The hostess greets me by name, flipping her head for me to follow. On the way, I scan the restaurant and bar, noting the crowd is thick for a Wednesday night. Judging by the abundance of Miami hats, jerseys, and t-shirts, I’m assuming the word has hit the streets. Nick Bennett has been spotted.
Both my brothers are seated at a table located in a back room usually reserved for private parties. The owner of the restaurant is talking to them, and when he spots me, he extends his hand.
“Good to see you, Mathis.”
“You too, Sean. Quite a crowd you have gathering out there.”
“News traveled fast. Don’t think Nick was even in his seat before the phones started ringing and the bar hit capacity.”
“Good for business.”
“Yes, but you guys have complete privacy back here. My wife’s here tonight. She’ll be taking care of you,” he tells me. “What can I get you to drink?”
I notice Shaw and Nick both drinking beer so I order the same.
“Is tonight a publicity gig or coincidence?” I sit in the empty seat between my brothers.
“Coincidence. The bartender’s girlfriend dropped him off tonight and saw me walking in with Shaw. She tweeted or Instagrammed or some shit. The crowd ensued.”
“Lifestyles of the rich and famous,” I joke.
“Yeah, yeah. Better warn Claire now. Your picture is probably going to be plastered on social media soon. No doubt someone recognized you.”
“Are you kidding? She loves that shit. Comments, likes, reacts, retweets… whatever you call it. She goads the masses and then gives me details.”
“Shit, I forget sometimes how crazy that woman is.” He takes a long slug of his beer.
“What’s the occasion? Why did you ask me to meet here tonight?” Sean returns with his wife, carrying a large silver cooler stand with ice. His wife loads beer in the cooler, explaining the bar is now a full out zoo and they wanted to make sure we have what we need.
They leave, and Shaw answers my question. “We’re celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?”
“I bought Grace a house today.”
I freeze, my beer halfway to my mouth, and my eyes jump between them. “You did what?”
“He. Bought. Grace. A house,” Shaw draws out slowly.
“I heard that, you dipshit.”
“Then why’d you ask?” I ignore him and put my focus on Nick.
“Let me rephrase, I didn’t know you were in the market for a house.”
“You knew I was thinking about it.”
“Yes, earlier this year, before you found out about the baby. Grace said you weren’t going to make any changes. Last week, when we were at your place, the women planned an entire nursery.”
“Last week sealed the deal. When Grace’s family left, we had a talk. We need more space. She was resistant but finally agreed. I called Shaw and got the ball rolling. We looked at a place yesterday, and I bought it today.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” he answers.
“You said, ‘I bought it today.’ Does Grace know this?”
“She does now. She balked at the price, told me there was no way we were spending that kind of money, threw a tantrum, and stalked out.”
“And you bought it anyway?”
“Mathis, I knew the instant we pulled into the circular driveway I was buying it. She couldn’t hide her reaction.”
“Have you told her?”
Shaw chuckles, passing a fresh round of beers to us. I catch the amusement in his eyes. “Wait until you hear this,” he says.
“Is she leaving you again?” I ask him seriously.
“No, asshole. She’s not leaving me again, ever. She may have threatened everything in her power, but she came around.”
“This is where it gets good.” Shaw sits back, crossing an ankle over his knee and watching Nick. “Tell him how you pussified yourself.”
“Fuck you, Shaw.”
“From the sound of things, that may be the closest you get to fucking for a while.”
Nick scowls, his good nature turning to irritation. “She came around,” he repeats.
“Do I want to know how you pulled that off?”
“I explained my rationale, and she had no choice but to agree. The four days her family was here were eye-opening. Her parents are awesome, and Roy stayed with Logan, but the whole time, I kept thinking about the way she and Logan grew up. She lived on a fucking orchard. Trees, land, big house, lots of rooms. I want that for her and our children. I can’t transplant a peach orchard to Miami, so I did what I could. Bought her a mansion on two acres.”
“None of that sounds pussified,” I surmise.
“Wait for it,” Shaw tells me.
Nick snaps his mouth, not enjoying this nearly as much as Shaw.
“Well, one of you idiots fill me in.”
“Roy’s sending down a horticulturist with soil samples. This dumbass is going to try to grow peach trees in south Florida.” Shaw can no longer contain his laughter and roars.
I try to hold in my own, but the absurdity becomes too much and I join him.
“You two are assholes. Why I chose to celebrate with you means I’ve lost my mind.”
“Why are we here? Where’s Grace?”
“She and Logan had a client install tonight she couldn’t miss. He’s bringing her home later.”
“Not to get too involved in your personal business, but how the hell did you buy a house in one day? Doesn’t this take time?”
His irritation vanishes, and he jerks his chin to Shaw. “Pays to have a lawyer as my agent as well. Shaw handled most of it.”
“It also helps when you make an offer and back it up with six million dollars cash,” Shaw informs me.
I nod in understanding. “We’re here celebrating, Grace and Claire are at work, so where the hell is Bizzy?”
“She’s at home with Brinley. We couldn’t find a sitter.”
Something in the way he says it is off, and I can’t miss the exchange between him and Nick. The hair on the back of my neck tingles and suspicion sets in. There is no way in hell they couldn’t find a babysitter.
“Couldn’t find a sitter?”
“Something like that,” he replies.
I chug the rest of my beer, sitting back and eyeing them both. I remain silent, waiting for one of them to speak. Nick cracks first.
“Is there anything you want to tell us?”
“Is there something specific you want to know?”
“For fuck’s sake, are you proposing to Claire in Boston?” he asks uncomfortably, guzzling his own beer.
I go quiet again, if anything to drive them crazy. Nick reaches for another beer, shuffling in his seat.
Shaw remains cool; his only tell is the tick in his jaw. The seconds pass until he lets out a long sigh. “You have to give us something.”
“Tonight’s dinner is a ruse to get me alone and pry me for information? Which one of your wives came up with this idea?”
“You did this to yourself, dropping the bomb to everyone you were getting married in Vegas. Now that you’ve planted the seed, it’s the topic of conversation.”
“Not to mention your little crack about not waiting until after the baby comes. Grace is convinced you’re going to do something impulsive,” Nick admits.
“Claire is Bizzy’s best friend, so of course she’s all over this. Creating scenarios in her head and assuming you’re proposing in Boston,” Shaw adds.
“Jesus, you two are worse than them. I don’t remember either of you consulting with me when you proposed.”
“As I said, you did this to yourself,” Shaw states again. “And you should know, Bizzy let it slip to Mom, who is also now in on the speculations.”
I close my eyes and drop my head back. This explains why Mom has called the last three days ‘just to check in’. I don’t have a chance to respond because Sean’s wife returns, and we order dinner. When she leaves, I’m back on the spot.
“I don’t plan to propose in Boston. Thought about it but decided against it. As much as I wish this was a vacation, it’s a high-pressure medical seminar. We’re not even on the same learning tracks. Not exactly conducive to romance.”
“I thought you were staying over a few extra days.”
“That’s because I’ve never taken her anywhere with only the two of us. I wanted a little downtime to relax before jumping right back into the busyness of our lives,” I explain and see the understanding dawn on them.
“No offense, but Claire has never struck me as a woman that does romance,” Nick points out.
“I lived on that assumption for too long. She’s always going to be Claire, but there’s an emotional side that runs deep. Bizzy and Grace wear their hearts on their sleeves, but Claire keeps hers a little more discreet.”
“I caught a glimpse of that the other night at Nick’s.” Shaw remembers her show of emotions with Roy and the baby furniture.
“Don’t let her know you saw. She’ll make it her mission to prove you wrong,” I warn him.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Well, if you’re not going to pop the question this week, do you have any idea when you’ll make it official? You gotta give me something for Grace,” Nick questions.
I shoot him a glare, communicating the subject is closed. There is no way I’m telling them anything because, without malice, those women would ruin any chance of a surprise.
“Okay, then at least tell me this. Are you honestly going to drag our asses to Las Vegas?”
“Yep.”
“Shit, man… Vegas in the summer. It’s hot as hell,” he grumbles.
“I hate to be a dick, but do I need to remind you that, as of August, Nick and Grace can’t travel for obvious reasons?” Shaw raises an eyebrow.
“No, you don’t need to remind me. I’m aware of when the season starts and when the baby is due.”
The implication hangs in the air, and Nick blows out a whistle through his teeth. “Son of a bitch. You’re holding out on us. You have a plan.”
“Closing the subject on my life now. Gossip session is over.”
Nick’s face heats up, but luckily, Shaw pipes in, helping me move along.
“What’s happening at the hospital?”
I grab my beer, sit back in my chair, and tell them what I can. “Confidentiality is still in place, but I say things aren’t good. The CEO, CFO, and hospital administrator are in contact with DEA and local arms of law enforcement. What’s alarming and disturbing is, out of all the hospitals and medical facilities in a thirty-mile radius, no one is reporting any occurrences of theft but us. Our materials management team is working overtime to trace back shipments, inventory, and watching all new deliveries closely. At this point, no Class–A drugs are missing from pharmaceuticals, but the inventories are showing more and more over the counter supplies and medications missing. The only silver lining is that Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, Maternity, and Cardiology seem to be in the clear. Nothing has gone missing from our areas.”
“If there are no drugs gone, why is the DEA involved?” Nick asks.
“Can’t get into specifics, but it’s preemptive.”
“Are you worried?”
“I’m pissed. In the end, this may turn out to be nothing, but in the meantime, everyone is on high-alert waiting for updates. Each department head is tasked with more responsibility, which trickles down to all levels. I can’t talk to Claire about it, but she knows something is happening.”
“Sucks, but hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of it soon. Glad to know your departments aren’t under suspicion.”
“Me too.”
Our dinner arrives, and the conversation moves to Shaw’s business. When we’re done, I get a series of texts from Claire. One expressing her excitement over Nick’s house purchase and the others with screenshots of social media posts about the Bennett brothers having dinner. As Nick predicted, there is a shot of me walking through the restaurant with the caption “Dr. Delicious, aka Nick Bennett’s hot & SINGLE older brother.”
“Shit.” I pass the phone around the table.
“Dr. Delicious? I thought your stupid nickname was Heartthrob or something obnoxious like that?”
“There’s no telling where she came up with that.”
“Looks like you may need to hustle out the back door with me or the stampede may commence.” Nick laughs, then his eyes grow wide. “Oh shit is right, Claire posted a response. You may want to look at this.”
He hands the phone back, and I brace, ready for anything. It’s a picture of me shirtless, in my swim trunks on Shaw’s boat last summer. This caption reads ‘Vote Dr. Delicious for Man of the Month’ and underneath is the hashtag #bennettbabes.
I groan, blowing out a breath.
“She’s a nut,” Shaw says, leaning over my shoulder.
“You have no idea.”
“Now, you’re really going out the back with me. That man of the month shit is feral.” Nick throws his napkin on his plate.
“Yeah, after you pay the bill, I’ll go with you and you can drop me at my car.”
“Why am I paying the bill? I forked over six mill today. Shaw should cover this one.”
“One of you fuckers is paying. If you’re going to interrogate me, you’re at least buying me dinner.”
Nick reluctantly throws out a credit card, and then his mouth splits into a wide grin. “I’ll pay for your fucking wedding if you give me some news to tell Grace.”
I hold his stare and return the grin. “Tell her she’s in charge of the bachelorette party, and I’ll provide the handcuffs for the strippers.”
His smug expression turns to rage at the same time Shaw barks in laughter.
The flight attendant stops by my seat, takes the empty wine glasses, and taps her watch to let me know we’re descending. I tilt my head to the side, sifting my fingers through Claire’s hair gently.
“Baby, we’re almost here. Time to wake up.”
She burrows her head deeper into my shoulder and lets out a sleepy sigh. I continue to brush through her hair until she wakes, her hand on my stomach, clenching the material of my sweater. “Did you say we’re almost there?” she croaks.
“One glass of wine and you were out. Slept the entire flight.”
“Whoa.” She sits up, looking around, suddenly alert. “Did we miss our chance?”
“Chance for what?’
“To join the mile-high club. How much time until we land?”
“Not enough.”
“That sucks. Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you needed your rest. You haven’t slept more than ten hours in two days.”
“What did you do for three hours?”
“I read.” I motion to the medical journal on my lap.
Her face scrunches when she picks it up and sees the cover. “No wonder I was out. You’re boring.”
“Research,” I correct her.
“On what?”
“One of the instructors had a few studies in here. I wanted to get an idea of her knowledge and style.”
“Did you learn anything interesting?”
“Do you really care?” I raise an eyebrow.
“No, but I was trying to be a good girlfriend and act interested.”
I bend forward, swiping my lips across hers. “They were impeccably written, the cases were fascinating, the hypotheses were academically challenging, and the results were astounding.”
She smiles against my mouth. “I love it when Dr. Delicious turns into a medical geek.”
“Then you’re going to enjoy this week.”
“Ooh, am I going to be surrounded by other luscious medical nerds?”
A shot of jealousy shoots through me, and I grip the back of her head, lowering my voice to below a whisper. “I need you to behave, Claire. Some of these men think they are God’s gift to womankind. They’re egotistical to the point of obnoxious. Married or not, these events give them an excuse to chase a cheap thrill. You’re a prime target. Gorgeous, smart, funny, sarcastic, sassy—the whole goddamn package. It’s not going to take long for the first one to hone in and make a move. If someone hears you call them a luscious medical nerd with that voice, those lips, and looking like you do—all bets are off. Seriously, the size of their heads makes up for their pencil dicks.”
Her eyes begin to twinkle, and her hand slides up my chest and curls around my neck. Quietly, she whispers, “Lucky for me, Dr. Delicious has a normal head and a huge dick.”
My cock stirs as she scoots closer and wraps her ankle around my calf. The tip of her tongue darts out, tracing my lips, and I thread my fingers in the hair at the base of her scalp. “Jesus, I love you.”
“How long from the airport to the hotel?”
“Too long.”
The plane rocks as we hit the tarmac, and Claire straightens, pulling away but lacing her fingers in mine. I keep her close as we deplane and head toward baggage.
“Oh, look at that. Dr. Bennett is getting the red carpet treatment.” She spots our driver at the escalator holding a sign with my name.
“Why don’t you go greet him and I’ll get our bags.”
She releases my hand and waves as she walks to him. I maneuver through a large crowd at the carousel and wait. Our bags are close to last, and when I return to her, I realize my mistake immediately.
Our driver is clearly in a Claire daze by the expression on his face. He’s a giant man. She’s bouncing with excitement and rambling on about the sights. He towers over her, and with each word, his lips twitch. I step closer, and his eyes fly to mine, darkening to black in a protective glare. She leans in and lays a hand on my chest, still bouncing.
“Mathis, this is Tony, and he’s lived here all his life. He’s offered to be our tour guide!”
“Dr. Bennett?” His brows draw together, and his eyes only slightly soften.
“Call me Mathis.”
“Since our days are packed starting tomorrow, he’s agreed to show us around today,” Claire informs me.
“Baby, twenty minutes ago, you were sleeping like the dead. Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the hotel and rest?” My hand curls around her lower back, and I slide my fingers under the hem of her sweater to skim along her bare skin. Goosebumps pop under my touch, and she sucks her lower lip through her teeth, her eyes widening in response.
“How about a little bit of sightseeing and then I’ll need hours of resting.”
“Whatever you want.” I give in, deciding that when we get to the hotel, she’s not leaving the bed until we have to report to the hospital tomorrow morning. “Tony, you know a good place to get lunch?” My attention goes back to him.
“Absolutely.” His accent is in full effect.
“Let’s go then.”