Dangerous Love(22)

She pulled the watch out of the pouch and turned it over. Smith and Derk leaned over to read the inscription. To the man who owns my heart & soul. Love, Your Court.

Well, shit.

Smith sank back in his chair, his shoulders slumped and his head hung. Derk felt his guilt. Murphy's loyal and loving wife hadn't been up to no good. She'd been pouring her heart into a gift for her husband. All men should have a woman that devoted to them by their side. Unfortunately, Mrs. M was one of a kind and to come across another like her was impossible. Idly Derk wondered if Mackenzie might fit the same bill that Mrs. Murphy did. He rapidly squashed that random and unnecessary thought.

The trill of her cell phone interrupted them. She glanced at the caller ID and furrowed her brow.

"Mom?" she answered on the third ring. Derk watched Courtney's face go pale and her body shake. "When?" she whispered. "I'm on my way," she breathed, ending the call. "I have to go, Carlo. I'm sorry." She jumped up and ran out of the restaurant without any explanation or a proper farewell to the jeweler.

"Courtney," Derk called after her as they chased her out to the street.

Even in spike heels, the woman bolted toward her SUV.

Smith caught up to her first and spun her to face him.

"I...my...my dad," she sobbed.

"Courtney, we'll take you," Smith insisted. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to Derk's vehicle.

The three of them quickly clamored into the SUV.

"Where are we going?" Derk asked.

"Presby," she answered, her voice shaky.

Oh, shit. UPMC Presby Hospital. Not good.

Twenty-five minutes later, Derk squealed the car to a stop in front of the ER. Courtney jumped out with Smith right behind her.

Derk quickly parked his car in the garage and found his way to the waiting area of the emergency room. Courtney and her mom were sobbing in a firm embrace, their heads buried into each other's necks. Courtney's cousin Ryan, along with his own mother and father stood with them. Derk approached Smith, who stood off to the side.

"What happened?"

Smith shook his head. "Don't know."

Courtney released her mother and went to her cousin, aunt and uncle. Quiet murmurs between the Millen family started. Ryan wrapped an arm around his cousin and aunt.

"He'll be okay," Ryan said. "He's a tough man."

Shit.



***



For two hours, Derk watched Courtney pace, her mother sob, her aunt hold onto her mother, and Ryan walk in and out of the ER area. No one was allowed to see Courtney's father, which caused the entire family to sit on edge.

Derk approached Courtney.

"Do you want me to call Derrick?" he asked, again. He'd tried to get her to call Murphy immediately, but she refused, knowing he was in an important meeting. But Derk knew the deal going down wasn't anything that couldn't be put off. Derk and Smith wanted to argue that her husband would drop whatever he was doing to be by her side, but decided it was best to keep their opinions to themselves. For the moment.

Before she could answer, Sean, her cousin and Ryan's brother, stepped into the waiting area along with another doctor. Derk was a bit shocked Sean was present. First, no one mentioned he'd arrived. Though his appearance made sense since he was a cardiologist, especially given his relative status. But there remained a riff between Courtney and her cousin that kept the two from speaking to each other. Well, it was more one-sided with Sean ending his close relationship with his formerly beloved cousin. Their battle stemmed from an overheated dinner party where things got out of control with Sean’s then girlfriend, now wife and mother of his twin girls, Beth.

The look on her cousin's face was morbid. Derk leaned over to Smith and murmured, "Call Derrick."

Smith quickly and quietly left the area.

Sean went straight to his mother and his aunt. "Aunt Sarah, I’m so sorry," he said softly.

"Oh God, Sean. Please, please, please," Courtney cried out. "No....no..."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Murphy," the elder doctor said sympathetically. "We did everything we could."

Courtney stumbled back, her hand going to her head. "Dad," she whispered.

Derk jumped behind her, catching her before she hit the ground. "Come, Mrs. Murphy, let's sit."

She looked up at Derk, her eyes wide, filled with terror. "Derrick."

"We called him."

Sean approached her, taking her off Derk's hands, and wrapped his oversized arms around his cousin. Their ongoing battle temporarily forgotten. Mrs. Millen cried into Ryan's chest while their mother sobbed into her husband’s stunned body. Ryan and Sean's father and Courtney's father were brothers.

Derk wanted to protest Sean comforting Mrs. Murphy. The asshole had been nothing but cold and unforgiving to her. She deserved better than his compassion, which Derk would bet anything would be short lived. Fucker.