Page 35 of Situationship
“Tell her to come by Saturday after ten.”
Colin ran FurGet Me Not, a pro-bono, nonprofit animal outreach, every weekend. It was apay what you cankind of arrangement. Besides time with Maddie, it was the best part of his week.
“Ronnie said I had to run every pro-bono case through him first,” Barb explained. “Even threatened to take the expenses out of my paycheck if I went behind his back again. The little peckerhead.”
Ronnie was a weasel in a cheap suit.
When Colin had taken a job with Ronald instead of opening up his own practice, his mentor promised to sell Colin the practice. Only he’d retired earlier than anticipated. Maddison had just started middle school and Colin didn’t have the time to run the business end of the clinic. Colin had passed on the opportunity and Ronald Senior had passed everything down to his son, Ronnie, who was all about the bottom line with no interest in patient care.
“Tell Nancy to be here Saturday at ten. I’ll handle Ronnie.”
He’d do more than handle him. All Colin wanted was one day when he arrived home before midnight and woke after the sun. Although if Teagan showed up in those itty-bitty silky pajama bottoms, he’d crawl out of bed at five.
“What if he goes after my paycheck?”
“Anything the clinic won’t absorb, I’ll cover.”
Barb shook her head. “You’re going to wind up broke, sinking all your money into this place.”
“I’m not homeless yet.” In fact, in addition to the beach house, his parents had left their two sons a nice-sized inheritance.
“Your mom, God bless her soul, left you all that money so you could open your own practice.”
“And I will, when the time is right.” When Maddison was in LA, settled and starting her own life. Until then, she was his first concern.
He reached exam room three and took out his phone when it pinged. With a sigh he read the text.
BACK TO THE CAR
BACK TO WHERE YOU
MET THIS FRIEND.
. . .
. . .
. . .
TINDER?
GOD! YOU NEVER
LISTEN TO ME!
He’d hit the nail on the head. His fingers flew over the screen, responding in full caps so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings. Even used her favorite punctuation.
HARD NOPE!
BUT YOU DON’T EVEN
KNOW HIM
HE’S ONTINDER, THAT’S
ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
SO, IS THAT A NO TO NEXT
