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“No, Doc, everyone’s fine,” Zoe reassures me. “Kind of. Is there any way you can get home a little earlier tonight?”
“Not if you don’t tell me what’s going on,” I growl. “I don’t enjoy being interrupted at work, Zoe. The entire house has been giving me shit about the hours I’m keeping, and now that I’m on a regular schedule?—”
“Raya and Matthew pulled some legal maneuver to keep Flint from getting custody of Lily.”
Time freezes, and my limbs get cold.
“Caden, are you still there?”
“What legal maneuver?” I hiss.
“Not entirely sure of the details, but it’s temporarily putting the adoption on hold pending a hearing?—”
“Wait there! I’m en route.” Hanging up, I fly out of the inner office, startling Jana, who gawks at me as I rush toward the door.
“Where are you going?” she demands.
“Hand off the rest of my appointments for today to Dr. Swenson. It’s an emergency.”
“But we have a full day?—”
The door falls shut, cutting off the rest of Jana’s words as I race out of my small practice. My illegally parked Porsche is at the curb for easy access, but there’s never a ticket.
My mind races as I gun it out of my spot, narrowly missing an oncoming car.
How can they do this? What can they possibly do?
My foot falls heavier on the gas, and the pearl-gray car shoots forward, weaving in and out of the lanes, barely paying mind to the lines.
This is all a bluff. Maybe if we offer them some money, they’ll go away.
But the smart side of me knows this is a terrible idea. Offering them money will only lead to them asking for more money, and then we’d never see the end of Raya and her creepy boyfriend.
Horns blare around me, and I realize I’ve just run a red light. I glance in the rear-view mirror, riding the gas harder as the open road falls ahead of me. It’s just a few more miles to home.
The darker side of me has thoughts of teaching them both a lesson, but they’re only twisted fantasies. I am, after all, still a doctor.
First, do no harm… unless some bastards are threatening your family.
I take the curve—and a truck barrels down on me from the other side, horn screeching at my carelessness. My hands wrench to the right.
And I hit the tree full on.
* * *
The curtain pulls back, and Pike scowls at me as I jump at the unexpected visitor. I groan when I see Aspen and Lily beside him.
“What are you guys doing here?” I demand.
“Papa Caden! Papa Caden!” Lily cries, throwing herself at me.
Wincing, I hide the fact that the broken rib is directly in her arm’s length.
“It’s okay, Lilbug.” I give Pike a reproving look as Aspen ambles closer to look at my face, the concern etched deeply in her brow line. “You shouldn’t have brought them here, Pike.”
“Are you kidding?” Aspen snaps, sounding angrier than I’ve ever heard her. “We thought you were—” She cuts herself off as Lily looks at her. “We’re glad you’re not seriously hurt, Caden.”
Guilt sweeps through me. “I was hurrying home. Zoe called.”
