The Doctor Who Has No Chance - Victoria Quinn Page 0,89
like that.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “Are you asking me to have a family with you?”
“Pretty much, yeah. It would be nice if Ryan had siblings close in age. Derek is much older than me, so I feel like that’s been a bit of a hindrance to our relationship. Daisy and I are much closer just because we’re going through the same stages of life at the same time.”
“But we aren’t married or anything…”
“You want to get married?”
“I…what?” I asked, unable to believe this conversation was happening. “Are you proposing to me right now?”
“No. I’m just trying to feel you out. It hasn’t been that long, I get it. But I’m totally down if you are.”
“Totally down?”
“That wasn’t a romantic way to put it, but yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “So…are you down for that?” He observed my features, trying to get my answer from just my expression.
I’d known I wanted to marry Dex instantly. I’d known I wanted forever instantly. I just didn’t think he would feel the same way, especially when his first marriage turned into a shitshow. “If you’re asking if I would say yes, you already know my answer. And as for growing our family, I’m down with that too. My mother would be thrilled.”
He grinned. “Perfect.”
Ryan joined us at work the next day, sitting in Dex’s carrier most of the time because he liked the attention. Dex would sit across from his patients and discuss their plan of treatment, while Ryan would reach for the papers in his father’s hand or stare at the patients across the way. It was actually really sexy watching him carry a baby everywhere, made childcare some weird form of foreplay.
“Your son is so adorable.” The wife of the patient was so enamored of Ryan that she extended her hands. “Can I hold him?”
“Sure.” Dex pulled Ryan out of the carrier and leaned forward to hand him over.
She took him and balanced him on her lap, all her worries instantly gone. Her husband was smitten too.
Dex had a look of pride in his eyes, not that Ryan was such a cute kid, but that he naturally made people feel better the way he did. “He’s kinda like a service animal. Just makes people happy, you know?”
“He does.” She turned to her husband. “Remember when Andy was this age?”
He nodded. “I do.”
When patients left his office, Dex usually changed Ryan’s diaper and gave him some attention before he sat at his desk and looked over the imaging for the next patient. He actually taught him things too, although he was probably too young to understand. Dex would point to the screen. “See that? It’s your heart.” He pressed his hand to Ryan’s chest. “Your heart, the most recognizable organ in the body. Despite what people think, it doesn’t break when you get your heart broken, but it might feel that way sometimes.”
Seeing them together made me love Dex even more, because he was naturally a great father, so affectionate and warm, happy to make sacrifices for his new role rather than bitter about it. It definitely made my ovaries burn a bit. “I’ve got a couple more patients for the day. I think it might be nap time for Ryan.”
Ryan looked wide awake, and he shook his head when he heard the word nap. “No.”
Dex chuckled. “Sorry, Little Dude.”
“No,” he repeated.
It amazed me how smart he was, how much he inherited from his father.
“I’ll see you right after, okay?” He kissed his forehead, but he handed him off to me. “And after work, we’re going to do something fun, alright? I have a surprise for you, but you have to be a good boy.”
Ryan didn’t burst into tears, as if he understood every word.
After I put him down for a nap, I came back. “So, what’s the surprise?”
He grinned. “I thought we could go get that dog.”
We went to the shelter to search for a family pet, one that would be gentle with Ryan, with a warm and loving heart. There were a lot of great options, but Ryan only cared about an Australian Shepherd that stayed in his corner and ignored everyone who walked by. He was brown and white, with one blue eye and one gray.
“I don’t think he likes us, sweetheart,” I said as I kneeled beside him.
Dex did the same. “He looks tired, Little Dude. But there’re lots of other guys here who would love a home.”
“Puppy.” Ryan kept rattling the catch with his little hands.