Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I nod, take another bite of my dry cupcake. Then I twist open the cap on my water and take a drink, washing down the chocolate sawdust.
Compartmentalizing.
Callie’s good. She has an analytical mind, and she can file things away in mental folders and leave them for another time.
Good. Good for her.
The only problem is that I can’t do it.
I have an emotional mind, and an emotional mind doesn’t file things away. An emotional mind feels. All the feels. All at once.
“Okay?” Callie says.
I nod again. “Okay,” I lie.
CHAPTER FORTY
BROCK
“What do you think?” Donny says, as we gaze at the reception desk. “You think they like blond hair or dark hair?”
“How the heck should I know? At least it’s not a dude.”
“Yeah, that would complicate things.”
Two women sit at reception. Older women, probably in their forties or fifties. One has some graying at her light-brown temples, and the other has her hair pulled back in a dirty-blond bun.
“I’m not sure either of us are going to have sway,” I say.
“We’ve got to try.”
“Let’s go together. We’ll turn on as much charm as we can and hope that one of them bites.”
Donny and I advance to the reception station, both turning on our most dazzling smiles.
Gray Temples looks up, returns my smile—or Donny’s smile. I can’t tell which one. “May I help you gentlemen?”
“Yes, you can,” Donny says. “A friend of ours is here visiting someone, and we’d like to pay our respects as well.”
“Of course. What is the name of the patient?”
“Lamone,” Donny says.
Gray Temples taps on her computer. “I don’t see a Lamone… Crap. My computer froze up. Genevieve, can you check?”
“Sure. What was the name again?” Blond Bun—Genevieve, apparently—lifts her eyebrows at me.
I smile, giving her a look at my pearly whites and jawline.
No reaction.
Great.
“Lamone,” I say, making my voice as low and sexy as I can muster.
In fact, I sound kind of creepy.
“Sure. Let me take a look.” Genevieve taps.
“What’s your name?” Donny asks Gray Temples.
“Mercy. What’s yours?”
I freeze. Should we tell them who we are?
“Steel,” Donny says. “Donovan Steel.”
I guess we can tell them who we are.
“Donny Steel? Of the Steels?” Mercy gushes.
“Yes, that’s me. This is my cousin Brock Steel.”
I switch my attention from Genevieve to Mercy. “It’s lovely to meet you, Mercy.”
“The pleasure is mine. Genevieve, did you find the patient?”
“I’m sorry, but there’s no patient with the last name of Lamone at the hospital.”
“Oh my,” Donny says. “We just assumed that was the last name. It’s the last name of our friend. Pat Lamone. He told us he was going to be here today to visit his sick relative, and we wanted to be here to show him support.”
“How nice of you,” Mercy says. “Genevieve, isn’t that nice?”
“Yeah. Nice.” Genevieve doesn’t crack a smile.
So… Mercy it is.
“Now what are we going to do?” I say. “We promised him we’d be here.”
Genevieve meets my gaze with cold eyes. “Why don’t you text him? He’ll tell you what room it is.”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?” I dazzle her again, again with no results. I pull out my phone. “Damn, my phone is dead.”
“I left mine in the car,” Donny says.
“Isn’t that convenient,” Genevieve says dryly.
“Well, we can help you,” Mercy says. “The Steel Foundation gives us a large grant every year.”
“And we’re happy to do it,” I say.
“Yes, my father was treated at this hospital not long ago,” Donny adds.
Mercy taps on her computer. “It looks like Mr. Lamone is visiting the patient in room 3520.” She frowns. “That’s our mental health wing.”
“I know,” I say, feigning no surprise at all. “He’s beside himself about this.”
“That’s why we’re here to support him,” Donny agrees. “He’s been running himself ragged.”
“The two of you are good friends.” Mercy smiles.
“That’s confidential information,” Genevieve says.
“Genevieve, this is the Steel family. They fund this hospital.”
Genevieve rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I’m not going down with you.”
“No one is going down,” I say. “We promise. We’ll tell Pat how great you’ve been. And our family. All of our family.”
“How nice of you,” Mercy says. “Get on up there and be with your friend.”
“Thank you.” Donny dazzles once more.
“Yes, we won’t forget this.” My turn to dazzle.
Then we turn and head for the elevators. Once we get to the elevators, Donny starts laughing.
“Yeah, it’s kind of funny, except that we just made that poor woman breach her ethics.”
“I know. And damn, I hate breaching ethics. But our name. Our fucking name. I’ve seen it time and again. This name can work miracles. And it makes me wonder, again and again. Why? How the hell did we get here? We sure as hell did not get here raising beef.”
“Well… There are apples and peaches. Wine.”
“Yes, I know. And you’re right, our esteemed grandfather probably got into tech when it was new and innovative. Still…there’s something we’re not seeing.” He punches the elevator button.