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“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Really.”
Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and Jay had to wonder if moms were somehow imbued with the ability to read minds.
“Okay. But if that changes…”
Jay nodded. “I’ll let you know.”
“Perfect.” She gave him another loving smile before getting to her feet. Coming around the desk, she bent and pressed a kiss to his head. She’d done that plenty of times over the years, but these days, the only way she could reach his head was if he bent down or if he was sitting. “Love you, darling. Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
Once she’d left, he sat staring at the empty doorway for a long moment. Unease swirled through him, as it often did when his mom told him she loved him. Would that love change if she knew about the bad choices he’d made? His logical side said it wouldn’t, but he knew without a doubt that she and his dad would be disappointed in him.
And that would be horrible because he wouldn’t just be letting them down, it would be him failing to keep the promises he’d made to his mom as she lay dying.
Jay took a breath and tried to push those thoughts down deep, where he needed them to stay. He could handle most things in his life, but those thoughts and feelings hit hard at the very heart of him.
It took concerted effort, but Jay managed to focus on the work he had on his schedule for the day. It was mainly paperwork, since anything that pertained to insurance, bills, or payroll was his responsibility. Though his childhood dreams might have been to play in the NBA, as an adult, he had chosen a different path, which thankfully worked well with his business degree.
Surprisingly, he had a mind for business, and he enjoyed the work he did at the clinic. It helped that he fed his need for sports by working alongside the coach at the high school. The basketball season had just ended, however, so he didn’t have tobalance that responsibility with his work at the clinic for a few months.
What he really wished was on his schedule for the day was the paperwork to process the hiring of a new female doctor. The day that showed up on his desk would be a good day indeed.
~*~
Michelle Barnes let herself in the back door of the mansion, then went through the mudroom to the kitchen. Even though the house wasn’t her home, she was very familiar with it. She’d been wandering its halls for years.
“Misha.” Her mom greeted her with a smile as she dried her hands on a towel, then met her halfway across the large kitchen to give her a kiss. “How was your day?”
“Long.” Misha gave her a weary smile, then made her way to the stationary bouncer that held an enthusiastic baby girl. She waved her arms at Misha, giving her a gummy smile. Misha lifted her from the bouncer and balanced her on her hip, nuzzling into her neck and making the little girl giggle. “Hey, Ciara. How’s Mama’s favorite baby?”
Ciara regarded her with big gray eyes and smacked her lips in imitation of the kiss that Misha bussed on her cheek.
A baby hadn’t been in Misha’s plans, but when her late brother’s pregnant girlfriend had told them of her intention to abort the baby after Raden died, Misha had stepped in to take responsibility for the child. The girlfriend had complained her way through the last few months of the pregnancy and had then happily signed all the paperwork necessary for Misha to adopt Ciara once she was born.
Raising a baby as a single mom was something Misha probably wouldn’t have been able to do if her mom hadn’tstepped in to help her. But her mom had wanted to keep her grandchild close as much as Misha had. Though Ciara’s mixed heritage had lightened her skin and hair and her eyes were gray instead of brown, Misha and her mom could still see bits of Raden in her features. It was a nice reminder that a part of him still remained in their lives.
“Is Doc Martin here?”
“Yep. He’s in his office.”
“He asked me to come speak with him when I got off work.”
Her mom nodded, then reached to take the baby. “I’ll keep her until you’re finished.”
“Thanks.” Misha gave them each another kiss before leaving the kitchen and traversing the house to where Doctor Martin’s spacious home office was located.
Once there, she knocked on his door, even though it was open. He looked up, then smiled and gestured for her to come in. The man still had a full head of hair, but it had grayed, and there were deep lines in the dark skin of his face. He’d aged noticeably since the death of his wife.
Though he was supposedly retired, the man seemed to work more hours than ever. He wasn’t in the operating room as much anymore, but he consulted with people around the world. Being a world-renowned neurosurgeon, known for his invention of a tool that was now widely used in surgery on the brain, Doctor Evan Martin’s knowledge and experience was vast.
His brilliance and the support of his parents had taken him far beyond the Chicago neighborhood where he’d grown up. In turn, his commitment to using the money he’d made to help others had benefited Misha.
“How was work?” he asked as she settled into the comfortable leather armchair opposite his desk.
Misha sighed as she rubbed her forehead. “There was a bunch of graffiti threatening me again, and several appointments had been cancelled. When Shona asked the patients why they were cancelling, they said they didn’t feel safe coming to the clinic.”
The concern on the doctor’s face was nothing new. The situation at the inner city clinic she’d been working at had gotten progressively worse over the seventeen months since her brother’s death. She still wasn’t sure why they hadn’t just killed her too. Maybe it was because she was a woman. Maybe because she was a doctor.
