Forbidden Prescription 3: MFM Ménage Stepbrother Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Read online

  Chapter Four

  Chad

  I woke up in the morning with a headache and sense of dread in my stomach. That, or it was the half of a pizza I devoured when I got home. Either way, it didn’t feel great.

  The mornings after parties were always rough for me. Nine times out of ten, I’d made some sort of terrible mistake that could haunt me for some time to come. On this particular morning, I was dreading going to work. What I had done was basically the equivalent of sleeping with your boss.

  I was no stranger to the one-night stand. From my college years on, meeting girls, having sex with them, and never talking to them again has worked well for me. It wasn’t always intentional to sleep with the women I met, but once I would start to talk to them and kiss them, there was no stopping me. I mean, nothing was stopping me except for the girls, which happened on occasion. But overall, my friends thought of me as a ladies’ man.

  This time was different. Something happened when we were talking that made me want to get to know her better. She was so cute and friendly, and she was different from the girls I usually went for. My usual type was girls who were either looking for a husband or those who only wanted sex. She didn’t seem to fit into either of those categories.

  From the very little I knew about Whitney so far, I knew that she was the type that you want to bring home to your parents. She was relationship material, not occasional hookup material. The other nurses made comments about her that would suggest that she was a pretty straight-laced person. She certainly wasn’t the type to hang out with a guy like me.

  I had to cover part of someone’s shift the next day, so I dragged my ass out of bed and took a steamy shower at eight. I really could have used the extra sleep, but my drunk self was never very good at accounting for my future self’s hangovers when making plans. I just hoped that the patients couldn’t smell the beer oozing out of my pores.

  In my sleepy state, I completely forgot that Whitney was seeing patients in the morning. When I saw her face from across the corridor, I ducked into an empty room. I couldn’t even rationalize what I had just done—I was never shy in these kinds of situations. In fact, I always enjoyed running into past hookups. For some reason, they always seemed rattled by my appearance. I liked to see them get riled up by me, regardless of whether I was touching them or not. It was all part of the fun.

  So, I was completely thrown for a loop when my first reaction when I saw Whitney was to hide. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I just felt like all the confidence I possessed had been sucked out of me. I wasn’t some guy who’d conquered the hardest girl to get—I was the guy who desperately wanted the girl to call me back.

  It made me feel sick. This wasn’t who I was. I had sex with women all the time, and I never caught feelings. That was a chick thing to do. There was nothing manly about what I was feeling right now. If one of my friends had described this exact situation to me, from their perspective, I would have made fun of them.

  Somehow, I managed to make it the rest of the shift without talking to Whitney. Deep down, I wanted to talk to her because I thought there could still be a chance that she would want to hang out with me again. But if I approached her and she wanted nothing to do with me, then I could never live that down.

  “Chad,” a strong, authoritative voice called from behind me. I jumped, feeling on edge from all of the hiding I had been doing. I was so preoccupied with Whitney that I completely forgot about the other person I had to be on high alert for.

  It wasn’t that my dad and I didn’t get along, but he thought I could have aimed higher with my career choice. I completely disagreed with his viewpoint, but that’s how parents and children work—parents will impose their ideas on their children and won’t understand when they don’t sink in. Besides that one little difference, my father and I got along just fine. In fact, I still spent a lot of time at his house. Why would I want to hang out in my measly apartment when I could float in my dad’s pool or play video games in his home theater?

  “Oh, hey,” I said, picking up a stack of charts so I could look busy. “What’s up?”

  “Have you checked on Mrs. Johnson yet? I’ve had two patients admitted overnight and I’m trying to get everything done by noon.”

  “We gave her a few bags of fluids and she’s already looking a little better. Her appetite is returning, so we gave her some fruit. She did tell me that I had a nice ass, so maybe you should check her brain function.”

  “No, that sounds like her,” he said nonchalantly, looking down at a file. “Sounds like she’ll be ready for discharge tomorrow. Thank goodness. I try to retire, but for some reason, I have just as many patients as ever.”

  “Is that all you wanted?” I asked. My dad was seemingly in his own little world of patients and medical records.

  “Oh, and I’m inviting guests for Christmas dinner, so I’ll need you to come over at nine tomorrow morning to help me prepare.”

  “Guests?” I asked. “I thought no one wanted to fly here this year.”

  “They don’t. That’s why I invited a friend and her daughter over. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’d like for you to look presentable and be on your best behavior.”

  “Since when do you have female friends?” I asked. I had only been in town for a handful of weeks, and I had never noticed that my dad was seeing anyone. I guess I never asked. Ever since my mom died, I’d never wanted to acknowledge the fact that my dad had needs of his own. It gave me the creeps to think about it.

  “I haven’t been seeing her for long, but I’d say things are starting to get serious,” he mused, peering out over the top of his glasses. He looked very pleased with himself.

  “Really?”

  “Why is that so hard to believe?

  “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “So who’s the lucky lady?”

  “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

  “Come on, I think I’m a little old for surprises.”

  “Nine o’clock tomorrow, Chad. Don’t be late.”

  He turned and walked away before I could protest. I suppressed an exasperated groan and went to check up on a few patients before my shift was over.

  I wasn’t really that annoyed that my dad was seeing someone. What bothered me was that a nice, relaxing day off was now changed into an event for my dad to show off to his girlfriend and her daughter. He would want me to play the part of responsible adult child, and I wasn’t in the mood for that. I just wanted to watch football, drink beer, and stuff myself with food until I was too sleepy to move. That was my ideal Christmas holiday.

  On my way home, I called my friend, Ted. Ted and I went to college together, and after graduation, he moved to the city while I was in nursing school. He worked as an accountant, and ever since I’d landed my job at the hospital, I’d been too busy to hang out. I knew he wasn’t doing much for Christmas, so I thought he could come over to my dad’s house and be a buffer between me and whoever else was going to be there.

  “Hey, man, I know you’re not doing anything tomorrow, so I need you to do me a huge favor.”

  “Depends on what it is. You’re not the only one with a rare day off,” he said.

  “I need you to come to my dad’s place for dinner. He’s inviting his girlfriend and her daughter and it’s going to be really boring. I need you to keep me entertained.”

  “Really, Chad? I doubt it could be that bad.”

  “I don’t know. My dad is being all weird and secretive about it. He’s even cooking and wants me to help. He specifically told me to make sure I look presentable.”

  “Wow, he asks too much of you,” Ted said sarcastically. “What do you know about this daughter?”

  “Not a single thing. If I know my dad, I bet she’s some rich snob. Or she’ll be really nerdy and boring.”

  “What if she’s hot?” Ted asked.

  “What if she’s sixteen?” I countered. “Are you really thinking about getting with this mystery girl?”

  “Y
ou’re the one who invited me.”

  I paused. He was right. If I wanted him to come over and provide emotional support, I needed to make this sound more enticing.

  “She could be our age,” I said. “And if my dad found his woman attractive, then there’s a chance her daughter is too.”

  “I’m not thrilled with this offer,” he said, “but if there’s going to be good food, I’m in. What do we do if the daughter is hot?”

  “What do you mean? I’m not going to do anything, you pervert. Are you asking if you can have dibs?”

  “Maybe?”

  I laughed. “If you like what you find, you can go for it. I’m staying out of this one.”

  “Okay, cool,” he said. “Let me know what time dinner is, and I’ll come over in my Sunday best. Are you sure this is fine with your dad?”

  “Yeah, it’s no problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When I got home, I flopped into my bed and pulled the sheets up over my head. My headache from the previous night’s antics throbbed as I tried to push all of my problems out of my mind. Between work, family drama, and girl problems, I was ready for a break. Unfortunately, my one big day off would be spent making small talk with strangers.

  I suppose I should have been happier for my dad. He had gone through a lot in his life and deserved to have someone to keep him company. When my mom died, my older siblings were already out of the house and had lives of their own. So, as the youngest, I felt like it was my task to spend time with my dad. However, I wasn’t always the best at that. I felt the responsibility to behave myself in front of someone he cared about. Not only would it make him happy, but it would get me off the hook and make me feel less guilty when I chose to spend my free time alone.

  Besides, I wasn’t an animal. It wouldn’t be that hard to look nice and act respectable for one afternoon. I was a sarcastic asshole with a love of beer and hot girls, but I could play the kind and caring medical professional. It would be boring, but I could do it. Then, I could find the nearest bar and chat up the poor, sad college students who couldn’t go home for the holidays. It could still be a very happy Christmas after all.

  Chapter Five

  Whitney

  I woke up on Christmas morning with a knot in my stomach. My mom had some big surprise for me and told me to keep the day completely open. I hated surprises.

  Christmas was usually a quiet affair. As an only child of divorced parents, I used to look forward to the mountains of presents I would receive from each family. Now that I was older and could buy everything I could want, it just wasn’t the same. My dad had remarried and moved with his family to Vermont, and I rarely saw him. We were never particularly close, so it didn’t break my heart to spend the rest of the holidays with my mom and her family instead.

  As I got older, even these family gatherings changed. My cousins were all around my age, and I was the only one who wasn’t married yet. In terms of being an adult, I was way behind. Most of them had their own kids and didn’t come to our holiday parties anymore. So, more often than not these days, I spend the holidays with my mom and whoever else happens to be available on that day.

  When I look back on the weeks leading up to Christmas, I could see that something was going on with her. At the time, I was too absorbed in my own work to realize that she was up to something. She didn’t take me to brunch on weekends as often, but I was so exhausted from working on-call shifts that I found it to be a relief. If I had paid attention, there would have been no surprise.

  So, a little before noon, I put on a simple long-sleeved dress with patterned tights. I liked to make a good first impression on whomever we were meeting. In my sleep-deprived state, I really believed that my mom was taking me to one of her friends’ house to set me up with their child. She had been nagging me about not going out on dates, so it seemed like the only logical answer. Plus, it would be wise of her to trick me into a blind date on Christmas Day because there was no chance I’d willingly do something like that.

  Once my hair was perfectly curled and my makeup was simple, yet sophisticated, I patiently waited in my living room for my mom to pick me up. Right on time, her black BMW pulled up into my driveway, and I greeted her with a hug.

  “When are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked nervously. I twirled a strand of hair around my finger.

  “Relax.” She laughed. “It’s going to be a nice afternoon.”

  “How can I relax when I have no idea what you’re throwing me into? It’s not some attempt to set me up with someone, is it?”

  “Don’t be so self-centered, Whitney. Did you consider that where we’re going doesn’t have anything to do with you?”

  My eyes widened. “Are you seeing someone?”

  “For such a smart girl, you aren’t very observant. I’m surprised that it took you this long to figure it out.”

  “Since when?”

  “Not long, but things are going well. Everybody’s been telling me that I seem especially happy lately. Haven’t you thought so, too?”

  The truth was, I hadn’t really noticed. But, I knew it would hurt her feelings if I didn’t at least pretend like I had.

  “I guess,” I lied, “but I didn’t think to ask. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I’m just glad that we can go public with our relationship. We wanted our kids to know before telling anyone else.”

  “How many kids does he have?”

  “Three, but only the youngest will be at dinner.”

  “Why are you smiling like that?” I asked, noting her strange grin. “You’re freaking me out.”

  She pursed her lips, trying to suppress a laugh. “I’m sorry, but it’s so much fun to watch you get all wound up. I know you don’t love surprises, but this one is especially fun for me.”

  I rolled my eyes. I just hoped that this dinner would run smoothly. If my mom was going to be serious with this guy, it would make me feel a lot better if I actually liked him.

  We pulled up to the big brick house about twenty minutes after leaving my house. He lived in an incredible neighborhood with other massive houses surrounding his.

  “Wow, Mom,” I said flatly. “He seems pretty impressive already.”

  I tried to hide my intrigue, but he really did have a beautiful home. He clearly had plenty of money to spend. We walked up the circle drive to the entrance. I balanced two pies in my hands, trying not to slip on the ice in my heels.

  When my mom rang the doorbell and Dr. Brent answered the door, my immediate reaction was to laugh. This whole thing had been a dumb joke and we were just going to spend the holiday with some of the hospital staff.

  My mom and my colleague took my laughter as a sign of joy and beamed at each other. Once I realized that my first impression was completely wrong, my knees nearly buckled.

  If my mom was dating our coworker, Dr. Brent, then our other dinner guest was none other than the guy I had hooked up with just two days ago.

  Sure enough, Chad peeked his head around the corner, his jaw dropping when he locked eyes with me.

  We were in trouble.

  Looking straight ahead, I followed my mom into the house and set the pies on the kitchen counter with a thud. I immediately realized that I was frowning, and I didn’t want to upset my mom on Christmas, so I managed to pull it into a half grimace, half smile.

  “You have a lovely home, Dr. Brent,” I said politely through gritted teeth.

  “You can call me Paul when we’re away from the hospital—but thank you. I’ve lived in this house for quite some time. I hope you’ll be spending more time over here from now on.”

  My eyes fell to the ground. Was my mother really this serious with Paul? I’d seen both of them every day for the past few months, and I hadn’t caught on to anything. I knew they were friendly, but not this friendly.

  It was weird that my mom was dating one of our coworkers, but if that were the only issue, I could get past that. The big problem was that Chad also had to be involved in
this ordeal.

  “Whitney, this is my son, Chad,” Paul said, gesturing over to an uncomfortable looking Chad.

  “Dad, we’ve met,” he said softly. “We all work together, remember?”

  “Of course.” He laughed. “And this is Chad’s friend, Ted, who is also here for some reason.”

  Ted looked like he was Chad’s age, but longer and lankier. His chestnut brown hair was casually swept to the side. He looked very handsome in his sweater and dark jeans, like he was a model in a casual wear catalogue.

  “Hi,” Ted said awkwardly, clearly the most uncomfortable looking one in the bunch. I wasn’t sure what this guy knew about our situation, but I think he could sense something was off. Neither Chad nor I could look anyone in the eyes.

  “Chad and I went to college together,” Ted explained since his friend was not helping him out with introductions. “My family lives in Florida and I have to work tomorrow, so there wasn’t enough time to go there. So, Chad invited me to have dinner with you all. I’m glad that it was okay with all of you.”

  I gave him a smug smile. The poor guy had no idea what he was getting himself into. Well, if we all had to suffer through this meal together, it was only right that he had to as well.

  “Dear?” Paul said to my mother. “Would you help me set the table?”

  They walked out of the entrance, leaving the three of us there.

  “Chad, will you check on the prime rib?” Paul called back toward us.

  “I’ll check,” Ted said too eagerly and bolted from the room. This left just Chad and me, not looking at each other and not speaking. Finally, he broke the silence.

  “This is really weird,” he muttered.

  “This is a nightmare,” I whispered back. “Did you know that this was going on?”

  “No. Did you?”

  I shook my head. “How did we miss this?”

  “I guess we had other things on our minds,” he answered.

  Chad was acting completely differently from the last time I saw him. He was so smooth and confident at that party—loud, really. Now, he was quiet and subdued, as if he was upset that I was here.