“Gavin Davenport, likewise. And I speak for the rest of the staff at the clinic – they’re all eager to meet the new doc.”
“Let’s hope I live up to the hype.”
Duncan gestured to the bar, and we sat down and got into dinner. Within minutes, the steaks were ordered, and fresh whiskeys were poured. Duncan and Gavin chatted about their wives, Annie and Gia respectively, along with some of the latest goings on with their wee ones.
“What about you?” Gavin asked. “You got someone special, Finn? Any kids?”
“Ah, none of that,” I said, waving my hand through the air. “Too much going on with getting settled in here for anything serious. You ask me, I’m fine with casual.”
The two men regarded one another with a knowing look.
“What’s all that, then?” I asked. “You boys know something I don’t?”
Gavin spoke up. “Just that you sound a lot like we did before we met our wives.”
“Before we met women who changed our minds,” Duncan corrected.
Another knowing glance between them. I shifted in my seat. “Well, that’s all well and good for you both. But I came to Denver to make my name as a doctor, not to get hitched.”
“Fair enough,” Duncan said. “And that reminds me of what I wanted to talk to you both about – something big.”
“What’s that?” Gavin asked as he cut into the perfectly cut steak that had been set in front of him.
“Either of you hear about Spritzfield Cola?”
The same sounded strangely familiar. “I read something about that in the paper this morning. It’s some big soda company in town that closed down, yeah?”
“Oh!” Gavin piped in, his eyes flashing in realization. “Shit, how the hell was I spacing on Spritzfield?”
Duncan nodded at me. “You’re right – local soda company. You didn’t grow up here, Finn, so you don’t know just how big of a fucking deal Spritzfield was.”
“Didn’t have much cola when I was growing up,” I said with a smile. “I’m Irish – we’re drinking whiskey from the age we can hold a bottle.”
Duncan and Gavin laughed.
“Anyway,” Duncan continued. “Spritzfield got bought out by some overseas company, shut down, and sold for parts. That’s thousands of people all up and down the production line without jobs.”
“And without medical care,” I said, understanding his angle. “I swear, you yanks and your health care system.”
“No kidding,” Duncan agreed. “But that’s a whole other thing. Main point is I was thinking of getting a few other doctors together, starting a charity clinic for those affected by the closure. I figure a few hours here, a few hours there, and we can do some major good for some families who could really use the help.”
“I’m game,” Gavin said. “It’d feel good to do a little pro-bono work.”
“For sure,” I joined in. “Let me know when and where.”
Duncan was obviously pleased with our answers, and I was more than happy to volunteer. Even aside from being able to do some good in the world, the more time I spent with Gavin, the more time I’d be able to show him what I could do.
“It’s still in the planning phases,” he said. “But I’ll keep you boys in the loop.” Duncan snatched one of the menus from off the bar. “For now, you guys gotta try the best tiramisu in the city.”
Dessert followed, along with more drinks. By the time the check came, I had a nice solid buzz going.
“I got this,” Duncan said, quickly swiping the check off the table.
“Now, boss,” I said, raising a finger. “You’re lucky the whiskey’s got my reflexes a little on the slow side. Otherwise, I’d be all over that.”
“Not a chance,” Duncan waved me off. “You’re new in town, and I’m treating. You’re going to have to—” Duncan’s head cocked to the side, as if something had taken him by surprise. He slipped his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen.
“Shoot,” he said. “Gotta run.”
“What’s up?” Gavin asked.
“Nothing big – Gia needs some stuff for dinner tomorrow. Need to run by the store.”
I nodded, thinking how much of a buzzkill it must be to have to run errands instead of hanging out with your friends. But I was smart enough to keep my opinion to myself. He rose, taking his topcoat from the chair.
“You boys finish your whiskeys,” he said. “See you both tomorrow.” With a smile and nod, he was gone.
I couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t it a bit of a bummer to get called away for chores when you’re out?” I gestured to Gavin with the hand that held my glass.
“Not really. Marriage is different.” Gavin shrugged. “And then when you add fatherhood on top of it…it’s a whole new world.” He gave me an appraising once-over. “You’re about my age, right?”
“Thirty-seven, yeah.”
“Now’s the perfect time. Running around chasing girls…that’s fun when you’re a kid. But man, it wears thin. You want something more meaningful, you know?”
“Maybe for you,” I said. “But me, I’m plenty happy living on my own.” I swept my hand toward the city beyond the windows. “And on top of it, I’ve got a new city to conquer.”
He grinned, as if totally understanding. “I get it. Just don’t be surprised with what life throws at you.” Gavin jerked his hand forward, checking his watch. “Shit, ‘bout time for me to get home to the fam.” He got up and threw back the rest of his drink. “Good to meet you, Finn.”
“Oh, likewise.” I rose and we shook. “Looking forward to working with you.”
“Same to you.”
One more nod and he was gone, and I was alone. I sat back down and ordered one more drink.
I’d meant what I’d said – that was for certain. But there was something nagging at me as I sipped. I didn’t want to go home to that big, empty condo by myself. And I had no damn idea why.
Chapter 2
KENNA
I shook my shoulders before stepping into the downtown office space of Gia’s Events, the snow dropping off my coat and onto the floor underneath my duck boots, being careful not to drop the three stacks of coffee caddies I was precariously cradling in my hands. Before opening the doors and stepping inside, I took a long look at the offices before me.
The place was pretty damn big – an office space in downtown Denver big enough to handle our two-dozen-person staff. We’d moved into the place two years ago, when we’d both come to the realization that we not only needed a full-time staff, but that we needed offices to accommodate them.
Seemed like just yesterday that Gia’s Events consisted of only me and her, our “offices” nothing more than a table in the living room of the apartment in Nickel Creek where she lived at the time.
We’d come a hell of a long way. And the best part was it still felt like we were only getting started.
Now, if I could do something about making myself a partner. My eyes fell to the name of the company written on the door. As I did every time I came to work, I took a moment to imagine the teensy, tiny change of adding “and Kenna” to the name.
Gia and Kenna’s Events. Or maybe just Gia and Kenna’s. No, that wasn’t any good. GK Events Services.
I grinned, knowing that the day I’d be on top with my friend would come soon.
“Alright,” I mumbled, my eyes flicking back and forth between the coffees and the door handle. “Many things, two hands. You know, for a planner, you sure didn’t plan on how to get these coffees into the office.”
I spotted the brown eyes and matching bob of Maria, our front desk receptionist, as she stepped around the corner inside.
“Oh!” she shouted, realizing what was happening. “Hold on!” With tiny, quick steps, she hurried over to the door and opened it. “Please don’t tell me you were out here for long.”
I grinned over the stacks. “You’ll know if your coffee’s cold.”
“Here, let me.” She took a couple of the stacks
from the top, my arms crying out in happiness as she did. Maria stepped in front of the glass door and let me pass. “Oh man,” she said, hurrying over to the reception desk and setting down the coffees. “Please tell me there’s something here for your favorite receptionist.”
It was still a little before office hours, so the place wasn’t bustling yet. The only other employees were back in the conference room going over one thing or another. I waved, getting their attention, pointing to the coffees, then making a pretend drinking gesture, followed by a rub of my belly to really sell it.
“Of course, I do,” I said, scanning the cups for one that said her name. I spotted it, plucking it out of its spot. “One caramel macchiato.” I handed it over proudly.
Maria took it, opening the lid and giving the drink a long sniff. “Oh, man – that’s the stuff.”
“So,” I said, leaning against the counter. “Is the lady boss in?”
Maria raised her eyebrows skeptically. “I hope that’s a rhetorical question. Tell me when since I’ve worked here that Gia wasn’t the first one in, last one to leave.” She paused. “Well, both of you, to be honest. Wait, are you running late?” She checked her watch. “Wow, you are! That’s got to be a first.”
“Don’t blame me,” I said. “Blame the two little gremlins who kept me up all night.”
My children, Sam and Sophie, were already two, but I still hadn’t wrapped my head around the fact that I was a mom. Motherhood had been the scariest and most thrilling and most amazing process I’d ever been a part of. But doing it on my own hadn’t been easy. I loved every damn second of it, though. If someone had asked me three years ago if I was ready to be a mom, I would’ve laughed. Who the hell had time for kids, let alone kids and a career? But now that those two were my world, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
Didn’t mean they weren’t holy terrors, cute as they were.
“Ugh, you poor thing,” Maria sympathized, taking the lid off her coffee and blowing on the fiery liquid. “And I’m not telling you this because you’re my boss, but it’s so amazing what you’re doing, raising those two on your own.”
“Just another day in the life,” I said, a playfully dismissive tone to my words. It was hard as hell, but I didn’t want people fawning over me for taking care of my children. It was my job. “Alright,” I said, the mere smell of my coffee invigorating me. “Time to see the woman in charge.”
Maria smiled. “I’ll pass the coffees out.”
“You’re the best,” I replied, giving her a cheeky finger gun as I started down the hall, grabbing Gia’s coffee before I took off.
I blew on my own coffee as I strode down the hall, passing my office and reaching Gia’s. After a knock, Gia called out come in, and I opened the door to step inside.
Her office was amazing, with tall windows that looked out onto the city and gave Gia the impression of being the master of the universe she was. She sat with her black heels on the long sweep of a desk in front of her. On the shelf behind her desk was a picture of her family, Gia and Gavin and their children Gillian and Oliver. Gia silently smiled and waved, gesturing to the chair across from her.
I sat down without making nose, placing Gia’s coffee on her desk. She made a face of utter relief, placing her hand on her chest and mouthing thank you.
“Alright,” she continued her conversation. “That sounds amazing. Of course our outfit is big enough to handle it, no problem at all…perfect. In fact, I’ve got just the person in mind to head it up…right, I’m meeting with her now…she’s the best – you’ll love her.”
Wait, they were talking about me. What kind of job did Gia have in mind?
“Email me whenever with whatever questions you have…mmhmm…looking forward to working with you too.” She hung up and set her phone down her glass desk, her eyes flashing with excitement. “You ready for the job of your life?” she asked, leaning forward. As if noticing something, she cocked her head to the side. “Okay, I know it’s the ultimate faux-pas to tell a mother of toddlers they look tired, but…”
“Sophia has normal sleeping habits, but Sam’s a total night owl. I swear, the kid hits ten and he taps into this insane well of energy. He going to be a party animal when he gets older.”
Gia grinned. “They’re lucky they’re so cute, huh?”
I laughed, raising a finger. “That’s right – it’s like a permanent ‘get out of jail free’ card.” I couldn’t wait any longer. “So, the phone call you just had…”
The smile stayed on Gia’s face, as if she couldn’t wait to talk to me about it. “Alright, so things have been getting crazy with Second Chance, right?”
Our business took on all kinds of clients, but Second Chance, a charity founded to help child victims of trafficking, was our biggest one. Gia and I, when we were still a two-person outfit, won them over with a Las Vegas-themed charity event. Since then, Gia and her hand-picked staff exclusively handled their events, while I and the rest of the crew took on the rest. It was a good system, but I’d have been lying if I said I didn’t think it was even more proof I ought to have my name in the company logo.
“Right,” I said. “They’ve got you locked up solid for the next few months, right?”
“Exactamente, muchacha,” she joked with a smirk. “My calendar’s full. But we just got the offer of a lifetime. And I think you’re ready for it.”
“Hit me.”
She nodded, as if I’d given her the exact right answer. “So, we’ve got this other event, this fifty-year anniversary for this adorable couple. That’d normally be your wheelhouse, but Maddie’s really been knocking it out of the park these last few months, and I’m thinking of giving it to her, letting her have a chance to shine.”
“Perfect.”
“But this other event…it’s the kind of thing I dreamed of when I started this business. Things have been so busy, though, I don’t have time to take it. So…that got me thinking.”
I leaned forward eagerly.
“I want you to run this operation!” she announced. “It’s amazing – they’re called Girls in Charge, they’re a charity that helps children from underprivileged families, gives them access to educational resources and such they might not otherwise have. And they want to do this adorable ball for the girls, a Disney princess-type thing.” She smiled at me. “Does that sound like something you’d be into?”
“Are you kidding?” I asked, barely able to hold back my excitement. “When and where?”
“I’ll email you all the info – and give it a look over. If you’re in, I’ll put you in touch with the head of the charity and you two can go from there. And…” she trailed off, another smile on her face. “This is the exact sort of big gig I want to have space for here. If everything goes as well as I know it will, I’ll be looking to make you an official partner.”
I clasped my hands together and let out a squeal, all the fatigue from my less-than-stellar night of sleep fading away. “Let me at ‘em!”
She smiled, pleased. “Perfect. I’ll send you the info and you can get started.”
“Oh,” I said, remembering something. “The twins have their two-year checkups at four. That still okay?”
“Of course!” she said, as if surprised I’d even asked. “Family first here, remember?”
“Thanks, G. The kids have their booster shots and I want to make sure they’re both ready for them.”
“Motrin,” she advised. “Make sure you give them a couple beforehand – helps with the pain.”
“Will do.”
We finished our conversation, and as I headed back to my office, I thought about how damn lucky I was to have a boss like Gia, to work at a place where family was considered the reason we worked, rather than something that got in the way of it.
It took me the better part of the day to read through the information and put together the outline of a proposal. I sent it to Gia, who told me she’d give it a look over by the end of the day.
When I left, I wa
s on cloud freaking nine. It was going to be a huge gig, no doubt about it. But it was, like Gia had said, the chance to really show what I could go do. If I played my cards right, G would make me partner. And from there, the sky was the limit.
I drove home, heading for the Denver suburbs where I lived with my mom and dad, David and Suzanne.
Mom and Dad…what could I even say about them? When I’d told them I was pregnant, and with twins no less, they didn’t waste a second jumping into action, helping me in whatever way they could. Dad, handyman he was, even volunteered to plan and have built a guest house on their property where I could move in with the kids.
I pulled into the driveway, and as soon as I stepped out of my Kia, I could hear Sophia inside. It was par for the course – Sophia would be running around like a madwoman, while Sam would be out like a light on the couch, somehow sleeping through it all. And that was exactly what I found when I went inside.
“Alright,” Mom said, her hands on her skinny hips as Sophia ran in wild circles around her. “Mommy’s here, and unless you want to get a report that’ll get you in time out for a year, you might want to cool it.”
Sam, just as I’d expected, was conked out on the couch. He took more after his father, his adorable face dusted with freckles and his hair a deep auburn. Sophia, on the other hand, was the spitting image of me. She had long, wavy brown hair and the same high cheekbones that gave her the elfish look I enjoyed. Her eyes, however, were a bright, brilliant green – just like her father’s.
“Mommy want play, too!” Sophia exclaimed, looking up at me as we ran.
“Mommy wants to get your butt in the car so we can go to the doctor,” I replied. “And if you’re smart, you’ll help me out.”
“I am!” she replied.
“How’s that?” I asked. “By driving Grandma crazy?”
She didn’t answer, instead letting out a wild cackle as she rushed around. I waited until she was close, then reached down and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her off her feet. This was even more fun for her, and she let out a whoop as I held her in the air.
The Irish Doctor’s Secret Babies: A Secret Baby Romance Page 3