Page 109 of Hidden Resolution

“Should I apologize in advance for his surly behavior?” she offered.

“Lovely.”

Her dryness caused Shonda to laugh.

With a grin and a nod toward the cafeteria sign, Dr. Phillips left.

The ringing phone distracted Shonda from getting a meal.

“Dane is currently en route,” Zack informed her. “What’s the latest on my bonehead brother?”

“His doctor said he’s in recovery. The surgery went well.”

“Good. And how are you?” he asked gently.

She glanced down, wincing when she noticed her blood-caked clothes. “Wishing I had stopped for a shower. But I’m not comfortable heading back home yet.”

“Understandable. I don’t know if she told you, but Erica and I put our place on the market. Mainly for Jacob, but the vibe of the house feels off now.”

“Yes. I’ll never be able to sleep where Billy…” Her stomach churned as she recalled his dead-eyed stare.

“Shonda, listen to me. You did what you had to,” Zack reminded her. “It was yours and Mason’s lives or his.”

“I know.” She cleared her mind of the death along with her throat. “So, did your brothers patch things up, or do I need to referee when Dane gets here?”

“It remains to be seen. Do you have one of those sexy black-and-white-striped s—ouch! I was asking for Mason.” His voice sounded far away.

“Ignore him,” Erica said, taking his place. “Who knew all the Sharps were such horny bastards?”

“Me. And based on the bun in your oven, you did, too,” Shonda replied, laughing.

“Are you okay? And I mean truly okay. Not the appease-people kind.”

“Yeah, for now. At some point, I need to call my family and explain what happened.”

“I’m sorry,” Erica said tearfully.

“Oh, God!” Zack recovered his phone. “It’s the pregnancy hormones. We’ll call you back after a bakery run.”

Surprised she could, Shonda laughed. “Give her my love.”

“Will do. Give my brother a hard time.”

After she hung up, she wandered toward the promise of food only to find the cafeteria abandoned. Her next stop was the snack bar. She mainlined M&Ms as she considered all the reasons Billy would want her dead. The truth was likely to be buried with him, and she might never uncover why he’d set out to destroy her career or murder her.

The one thing she couldn’t seem to grasp was how he could hate her so badly. She’d only ever been kind to him.

Shonda wiped away the tears for the charming little boy, dreading the chore of informing her parents. Would her mother even remember her brother’s son? Eva could hardly be bothered to recall her own daughter’s existence.

“Ms. Grant? Hi. I’m Angel. Mr. Sharp is out of recovery and has been asking for you.”

Glancing up, she met the gaze of a pretty nurse with a bright smile. Weirdly, her heart thudded with dread. Call it PTSD, but she’d lose her stinking mind if he reenacted his poor behavior from his last hospital stay.

“Can you tell me which room?” Shonda smoothed her hair and cast a rueful glance at her blood-splattered clothes.

Angel smiled. “How about we get you a scrub top to replace your shirt?”

Her kindness was appreciated, considering the day’s events, and Shonda scrubbed her fists against her eyes, fighting fatigue along with a deeper emotional overload.