Page 49 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“Right,” I said, not buying it for a second, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, I wouldn’t push. She’d come to me when she was ready.
I put the kettle on to make a cup of tea. Heather looked exhausted. She’d been putting in long hours to make her dream of becoming a doctor a reality.
“Hey, you’re almost done with your clinicals, right?” I asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance to tell you how proud I am of you.”
She gave me a small smile. “Thanks, Zoey. That means a lot.”
I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Now, about this patient...”
“Let’s not talk about work,” Heather said, her words rushed and slightly forced. “How about we plan something fun today?”
“Sure,” I replied, though her sudden change of subject left me with more questions than answers.
The shrill ring of my phone cut through the thick silence that had settled between us. I reached for it, glancing at the caller ID before pressing it to my ear. “Hey, Sam.”
“Morning, Zoey. Mind if I steal Ro for the day?” He sounded excited, but there was something else in his voice I couldn’t quite place.
Was I imagining things? First Heather, now Sam.
“Steal him?” I chuckled, arching an eyebrow even though he couldn’t see it. “What’s the plan?”
“Me and a couple of the guys are going fishing. Figured Ro could use some guy time.”
“I don’t know, Sam. He’s never been fishing before?—”
“Fishing?” Ro boomed from somewhere behind me, cutting through my response with the force of his youthful enthusiasm. “I wanna go fishing with Grandpa Sam!”
I laughed, knowing full well I didn’t have a say in the matter anymore. “Well, I guess you’ve stolen yourself a fishing buddy.”
“Great! We’ll be over soon.” Sam ended the call just as quickly as he’d started it.
Moments later, I heard a car pull up. Sam entered, his sturdy frame filling the doorway. Ro bounced excitedly beside him.
“Ready for some guy stuff?” Sam asked, ruffling Ro’s hair.
“Guy stuff!” Ro echoed, pumping his fist into the air.
Though Sam tried to hide it, I noticed his enthusiasm was lacking. Since I was accustomed to George’s ever-changing moods, it was easy to sense Sam’s underlying tension.
“Sam? What is it? What’s going on?” I asked.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Sam said. “Today’s about relaxing with my grandson.”
Something was going on with Heather and Sam. Had I overstayed my welcome? Was it time to look for a place of my own? I wished they’d tell me rather than let me come to my own conclusions.
“Let’s go!” Ro whined, oblivious to the undertone in Sam’s voice and my concerns. As if they’d planned it, they both called out “Fishing!” at precisely the same time.
I laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep within. They both turned to look at me, surprise etched on their faces, but it was Ro’s sweet smile that caught my attention. He rushed over and hugged me tight.
“I like seeing you smiling, Mom,” he said.
“I like smiling, too, kiddo,” I said, fighting back the swell of emotions.
He gave me one last tight embrace before rushing over to Sam. “See you later, Mom. Bye, Auntie Heather!” Ro called as he tugged Sam toward the door.
“Have fun,” I called after them.
The door closed with a soft click. I stood there for a moment, the remnants of my own mirth fading into a tightness in my chest. Ro pointing out my smile meant he’d noticed it was missing in the first place. I reached up to wipe away a tear.
