Page 13 of Yours to Keep

I blew out a breath, shifting my weight and searching for a way out but not finding one. “The financial kind. Let’s just say that I can’t afford to incur it.”

He studied my face the way he always did when he was deciding whether to go into Dad Lecture Mode or Full Protective Father Mode. Finally, he put his hands on his hips and nodded. “The scholarship for the fellowship. The hospital contributed to the program you completed.”

I nodded, my chest suddenly feeling tight. “It didn’t come cheap.”

“What if you get fired?” he asked. “Is there still a penalty?”

I shook my head. “If my understanding is correct, there’s no problem if I get fired.”

He raised an eyebrow at me and started walking again. “Well, then. That sounds like a solution, doesn’t it?”

“No. No, it’s definitely not,” I said as soon as I’d processed what he was really suggesting. “I can’t get fired on purpose. I would never jeopardize a patient’s care trying to get out of my contract, and that’s what it would take to get myself fired.”

He nodded, accepting my protest without argument, which was very on brand for him. My dad trusted my judgment, especially when it came to medicine. “Of course you would never jeopardize a patient’s care. That’s not what I meant at all. You have, however, thrown a cannoli at your boss.”

“And?”

“And all I’m saying is that there are other ways to get fired.” Dad grinned as we turned the corner back toward the house. “If the cannoli didn’t get the job done, perhaps it’s time to up your game. A jelly-filled doughnut might do it. Chocolate cake. It seems a terrible waste, but at some point, the man is going to get tired of being covered in baked goods and he’ll fire you.”

I snorted. “Maybe next time I should aim at his face.”

Dad laughed, his shoulders shaking and his headband slipping a little when he tilted his face toward the sky before looking back at me. “You really threw it? Like full arm, pulling back and the whole deal?”

“It was more of a frustrated lob,” I admitted, chuckling, because in retrospect, that was all I could do. I never lost my cool like that, but Sullivan Crowne was every bit the cocky, haughty bully I’d known he would be from the moment I’d first seen his face.

“I didn’t wind up or anything. I’m not a monster, but I did throw it hard enough to splatter on his fancy suit.”

“God, I’m proud of you,” he said, winking when he met my gaze again. “It’s a waste of a good cannoli, but I’m still proud.”

“Thank you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

We walked up the driveway, the familiar creak of the gate sounding like punctuation at the end of our conversation. The house looked exactly the same as it always had, modest, but sturdy, built out of brick and made of memories.

My parents had lived here forever. It was where I’d been raised and survived everything life had thrown at me so far. Coming back always made me feel like I was fourteen again, skipping up the front steps with my backpack bouncing and my homework just begging to get done.

Mom was already waiting when we walked in, like she’d been standing there the whole time we’d been out, just listening for us to get back. Her voice filtered out of the kitchen, as cheerful and warm as always.

“Wash your hands,” she called. “Brunch is ready.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I replied, heading down the hall to the guest bathroom and quickly washing up.

When I made it to the kitchen, she was just sliding the last plate onto the table, egg white omelets with spinach cut neatly in half. A bowl of fruit, berries, melon, and something green that probably had plenty of antioxidants, sat between all the plates, along with a few slices of whole wheat toast.

“So this is what healthy people eat,” I muttered as I slid into my chair. “It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten what’s actually good for me.”

Mom chuckled and kissed my cheek. “If that’s not a sign that you should come over more often, I don’t know what is.”

“I know, I’ve just been⁠—”

“Busy,” she finished for me, smiling as she nodded and went to fuss over my dad when he sat down. “We know, honey. You’ve been working so hard, but it paid off, didn’t it? Look at you now, our very own nurse practitioner.”

“Our very own nurse practitioner who apparently enjoys throwing the occasional cannoli at her boss,” Dad said, grinning when I shot him a look. “What? You were going to tell her anyway. I just beat you to it.”

My mom gasped when she spun to look at me. “Did he deserve it?”

“Yes.”

She thought it over for a beat, then nodded swiftly, as if the decision had been made. “Then I’ll allow it. I see no issue if you can honestly tell me he had it coming.”