"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I didn't consider how much it might hurt you not visiting."
He watched his beautiful cousin's enormous blue eyes fill with tears. Such a rarity for her over the past couple years. She'd hardened due to all the tragedy in her life. She glanced down and swiped at her eyes. That's when her husband finally inserted himself. Derrick stepped next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He whispered into her ear. Whatever he said caused her to nod.
"She's a bit tired right now, Sean," Derrick said. "Apparently, she'd been pregnant, but is in the middle of a miscarriage. We didn't know until today."
"What?" Sean gasped.
"She'll have to have a D&C when the miscarriage is over," he explained.
Sean stepped around the island, grabbed his cousin, pulled her into his big body and wrapped himself around her. "I'm so sorry."
Courtney melted into him and silently sobbed. God, he felt awful. A time she needed her two cousins, and they'd made themselves entirely unavailable.
"You'll be all right. You'll still be able to get pregnant again," he said softly.
She didn't respond. He kissed the top of her head then rested his chin on her. Instead of asking questions, he allowed her to lose herself in his warmth and love. What he observed while he held her was the amount of care that surrounded Courtney. Not only was her husband in the room, his men, Jarrett and Russ, stayed nearby. No one left even though the moment between them was private. They were all concerned for her and took it upon themselves to watch over her. She truly had become the queen of Derrick's empire.
Finally she pulled back and wiped her tear streaked face. Her husband wet a towel and handed it to her to wash her face. She gently dabbed her cheeks.
"Sorry," she said.
He smiled warmly. "Don't be."
"So why did you come?" she asked.
He sighed. "I don't know that's it's appropriate to talk about me now."
She snorted. "Sean, all I do is talk about me when I come to see you."
"True." He laughed.
"What's going on?"
"I had a date tonight," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "You stood me up for a sure thing?"
"First," he lifted a finger to stop her, "she wasn't a sure thing. We had a nice dinner together, walked around the Point, then I took her home, walked her to the door and said goodnight. So watch yourself."
Automatically her hands went to her hips. "You watch yourself."
Yeah, he did need to be careful around his cousin. The men that constantly surrounded Courtney could be trigger-finger happy fools. All of the guys in the house wouldn't hesitate to put a gun to his temple if he pissed her off.
"Listen, the reason I came here is because I needed to talk to someone about her. I need your advice," he said.
"Oh," she said surprised.
"Yeah, oh," he mocked.
"What's the problem?" she asked. Derrick handed her a bottle of water then silently left the room. Man, he always got the impression Derrick didn't like him or Ryan, but knew that was far from the truth. His closed off personality made it uneasy being in his presence. How Courtney managed to get through to him, he'd never know.
"She's deaf," he threw out there.
She tilted her head to the side.
"Well, she wasn't born that way, something happened, and she lost her hearing. Apparently she's still adjusting. At the end of the date tonight, she immediately put up walls to try and push me away. How do I deal with that?" he asked.
"You're that into her after one date?" she asked cynically.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I bumped into her a couple of times. I can't begin to explain how beautiful she is. Her voice is so soft, almost musical. She has a shyness that's endearing, but a lack of confidence that makes me want to wrap her up and protect her."
His cousin's eyes drilled him. "You do like her."
"I wasn't lying."
"Sit." She pointed to a stool.
He cocked a brow.
"Sorry, used to Derrick ordering me to sit. I complain that I'm not a dog," she said snarky.
Soft chuckles from the men came from behind him.
"So what happened that she suddenly put up walls?" Courtney asked.
"I kissed her, but when I pulled back I didn't quite put distance between us. I spoke, forgetting she couldn't hear. I know she felt it against her skin," he explained.
His cousin cocked her head to the side curiously again. "I still don't understand why she would push you away?"
"I think it's easier than putting the effort into trying. Not only that, I have a feeling there's shit going on behind her back," he growled. "She's hesitant around men."
"What does that mean?"
"A snot-nosed nurse spilled that apparently the men of the hospital sexually harass her behind her back. Literally. Because she can't hear," he explained. "If you saw her, you'd understand. She's gorgeous. A body women dream of having."
"Wait," Courtney spat. "You are you seriously telling me that men are making comments about her behind her back purposely because she can't hear?"
Sean nodded.
"What. The. Fuck!"
"Language, Courtney Murphy!" Derrick yelled from somewhere in the house.
She rolled her eyes. Pointing at Sean, she said, "You better take care of that shit. No woman, I don't care if it is or isn't serious, deserves that kind of abuse."
Derrick appeared in the doorway. "Courtney, if you don't watch your mouth I'm going to shove something into it that will make you think twice about your language."
"You wish," she said softly.
"I'm serious." he demanded. Clearly Derrick was in a foul mood.
"Derrick," she whispered. "Please."
Drilling her with a look, he then wheeled around and marched out of the room.
"What's wrong with him?" Sean asked. Her husband was not crude, at least outside of the bedroom.
"He's as frustrated as I am with losing the pregnancy and feels I should be resting. I do when I'm tired, but I feel fine right now. A little drained, but okay," she answered. "Anyway, your problem. Does she know about what happens behind her back?"
"I think," he answered. "It would explain a lot. Like why she slides in and out of the cafeteria trying to go unnoticed. She won't look anyone in the eyes."
"Yet she stays?" Court mused more to herself than him.
"I just don't know how to handle this. Maybe it's because I don't know her," he pondered.
She pegged him. "That's because you're used to women throwing themselves at you and spreading their legs to warm your dick."
"For fuck's sake, Courtney." Derrick marched into the kitchen, and in a fireman's hold, tossed her over his shoulder. "I've had enough of that potty mouth. My wife won't speak like that. Sean, see your way out."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Sean said.
"If I'm not gagged," Courtney quipped.
Derrick smacked her ass as Sean followed them to the hallway and watched his cousin be carted upstairs. He knew better. That display wasn't about Courtney's mouth. It was about Derrick needing his time alone with his wife to take care of her health. Her foul language was the excuse. And he'd bet anything his cousin knew that as well.
On his way out the door, Sean felt disappointed. His cousin hadn't helped him with any answers on Beth. This was new territory for him. Courtney was correct in the fact that he was used to women throwing themselves at him. Having to work for a change was … novel.
6
Seated at her desk, Beth pulled up the notes on the patient whose bill was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Medicare was auditing the chart, and she had to make certain all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed before the paperwork left the office. About to plunge into the work, a large figure loomed behind her. She'd seen his shadow step into the background of her dark computer screen.
Heart fluttering with nervous excitement, he returned despite her objections.
A gentle hand landed on her shoulder. Spinning in her chair, Sean stood behind her with a giant grin donning those devastatingly handsome features. Gawd, he should be a model for SEALs 'R Us.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi."
"Lunch today?" he asked.
She nodded. There was no way she could turn him down. After he left her house last night, all she did was think of him late into the early morning hours. Thoughts of a potential future toyed with her. There'd been a time in her life when she defined herself by the man who held her heart. That changed a long time ago when she'd needed the support of her boyfriend the most, but he checked out. Disappeared. He'd left her at her most dire time.
"Good," he said. Reaching into his lab coat pocket, he pulled out a small white box tied with white string. "This is for after lunch." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I'll come and get you at noon." He sauntered off before she could argue she'd rather eat lunch a half an hour earlier.