Page 24 of When You Blush

Now, I sock him in the shoulder, and he fakes like it hurt, making me smirk.

“She isnota flake, you big meanie. She’s sick.” I glance out the passenger window as I reach for my seat belt and notice Blake walking past on the sidewalk. He’s not looking at me, so I can’t wave at him, but holy shit, he looks good in those scrubs. He’s not wearing his white coat, and Iknewhis biceps would fight against the sleeves. Don’t even get me started on his ass.

Holy walking sex.

I haven’t seen him at all since thatveryearly morning last week when he came into the NICU. I’ve had about six million moments of regretting turning the man down. It’s like he’s a magnet, and I’m … literallyanythingdrawn to magnets. But I amnotready for a man. Even Blake.

I just don’t trust.

Themormyself, if I’m being honest.

“I don’t want to ride around in a car with a sick woman,” I continue as he pulls away from the hospital. “But I know it’s early as hell, so thank you for coming to pick me up.”

It was my last night shift, and now I can sleep and enjoy a couple of days off.

“I’m up early as fuck anyway,” the eldest Hendrix brother reminds me. “How’s the new job going?”

“Great so far,” I say with a sigh as I lean my head back against the seat. “The people are nice, and there haven’t been any issues.”

“Good. Let me know if I have to beat anyone up.”

I snort and wrinkle my nose at him.

Tucker is the quintessential big brother. He will harass the hell out of Ava and me, but if anyone even looks at us sideways, he’ll break their nose.

“You’re funny. None of the babies need to be beaten up, tough guy.”

He snickers at that.

“I really need to get a car.” I sigh. “I can’t depend on the Hendrix Taxi Service every single day anymore.”

“I’m taking my truck in for an oil change today,” Tucker says. “The owner of the shop usually has something hanging around for sale. Want me to ask him when I’m there?”

If memory serves, from what Ava said, that would be Blake’s brother.

“Actually, yes, please. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just reliable. I’m not the motorhead that you are.”

“Well, it’ll be reliable if it comes from Brooks. He’s excellent. I’ll see if he has something. Just shoot me a text when you wake up later.”

“Awesome, I’ll do that. Thanks.”

Tuck pulls up in front of Xander’s house, and I open the truck door.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” he says and shoots me a grin before I slam the door shut. He waits until I have the front door unlocked before he drives away.

I don’t know how I got so lucky to be folded into the Hendrix family. And it absolutely was luck.

One day, in the seventh grade, Ava and I smacked right into each other in gym at school. Fell on our asses. I got up first and offered her a hand. From then, we were inseparable. We texted when we weren’t together, spent most of our free time together, and she often had me over to her house.

Mostly because my parents were junkies who didn’t pay attention to, or give a shit about, what I was up to as long as I stayed out of the way. A couple of years after meeting Ava, my parents both died in a car accident, and Greg Hendrix brought me right into his family.

Greg’s wife, Lita, left when Ava was quite young. Idon’t really know much about her. Ava doesn’t remember her.

Now I know that Greg had to have gone through a lot of work with the legal system to keep me. It was likely expensive and exhausting, but he did it. And they all claim me as theirs.

I kick off my shoes and immediately climb the stairs to my bedroom, where I strip out of my scrubs, toss them in the hamper, and take a shower.