Page 90 of Endurance
“That’s wonderful!” Belle exclaims. “Oh, I’m so happy for you all. Dr. Miller will make the best grandmother.”
Reyna laughs. “She’ll let them get away with murder, I’m sure.” She looks at her mother. “I can’t wait.”
Dr. Miller and Reyna watch each other for a moment, exchanging some sort of silent communication that feels important. A pang hits me as I realise I’ll never know what it would be like to have a mum be a grandmother to my child. Truthfully, I’ve never thought about children much before, but the idea doesn’t terrify me like it once did.
“Great match today, mate,” Liam says, cutting into my thoughts and reaching out to shake my hand again. “You Harrises make football fun to watch.”
I nod and shake his hand. “Cheers, that’s really kind of you to say.”
Dr. Miller clears her throat, interrupting our conversation. “I was wondering if I might steal Dr. Ryan for a moment. We have a guest at the door that I sort of need her to chat with.”
“Of course,” I reply and step back to let her pass.
I can hardly believe my eyes when they land on my father standing in the foyer of the ballroom. He’s tall and overly slim as usual. But his grey hair is a bit dishevelled and his classic navy suit is wrinkled in the back.
As we approach, Dr. Miller murmurs in my ear, “He said he didn’t know he needed a ticket to get in. I thought it would be best for you to decide how we handle it. I’m perfectly happy to do whatever you’d like. I trust you completely.”
I nod as she departs, leaving me with the man who raised me.
“Father, what are you doing here?”
He spins on his heel at the sound of my voice, stumbling backwards a bit. “Belle, darling. Don’t you look regal.”
I frown. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
His eyes are glossy and I can smell the scotch on his breath. “Well, you say I don’t support what you do, so here I am. Regrettably, I wasn’t aware that an RSVP was in order. Do you think it would be okay for me to pop in?”
I look around nervously. “It’s a fundraiser. Plates are a thousand quid a piece.”
He pulls his chequebook out of his back pocket. “Who do I make it to? You? The hospital? The paunchy bird who brought you over here?”
My eyes fly wide. “That is Dr. Miller, a world-renowned surgeon and the only reason I even exist in this profession,” I seethe, feeling the constraints of my ball gown as I suck in a large breath of air. “Youwillshow her some respect.”
He lifts his hands up in defence. “No need to get soupset.” He says the last word in the exact tone he said it to me as a child. He rips his cheque out. “Make it to whomever. Now then, point me in the direction of the bar and I’ll be just fine.”
“Maybe you should go home, Father. Does Mother know where you are?”
This makes him scowl. “Of course she does.”
“Then why aren’t you with her?”
“She didn’t want to come. She has no desire to see all of this, but I do.” He jams a finger into his chest. “Now, are you going to find a seat for your father or not?”
What he’s asking me to do feels wrong. However, a sick, deep, dark part of me wants to play this out. To have him here and allow him to witness what I do. To force him to hear the words Dr. Miller and I will be saying shortly. Perhaps this is a Tequila Sunrise opportunity to prove myself to my father once and for all.
I pull myself up tall. “I do have an open seat, but I will only give it to you with conditions.”
He smirks a disgusting sneer that makes me want to punch him in his long, sloped nose that he’s doing so well looking down on me from. “That’s my girl.”
The reply haunts me, but I step in and steel myself to appear intimidating. “You don’t talk to Tanner. You don’t look at Tanner. You don’t introduce yourself to Tanner, or Dr. Miller for that matter. I mean it, Father. Nothing, or I won’t bring you in.”
“Scout’s honour.” He holds up a peace sign.
I move to walk away, mumbling, “You’ll be in the back with some medical staff from Denmark, so talking will be a struggle.”
“I know how to speak to people, Belle. Even foreigners. It’s all I do for a living.”
I roll my eyes as he follows me through the ballroom. Trust is not something I have with my father, and after the horrid things he said about Tanner on the phone the other day, I refuse to put Tanner in the firing range.
