Dr. Hot Stuff - Tawna Fenske Page 0,2
his little holder and gives me a cheerful smile that doesn’t cancel out the tiredness in her eyes. “Biology doesn’t matter in this family. Even though we didn’t know about you until last year, we love you the same as anyone else.”
“Thank you.” Tears spring up, but I blink them back. “I love you, too. You’ve been so kind and generous and wonderful, and I can’t believe how warmly you’ve all welcomed me.”
It surely must have shocked them learning their father sired a secret baby with a Southern European duchess, and I can’t say I wasn’t startled to learn I had five half-siblings in America, all with different mothers. Our father produced offspring far and wide, and I wish sometimes I’d met him.
“That brings me to my next point.” James takes a deep breath. “The following information cannot leave this room. Understood?”
I nod slowly, nerves prickling the hairs on my arms. “Of course.”
“James.” Bree glowers again. “Stop scaring her.”
He gives a beleaguered sigh. “There’s something you should know about our father. Something…not exactly legal.”
“Or ethical,” Sean adds.
“Or moral,” Jonathan puts in.
Mark snorts. “This should go on his goddamn tombstone.”
I swivel my gaze back to James, breathing deeply to mask my nervous energy. There’s a twinge deep in my low abdomen where the doctors transplanted my new kidney, and I swear I feel a faint tug. “What is it?”
James flattens his palms on the table and looks me dead in the eye. “Our father is alive.”
I blink. “I beg your pardon?”
Sean gives a choked laugh. “You’re a helluva lot politer than the rest of us when we found out.”
My brain is reeling, trying to compute what he’s just told me. “But—I saw the obituary. The funeral, parts of it were televised.”
James scowls. “Our father appreciated flashy things.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Bree strokes the baby’s fuzzy head. “I once watched him spend ninety thousand dollars on diamond-studded cowboy boots.”
I survey their faces, confirming this isn’t some practical joke. “Where is he?”
Jonathan shrugs. “No one knows. He’s been laying low since he faked his own death.”
My gaze lands on James again, since he’s running this meeting. He’s also grinding his teeth to powder if the clenching of his jaw is any indication. “There was an incident several years ago,” he says slowly. “He promised to keep his distance, as his presence would obviously cause quite a disturbance at this point.”
There’s a pounding in my head, and it’s only partly from this news they’ve shared. They’ve opened up Pandora’s Box, and I can’t imagine what might leap from it next. “Wow,” I breathe, at a loss for words. “What a secret.”
My head spins wildly, threatening to roll right off my shoulders. I tuck my hands beneath my thighs so no one sees them shaking. Can they tell I’m feeling anxious? All this talk of secrets has me jumpy and paranoid.
I take a steadying breath, reminding myself to stay calm. They don’t know; they can’t possibly know.
But the way they’re watching me leaves my mouth dry and my vision a bit blurry. I think I might faint.
“Isabella?” Bree touches my arm. “Are you okay?”
I nod because I’m not sure I can find words. It’s not just the news that shocked me. It’s the knowledge that these people—this family I’ve known mere months—they’ve entrusted me with their deepest, most safeguarded secret.
Meanwhile, I sit here like a deceitful, lying, horrible excuse for a—
“Does he contact you?” I blurt the question without thinking it through, needing to say something so they stop staring. “I mean, are you still in touch?”
“No.” James presses his lips together. “Not at this time.”
I’m certain there’s more to this story, but I don’t want to pry. It’s enough that they’re bringing me into the fold. That they’re sharing something this monumental with the sister who barely counts as a family member.
I shiver, then do my best to mask it as a sassy little shimmy. Not the most appropriate response under the circumstances, but perhaps they’ll mistake it for a seizure. That may be preferable. Can I fake a medical episode and duck into the restroom? I just need a few moments to collect myself, to get my nerves back in order.
“Hey.” Jon’s voice is achingly kind, and the tears prick my eyes again. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. We all kinda freaked out on James when we learned about this, so don’t feel bad if you’re reeling right now.”
“Thank you.” I grab a tissue from the center of the table