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“Can’t you do both? You have been for years.”

I glance across the room to where Loomis is talking with my uncle Kaplan, likely thanking him for letting us crash at their house and on the island. A smile hits my lips. So much has changed in the last few weeks that it’s hard to believe that’sall it’s been. The day after the press conference, Loomis and I filed charges against Tommy Hardgrave, including requesting a restraining order.

It’s tricky, considering how we got the information, but we couldn’t let it go. Tommy is a liability. He’s angry. His career and reputation are falling apart around him, and with the lengths he’s already gone to try to hurt Loomis, there’s no telling what he’d do now that he’s desperate.

The police are taking it seriously, especially with a minor involved, and have presented Tommy with our restraining order. I’m not sure how far we’ll go with the charges, but for now, they’re out there, and Vander is keeping a close watch. It’s all we can do.

I turn back to Carter. “I’d like to. I don’t know how many hours I’ll be able to put in after I finish my residency. But I don’t want to give up medicine. I still want to practice.”

He shrugs when my father comes in and interrupts us. “I’m positive Carter will let you work per diem.”

Carter throws my dad a look. “So now you’re answering for me, little brother?”

“It wasn’t me answering for you. It was me telling you that’s what you’ll do.”

Carter rolls his eyes at my dad. “Yes, Keegan, ignoring your father, I was going to say the same thing. No reason why you can’t work per diem and pick up shifts, though I will say—and I’m sure you already know this—in order to maintain your skills and not lose them, you’ll need a certain number of hours a week.”

“I figured that,” I admit. “I have to work all of that out.”

“Whatever you decide, you’ve got our support. All of ours.” My dad throws Carter a meaningful look that Carter completely ignores. “If he doesn’t, I’ll get Grace to divorce him.”

Carter scoffs. “Nice try, but that’ll never happen. Grace is obsessed with me.”

“She’s my best friend and my ride-or-die.”

“She’s my wife,” Carter counters.

“How about you not throw me in the middle of this?” Grace chimes in, coming in beside me. “Loomis is such a great guy,” she says to me. “Damn good-looking and seriously charming. Plus, he’s totally in love with you. I can see why you gave in to him.”

“Yes. Him being in love with you as much as he claims to be is the only reason we haven’t removed one of his kidneys,” my father states.

“You told me you liked him!” I protest.

“That was when I thought he was only a single dad. Not the guy getting my daughter to move in with him and dragging her into the spotlight of the press.”

I snort. “Oh, please. Like you didn’t do that to Mom?”

“That was different,” he defends.

“Was not,” both Carter and Grace say in unison.

“Whatever,” my father grumbles. “I said one kidney, not both. He can live with one kidney.”

“Behave,” I warn him. “And be nice to him. He doesn’t have a father in his life.”

“Fine. I’ll be nice.” My father holds up a hand in surrender. “If he’s good to you, then I’ll love him too.”

I give my dad a hug, and when I do, I lock eyes with my grandmother across the room, where she’s talking to my mom and a few of my other aunts. She winks at me, and I bob my head to the right toward the library. With all the festivities and then the baby action happening, I haven’t had a chance to talk to her.

She nods, and I pull back to give my dad a kiss. “I’ll see you for brunch tomorrow,” I promise him.

“Fine. Go. But remember, you’re still my little girl. I don’t care how old, mature, or successful you are.”

“I know, Dad. I love you too.”

I say bye to Carter and Grace and head toward the library. I’ve been in this room countless times, so I have no idea how I missed my books being on the shelves other than there are hundreds of others on them.

I get here first and glance around, searching for them, when I hear my grandmother enter behind me. “They’re on the right, second shelf beside the Hemingways.”