Page 43 of Hold Me Instead
Daniel’s eyes were squeezed shut, his breathing deep and slow. Zachary placed a hand on his, waiting for the beeping to return to normal, and the contact drew Zachary’s attention. His dad’s chilledfingers, long and thin, similar to his own. The veins he’d traced curiously as a kid, still prominent, though surrounded by more wrinkles. It was the first physical contact they’d had in years.
“The place is fine, Zachary,” Daniel said softly.
“Dad, I’m just saying I’ve noticed a few things I could help with while I’m in town.”
“How long are youin town? A few more days?”
“I’ll be here awhile, actually. Helping out until you’re better.”
His dad’s eyes blinked open in surprise. The dark brown irises Zachary knew so well, that matched his own, were dim, the exhaustion so pronounced it choked him.
“Don’t worry about repairs, there’s no room for that right now. I’ll see to them when I get back. Just help Charlie,” Daniel said, voice low.
“What do you mean, ‘no room’?” Zachary asked.
Jeanie blew back into the room, renewed energy surrounding her.
“Got some good water cooler gossip,” she said, rounding the bed to hand Daniel his water. “There was a proposal here the other day. A nurse and a doctor who met working the Halloween shift years ago—yesterday was their dating anniversary, and they both planned a surprise in the break room. How sweet is that?” She named the staff involved, Daniel acknowledging with apparent interest.
Zachary shook his head. He wasn’t against other people’s happiness. It was the gestures, though, the tiny acts of love and attention that couples shared so early in their relationships that chafed. He and Anna had been that way once. He’d believed in it. Couldn’t imagine them ever stopping, growing apart, or looking back on their life together to find it was all a fabrication, a giant lie, a staged production of young love truly being naive.
What he’d really been was an idiot.
“Our son here thinks he can go in and fix all the ‘problems’ in the practice,” Daniel groused.
His father thought he wasstillone.
Zachary shook his head, unsure how the conversation had switched back to work. “Dad, I was just offering my help.”
“Did you know he’ll be home for a while?”
Jeanie looked at Zachary, her pale blue eyes hopeful. “How long, sweetheart? Will you be here for Thanksgiving?”
“Mom…”
“You know you’re welcome to stay by us.”
“Yes, Mom, I know.”
“Jeanie, leave him be.”
Jeanie turned narrowed eyes at her husband. “Ishould leave him be, you say?”
Zachary watched his parents exchange a silent conversation, surprised to see his father’s expression turn sheepish. Daniel picked up Jeanie’s hand and pressed a light kiss to her knuckles, softening.
This visit had gone on long enough, Zachary thought as he pulled out his phone. There could only be more disagreements if he stayed, and one riled up moment for his dad was enough.
“I have to get going. I’ll see you both later,” Zachary said as he moved to kiss his mom.
“Oh, okay.” Jeanie snuck in a hug.
He gave his dad’s hand a gentle tap, surprised when his father wrapped his fingers into Zachary’s with a small squeeze, so quick he almost missed it.
He swore he heard a soft, "Be careful," as he went out the door.
Zachary stopped to pick up Maple and continued to the vet hospital, dissecting his conversation with his dad. It was clear his father had to delegate more, get assistance finding a general contractor to repair problem areas, allow Maura and Charlie to help with the financial side. Daniel needed them, plus, it was smart business sense for Charlie to slowly take over. What he couldn’t shake was how there wasn’t “room” for repairs…and the envelope he’d discovered in his dad’s desk the night before. He’d set it aside, confused more than anything, deciding to dig into it later. Seemed like a harmless decision at the time, but now its importance shot up a notch.
He parked next to their building and released a breath. What got him out of the clinic the night before was a plan to meet Jordan for dinner—something Zachary had arranged to compensate for Charlie’s rejection. He hadn’t meant to ask her out, but quickly covering it up under the guise of work had felt wrong. Especially after holding her close, feeling her silky wrist against his thumb. He’d surprised himself completely when he bit the cookie right from her hand, but what had overwhelmed him was the desire to suck her fingers into his mouth and remove every speck of sugar from her skin.
