“Of course. I would never share that information unless I had your explicit permission.”
“Okay.”
“How about it just be the two of us, then? Breakfast.”
I didn’t see the harm in it, so I agreed. “Sure.”
9
Daisy
“All I need is one more baby, and I’ll have a basketball team.” I watched Little Deacon and Cam play with their toys at the coffee table while Ryan watched them. His little brother, Jeffrey, was in the sling in front of Sicily’s chest, wrapped warmly in his clothing.
Dex looked at Sicily and waggled his eyebrows.
Sicily rocked Jeffrey from side to side and shook her head dramatically. “Don’t even think about it.”
I turned to Derek. “No Lizzie?”
“No.” He gave a sigh before he popped a chip into his mouth. “She’s doing a summer program, and it’s too far away for a short trip. But I got a card in the mail and a phone call this morning.”
“That’s sweet.” I rubbed his back.
Mom finished clearing the plates off the dining table and put out the cake. “Alright, who wants a slice?”
“Mom, come on,” Dex said. “You know better.”
Emerson raised her hand. “And I’ll take two.”
Dad came out of the kitchen and sat on the other side of me on the couch. “None for me.”
I nudged him in the side. “Dad, come on. It’s your day.”
He shook his head. “Not a fan of cake.”
I gave him a wide-eyed look. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re my real dad.”
“I wondered the same thing…knowing my daughter smokes cigars.”
I stilled, my eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. “Shit.”
“Yes,” my dad said. “Shit.”
Derek excused himself and joined Emerson on the other couch.
“You watched the tournament?” I asked.
“Why are you smoking cigars?” He rounded on me, reminding me of the disciplinarian I’d had when I was little. That version of him had disappeared a long time ago because Dex and I were well-behaved growing up. But this was giving me an instant flashback.
“I don’t smoke them regularly—”
“Why are you smoking them at all? You know how I feel about this.”
Mom came over and set a piece of cake on the table in front of me before she placed her hand on my father’s shoulder. “Deacon, she’s an adult now.”
“Irrelevant.” His angry eyes never left my face. “A cigar is the equivalent of seven cigarettes. Are you smoking seven cigarettes every weekend? That equals one cigarette a day. By definition, you’re a smoker. Unacceptable.”
“I don’t do it every weekend—”
“You don’t do it at all. That’s the point.”
Mom rubbed his back. “Deacon, this isn’t the right time—”
“It is the right time. I want you to promise me that was your last cigar. Now.”
Geez, I hadn’t seen him this way in a long time. “I’m sorry—”
“Not looking for an apology. Looking for a promise.”
“Fine, I promise.”
He finally turned away and let it go, the hostility still around him.
“I said I would promise. Why are you still mad at me?”
He came back, his eyes cold. “Maybe because I’m an oncologist who sees lung cancer every goddamn day. Maybe because my father died from lung cancer because he smoked his entire life. Happy Father’s Day…” He got up and excused himself from the living room. He went down the hallway and disappeared.
Everyone was quiet, all staring at me.
Dex ate his cake like he didn’t know what to do.
Derek looked down at the floor, as if it was too awkward to make eye contact with me.
Bear, the black lab, followed Dad a moment later, his collar jingling as he moved down the hallway.
Mom took the spot where Dad had been sitting a moment ago and rubbed my back. “Just give him a few minutes to cool off.”
“I feel so bad…”
“It’s okay, Daisy. Your father is just…really intense about certain things.”
“I didn’t expect him to watch the game.”
She continued to rub my back, being the good cop when my dad was the bad one. “You shouldn’t be smoking, whether you’re being watched or not. You’re young and having a good time, I understand that. But again, your dad …feels strongly about certain things.”
I stepped into his office, seeing him behind his desk, Bear under it at my dad’s feet, stuck to his side like glue.
Dad continued to stare at his monitor and ignore me.
I came closer and fell into one of the armchairs facing his desk. “Dad—”
“Cancer doesn’t discriminate, Daisy. Give it any reason to get you, and it will. Look at your mother.”
“Please don’t bring that up.” I didn’t want to think about that time in our lives ever again.
“Maybe I have to—because you’ve clearly forgotten.”
“I said I wouldn’t do it again—”
“You have to outlive me. If you don’t…” He raised his chin and looked at me, heartbreak in his eyes. “I would never recover, Daisy. I just wouldn’t. You’re a doctor yourself so you know the risks, and if that isn’t enough for you, just remember how those risks affect me and your mother, your brothers, your nephews, your niece.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I’m just…so disappointed in you.”
He had never said that to me, not once, and I couldn’t even look at him. My chin dropped and I looked at the floor, my chest tightening, the sadness making my eyes immediately tear up. Father’s Day was ruined—because of me.
“I don’t have a father to honor today…because he’s dead. I know you never met him, but you know how his death has affected me my entire life. With the birth of each of my children, I wished he were there to hold each one of you.”
“Dad, I’m sorry… I don’t know what else I can say.”
His eyes narrowed on my face, and when he saw the wetness in my eyes, his anger dimmed.
“I really am sorry, and I promise I won’t do it again.”
When Bear saw my sorrow, he came to my side and rested his chin on my thigh, his sad eyes looking up at me.
My hand immediately went to his head, and I dug my fingers into his fur.
Dad dropped his gaze before he left his chair and sat beside me in the other armchair. “Alright. Let’s go back out there and have some cake.”
I wiped away the tears and continued to look at Bear.
“I’m sorry…for being so harsh.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “I know you mean well.”
His hand moved to my shoulder, and he squeezed me before he got up and faced me.
I felt him stare at me for a while before I rose to my feet and met his eyes.
His arms enveloped me, and he rested his chin on my head. “You’ll never understand how much I love you, sweetheart.”
Alyssa entered my open doorway. “Labs just came back.”
“Gimme, gimme.” I reached out my hands and took the papers, but I was disappointed by the results. “Hmm… Damn.”
“What are your orders?”
“Wish I knew. I’m stumped.”
“You’re never stumped, Dr. Hamilton.”
“Okay, I’m stumped at times. Give me some time to think about this.”
“Alright. What would you like for lunch?”
“A sandwich is fine.”
“Got it.” She left my office.
I took the labs I’d just gotten and pinned them to my board, the array of papers growing bigger and bigger as I investigated the patient’s medical history. It was impossible to diagnose if you didn’t understand the patient’s overall health. He already had heart disease, a cancer survivor, renal disease…the list went on and on. They could be related to his current symptoms, but maybe not.
“Yo
u’re quite the poker player.”
My arms were crossed over my chest, my chin propped on one, and my fingers brushed over my lips as I examined the sea of information I had.
“Daisy?”
When I heard my name, I turned to see Atlas standing beside me. “Sorry…I didn’t realize you were there.”
He looked me over before he stared at the results I had pinned to the wall. “Still enjoying the challenge?”
“Not at the moment. What do you think?”
With his hands in his pockets, he turned to me, a quizzical expression on his handsome face. “You want my input?”
“Don’t gloat.”
He smiled and looked at the wall again. In silence, he combed over everything, taking his time.
Together, we stood and stared, minutes passing, the silence growing longer.
“Cardiac syncope is the first thing that comes to mind, but his problem is more extensive than that.”
“I thought it could be a symptom of his heart disease, but my brother ruled that out.”
“That’s nice—having the world’s best heart surgeon in your pocket.”
I shrugged. “He would help anyone who had a question.”
“These numbers here are borderline.” He walked to the wall and tapped the paper. “I’d re-test this.”
“Alright.”
“I think we need a little more information before we post it to the network. I try not to inundate the system with too many cases, not unless every single option has been considered and they can have all the information possible.”
“I agree.” I released a sigh and sat down in the armchair. “I hate being stumped, but when I stop being stumped, the high is incredible.”
With his hands in his pockets, he turned to me, wearing a t-shirt and jeans that hung low on his hips. When he wasn’t being an asshole, he was quite attractive, especially when he wore that partial smile. “You kicked ass at your tournament.”
“You watched?” I asked incredulously.
“Yep. I was working on the couch, so I decided to turn it on. Didn’t get any work done, though.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. It was very entertaining. It was amazing watching you sit there, cigar in one hand, drink in the other, wiping the floor with those guys.”
I suppressed my smile as much as I could because compliments like that really hit me deep. “Well…thanks.”
“You won quite a bit of money.”
“Yeah. But I’ve got to pay taxes on it, so it’s not as much as it seems.”
“I’m surprised you don’t just do that full time.”
“Those high-stakes games only happen a couple times a year, so it’s not like I’m doing that every weekend. And I only care about the money, so it could never be a career. I’m having a hard time with this case, but this is what I live for.”
“I can tell.” With a strong posture, he remained still, his eyes combing over the information on the wall before turning back to me. It was rare to see someone so handsome and so brilliant, but he was an anomaly—like me. “Well, I’ll let you get back to being stumped.” He turned away.
“Thanks, MapQuest.”
He stilled and turned back to me, the corner of his lip raised in a smile.
“Sorry…couldn’t help it.”
Looking slightly amused, he walked out.
“Guess who I ran into the other day?” Meredith sat across from me, her second cosmo in front of her.
“The star of Chippendales?” I asked.
“If only…” She shook her head.
Tanya was beside her and released a sigh. “I hate the guessing game.”
“Me too,” I said. “But if it’s not a member of Chippendales, I’m probably not going to care.”
“Mason,” Meredith said. “At this bar I was at.”
“Ah…that motherfucker.” I tilted my head back and took a long drink. “I’m sure he’s doing what he does best, finding the next heart to break.”
“He made eye contact with me then avoided me,” Meredith said.
“Smart.” I snapped my fingers. “Last time he tried to talk to someone I’m close with, he got his ass kicked.”
Meredith chuckled. “That was so awesome. Wish my dad would do that. But he’s old and shit.”
“My dad will probably outlive me, honestly,” I said. “With all those salmon smoothies…”
“What?” Tanya asked. “What the hell is a salmon smoothie?”
Meredith nearly spat out her drink. “Please don’t tell me your hot dad drinks those.”
Now I almost spat out my drink. “Ew, don’t call my dad that.”
“Sorry.” Meredith gave a shrug. “But he is.”
“I need a refill.” I grabbed my empty glass and moved across the room to the bar, needing more alcohol on my lips and in my liver. I set down the glass and waited for the bartender to give me attention.
That was when I noticed Atlas around the bend in the bar, his dark eyes on the TV on the wall. A baseball game was on, and once he got his drink, a cognac, he took a sip while his eyes remained on the TV.
He seemed to be alone.
The bartender came to me next and made me another drink.
I kept watching Atlas, wondering if he was waiting for someone.
He looked exactly the same as he did at the office because all he ever wore were jeans and t-shirts. Never even bothered with a collared shirt. Couldn’t picture him in a tie. My dad was the same way, preferring comfort over fashion.
Atlas turned his gaze my way, and then his eyes steadied on me, seeing me stick out from the crowd.
I gave a smile and held up my glass.
He didn’t smile with his lips, but his eyes did light up with amusement. He raised his drink slightly and gave me a small nod.
I almost walked back to the girls, but I decided to stop by. He was the best-looking guy in this bar, but he didn’t have any women actively hitting on him and buying him drinks. If I’d seen him before he’d pissed me off, I’d be the first one in line.
He turned to me when I approached. “What are you drinking?”
“Gin and tonic. It’s the perfect after-work drink.”
“Cognac.” He gave his glass a slight swirl. “The perfect anytime drink.”
“So, what are you doing here?”
He held up the glass and took a drink. “Is that not obvious?”
“I just mean you’re alone.”
“Who are you here with? A date?”
“Psh, no.” I nodded to the back. “With my bitch crew.”
“Bitch crew?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Yep. Do you have an asshole crew?”
“I wouldn’t call them that…and they aren’t here. I’m waiting for someone.”
“Ooh…a date.”
“Unfortunately.”
I propped my chin on my closed knuckles and gave him a quizzical look. “What a lucky lady…”
He chuckled. “It’s a blind date,” he said with a laugh. “A date I was coerced into.”
“You seem like someone who can get your own dates.”
He gave me a soft smile. “Wow, a compliment.”
“Wasn’t really a compliment. Just an assumption.”
“Well, my boys know I don’t date, so they’re trying to get me out there.”
“Why not?”
His eyes studied me, turning serious like they did at the office. “You just shoot right from the hip, don’t you?”
“Don’t answer if you don’t want to. But I have every right to ask a question. It’s called a conversation, MapQuest.”
“Okay, who even uses MapQuest anymore?”
“Old people. Now, are you going to answer me?”
He took a drink. “I’m just not into it. You have to sit there and talk…and we never have anything in common. They talk, and I sit there and pretend to listen so they don’t think I’m a total jackass. It’s just a waste of time. I get bored.”
“It sounds like you aren’t dating the right women.”
He shrugged and took a drink. “Maybe. But I’m not looking for anything serious, so it really doesn’t matter.”
“Then why are your friends forcing you to do this? Seems a bit dickish.”
He looked down into his glass for a moment before he took a drink. “No idea.”
“So, do you even know what this chick looks like?”
“Nope.” He reached next to him and grabbed the red rose. “She’s either late or she already saw me and left.”
An uncontrollable laugh escaped my lips, and I had to calm it down with a drink. “Yeah, that didn’t happen.”
His amused look returned, this time a bit smug.
“Maybe she saw you talking to me and ducked out.”
“That’d be nice. Let’s keep talking.” He took another drink, handling his hard liquor like it was no big deal.
“Wouldn’t you rather talk to someone you might screw on the couch instead of someone you find displeasing?”
“I don’t find you displeasing.”
I released a chuckle. “Yeah, okay.”
“Alright. I don’t find you displeasing…anymore.”
“See? I’m adorable when you get on my good side.”
He shook his head. “Adorable is for puppies. You’re a fucking hurricane, Dr. Hamilton.”
I grinned before I took a drink. “Good. That’s the best compliment I’ve gotten in a while.”
He smiled slightly before he looked into his glass, seeing the liquid that barely covered the bottom of the glass. “Your girls aren’t wondering when you’ll come back?”
“Nah. They’ll assume I’m about to land some D.”
He rested one arm on the surface of the bar, his fingers wrapped around his glass. His body was pivoted toward me, his powerful chest stretching his shirt in all the right ways. He looked like the perfect D for the night, but he was off-limits in my mind. Not just because he was my boss, but because we already had a shaky history. “You land a lot of D?”
“Come on, look at me…”
He smiled. “That’s hot.”
“Damn right. You’re only young once.”
“Enjoy it as long as you can.” He motioned to the bartender for a refill.
The Girl Who Doesn't Quit (Soulless Book 12) Page 7