Page 149 of Deacon

Deacon

The new ER had bones now.

Steel framing rose over the packed dirt, plywood closed in sections that had been open sky a week ago, and men moved through half-formed hallways carrying tools, conduit, tile, and the thousand other things it took to turn plans into someplace people would eventually trust with their lives. Priest, Archangel, and I stepped around a stack of drywall while the site buzzed around us.

Archangel took in the progress with his usual measured stare. “It’s comin’ along.”

Blue stood near what would become the main nurses’ station with rolled plans under one arm, talking to the foreman while Evan pointed toward the ceiling like a badly placed fixture had insulted him personally. Lila was a few feet away with a clipboard, listening to a supervisor explain a change to the trauma-bay storage.

My attention went straight to her.

Priest noticed. The bastard noticed everything. For once he kept it to himself.

Blue spotted us and smiled. “You made it.”

“Had to come see where all the money we’ve been fundraisin’s been goin’,” Priest said, slipping close enough to brush his hand over the small of her back.

Blue rolled her eyes even as she leaned into him. “That is such a romantic thing to say.”

“I got range.”

Evan made a face at both of them. “I hate when you two are smug in public.”

Lila turned at the sound of us, and that little shift happened in her face again. Barely there. Awareness more than surprise, like neutral had become something neither of us knew how to do anymore.

I crossed to her and held out the coffee I’d brought. “Brought you somethin’, Princess.”

Her eyes dropped to the cup and came back to mine. “You remembered.”

“Always do.”

Her fingers brushed mine when she took it. Small thing. Stupid thing. Still felt like winning.

“Well,” a man said behind us, light and pleasant, “this place is really looking like it is coming together.” Every muscle in me went still before I turned.

Dr. Mason Reid stood a few feet away holding another coffee.

For Lila.

After I heard she had coffee with him, I had Ghost look him up. I feel no shame about it.

Clean-cut, all-American handsome. Button-down shirt, expensive-looking watch, doctor posture. The kind of face hospital boards trusted on sight and mothers probably pointed out to their single daughters. He looked from the cup in Lila’s hand to the one he was holding and recovered fast enough to annoy me.

Lila cleared her throat. “Dr. Reid. What are you doing here?”

“I was in the area apartment hunting for when I transfer.” He lifted the coffee slightly. “Thought I’d stop by, bring you coffee, check in.”

I said nothing. Didn’t need to. Priest’s gaze moved between us while Blue edged closer to him, and Evan went quiet in the unmistakable way he did when something entertaining threatened to happen.

Lila lifted my coffee. “Thank you, but as you can see, I already have coffee.”

Mason shrugged. “Then maybe you can save this one for later.”

Before Lila could answer, I took it out of his hand.

Mason stared at me. I passed it to Priest.

Priest accepted it without hesitation and handed it to Blue with a tiny smirk. “Here, baby. Have a coffee to get you through the rest of the day.”