Daughter Dearest

by Nikki Bopp

  “I imagine. You used to live out East, right?” She hums in acknowledgment, her fingers fiddling with the hospital band on her wrist. “I imagine this is all very difficult. Moving across the country is hard enough, but leaving everything behind, your friends, family, husband, and making a life here. I don't know if I could have the guts to do something that big.”

  “How do you know I was married?”

  “Huh?” I ask, even though I know what I said but needing a moment to gather my thoughts. She hasn't said anything about it to me before, so how the hell would I know that she was married? “Oh, Mia mentioned it to me once that you were married.”

  Good save.

  “Makes sense,” Jenny murmurs to herself, her fingers reaching for the wedding band that isn't there. Thanks to Dan’s PI, I know that it was precisely two days after moving to Washington that she threw her rings in the trash, leaving her with just her grandmother's engagement ring. I know that she spent the rest of the night crying herself to sleep because of the freedom that simple gesture gave her.

  Is it weird that I know that? Shoving aside my moral compass, I focus on the lines of her face, the perfect oval curvature of her face, and the plush lips that I dream of every night. Soon enough, I will have her in my bed, and there won't be a question about who owns her heart.

  “What did Edward mean?”

  “What do you mean?” I ask even though we both know what she’s talking about. The idea that she would think we’re gay is so ridiculous, but looking back doesn’t seem all that absurd. Dan and Ed are the only people I have left on this earth and having known each other for so long; we pretty much forget that other people have defined boundaries. Fortunately for both of us, that's something that neither of us has ever been interested in but explains some of the looks and comments that have been made at the office.

  “You're not gay?”

  “Last time I checked, no. I'm not gay, and neither is Ed as far as I’m aware.” There's always the chance he could have ventured there. He's always been a bit of a wild child.

  “Is Daniel?” I’d have to be stupid not to see where her mind is going, but I decide to play it dumb and answer her question with a shrug.

  “Why don't you ask him yourself?” She responds with a shrug of her own. Even from across the room, I can see the steam rolling out of her ears with all the thoughts roiling around in her mind.

  It might do her some good to ponder a bit, I decide to myself and roll onto my back as though going to sleep. It's only a couple minutes later, minutes I thought that she might have fallen asleep, that I hear a sniffle. Doubt is an evil bitch, but she slithers into my mind with a vile hiss making me feel like even more of a jackass for making a woman cry when she's already in the hospital.

  Wracking my brain for something to say, my thoughts are halted by her tearful words, “Why don't you like hospitals?”

  Jenny

  Even from my position across the room, I can see the tension like a physical being. His muscles immediately tighten with my words, the movement of his chest speeding up with his increased heartbeat.

  Interesting, I think to myself, genuinely interested to hear who or what-

  “My father was a doctor,” Patrick replies, halting my internal musings.

  “Was?”

  “His license was taken away nearly a decade ago. I haven't spoken to him for nearly as long now.” The words are thick with emotion, and it makes me feel like an ass for the asking at all.

  “I'm sorry,” I whisper, feeling like a complete jerk. There's no way I could have known, but that thought doesn't make it any easier.

  “Don't be sorry,” Patrick snaps angrily, turning his face so I can see the fire burning in the blue depths. “He’s a piece of shit who never gave a shit about my mother or me.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. The only reason I’m so familiar with hospitals isn't that he was a doctor, but rather that more often than not, his beatings ended up going from bruises to broken bones. Something even a doctor at home can’t fix without someone noticing.”

  “I-I…,” my words stutter to a halt before escaping me entirely. Flashbacks of the fists and snarled curses being hurled at me are forefront in my mind making me wish I was unconscious again. At least then, I could escape the pain and sorrow of being unable to protect my child. So many times, I wished for the man to be dead so that he could never hurt Eva or myself again. The only thing I can be thankful for is that my body never failed me when I needed to protect her. When those fists were aimed for her tiny face, my body was willing to take them for her over and over again. No child should have to go through that. It hurts my heart to think of Patrick having to go through that, of his father mending the wounds only to open them again later.

  “It's alright,” Patrick interjects while I struggle to make heads and tails of my thoughts. “A lot of people are surprised when I tell them. They don't know how to react, what to say. It's hard to feel empathy for something like that.”

  “No, it's not,” Patrick rolls onto his side to give me a raised brow, but I keep my eyes focused on the ceiling above my head. “My husband, my ex-husband, wasn't the nicest of men. He wasn't a doctor, but he had enough money to buy any doctor he wanted.”

  Silence meets my words, and when I hear Patrick shift on his bed, I assume it's him going to sleep. When the side of my bed dips suddenly, I let out a squeak of surprise to find Patrick hovering over me with a serious look. Feeling exposed, I pull the covers higher in an attempt to hide from his probing gaze.

  “Move over,” he demands abruptly, the blue of his eyes softening to a color of a calm sky. Without thinking about it, or what he's even asking, I scootch as far over on the bed as I can without falling off the other side. With an easy flex of muscles, he settles on the bed beside me, his head propped on the same pillow. Since he's not wearing his glasses, I can't help but admire the thick black lashes that flutter against his cheeks when he closes his eyes. A couple of minutes go by, my body rigid and sitting at a severely uncomfortable angle.

  “Will you relax? I'm not going to hurt you,” Patrick whispers, splaying his hands at his sides to show he isn't making a move towards me. That's the least of my worries, though. I'm just unsure how to react in this sort of situation. Patrick is my boss. There should be a very definite line between us, but by him joining me in bed, he somewhat blurred that line, and I'm honestly not sure how to respond. I know that if I go to sleep with him in bed with me, I will end up curled into his side. If I ask him to leave, he might not ever want to get in bed with me again, and that is something that I’m not sure I’m willing to risk.

  One moment, I'm staring at his much larger body next to mine, and the next, I'm being woken up to birds chirping outside of the window. Stretching lazily, I hug the pillow against my chest tighter, curling deeper into the soft depths when a masculine chuckle sounds behind me, my entire body freezing in confusion.

  Attempting to scoot forward and away from the man, I'm held back by the arm wrapped around my waist. Who the fuck…! My rising panic is squashed by the rush of events from the past twenty-four hours and the confirmation of who is wrapped around me like an octopus. Taking quick stock of my body, I am relieved to find that my hospital gown is still in place, but really, how much is that going to stop someone?

  “Good morning,” Patrick murmurs around a jaw cracking yawn, his arm slipping away when he rolls onto his back beside me.

  “Good morning,” I reply, doing the same, actively trying to forget the feel of his body so close to mine. This was certainly an unusual way to wake up, and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. When Patrick gets up to go to the bathroom without another word, I decide to brush it aside and act as though nothing happened. Two adults can cuddle in bed together without it being a thing, right?

  “Are you sure you're feeling alright to walk?” Mia asks for the seventh time, a frown permanently pasted on her face as she walks beside us to the hospital exit. Nurse Delaney was quite
put upon when I refused a wheelchair but understood when I explained that I was feeling perfectly fine.

  “I've made it this far, haven't I?” The snark in my voice is broken by the tongue I stick out at her sour puss face, which only makes Edward snort out a laugh. “You see that, Mia? He thinks I’m funny.”

  Rolling her eyes at me, Mia mumbles something under her breath that I can't hear, but Daniel, standing on her other side, freezes with a look of surprise.

  “What?” I ask them both. Mia gives me a confused expression until noticing Daniel behind her. Her confusion quickly morphs into something unreadable before being wiped away entirely. Daniel simply gives me a wink and a shrug.

  “Mommy!” Screaming at the top of her lungs, Eva rips herself away from Breezy and launches herself at me with a squeal of excitement. Edward’s hand on my shoulder is the only thing that keeps me from falling over.

  “Woah there!” Wrapping my arms around her smaller form, I send up a silent prayer that she wasn't there Friday to witness the accident. And that I have a lot more friends than I expected if I’m able to count my bosses in that category. I've certainly never had a boss stay with me in the hospital. Or kiss me.

  The past twenty-four hours have been enlightening and confusing as hell. It only gets even more baffling when Eva turns her big doe eyes up to Daniel with the biggest smile.

  “Are we going to go see the flutteries now?”

  “Not today Princess,” Daniel replies, making me nearly face plant again. Even more surprising is the flush that creeps up his neck at my raised brow. Giving me a shrug, he turns his attention back to Eva. “Your mommy isn’t probably feeling good enough to go see the butterflies today, but we’ll go soon. Maybe next weekend, if you're good for your mom, m’kay?”

  Bouncing with excitement, Eva gives me a pleading stare, “Please, mommy! I'll be good. I won't even ask to swing on the big swing. Can we go see the flutteries?”

  “I...uh…,'' I'm not sure when any of this happened, but between the begging from the toddler in my arms and the grown CEO in front of us, I know I won't win this fight. I just want to know when these two decided to team up on poor old mom. “Yeah, maybe. We’ll see what happens.”

  Snickering under his breath, Edward whispers something in Patrick’s ear, drawing my attention to the two men, and Breezy. Who seems to be standing extremely close to Edward’s side. My gaze narrows on the beautiful blond and the dagger-like nails that she's slowly sinking into his thousand-dollar suit, her megawatt smile firmly in place. As grateful as I am for her being here and watching Eva for me while getting discharged, the last thing I want is for her to be hitting on my boss. He could do so much better.

  The thought brings me up short. Breezy may be flirty and uncommitted to just about anything, but she’s been my friend for a long time. She has helped me out when I needed her and been there for Eva when I couldn't be. Not to mention, Edward and her are both adults and are more than capable of handling themselves.

  Against my will, a flash of the two of them locked in each other’s arms sears into my retinas, making me wish I truly was blind. My hand clenches at the image, an emotion I haven't felt in a long while rushing through me on a tidal wave.

  “I don't think Jenny is quite feeling up to that yet,” Mia’s voice, full of iron, interrupts my thoughts.

  “Huh?” I ask, averting my eyes from the hand curling around Edward’s forearm. The urge to smack Breezy upside the head is strong, but I push it back with all my will. I'm just a lowly assistant, and I have no sway over the two of them getting together, even if it does make my blood boil.

  “I was just telling Breezy that I don't think you're feeling up to a girls night at this point.” Mia quirks a brow at me, questions swirling in her eyes, but given the mixed company, it's probably not best that I call Breezy out right here and now.

  No, Jenny, you're not calling her out at all. She's an adult, and Ed is an adult. But the hell out.

  “No, I don't think so. I just want to go home and take it easy for the rest of the weekend.” Straightening, I tuck Eva into my legs, refusing to let her go after being without her for an entire night. It's been so long since I’ve had any time with her, and while it's nice to be working again, it's hard being away from her so long. Let alone an entire night. I can't recall the last time I had a night to myself without her around or in the house.

  “Aw, well, we’ll have to do it another time. It's been so long since we’ve been able to catch up,” Breezy gives me a conspiratorial wink, her hand running over Edward’s arm in a sort of caress. I'm not even sure how she knows him, or if she even does. Breezy has a way of working herself into your life without you realizing it. Or in men’s cases, in her bed without even seeing the trap before it’s sprung.

  “It has. By the way, have you met my boss, Edward Maccini?” The muted conversation that Ed was having with Patrick stops at my words, his head swiveling to focus on me with a confused and expectant expression.

  “Hmm?”

  “Mr. Maccini, this is Breezy,” the confusion only increases when he looks down at the blond bombshell literally hanging on his arm.

  “Hello, nice to meet you.” Edward pulls his arm free of her grip, offering his hand to shake. Taking it almost daintily, Breezy uses the appendage to pull him forward, laying a ruby red kiss on his cheek.

  “Alright,” Daniel interjects, pulling my attention from the couple. “Let's get you two home.” Offering his arm to me, I hesitantly take it and follow behind the taller man when he leads me to the idling SUV sitting just outside of the hospital entrance. Surprisingly, Wyatt steps out of the passenger side and opens the back door for us to slide in.

  “Wyatt!” Happiness runs through me at seeing his face.

  “Ms. Ray.”

  “Stop that!” Wrapping him in a hug, I make sure to give him an extra tight squeeze that pulls a huff of surprise out of his barrel-sized chest. “I'm so glad you're okay.”

  “Me? You're the one that got hit by a car,” the quirk to his lips slowly falls away to be replaced by something much sadder. “I'm sorry, I should have walked you across the street. I just never would have thought…”

  “Oh, stop. It is what it is, and there's nothing that can be done.”

  Giving me a smile and a jerky nod, he gestures for us to climb in. Turning to grab Eva, I freeze at the sight of Ed and Breezy deep in conversation, the auburn color of his hair catching the morning light.

  “Mommy?” Eva whispers, her hands raised and waiting for me to lift her into the car.

  “Sorry, baby.” Lifting her into the car, I ignore the sound when Edward barks out a laugh loud enough to make Eva look around in confusion. “Just ignore it.”

  Sitting beside her, I get her into the pink booster seat that was so thoughtfully installed and settle myself beside her.

  “Thanks, Wyatt,” Daniel says, pulling out his phone the moment his seat belt is buckled, his hands tapping away furiously on the screen. This reminds me that I haven't checked my phone since Friday morning, but when I pull it out, it’s to find that the battery is dead.

  Tossing the hunk of plastic back into my purse, I focus on the city passing us by and not on the CEO growling beside me. I didn't think CEOs growled, but the low rumble escaping his lips is enough to prove me wrong. Several minutes of this goes by, his annoyance becoming even more prominent by the angry typing and mumbled insults under his breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I can make out the colored bubbles of his texting app.

  So, it's someone that's making him mad, and it's not me.

  The thought makes me snicker to myself, and when Eva tilts her face up to mine with a furrowed brow, I shake my head. “Nothing, baby.”

  Just as we’re pulling up outside the apartment, Daniel lets out a loud grunt of annoyance and drops his phone in his lap with disgust. Even knowing that it's not a good idea and that it sure as hell isn't any of my business, I can't help the words from spilling from between my lips.

  “
Trouble in paradise?” A grumble is his only reply making me all the more curious. Is it a girlfriend? Perhaps the woman who answered his phone? I haven't heard anything about him being in a relationship, but I also had not kissed the man at that point. I don't see him as the cheating type, but you never know about some people, and I refuse to be the other woman. I left a shitty marriage, and I certainly don't want to end up helping some sleaze ball cheating on his wife or girlfriend.

  “I understand that,” sighing dramatically, I eye the man out of the corner of my eye to see his reaction. “Relationships are difficult.”

  My words bring his head around so fast, it's a wonder he doesn't have whiplash. He doesn't say anything for a moment, his face stoic as he stares at me. It's only after his eyes flicker to Ben and Wyatt in the front seat does his demeanor seem to soften, the plush flesh of his lips quirking into a half-smile.

  “That would require me being in a relationship,” mouth agape, I can only stare at the spot the man previously occupied when he hops out of the car. He quickly rounds the vehicle to open the opposite door and help Eva down to the wet sidewalk outside.

  When he offers his hand, I gratefully take the help and slide to the ground beside him, trying to ignore the shock of electricity that seems to arc between us. For a moment, however brief, it's as though everything around us has faded. My eyes are ensnared by his until I feel as though I'm falling through his very soul. It's only when the skies open above us to spill a torrential rainfall that we are forced to retreat. Pulling Eva behind me, we rush up the steps of our building to the awning that hangs over the entrance.

  Unlocking the door, I let Eva go ahead before turning to look down at Daniel. Standing completely still, and soaked to the bone, he is focused entirely on us, on me. Pushing the wet hair out of his face, Daniel gifts me with one of his beautiful smiles and melting my heart in the process. He spins on his heel, walking back to the open door of the car and slides in without a second glance. The car takes off immediately, the taillights quickly disappearing in the heavy rain.