Daughter Dearest

by Nikki Bopp

  “What do you mean? You're the one worrying about work while literally lying on death's doorstep!” Daniel replies with a childish stomp to punctuate his sentence. Edward and Patrick both nod in agreement, their arms cross in sync to show their solidarity.

  “Of course, I'm worried about my job. I have a child to care for, I can't afford to lose my job.”

  “Be serious,” Edward rolls his eyes with a short laugh. “You're not going to lose your job.”

  “Excuse me? I'm fucking serious! You guys may be able to afford to live on your savings for a while, but I just moved here. I have no one other than Mia and myself. I have no life to go back to. I need this job to live.” My words end on a tearful sob that is stifled by Mia’s shoulder when she leans in to cradle my shaking body against her own. Before I can stop it, everything that I've been fighting hits me like a train. Worries, fears, and doubts drown me under their stifling presence, my chest fighting for our next breath.

  “Hey, hey, hey,” the softly cooed words are like a soothing balm to my ravaged soul, the torn and mangled edges smoothing under his gentle caress. Millennia, or a minute later, the pain begins to ebb, allowing the words being whispered in my ear to filter through my brain and making me realize that Daniel somehow replaced Mia without me noticing.

  “When I was little, the only thing I wanted was for my father to be there. We were barely making it through. My dad was working three jobs to make sure we could afford rent and keep food on the table. I knew how hard he worked, I would see it every day when he came home and literally passed out from exhaustion. Perhaps it was selfish of me to be so needy, to wish my father was there for breakfast, and to help me with my homework. My mother, she was wonderful, but it's not the same. I felt responsible. If I wasn't there, he wouldn't need to work so hard, and then he and mom wouldn't have had so many fights when he was actually around. When he eventually got into the right business and money came more freely, I prayed that things would change. I thought he would come to my soccer games, and teach me how to fix a car, those stereotypical all-American things.”

  Scoffing under his breath, Daniel continues in a voice I’ve never heard before, “Eventually, he became the CEO of his own company and had finally risen to the level he had always dreamed of. He had everything he wanted, a beautiful wife, a smart son, and all the riches he could imagine, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to save the whole goddamn world. The only thing is, he was so intent on saving the world, he couldn't save those that loved him most.”

  Daniel’s words halt, his heart beating beneath my ear and making me realize that I’m cradled against his chest, the clean scent of his cologne in my nose, and his words seeping into my very soul. The anguish in his voice, the vulnerability only makes this more real. Inhaling deeply, I simply lay there against him, offering my silent support while he bares himself to me.

  “It was the day of my high school graduation when I found out about his death. He was killed in Kuwait during a well-digging operation. He...he-” Daniel’s words cut off abruptly, his entire body shaking before the words can even be spoken. My arms, which had been lying at my side, immediately move to wrap around him, but he pulls away before I can. The red rim around his eyes and glassy sheen are apparent, but I decide not to show sympathy because the clenched jaw is enough of a sign. He doesn't want my pity or even my compassion.

  “I'm telling you this, Jenny because I don't want you to end up like my father. I don't want Eva to wonder where her mother is and why she doesn't braid her hair or do any of that girly stuff. I don't want you to worry about your job because amazingly enough, I'm not a total asshole. I want you to show up when you're supposed to, and leave when you're supposed to. I want you to live your goddamn life and be happy. Go to dance recitals and pageants, and be there for your daughter.”

  Averting my eyes, mainly because I don't want him to see the tears forming, I realize that the rest of the room is empty.

  “Jenny,” Daniel demands, my gaze moving back to his involuntarily, unable to resist the dominant tone. “I don't want Evangeline to grow up chasing after your dreams like I'm doing with my dad’s. I want her to see you succeed and find her own path.”

  I can't stop the tears that begin to trail down my face in rivulets, but I keep my spine straight and my eyes glued to Daniel’s. “I will never allow my daughter to follow anything but her own dreams.”

  “That's my girl,” Daniel replies with the most breathtaking smile. For a moment, I feel like all the air in the world is sucked from the room, my own lungs freezing to take in the pure majesty that is an open Daniel Price. Before I can stop myself, my lips are on his. He doesn't hesitate one bit and immediately takes control of the kiss until I’m reeling with lust. The CEO doesn't take prisoners, he completely overwhelms and plunders, his tongue invading my mouth with a bruising force that only makes me want him more.

  All too soon, there is a knock at the door that makes me jump away guiltily. Edward and Patrick enter with matching looks of worry that quickly turns speculative. It could be the dazed expression on my face or the swollen lips that ache for more.

  “Everything alright?” Patrick asks with a raised brow, his azure eyes moving between us.

  “Yeah,” I reply, wincing internally at the huskiness in my voice. Daniel’s phone ringing halts anymore conversation, and when he pulls it from his pocket, a serious expression falls over him.

  “Excuse me, I have to take this.” Nearly running from the room, I wonder who is so important to make a CEO run anywhere. The thought causes a rush of guilt to wash over me. Was it the girl who answered his phone the first day? Was it his girlfriend? Fiancé? What if he only kissed me out of pity? The poor woman who wasted half of her life in a terrible marriage and is now struggling to get by. All the what-ifs are like a siren in my ear, screaming at me for every misstep.

  “How are you feeling?” Patrick interrupts my self-doubts, his voice soft and filled with worry. “Do you need anything?”

  “No. I'm okay.” My words are short and clipped, my emotions roiling inside of me like a hurricane. Daniel Price is a mystery. One minute I think there's something between us, and the next, he's like a brick wall that I keep bashing my head against. Not to mention Edward and Patrick, who are just as confusing.

  Figuring I can’t fuck up my situation anymore than I already have, I throw out the question that’s been sitting in my mind for the past week. “So, are you two lovers?”

  Edward’s eyes widen in shock, his mouth gaping open like a fish. At the same time, Patrick bursts into a round of uncontrollable laughter.

  “W-what?” Edward finally sputters out, glaring at Patrick when he only laughs harder. Before either of us can say anything further, the door to the room pops open, a small bundle of happiness squealing in excitement enters.

  “Mommy!” Eva launches herself at me, nearly missing the bed in the process and taking me with her to the ground. Thankfully I'm able to right us before we both end up with nice sized goose eggs on our heads. “I'm so glad you're awake. I thought you were going to die!” The dramatic words only make me shake my head.

  “I'm not going to die, baby girl.” My arms tighten around her much smaller body, so grateful for her at this moment. This little girl is the reason I keep on going, she's the reason for everything I do. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “Eva ate all of her dinner, so I owed her a bowl of ice cream,” Mia adds, closing the door behind her and making me decide that I need to put a bell on it or rust the hinges, so it makes some sort of noise when people enter.

  “Ooo, sounds like you're being a good girl for Aunt Mia.”

  Eva nods her head enthusiastically, her curls bouncing wildly around her all-teeth-baring smile. “I am being a good girl! I even shared it with Wyatt.”

  “Wow.”

  “Mia says that we’re gonna have a sleepover tonight,” brow furrowing, she looks between Mia and me with confusion. “But Mia said you can't come.”<
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  Pulling her in tighter, I kiss her on top of her head and send Mia a grateful look. “That's right, pumpkin. Mommy’s doctor said I need to have a sleepover here tonight, but I'll be home tomorrow.”

  “Okay…,” Eva lets out a put-out sigh. “I guess we can have a sleepover without you.”

  “Oh, I know you'll have fun. Be good for Mia, okay?” Giving her another tight hug, I help her down from the bed and tearfully watch her leave with Mia feeling like my heart is being ripped from my chest.

  A throat clearing makes me jump, a short shriek escaping before I can stop it. I entirely forgot about Edward and Patrick still in the room, which is pretty surprising given their pretty commanding auras. The door pops open, a nurse sticking her head in with a worried expression.

  “Everything okay, miss Ray?”

  “Yes, sorry. I just startled myself.”

  “Okay…,” the nurse gives Edward and Patrick a suspicious glare. “Well, the doctor did recommend you try and get some rest tonight, so it would probably be best for your guests to take their leave.”

  “Oh, okay.” We both focus on the two men standing off to the side, neither of which moves a muscle. “Umm…”

  Stepping fully into the room, the nurse holds the door open, her face setting into the most pissed off expression I’ve ever seen. I almost want to get up and get out, and it's not even focused on me. Eventually, Edward caves, his eyes dropping to the floor in surrender.

  “Alright. Come on, Pat, let's grab some food.”

  “Actually,” shifting from foot to foot, Patrick looks between Edward, the nurse, and myself with a conflicted face. “I thought I might stay the night with Jenny.” When the nurse opens her mouth to argue, he interrupts her with a hurried assurance, “On the pull-out couch.”

  Snapping her mouth closed, the nurse gives Patrick a death glare but turns to me for an answer.

  “I guess that’d be fine,” I sputter out, afraid that she might kick me out with the rest of them. The nurse, I should learn her name, gives me a curt nod and gestures to Edward and then the door, a mute ‘get the hell out.’ Chuckling, Edward claps Patrick on the shoulder before sauntering to my bedside.

  Gifting me with his pearly white smile, Edward lifts my hand to his mouth, his warm breath fanning across the skin and sending a rush of gooseflesh up my arm. “In answer to your question, no. I prefer the company of the female variety.” Before I can process his words, he lowers his lips to my hand in the faintest brush of a kiss, and then he's gone.

  Chapter 13

  Midnight Confessions

  Patrick

  “Here you go,” nurse Delaney hands me a stack of linens, her eyes hard. I'm not sure if she is just pissy at us in general, or if she thinks I’m going to try something with Jenny in the middle of the night. Honestly, the only thing I'm looking forward to is getting some rest. I’m regularly up by four am to get to the gym before work, and I'm very strict about my sleep schedule. Looking at the clock, I'm about an hour past my regular bedtime, and my body definitely won't let me forget it if the bone-deep exhaustion is anything to go by.

  “Do you need me to get you anything, sweetheart?” Ms. Delaney’s voice is coated in enough sugar to give the damn tooth fairy a cavity. I can't hear Jenny’s reply from my position across the room, the blankets in my arms forgotten as I strain to make out her words.

  “Of course,” patting Jenny on the hand, nurse Delaney opens up a cupboard to pull out an extra pillow. Before anyone can ask, or maybe no one was going to by the nurse’s glare, I'm helping Jenny into a sitting position so she can prop the pillow behind her.

  “Much better, thank you.” Jenny gifts me with a smile bright enough to melt my damn heart. I could never imagine something so small making such a difference, but if I need to adjust every pillow she lays on for the rest of her life, I'm that man. Just call me the pillow plumper.

  I sound like a total jackass. Shaking my head in annoyance, grateful that Jenny can’t read my mind because she'd probably have me committed. I may come off as the smart one of our group, but I'm so far away from that.

  The room is quiet, making me realize that the women are both staring at me expectantly.

  “Uh, sorry, lost in my thoughts.” Moving back to my makeshift bed, I try to keep my eyes focused on my task, especially when the nurse exits the room leaving us alone. The quiet shuffle from her bed is a distraction, but I force my eyes forward, straightening the blankets over and over. An army sergeant would be happy with my work.

  More shuffling followed by a groan of pain from Jenny shatters my concentration, my head snapping around to see the woman attempting to get up from the hospital bed.

  “Whoa! What are you doing?” Rushing over, I grab her by the forearms when she starts to sway. Her eyes clench shut in pain, making me feel like even more of an ass for basically yelling at her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she whispers, her hand coming up to rub at her temple. “My head is killing me, but I need to pee.”

  A chuckle works its way up my throat, but I cut it off before she hears it. “Alright, well, let me help you to the bathroom. I don't want you falling.” This is the exact reason why I wanted to stay with her. Nurses are amazing, but they can't be with the patient every second of every day, and I don't want to risk anything happening to Jenny if I can prevent it. It may not be my fault that she was in the accident in the first place, but it doesn't take away the guilt that I feel about it.

  “I'm okay,” Jenny waves off my concern and tries to take a step forward, nearly face planting in the process.

  “Yeah, you're not okay. Just let me help you in there.” She grumbles but offers her elbow to me. Wrapping one arm around her back, I hold onto her arm with the other and help her shuffle towards the open doorway, the toilet visible under the harsh bathroom lights. I know how much they're going to hurt her eyes, just like the room lights did, so I make sure to cut them off as soon as the switch is within reach.

  Hospital gowns are not runway-worthy, but seeing Jenny in the mirror and on my arm, makes me feel like the luckiest man alive. I don't even try to catch a glimpse of her beautiful ass when she turns to lower herself down, the ghastly material gaping with her movement.

  Giving her a smile and a thumbs-up, I close the door, leaving it open just a sliver, so I can hear her if she needs me.

  “Everything okay?” Nurse Delaney asks, making me jump. For being an older gal, she is as quiet as a mouse.

  “Yeah, she just needed to use the restroom.”

  “Alright, well I brought her something for her head and something to help her sleep,” she holds up a small paper cup in one hand, and a styrofoam cup of water in the other. Before I can respond, the door to the bathroom opens, Jenny appearing in the frame, her face flushed beet red.

  “You okay, dear?” Nurse Delaney’s brow furrows, her mouth curving in worry, which I echo at the sight. Perhaps I shouldn't have left her alone to do her business, but I thought it would be kinder than me standing there and watching her pee.

  “Yeah,” clearing her throat, Jenny ducks her head and pushes past us towards the bed. The strings on the back of the hospital gown are tied tightly together so that no skin other than her legs is showing.

  Nurse Delaney helps her back into bed, offering the pills in her hands. With a stern glare, she leaves the room after wishing us a good night.

  Honestly, it’s like she thinks sex is the only thing on my mind. I may be a human male, but I can control my urges. Shaking my head at the door, I glance over to Jenny and find her eyes closed, her body relaxed in sleep. That's probably the fastest I’ve ever seen someone go to sleep, or maybe she's faking it because she doesn't want to talk. The great thing is, I'm not the type of person to push her. Either way, she's had a long day and deserves a little peace to herself.

  My phone, watch, and wallet are all placed on the floor beside my makeshift bed, which is really just a recliner that lies flat. I can understand the concept given the space re
striction, but I already know my back is going to be killing me by the morning. Just as I get settled, my thoughts and breathing slowing down enough for me to find some semblance of peace, Jenny’s voice whispers across the room.

  “Why did you stay?”

  My eyes pop open in surprise. Out of everything that's happened today, that is the last question I would’ve expected. Rolling onto my side so I can see her bed, I find her staring back at me, no sign of sleep visible.

  “I thought it might make you feel more comfortable to have someone here in case you need something. And honestly, I don't trust hospitals, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  She doesn't answer, but she does lower her eyes to the blankets heaped on top of her legs. Hospitals always seem to be freezing, so I'm glad the nurse had enough foresight to grab her some extra blankets.

  “I'm unfortunately all too familiar with them,” Jenny’s mouth twists, her memories very obviously at the forefront of her mind. “I just didn't expect to find myself in one so soon.”

  “What’d you mean?” From what I can remember of Daniel’s background check, Jenny doesn't have a history of any serious illnesses. The odd cold here and there isn't enough to land someone in a hospital. Bringing that up to her wouldn't be a good idea, mainly because people don't like knowing when their past is being evaluated. Or that a P.I. was hired specifically to find out every single thing about her from her favorite color to the way she likes her tea.

  Clearing my throat, I attempt for a curiously concerned tone while trying not to sound like too much of a stalker, “Oh? Did you used to have a lot of health issues?”

  “Something like that.” The sarcasm in her voice is all the more confusing, but when she doesn't say anything more, I wrack my brain for another topic.

  “You just moved here, right? How are you liking Washington?”

  “It's alright. I'm still getting used to all the hustle and bustle. I haven't worked in nearly a decade, so it can be difficult at times.”