Out of all the doctors, it had to be her.
Jamie fucking Gentry.
Heather’s younger sister.
A woman I demanded stay the fuck away from Noah and me.
I moved two towns over from Mayview to Anchor Ridge, Iowa, to prevent this shit from happening.
The last time I saw her was a few days after Noah was born. That was five years ago, and even though she’s changed, there was no disputing it was her when she walked in. The moment our eyes met, I jumped to my feet, dread spilling over every rational thought in my head.
She can’t see him.
She can’t know him.
Anger shook through me as we stared at each other. Her eyes—so similar to the woman’s I despised—only pissed me off more.
Noah is sleeping, and my back straightens in my chair at the sound of a tap on the door. I slump in relief when it’s my younger sister, Georgia, coming into view and not Jamie.
Hopefully, Jamie listened and won’t come back.
“I came as soon as I left work,” Georgia says, collapsing in the chair next to me.
I shoot her a stressed smile. “Thanks.”
She bites into her lower lip, her gaze sweeping from one side of the room to the other, and taps her foot. “This might sound super random, but did you know that Heather’s sister is here?”
“Yep.” I stretch out my legs. “She’s Noah’s doctor.”
“Wow.” She whistles. “Awkward.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I wish I had been here at that first exchange.”
I drop my head back, hoping to release the tension in my neck. “I nearly had a heart attack when she walked in.”
I’m positive she felt the same.
Jamie’s face revealed every thought running through her head.
Shock, hurt, anger.
The same shit her sister made me feel.
“Did you ask for another doctor?”
“She’s the only doctor here tonight.”
She lowers her voice. “Does Noah know who she is?”
“No, and it’d better stay that way.” I move my neck from side to side before standing. “Can you keep an eye on him while I grab a quick coffee from the waiting room?”
“No, there’s no way I can handle him,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “He’s acting like an animal. Too much energy.”
I ruffle my hand through her hair, and she smacks it away.
“Fucking smart-ass.”
“Grab me a coffee too. Please and thank you.”
I pour our coffees and almost make it back to Noah’s room Jamie-free, but she steps in front of me before I do.
Determination is set on her too-pretty face, and she crosses her arms. As much as I’d love to tell her to fuck off, I can’t. The nurse’s eyes are glued to us like we’re her favorite soap opera.
There sure is enough drama for us to be one.
“Cohen, we need to talk,” Jamie says.
I match her stance, folding my arms across my chest, and grip the coffees tight in each hand while adding a scowl to one-up her. “If it’s not about Noah, I have nothing to say to you.”
She stretches out her hand and separates her fingers. “Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking for, and it is about Noah.”
“Three minutes.” I’m not doing shit on her terms.
She throws her arms up before collapsing them to her sides. “Fine, three minutes.”
I trail her when she starts walking, and the nurse smirks when we pass her. We’re back in the room she dragged me into earlier, and she shuts the door behind us. I can’t stop myself from chuckling when she stands in the doorway, crossing her arms again as if she’s geared to stop me from leaving.
As if she makes the fucking rules.
Her thick honey-brown hair is longer than it was so many years ago and swept back into a ponytail, a few curly strands loose around her face. She’s wearing blue scrubs—even though they shouldn’t look hot, they do on her—and a white jacket, the words Dr. Jamie Gentry, MD, Emergency Medicine embroidered on it in red stitching.
She’s gorgeous—even with the similarities between her and Heather. Prettier—because she doesn’t have a black fucking heart. Long gone is her geeky phase. Now replaced with a beautiful, confident woman, and by the look on her face, she is about to be a pain in my fucking ass.
“I tried calling you for months, Cohen,” she snaps before raising a finger. “No, wait. I tried calling you for years.”
“What did I tell you?” I reply, setting the cups down on a table. “If it doesn’t involve Noah, I have nothing to say to you.”
“Seriously?” She grimaces. “Act like a grown man here.”
“Trust me, I am plenty of a grown man.”
“Really? Because your behavior screams more of a child’s than a man’s.”
“This conversation is what’s childish. What do you want me to tell you, Jamie?” I scrape a hand through my hair and blow out a stressed breath. “I changed my number.”
“Thank you, Captain Fucking Obvious. Why did you change your number?”
“Put two and two together. You’re smart.”
She shoots me a cold look. “Asshole.”
I shrug.
“He’s so big, Cohen.” Her features, along with her tone, relax. “And he has your eyes. Fatherhood suits you.”
If this is her trying some reverse psychology shit, it won’t work.
“Fuck your compliments, Jamie,” I snarl. “Saying nice shit to me and being Noah’s doctor won’t change anything between your family and me… between you and me.”
“Why?” she questions with disdain, taking a step closer. “What did I do to you to take away the chance of knowing my nephew? To take away my parents’ first and only grandchild? We never turned our backs on Noah when Heather said she was leaving. We opened our arms—”
“And asked to fucking adopt him!” Anger fires through me. Anger that’s been embedded in me since Noah’s birth and can finally be released. “You wanted to take him from my arms!”
“That isn’t fair to say it like that,” she states, repeatedly shaking her head while delivering a pained stare. “They were worried.”
“They had nothing to worry about.”
“With your job—”
“My job makes me incompetent of being a father?” I snort and scowl at the same time. “If anything, it’s given me patience. I can easily clean up spills and vomit, and I have no issue dealing with a lack of sleep. My job has made me the perfect fucking parent.”
She stays quiet as worry covers her face. She’s searching for her next words, wanting them to be perfect.
“I can expect you won’t tell Noah who you are?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer.
“Jamie”—I seethe—“you’re his fucking doctor. That’s it.”
Her face turns stern. “I won’t say anything.”
I tip my head down and grab the coffees. “Thank you. Now, I need to get back to my son.”
She jumps in front of me when I attempt to beeline around her. “If you change your mind—”
I hold up my hand and talk over her because I’m a jackass like that., “Not fucking happening, so don’t bother finishing that sentence.”
“Jesus, Cohen, will you stop interrupting me?”
“You can’t see him, Jamie. It’ll only confuse him.”
“Why?”
“You’re seriously asking me that fucking question?”
“Say I’m your friend.” She edges closer, and I retreat. “Say I’m his aunt Jamie. Say whatever you want.”
I lower my gaze on her. “I appreciate your help today, but that’s all we need from you.”
She glares at me, unblinking. “Oh, I get it. You’re selfish … just like her.”
My face burns, and I reply through gritted teeth, “Excuse me?”
“Withholding Noah from having grandparents,” she says, my temper not scaring her off. “Withholding an aunt—”
“Georgia is a perfectly good aunt.”
She digs in her pocket and pulls a card out between two fingers. “Noah has the flu. The nurse will go through the details for treatment with you. Here’s my card if you need anything. Call me, day or night. If Noah is sick. If he isn’t. If you change your mind.”
I scoff., “Not happening.”
She shoves the card in my shirt pocket, pats my chest, and turns to leave. I still, staring at her as she walks away.
Cursing under my breath, I stroll back to Noah’s room. Jamie is gone, and the nurse delivers a hesitant smile before giving us the discharge information.
“What’s that?” Georgia asks when the nurse leaves, referring to the card sticking out of my pocket.
“Jamie’s card.” I snatch the card and glare at it like it’s ruined my night.
Georgia stops me when I start crumpling it in my hand. “Don’t do that. She’s a doctor. If you ever need help, you can call her.”
“Noah has a doctor. There’s no shortage of them around.”
“Keep it.” She pats my chest the same way Jamie did. “Don’t be dumb.”