Page 42 of Hold Me Instead
“Get me out of this godforsaken place.”
“Daniel, honey, the doctor said he’s hoping in the next few days.” Apparently, the half hour was up, as Jeanie set her crochet supplies on her chair and fixed the sheets again. His dad had grumbled when she’d said she was making him a blanket, arguing she only did that for the kids, but then he’d voted on the shades of blue yarn he preferred.
“I need to get back. The cookout’s coming up—” Daniel stopped as soon as Jeanie’s hand smoothed hair from his forehead.
“Dear, the kids are taking care of everything,” Jeanie said softly.
Zachary simultaneously rolled his eyes and puffed up his chest.
“You know Charlie, she keeps things running smoothly. She’s handled it all before.”
“That was different,” Daniel grumbled.
“Yes, this isn’t really a vacation for you, that’s for sure,” Jeanie agreed. “All the same, they’ve got it under control. And since Zachary stepped in, they’ve been able to continue almost uninterrupted, right, sweetheart?” Jeanie looked at him, tired eyes pleading.
Zachary nodded. “Yeah, Dad. Schedule’s busy, but we haven’t had to cancel any appointments.”
Daniel watched him carefully. “Jeanie, can I get some water?”
“Oh! Of course.” Jeanie grabbed the cup off the bedside table and stood on tiptoe to kiss Zachary’s cheek on her way to the hall.
Panic seized him. This was the first time he and his dad had been alone in years.
Zachary followed Daniel’s gaze. They watched the rain as it slithered down the window and blurred the view of the flat roof of another hospital wing. A breeze whipped and rattled the glass.
It looked safer out there.
“You didn’t run in and start changing everything, did you? Will I even recognize my own practice when I get back?”
Zachary gritted his teeth, laser-focused out the window. “No, Dad. Everything’s as you left it.”
Daniel grunted.
Zachary dared him a glance. “The place needs a lot of repairs.”
His dad’s face scrunched as if he’d bit a raisin thinking it a chocolate chip. “What are you talking about? It’s fine.”
“There’s a chunk of tile missing in the kitchenette, a peeling floor. Paint chipping off the lobby walls. Not to mention the equipment. I heard some of it’s been repaired multiple times—”
“Yes, well, not all of us can afford replacing the equipment every few years. Or being one of the first to order state-of-the-art technology.”
Zachary paused as his dad described the exact details of his ex-father-in-law’s practice.
“It’s not for you to worry about, Zachary.”
Zachary shifted his feet. “The place looks old, Dad. It’s falling apart. I think something might be wrong with the heat—”
“It may not be as fancy as your place in Chicago, but the care is top-notch.”
“This has nothing to do with the St. James Veterinary Clinic.”
“Of course it does. As soon as you met that family, our place hasn’t lived up to your standards.”
Zachary took a full step back. The anger, the hurt on his dad’s face, took him back to when he’d married Anna. To when her father gave a speech at the reception, welcoming Zachary into the familyandhis veterinary practice, even though Zachary hadn’t officially accepted. That was how his dad had found out, in front of all their guests, when Zachary had wanted to talk with him first.
Beeping increased, his dad’s heartbeat rising as he struggled to boost himself higher on clenched fists.
“Dad.” Zachary moved forward just as Daniel relaxed into the pillows, holding up a hand to ward him off.
