Sweet Thing by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

Author:Cassie-Ann L. Miller [Miller, Cassie-Ann L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

24

FELIX

Another day, another round of playing superhero.

Well, that’s how some days at the medical clinic feel. All rewarding and shit.

But today, I’m just going through the motions at work.

I seal the princess bandage over my niece’s scraped knee with gentle hands. “All better, kiddo?”

Stella looks up at me with watery eyes. “All better, Uncle Felix.” She sniffles.

I grin at her. “You promise to be careful on those monkey bars next time?”

“Promise,” she squeaks, clutching her hideous one-eyed rag doll to her chest. She absolutely loves that ugly thing.

“Good.” I adjust the glittery multi-colored paper crown on her head and lift her off the exam table, setting her firmly on her feet.

“Daddy, can I go show Aunt Karli my Band-Aid?” she asks my brother.

“Sure.” When the little girl runs out of the room, Nolan hustles out of his chair and leans against the doorframe, watching his daughter like a hawk until she makes it safely to the reception desk at the end of the hallway.

I’ve never seen a more protective father. It’s like he thinks he’ll have to save his daughter from falling into a manhole somewhere along the short distance from the exam room to the reception desk where Karli is working.

Normally, I’d make a smart ass comment about how over-the-top he is, but today I’m in no state to joke around.

“So everything worked out with Dad?” Nolan eyeballs me as he gathers up Stella’s raincoat and sweater.

“Guess so,” I say with a nonchalant shrug. When my brother regards me with a hiked brow, I elaborate. “After hearing the offer presented by the private equity company, he decided not to sell the clinic to them.”

“So the clinic is yours now?”

I clear my throat, tugging at my collar to ease any linger shreds of apprehension. “Well, he has to discuss everything with his lawyers but it’s pretty much a done deal. He turned down the third party offer so the only thing left to do is officially sign the place over to me.”

Dad didn’t come right out and make that promise. But he doesn’t have to spell it out. After telling me how proud he is of me, handing over ownership to me is the only thing that makes sense.

“Right.” Clueless about my lingering insecurities, my brother gives a slight nod, making the bejeweled paper crown on his head wobble a tiny bit. He hikes his daughter’s unicorn rainbow backpack up his beefy shoulder.

He looks ridiculous.

But there’s an unbreakable rule among us guys—anything to make Princess Stella smile.

Wearing a thoughtful expression, Nolan folds his massive arms across his chest. “What does that mean for you and Daphne then?”

Daphne. Just hearing Daphne’s name from his mouth is a kick to the stomach.

All day, I’ve been trying to avoid asking myself that very question. All day, I’ve been putting one foot in front of the other, while my head’s miles away. Or rather, approximately forty-seven steps away. Upstairs. Above the clinic. To be more precise.

I’m just going to put it out there. I want Daphne Beaumont.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.