Page 421 of The Doctors Will See You Now

I took a deep breath and knocked three times, kind of hoping Lexi would be the one to answer by some miracle.

But I knew Remy would never let my young daughter be the one to open a door that barricaded a busy, sometimes sketchy New York City on the other side, and I told myself to be grateful.

Even if Remy never let me live down the mistakes of my past—the missed birthday parties, the infrequent visits, and the broken promises—he was one of the strongest forces of support in my daughter’s sometimes exiled life, and I’d never want that to change.

The hideous screech of the door as it opened, as it were, was the last pleasant sound I heard until it closed again.

“Well, hello, fuckface,” Remy greeted gleefully.

I gave a forced smile and a nod anyway. “Remy.”

“Ruin anyone’s life today?”

I looked briefly to the sky and back again, pulling my lips into my mouth and licking them to keep all the salty remarks fighting to escape to myself. The taste was overpowering, like overseasoned food, but I stomached it anyway.

“Not that I know of.”

His face was hard but pensive as he considered me…and my capability to resist snapping back. The old me would have told Remy to go fuck himself, so secure in the mind-set that I was doing what a father really needed to do, loving unconditionally, if absently, and making the right financial contributions, that I was justified in my indignation.

But having experienced what it really felt like to be a father, and seeing the difference in how secure Lexi felt in all aspects of her life, I knew differently. And I knew the stupid man I’d once been deserved his daughter’s uncle’s ire.

Remy, it seemed, could also see the difference.

“All right, then. Lexi should be out in a second. She wanted to rehearse our routine a few times when we got back, and you know I can’t say no to her. She just wanted to change for dinner.”

“No problem,” I allowed. “I know she’s excited about your doing it with her.” I laughed. “I have to admit, I am too.”

He flipped me off. “Fuck you, asshole.”

I laughed. “Oh, come on. It’s great. What you’re doing for her…” I cleared my throat. “What you do for her…especially when I didn’t…it’s good, Remy.”

I looked away as unexpected emotion hit me, focusing on the soft hum of a cab headed down the street. “I can’t imagine a better uncle. She’s a lucky girl.”

When I gathered myself and turned back to Remy, his eyes were steely and his jaw was rigid. He didn’t look mad though—just affected.

“Dad!” Lexi shouted as she bounded out the door, bumping Remy out of the way in the process. I smiled broadly at him as he sidestepped to keep his balance, and he went right back to hating me.

All was back to normal.

“Oh!” Lex muttered, turning back to Remy. “Bye.”

“No hug?” Remy asked.

Lexi grabbed my hand and started walking as she looked back at him. “No. We’re twenty-three minutes behind schedule.”

I shook my head with a smile and looked to my feet. Lexi’s hand was small but mighty in my own, and I tucked it to my chest to savor it.

“Ready for Vinito’s?” I asked, and Lexi glared at me.

I laughed. “Okay, so you’re ready.”

“We’re late.”

“I know,” I said. “But it’s okay. Sometimes life doesn’t follow a schedule.”

She scoffed, looking up at me with serious—seriously beautiful—blue eyes. “It should.”

God, she’s funny. Even when she isn’t trying to be.