Paging Dr. Daddy

“From the expression on your face I gather the memories aren’t good ones.”

David glanced up. “Some good. Some not so good. Some downright bad.”

“You just described life, little brother.”

David laughed. “I guess so.”

“Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Dad?”

“Not really.” What was the point? His father was gone, along with any chance of making things right. The emptiness inside him opened just a little wider. “But I would like to talk about the hospital.”

“I’m glad you brought it up.”

“Oh?”

Peter leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. “It’s nice having Ella here—on a personal and a professional basis.”

David tamped down an odd feeling of third-man-out and reminded himself that he had a pretty great life. “Yeah.”

Of all the siblings, only Anna and David had chosen to live elsewhere. The thought of his adopted sister didn’t bring back warm memories. In fact, life as he’d known it had changed dramatically when his parents took her in. Again he had the feeling he should be over it, but couldn’t quite pull that off.

“Ella’s a damn fine surgeon and her specialty is a welcome addition to the staff here at General. We needed someone in orthopedics.”

“You’re lucky to have her. Although, from what I’ve seen it’s good for her, too. This is a terrific facility.”

“I’m very proud of it,” Peter said, intensely serious. “So was Dad.”

David felt a twinge of regret that his father had been pleased with this hospital—a building—and not his own son. For the third time his inner child was acting like a child. Nothing like a trip down memory lane to make a guy feel all grown up, he thought ruefully. It was time to get out of here.

“That’s great,” he said, standing. “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but—”

“Peter, I—”

The female voice made David turn and in the doorway stood Bethany Holloway. He remembered meeting the beautiful redhead with big blue eyes at Peter’s cocktail party. She was a member of the hospital’s Board of Directors.

“I’m sorry, Peter. Didn’t mean to bother you. I didn’t know David was here. I’ll come back—”

“No.” Peter stood. “Don’t go.”