Page 69 of Fourteen of a Kind

“Hey, you two.” He smiled.

“Curtis, darling. Did you get everything I asked for?” my grandmother asked as she snapped out of her state.

“I did, sweetheart.”

She walked over and helped him unpack the bags. “Ella, darling, it’s good to see you. Nathan, what are you doing here?”

“Uh, I just came to see how you were, Aunt Barb.” He looked at me.

“I’m fine, darling. You’re so sweet.”

“Come on, Dad. Grandma, we’re going to go.” I walked over and kissed her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, darling.”

“Bye, Grandpa.” I kissed his cheek.

“Bye, sweetheart.”

My dad and I walked out of the house. “Shit.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Forget Four Kinds. Come over, and I’ll throw some burgers on the grill. Unless you have plans.”

“I’d love one of your burgers.” I smiled.

I parked my car in the garage and walked to my dad’s house.

“Does she know?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“The rest of the family needs to know,” he said.

“She’ll tell them when she’s ready.”

He put two burgers on a plate and took them to the grill while I poured a glass of wine. Stepping onto the patio, I stood next to him.

“Missing Mom?” I smiled.

“Yeah. I can’t wait until she and your sister come home.”

“Where’s Nicholas?”

“He texted me earlier and said he was hanging out with some friends. So, it’s just you and me, kiddo. What’s this I hear about you going off on one of your patients today?” A smirk crossed his lips.

“I apologized to him, Dad. His surgery is tomorrow.”

“Hot tamales, eh?”

“Yeah.” I laughed, shaking my head.

“How is Dr. Malone?”

“He’s good.”

I didn’t want to tell him about last night because I didn’t want him to worry. The less he knew right now, the better until I found out what was really going on with Graham.

“I asked him to be my plus one for Riley’s wedding.”

“Is he coming?” He flipped the burgers.

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