Page 37

T hey checked in to the emergency room at Eisenhower Hospital, Gary groaning at each step.

“Have I told you how much it hurts?” asked Gary dramatically, his hand to his chest.

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” said Endy, trying not to smile at his theatrics.

“Looks like there are more seats in the back of the waiting room. Let’s go sit there while we wait for a doctor to see you.

” Gary leaned on Endy as they walked back, but as they passed a row of seats, an elegant older woman stood up.

“Mrs. Tennyson?” said Endy, slowing her steps. “What are you doing here?”

“Endy?” Sebastian sat in the chair next to Barbara, his leg outstretched across another chair, his knee covered with a bag of ice.

“Oh no, Sebastian! What happened?” Endy bit her lip and concern filled her face.

Gary lowered himself into a chair across from them. “I’m no doctor, but it looks like he hurt his knee.”

“Brilliant deduction. Are you sure you’re not a doctor?” asked Barbara acerbically. She and Gary stared at each other, both with pursed lips.

Sebastian burst out laughing, breaking the frosty tension, and Endy couldn’t help but join in.

“Paco told me that you had a very minor injury, so why are you here at the ER?”

“I did tweak my knee yesterday playing mixed with …” Sebastian paused and glanced at Endy, “… with a group. But it wasn’t too bad, and I’d planned on resting it until Saturday.”

“But then today,” continued Barbara, “he decided to climb a ladder to change a light bulb in my twenty-foot ceiling.”

“You did not fall off a ladder at that height!”

“No,” replied Sebastian sheepishly. “I tripped carrying it out of the garage.”

“I told him he should have left it to the handyman.”

“Well, Bibi, how hard could it be?”

Barbara pursed her lips again and pointedly looked at his elevated leg, the ice dripping around his knee. Sebastian glanced at Gary, who stayed silent but nodded once, agreeing with Barbara.

Endy sat in the empty chair next to Sebastian, resisting the urge to hold his hand and tuck back the lock of hair hanging in his eyes. He was so very handsome, and the electricity they shared was still humming, even as they sat in a hospital emergency room.

“Gary Lombardi,” said a nurse, walking into the waiting room. “Gary Lombardi, the doctor will see you now.”

Gary started getting up, but stopped and said to Sebastian, “You were already here when we arrived. Why am I being seen before you?” He turned to the nurse to protest.

Barbara stepped toward Gary. “He’s waiting for our orthopedic specialist.” She stretched out her hand. “I will accompany you with your consultation.”

“Orthopedic specialist? I have a rotator cuff injury! I need to see an orthopedic specialist,” fussed Gary.

“No, dear,” replied Barbara. “What you need is an Extra Strength Tylenol.” She held out her hand again. “The two young ones can wait together for Sebastian’s doctor.”

The swish of the sliding glass doors opening into the emergency room seemed extra loud as Endy sat next to Sebastian in awkward silence.

The crepe soles of nurses’ shoes squelched across the terrazzo tile floor and machines’ shrill beeping could be heard from behind the closed exam room doors.

Sebastian shifted in his seat, adjusting the ice bag on his knee.

“You haven’t answered any of my calls or texts,” he softly said.

“No,” replied Endy, looking away.

Sebastian’s cell phone buzzed, and a notification showed on his screen.

at ur house

where r u

Endy glanced at the name SHORTY above the messages and then gave a resigned shake of her head. It was never going to stop. Sloane and Sebastian were a package deal, doubles partners forever.

The emergency room doors slid open again, a draft of warm air ruffling Sebastian’s hair. He pushed a strand off his forehead. “Endy, can we at least talk about it? Why can’t we try again?”

“Why?” Endy stood from her chair and nodded at Sebastian’s phone. “The answer’s on your phone.”

“Sloane? We are not together, I promise,” replied Sebastian. “We don’t even see each other that much.”

“Yeah sure, and how’s that going?” Endy said and crossed her arms. “Sebastian, I’ve had my heart crushed once before, and I refuse to get Bennetted ever again.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means that I get to be the one … I get chosen. Not some ex-girlfriend who comes traipsing back.”

“Please trust me,” Sebastian pleaded, “I’m not going back to Sloane. How can I change your mind?”

“As long as Sloane is in your life, you can’t.”

Sebastian covered his eyes with his hand and groaned, then took a deep shuddering breath.

Endy stiffened and then reached out to Sebastian’s knee. “Are you in pain, Sebastian?” Endy asked, concerned. “Should I get a nurse?”

Sebastian just shook his head. “No, it’s nothing a nurse can help me with.”

When Gary and Barbara returned to the seats where Endy and Sebastian sat, Gary looked remarkably less pained.

“This woman is incredibly knowledgeable about shoulder injuries,” he said, fawning over Barbara.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been in an ER with a man who has injured his shoulder,” Barbara replied with a small smile.

“You’re moving so well,” remarked Endy. “Did the doctor do some kind of electric pulse therapy or something? I mean, it seems like you’re not even in pain anymore.”

Gary nodded and slid a glance to Barbara. “The doctor told me it was just a tiny bit pinched, and I’d be fine in a week.”

“And they gave him an Extra Strength Tylenol,” said Barbara with a nod. She clasped her hands in front of her. “Ah, and who might this handsome gentleman be?” She looked over Gary’s shoulder to see someone rushing through the waiting room headed in their direction.

“Hon, I got here as fast as I could,” said Dean, reaching out to Gary and kissing him lightly on the lips. “How are you? Is it bad?”

“I’m actually fine, but thank you for coming so quickly. I was lucky to find these guys here. And when I told Barbara what you were doing tonight, she was very interested and invited us to her house for dinner sometime.”

Barbara reached out and shook Dean’s hand. “Yes, I would be thrilled to have such a respected researcher at one of my dinners. You’ll be a big draw.”

Dean raised his eyebrows and smiled, nodding toward Barbara.

“And tell me,” Barbara said, her eyes locked on Dean’s. “Are you also a pickleball player?”

Surprised by the question, Dean tilted his head. “Actually, no. I play tennis.”

“Ah,” smiled Barbara. “Even better.”

Endy moved away from the row of chairs and dug her keys out of her pocket. She looked from Gary to Dean.

“I guess I’ll take off since you’re here now,” she said.

Dean reached out and enveloped Endy in a hug. “Thank you for getting Gary to the ER, and for always looking after all of us. You’re one in a million, Endy.”

“Just part of the job,” she replied. “See you two back at the club tomorrow.”

A door opened and a nurse with a clipboard stepped out. “Sebastian Hall? Your doctor will see you now.” As Sebastian struggled to his feet, his eyes locked with Endy’s.

I miss you, he mouthed. She blinked quickly, then shook her head.

“Goodbye, Sebastian,” she said softly before turning away for the exit.