly she surrendered to their white-hot kiss, melting against him. He couldn’t resist taking the kiss deeper for just a brief second, and man, what a blissful second that was.
As he drew away, Sarah wobbled. He ran his hands gently up her arms, steadying her. He knew he’d embarrassed her, but he’d had to, and hopefully he’d also taken away any lingering doubts, and given her something to think about until their date. Because holy fuck, he’d think of nothing else but kissing her again from that moment on.
“Wow,” one of the hairdressers said.
“Whoa,” Jasmine said. “How do I get a guy like you?”
Bones chuckled, still focused on Sarah. “Are we clear about our date tonight?”
“No!” Chicki called out. “I think you need to kiss her again.”
“Mm-hm,” Jasmine said, earning agreement from the other hairdressers. “We need an encore.”
“No!” Sarah’s eyes widened with shock, but there was no hiding the desire brimming in them. “We’re, um…clear.”
“Great. I’ll see you in a few hours, darlin’.” He turned on his heel, grabbing his helmet on his way out the door, trailed by whispers and giggles. Once on the sidewalk, he saw Sarah was standing in the same place, touching her lips, as if she could still taste him—and damn, he couldn’t wait to get another taste of her.
SARAH WAS A mess all afternoon. Bones Whiskey had a way of distracting her, but kissing him? That sent her into a tailspin. She already felt weird going on a date while she was pregnant, much less going out with the man Jasmine, and all the other women who had been in the salon when he’d planted his incredible lips on her, called the catch of Peaceful Harbor.
No pressure there or anything.
She wasn’t sure how a pregnant woman should dress for a date with such a man, but on her way home she’d stopped at a maternity boutique Chicki had told her about and splurged on a pair of under-the-belly skinny jeans and the prettiest teal, pink, and black kimono she’d ever seen. On the plus side, it wasn’t like she had to worry about sexy lingerie.
Ohmygosh. Don’t even think about that.
She stood in front of the mirror assessing her outfit. She hadn’t had a great body when she wasn’t pregnant, a little thick around the middle, with nothing-to-write-home-about boobs and legs that were a little too thin. Nowadays she was lucky if she remembered to shave them. She ran her hand over her belly, wondering again why Bones would want to date her of all people. After two babies, with a third growing bigger inside her every day, her belly was a map of stretch marks, and when she wasn’t pregnant, her breasts were like two half-deflated balloons. But she had to admit, the scoop-necked black shirt she wore beneath the kimono didn’t look half bad, and her legs looked longer with a pair of wedge-heeled sandals. She put on her makeup, a spritz of perfume, and a black leather choker, because not only did the choker pull the whole outfit together, but she’d noticed Bones favoring his leather jacket and she thought he might like it.
What if Bones had something fancy planned? She wasn’t a fancy person, but he was a doctor. Fancy wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. Should she wear a dress? She didn’t even really know what women her age wore on dates. She’d never been in that world. Not once in her life. Come to think of it, she’d never been on a proper date. Not even with the father of her children.
She heard Bradley’s voice, though she couldn’t make out what he’d said.
Oh God, what am I doing?
She should be with her children tonight, not out pretending to be a single woman with no responsibilities. What if the kids needed her? What if watching them was too much for Scott? She sat on the edge of the bed, feeling like she couldn’t breathe.
A knock at her bedroom door made her jump. “Yeah?”
Scott peered into the bedroom, his casual expression morphing to worry. He rushed to her side with Lila on his hip. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Nothing. I just…” She closed her eyes for a second, trying to catch her breath.
Scott put a hand on hers. “Are you sick?”
She shook her head and opened her eyes, meeting her brother’s concerned gaze. “No, but do I look it?”
“No. You look great.”
She exhaled loudly. “You have to help me cancel tonight. I’ve never even gone on a real date. I have no idea why I said yes. I can’t do this.” She wanted to, but at the same time, as she looked at her sweet baby girl playing with a rubber toy, she wanted to be right there with her, too.
“Can’t, don’t want to, or are afraid to?” Scott asked carefully. “Because if you can’t or don’t want to, I’ll call Bones right now and say you can’t go. But, Sarah, if you want to go, but you’re scared, I think you should go out with him. I had a long talk with Bones at the wedding. He’s genuinely interested in you, and I admit, at first I thought it was weird as sh”—he glanced at Lila, who was happily playing with her toy—“because you’re pregnant and have a family, but you know what? After talking to him, I honestly believe he—”
“Don’t say he sees past it, because…” She glanced at her stomach with a deadpan look.
“That’s just it. He didn’t even try to pretend he saw past anything. He embraced it. The guy really likes you, Sarah. And I realized that’s not so weird after all. You’re a cool chick, and you’re a great mom. Sure, you’re pregnant, but that doesn’t change those things.”
Though she hung on to his kind words, she still couldn’t believe this was right, and she shook her head. “Great moms don’t leave their children to go out on dates. Or maybe single moms do, but single pregnant moms? I feel like everyone’s going to look at me weird. I’m looking at myself weird.”
She jumped at the sound of a car door closing out front. Scott squeezed her hand, and then he peered out the window. “Were you expecting Dixie and Gemma?”
“No. What if something happened to Bones?” She hurried out of the bedroom.
Scott followed her out, chuckling. “You’re going on this date, sis,” he said as she whipped open the front door. “You definitely like the guy.”
She didn’t have time to reply as Dixie and Gemma both squealed with excitement and ran up to hug her.
“Hello, sexpot. You are one hot mama!” Dixie said.
“You look gorgeous,” Gemma added.
“What are you doing here?” Sarah asked. “Is Bones okay?”
Dixie smirked. “If he’s not, he will be when he gets a look at you.” She shifted her gaze to Scott and said, “And damn, boy. You look hot with a baby in your arms.”
Scott grinned. “Maybe I’ll have to babysit more often.”
“My children are not wingmen…wingkids,” Sarah said firmly.
“Bones is fine,” Gemma reassured her. “We came to help Scott with the kids and to make sure you were okay.”
“She’s not,” Scott said.
Sarah glared at him, reeling from the idea that they’d shown up to help without her asking. She couldn’t back out now. That made her happy and more nervous.
“We heard about what happened at the salon,” Gemma said.
Dixie tickled Lila’s belly. “Gotta give my brother props. You two are the talk of the town.”
“Oh no,” Sarah said under her breath as she followed them inside, feeling nauseous. The talk of the town?
“Gemma!” Bradley ran over and wrapped his arms around Gemma’s legs. Then he blinked curiously up at Dixie and said, “Mom can’t play right now. She’s going out.”
Dixie scooped him into her arms. “We came to play with you and your sister, silly goose.”
“You did?” Bradley wiggled from her arms and dragged Dixie over to his toys. “We’re playing farm. You can be the pig.”
“I think we need to have a little talk about how to speak to women.” Dixie winked at Sarah. “I’ll straighten this boy out. Sarah, you’d better sit down. You look white as a sheet. Are you sure you’re not sick?”
“Just really nervous,” she said honestly.
Gemma took her hand. “Since I can’t offer you a drink to take the edge off, why don’t we go talk in private?”
Scott pointed down the hall. “Her bedroom’s down there.”
As she and Gemma went to her bedroom, Gemma said, “Scott looked as pale as you when we got here. But he sure looks better now, thanks to Dixie. She knows how to get a man’s attention.”
“He was doing a pretty good job of talking me off the ledge, but I don’t think he’s used to dealing with nervous women.”
“Then he and Dixie will get along just fine. I swear nothing rattles her.” Gemma sat on the edge of the bed and patted the mattress.
“I can’t sit down. I’m too nervous.” Sarah paced the small bedroom, unable to hold back her worries. “I’m not sure I should go on this date. I’m glad you guys are here, but still. They’re my kids. I don’t want to be the kind of mother who puts herself before her children. And look at me.” She placed her hand on her belly. “I shouldn’t be dating. I should be here, with Bradley and Lila—”
“Wishing you were with Bones?” Gemma pushed to her feet, stopping Sarah from pacing. “You’re a single mother, and single mothers are allowed to have lives, Sarah.”
“Single pregnant mothers? What’s everyone in town going to say about me going out with Bones? They’ll think I’m a gold digger or looking for a baby daddy or something.”
“Wow, you are nervous. Did anyone at the salon look at you like that? Because from what I heard they were all excited for you. You might not know this, but Bones doesn’t do things like that. I mean, ever.”
“They cheered at the salon, but I figured that was just because, you know, I was standing there like a deer in the headlights, stunned.” Sarah plunked down on the bed. “And don’t tell me he doesn’t do that. He sure seemed to know exactly what he was doing.”
“That’s just it. He knew exactly what he was doing. He doesn’t even date women around here. He’s really careful with his reputation. The fact that he kissed you like that in front of lots of gossipy eyes means he was sending a message. He wanted everyone to know how he felt. Most of all, you.”
“That’s supposed to make me less nervous? Look at him, Gemma. I’m not even in his league. He’s not just hot. He’s smart and funny and caring, and you’ve seen him with my kids. I swear there’s nothing sexier…”
“Didn’t I tell you that on Halloween? And if you want to talk about leagues, you’re talking to the wrong girl. Leagues are things rich people make up to rationalize their snobbery.” Gemma leaned her butt against the dresser and crossed her arms. “I grew up in a very privileged world. We had everything money could buy, and I hated it. All of it. To be honest, I wouldn’t be friends with Bones if he were like that.”
“I didn’t mean he was snobby—”
“I know, but just listen, please. The thing about Tru and the Whiskeys is that they are the realest family I have ever met. They taught me the meaning of acceptance. They don’t judge by where we came from or what we have or don’t have. They only care about who we are now, and you are a magnificent mother and a beautiful, sweet woman. Bones sees that in you, and it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks other than you. Do you want to go out with him?”
Sarah sighed, nodding. “It’s scary, but I’m happy when we’re together.” She heard another car door close, and panic engulfed her. She grabbed Gemma’s hand. “Are you sure I’m dressed okay? What if people look at me funny?”
“You’re with Bones Whiskey. Do you really think anyone will look at you funny? He’ll protect you with his life, and trust me when I say that Bones will shut down any sideways glances before you have time to think twice about them.”
“Sarah?” Scott called from the living room.
Sarah hugged her. “Thank you. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”
“None of us think we are, but our guys have proved us wrong. Come on, let’s go wow your man.”