I gave him a playful kick. “I won’t if you call me a flake again.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the inside of my knee. “My family said they’ll help.”
“Oh god, no. I don’t want your family picking up things and moving them down to the truck.” That was just weird. They were billionaires. They paid other people to do that stuff for them. “We can do it.”
“And get all that stuff to the donation center?” He shook his head. “Not gonna happen. And you won’t let me pay to have someone move it, so what other choice do we have?”
“Okay, I’ll pay for it,” I said quickly.
“Baby, it’s fine.” He turned back to his paperwork. “My family doesn’t mind. We’re a tribe. When one of us needs something, we’re all there.”
On Saturday, Deacon and Derek came over to help move my stuff out of the apartment and into one of the trucks parked downstairs at the curb. I decided to donate all my furniture since Dex already had everything…and it was much nicer than the stuff I had. There was always a risk things wouldn’t work out and I’d have to buy stuff all over again, but I was confident that wouldn’t happen. Since Dex had conveyed marriage was something he wanted at some point, that was enough for me.
Derek and Deacon grabbed my three-seater couch at each end and prepared to lift it, using their legs and not their backs.
“You guys, I really appreciate you coming over, but you don’t need to—”
They lifted it with no effort and carried it out.
On the way, Deacon looked at me, wearing a confident grin that was very similar to the one Dex had sometimes. “I’m not an old man, remember?” He moved with Derek, his muscular arms popping with veins, his frame strong with definition, like he was the same age and fitness level as his son.
Dex came out of the bedroom carrying a couple boxes and set them on the counter. “They already got the couch?”
“Yeah, and your dad probably could have carried it by himself.”
He turned to look at me, giving me a knowing smirk. “You have the hots for my dad, don’t you?”
“What?” I asked, immediately embarrassed he would even ask me that. “No…I… How could you even ask me that?”
His grin widened. “It’s fine. Everyone thinks my dad is hot.”
“I don’t think he’s hot—”
“He is hot, so it’s fine. Besides, I’m gonna look like that someday, so…you’re welcome.” He gave a fake bow then turned to the boxes. “I don’t plan on jumping a guy in a bar, so I won’t have quite the sex appeal.” He grabbed the boxes and looked at me before he headed through the doorway. “Just don’t tell my mom. She’ll scratch your eyes right out.”
When everything was in the apartment, we had pizza and beers. Boxes were mainly in the bedroom and the closet, but my things were scattered everywhere. I could organize everything myself, so their work was done.
We sat at the dining table to enjoy the break. Derek had a couple beers and devoured the pizza, and Deacon stuck with water and ate his vegetarian pizza with no cheese. He was actually more ripped than his two youthful sons, but it was probably because he took his diet seriously, while the other two scarfed down whatever they wanted and relied on their metabolism to do the rest.
Dex pointed at his left eye. “It’s looking better.”
Deacon ignored his comment and took another bite of his pizza.
“Did you teach Daisy to hit like that?” Derek asked.
“That was all her, actually.” He took another bite and looked at his son across from him, who looked practically identical.
“Dad, you’ve kinda screwed us over,” Dex said. “Because Daisy is going to totally kick our asses whenever she’s pissed off.”
I chuckled because I could actually see Daisy threatening them a bit.
“Then don’t piss her off,” Deacon said simply, his eyes down on his plate of pizza.
“You think that’s easy?” Dex asked incredulously. “She’s always pissed at me for something.”
“Me too,” Derek said.
“Really?” Deacon asked. “Because she always looks happy to see me.”
Dex rolled his eyes. “Because you’re Dad.”
Derek drank his beer and washed down his last bite. “Did you get a lot of questions about it at work?”
“A couple,” Deacon said noncommittally. “I told them the truth.”
“Probably have attracted a lot of interest from the ladies,” Derek said. “Probably think you’re a professional boxer.”
Deacon picked up another slice and ignored the comment altogether, like he genuinely didn’t care about the women who threw themselves at him. To him, it was just a mild annoyance. It didn’t give him confidence or boost his ego.
“Ooh, I bet Mom liked it,” Dex said. “After Mason and everything…probably got her engine going.”
Deacon actually cracked a smile between bites, but he didn’t confirm that either. He was definitely the strong and silent type, but to the most intense degree. Derek was that way too. Dex was like Daisy, easy to talk to, always had something to say, knew how to make a joke and make people smile. I loved that about him, that he was so easy to talk to.
“I know I probably shouldn’t ask this…” Derek turned to me. “Since I don’t want to move everything back, but you’re sure you want to live here? I mean, Dex will be here all the time…every day.”
“Shut the hell up, man.” Dex kicked him under the table. “My baby is crazy for me.”
Yeah, I was totally crazy for him. I couldn’t believe I got to be a part of this family. They were the greatest people I’d ever met.
Riley left the couch and walked over, heading straight for Deacon, not me or Dex.
She took a seat beside him, her head up and her eyes on him, one blue and one gray.
Deacon glanced down at Riley before he turned back to us.
Riley didn’t move, but she didn’t whine for food or attention.
Deacon glanced again. “Does she want something?”
“No,” Dex said. “She just likes you, Dad.”
Deacon studied her a little longer before ignoring her once more.
They prepared to leave, and I thanked them both profusely for helping. My parents were in no shape to do lifting like that and my brother lived in another state, so Dex’s family was really all I had in some ways.
Deacon gave me a fatherly hug before he pulled away. “It was no trouble. We’re always here for you.”
Riley was at his feet again, and this time, she whined to get his attention.
He looked down at her before focusing on me again. “We’ll let you guys get settled in. Don’t be afraid to shove Dex’s stuff aside if it gets in your way—”
Riley whined again, this time more forcefully.
Deacon looked down at her again. “What does your dog want?”
“Dad, come on.” Dex rolled his eyes as he came over. “Just pet her.”
The look Deacon gave him was hilarious, like he literally didn’t understand the instructions, which was crazy coming from someone who understood everything. He reached his hand down and bent over to pet her on the head, giving a gentle and awkward pat. “There.”
Riley wagged her tail and came closer, getting on her hind legs so her paws could rest on his thighs.
“Um…okay.” Deacon kneeled this time and petted Riley with both hands, getting used to it and appearing less awkward about it.
“Aww, she loves you.” Riley had perked up so much in the last few weeks, but she was still tense around men she didn’t know. However, there was something about Deacon that she immediately took a liking to. “That’s quite the compliment because she doesn’t like men too much.”
“Doesn’t like men?” Deacon asked, smiling at the dog when he received affection as he gave it.
“She’s afraid of them,” Dex explained. “We think her old owner was an asshole who used to hit her or something…”
“Oh…” Dea
con’s hand slowed as he looked at Riley with new eyes. “Sorry, girl.”
“But she obviously doesn’t feel that way about you, Dad.” Dex patted him on the shoulder. “Even though, you know…you jump people in bars.”
Deacon halted and looked up at him, slightly irritated but still amused. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope.” Dex looked at Derek. “Are we ever gonna let it go?”
Derek shook his head. “Sorry, Dad. Never gonna happen.”
Living with Dex was identical to our relationship before.
I just didn’t go home now.
I was always there, in the apartment, my makeup was in his bathroom drawers, and my clothes were in his closet. There were no lingering signs of Catherine anywhere—like she never existed.
There were pictures of Ryan on the walls now, on Dex’s nightstand, and there were baby supplies everywhere. The apartment was babyproofed, so opening the drawers in the refrigerator was kind of a pain, but at least it kept Ryan safe.
Riley was happy to have me there all the time, and the two of us became the best of friends.
It was nice. I went from being alone and heartbroken to…having a family.
I had a man, a stepbaby, a dog… Life was good.
Really good.
Kinda hard to believe, honestly.
Dex made dinner, and we sat across from each other at the table, talking about work, our number one topic of conversation. He placed the sautéed kale in his mouth and chewed for a bit before he continued to talk. “It doesn’t happen very often, when another surgeon has to go in and fix the first surgeon’s error, but it happens. Sometimes you have these smart people who make it through medical school and residency, but since they’re in it for the wrong reasons and they rely so heavily on their insurance policies, they just don’t take that extra care to make sure things are done right. It’s probably my biggest pet peeve, second to people being denied health care because they can’t afford it.”
“Is that why you’re involved in the Columbia residency program?”
He took another bite before he answered. “Yes.”
“And if you notice a student like that, is there anything you can do to prevent it?”
“I don’t have the power to eject them from the program, but I can request to have additional time with them to get them on the right track. I don’t do that very often, but it has happened. It’s my moral obligation to make sure new surgeons won’t do unnecessary harm to patients out in the world—and I take that seriously.”
It always made my heart flutter when he talked like that, when he was so selfless and righteous. He cared about people he’d never met. He cared about things that others didn’t. He was such a special person. “I was thinking… You think it’s okay if I continue to work for you? Now that we live together?”
He chewed his bite and gave me a confused look, like the question was out of line. “Then what am I going to pay you for? To sleep with me at lunchtime? I mean, I’m down with that if you are.”
“I’m serious,” I said with a laugh.
“Baby, I’m always serious when it comes to sex.” When he was home, he rocked his sweatpants and skipped the shirt, so he was always fit and sexy whenever we were together. It was like a dream come true, seeing his big arms on the table with those sexy cords everywhere.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s just that you’re with me all day and then all night—”
“I love that. I love that I get to spend so much time with you.”
Just like that, my heart fluttered again. He wasn’t a typical guy who needed his space.
“That’s what Derek and Emerson do, and they love it.”
“I know…I just wanted to make sure. I don’t want to ruin what we have.”
He shook his head as he looked down at his food. “Nothing will ever ruin what we have. You know you found the right person if you can work with them all day and then come home to them too. It just reinforces what I already know. Plus, during the rare times that I’m not with you, it’s weird. I go out for a drink with my family, and I have a great time, but it’s a little odd not having you there. I actually really like that feeling, that you can be with someone all the time, but the second they’re gone…you miss them.”
We rose in the elevator together in the morning, ready to head to the office to see patients. When we approached the floor, Dex pulled out his phone and looked through emails, absent-mindedly rubbing the sleep from his eyes even though he’d taken a shower before he left.
The doors opened, and Riley immediately tugged me inside, anxious to jump on the couch and get ready for the first patient to arrive.
“Whoa, girl.” I released her from her leash and watched her dart straight to her favorite couch so she could look out the window and see the city in the morning light. I carried the leash to the counter and my desk, and I stilled when I saw the nameplate there. It usually had my name printed on the front, so people knew who I was when they walked up. SICILY in block letters.
But now, it was different.
Mrs. Hamilton.
I stilled at the sign, recognizing his name, but not recognizing the title at the front.
It was the first time I’d even thought of it. “Dex…” I turned around and didn’t see him standing there.
Because he was down on one knee on the floor, a little box open in his hand, a ring inside. His eyes were still and focused, staring at me in a way he never had before. He wasn’t sleepy like he was just a moment ago, and that clearly had been just an act to throw me off the scent. His jaw was clenched slightly as he waited, as if there were a tiny fear in his heart that I might say no, that I might not like the ring, preposterous things. “Be my wife.”
I stepped toward him and extended my left hand, too overcome to say anything.
“Be my partner at home. Be my partner here. Be the mother of my children. Be the other half of me—forever.” He slipped the ring onto my left hand, a perfect fit. A simple ring with a simple diamond, it was perfect.
He rose to his feet, still holding my hands. “Say yes.”
I looked at the ring a little longer before my palms planted against his chest, the ring looking even more beautiful when I could see him with it. “I don’t need to, Dex. You knew my answer before you even asked.”
We had dinner with his family at their condo to celebrate, and it was a nice surprise to see Ryan there. Cleo had picked him up after work, which told me that Catherine had given her blessing—or acceptance—of the whole thing. Riley was there too, already a part of the entire family.
“So, let me get this straight…” Daisy sat beside me at the table, which had the extra leaf in the center so we could all fit together. “He asks you to marry him…and then you go to work? That’s, like, the worst proposal I’ve ever heard.” She deepened her voice to impersonate Dex. “Hey, baby. You wanna get hitched? Okay, back to work…” She threw her arms up in the air. “I mean, seriously—”
Everyone ducked down under the table.
Daisy shook her head and rolled her eyes. “It was an accident. I’m not gonna give anyone here a black eye.”
Everyone started to rise above the surface of the table again, laughing at the way they teased her.
I thought it was hilarious and couldn’t stop laughing.
“Shut up, Daisy,” Dex said. “It was romantic. And we don’t go straight to work…you know what I mean.”
Daisy made a disgusted sound then picked up her wineglass. “Well, my future husband better step it up. Otherwise, he’s gonna get a big fat no.”
Cleo took my hand across the table and admired it. “It’s beautiful, honey.”
“Thank you.” I loved it too.
“Did you tell your parents?” she asked.
“I told them on the way over here,” I said. “Mom sobbed the entire time. She can’t believe I’m marrying a handsome doctor…” I rolled my eyes. “She can’t wait to tell her friends about my accomplishment.”
Cleo chuckled. “That’s cute.”
“It is an accomplishment.” Dex dropped his arm over my shoulders. “You bagged this sexy stud.”
“Stud?” Derek asked incredulously. “Let’s not get carried away.” Ryan sat in the high chair beside him so he could play with his cousins. Lizzie was on the other side of him.
Riley walked up to Deacon with her favorite toy in her mouth and whined.
Deacon looked down, and instead of being annoyed or bewildered, he took the toy out of her mouth and threw it across the room.
She chased after it and immediately returned it.
“Looks like Dad needs a dog,” Dex observed.
Cleo smiled. “I would say we’re too busy with work and our grandchildren…but your dad looks good with a dog.”
Deacon took the toy and threw it again. “It would be nice to have a dog at the cabin. Maybe a black German Shepherd…”
“Wow,” Daisy said in surprise. “Dad actually wants a dog. A couple years too late for us, but better late than never.”
“Aunt Daisy,” Lizzie said.
“Yes, my little ray of sunshine?” Daisy turned to her.
“When are you going to get married?” Lizzie asked. “Looks like you’re the last one.”
Daisy kept the same smile on her face, but her eyes definitely faltered, still heartbroken from Mason. “I don’t know. We’ll—”
“Whenever she feels like it,” Deacon said. “And not a moment sooner.” He took the toy from Riley and threw it again, like he hadn’t just swooped in and saved her the pain of making some kind of explanation or excuse.
Daisy looked at her father for a moment, visibly touched by the defense. “Yeah…whenever I damn well feel like it. And don’t let anyone question whether you’re married or not, Lizzie. Because a good woman doesn’t need a man.”
Thirty
Dex
The kids started to fall asleep on the couches and the rug, and the night wound down. Riley and Ryan were curled up together on the couch, Ryan with his head on Riley’s back. Sicily and Daisy were talking to my mom, discussing wedding plans.
The Doctor Who Has No Chance (Soulless Book 11) Page 24