Saving Forever - Part 4 Read Free

father shook his head. “Why in the world would you do that? How many times have I warned you to stay away from them?” He threw his hands in the air and looked at the attorney. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what kind of damage control needs to be done.”
    Charity glared at her father. She knew he was under a lot of pressure but it still did not give him the excuse to blame her. “I’m not a dummy!” She tossed his sandwich across the table. It landed perfectly in front of him, wrap still on. “You need to relax.”
    “It’s not your hospital’s reputation on the line.”
    “No, but it’s my fiancé’s rep that’s taking a beating.” She held her head high, refusing to look away from her father. There were moments they were making a connection and then moments like this that reminded Charity why she had walked away after her mother’s death. “If you had let me finish my sentence you wouldn’t have needed to overreact.”
    The ever-calm attorney nodded his head, pen in hand. “Go on.”
    “It’s not a big deal.” Charity shrugged and leaned back against her chair. “I was coming up the steps with the subs, when a media guy came up and took a picture.” She turned to Elijah, as the conversation had originally been meant for him. “Craig was his name. He said you did surgery on his knee.”
    “Craig?” Elijah’s eyes squinted slightly as he stared at the wall a moment, trying to remember who he was. He snapped his fingers when something connected. “He works for the Associated Press – AP. Good guy…” He tilted his head at Charity. “I think. What did he say?”
    “He just wanted me to tell you he was on your side. He said he met Laura and that she was a nut-job.”
    Her father smiled. “I like Craig.”
    Elijah chuckled. “Me, too.”
    Charity laughed and handed him his sandwich. “Figures.” She snapped her fingers. “He’s a good-looking guy, she probably hit on him as well. I should have asked.”
    “Wouldn’t surprise me.” Elijah began unwrapping his lunch.
    The attorney leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Do you think he would be willing to testify?”
    Elijah shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m not sure how Craig telling the court that Laura’s a nut-job would make a good argument.”
    Charity glanced back and forth between the two men. “He did mention his comment was on or off the record. If she did hit on him or make a comment toward Elijah while in the room, it could be useful. Another hot guy might show the judge she’s the unstable one.”
    The attorney began scrolling through his phone. “AP, right? I’ll see if I can get in contact with him.”
    “I can just go back outside and look for him.” Charity started to rise out of her chair. “I’m sure I could get him to come inside and talk. He actually seemed like a pretty decent guy.”
    Elijah put a gentle hand on her arm. “Stay here and eat. We’ll get a hold of him. I’ll call the hospital and get someone to find his contact information.”
    “We’re going to need him to testify. It can’t just be a letter. If he’s good-looking, we need to show that.” The attorney pulled a sheet of paper out of his briefcase. “They can fax him my contact information or I can drop this off personally.” He turned to Dr. Scott Thompson. “I’ve had another lawyer from our firm draw up a work-relationship policy since you don’t have one in place at the hospital. It isn’t required by law but I think if we submit it to the judge, it’ll help show the hospital is taking preventative steps so this doesn’t happen again.”
    Her father nodded. “Whatever it takes. I want this damn thing over.”
    “I agree. This obsessed woman tried to take your daughter and now your hospital away from you. She’s trying to ruin your future son-in-law’s reputation as well. There doesn’t seem to be anyone backing up her side of the story. This is going to blow over soon.”
    “Not fast enough for me,” Dr.