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Down, down, down Dr. Hotshot went on Penelope’s body. He should have it memorized by now as much time as he spent looking her over every day.
He was more thorough than Dr. Anderson. Mostly, I was grateful, despite my irritation. No father wanted to watch a man feel his daughter up, even in a clinical capacity. I was having a hard time separating the two.
But I also wanted to push the doctor to try harder, to prove me wrong. Doubt was a powerful motivator. I was proof positive of that. My family doubted I could succeed in my chosen specialty.
I’d taken their doubts and shoved them.
My parents.
I should call them. Even though our relationship was strained, they were decent people. If I were in their position, I’d want to know I had a granddaughter. And I’d absolutely want the chance to see her if she were injured.
I flipped my phone in my hand over and over.
I’d wait until the doctor finished, just in case he found something.
Nerves ate at my gut. My father already thought the worst of me. He wouldn’t be impressed I’d neglected my child, despite I hadn’t known of her existence.
I wasn’t sure what my mother would say. Likely, she wouldn’t make her opinion known anyway. I knew one thing though—they’d hate Alma even more for denying the existence of their granddaughter. She had looked them in the eye, as she had me, and kept us in the dark. Unforgivable.
“Is Nancy coming by today?” JoJo asked.
“Yes, she is.”
The woman herself stood in the doorway, along with her son, Cal, and her daughter-in-law, Beau . . . who was also one of my clients.
I stood, JoJo right behind me, to greet them.
Nancy hugged me hard, then JoJo, before she rushed to Penelope’s side. “How is she, Doctor?”
“As well as can be expected.”
“That’s not an answer,” Nancy grumbled, straightening Penelope’s blankets.
“Cal, Beau,” I said, shaking both their hands. “This is JoJo.”
Beau clasped JoJo’s hand. “Lovely to meet you. Ma has told us the nicest things about you and your daughter.”
JoJo’s cheeks turned red. “Nancy is quite the lady.”
Cal glanced at his mother fondly before flicking his chin at JoJo. “Nice to meet you.”
Beau smacked him in the arm. “We left something in the car.”
“I’ll go get it,” he said.
“I appreciate you staying out of trouble so I can attend to my daughter,” I said with a smirk.
Beau leveled me with an unimpressed look. She’d been through hell and was as tough as they came.
“I’m sure your bank account misses me.”
JoJo snorted at that. “No one can ever say you aren’t on top of your accounting.” She patted my shoulder.
“That’s the truth.” Beau’s expression turned serious. “How’s Penelope?”
I looked down. “Still here.”
I appreciated her concern even though she’d never met my daughter.
