Happily Ever All-Star: A Secret Baby Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,82

medicine fellowship. Someone with authority. Someone who Rory would respect.

I parked my ass in his office and wouldn’t leave without a test, a diagnosis, some way to prove to Rory that I wasn’t broken.

Not yet.

I’d only break once she left me.

Frolla said nothing, reading the charts and notes on my case. The minutes passed. I had a substantial medical history. Cole’s hit was only one in a long line of concussions.

Would it really matter if I got another?

Would anyone care once I retired?

“You wanted a second opinion.” Doctor Frolla folded his glasses and placed them in his lab coat pocket. “Was Doctor Merriweather’s assessment incorrect?”

I wasn’t here to get her in trouble. “It never hurts to have a fresh perspective.”

“What has she told you?”

“This isn’t about her.”

“Ah.” Frolla nodded. “I see.”

I didn’t. “What?”

“I don’t blame you, Jude. Doctor Merriweather is…smart, but she can be rather naïve.”

Rory wasn’t naïve. Maybe she didn’t have a fancy office, massive mahogany desk, pretentious book shelves, and a portable bar, but that didn’t make her any less of a doctor.

Frolla stroked his eyebrow, flattening the salt-and-peppered wisp. It was a practiced motion, almost condescending.

I knew his type. Some people might have mistaken his arrogance for empathy. Not me. He was just like the other doctors. Most of the neurologists who treated me held a disdain for my condition. They blamed me for doing it to myself.

Sure, they held all the answers, but they never once had to endure a split second of my migraines. That pain made me crave a linebacker’s hit, just to end it. No doctor understood that.

But maybe Rory would.

“Rory is a good girl.” Frolla was a little too familiar, purring her name. He met my gaze.

Gaging my reaction?

“She’s a good doctor.” I stressed the word.

“Of course she is. She’s smart. Accomplished. But she often reacts too emotionally to situations.”

I didn’t understand. “What’s your point?”

“My point is, she’s a fine doctor, but she’s not suited for this line of work.”

Frolla was about to be a dead man. “You gave her the fellowship.”

“Of course I did. Even after we’d said all that needed to be said, and I instructed her on how to take care of our problem, she was still so upset. Entirely too emotional. I awarded her the fellowship, hoping it’d satisfy her. The last thing I wanted was any unseemly accusations.”

What the hell was he talking about? I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of accusations?”

“Surely she’s told you?”

My fingers clenched the arms of the chair. “Told me what?”

“What I liked best about Rory was her pride…and her innocence. She sees the world as black and white, hard work and success, love and romance. It’s difficult for her to understand that not every desire leads to…commitment.”

Something was wrong. My blood boiled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You understand. You’re a man in a position of authority. No doubt women have offered themselves to you, just for a taste of your success.”

No fucking way. “No. I’m man enough to not take advantage of my position.”

Frolla didn’t believe me. “And I’m man enough to understand the occasional need must be sated. But Rory didn’t understand that. She thought our night together meant something more.”

“You son of a bitch.”

“I thought you knew.”

“Why would I know? Why would she tell me?”

Why would she trust me with the truth?

“It was a fling,” Frolla said. “She was new to my hospital. Attractive. I pressed my advantage, and she was receptive. We were both adults, and we spent a night together. One night. I never encouraged anything more. But when she told me about the baby…”

He dared to talk about Genie? My voice lowered, a dangerous growl.

“You didn’t help her. Rory was alone, and you didn’t help.”

“I did help her. I offered to pay for the abortion.”

“You fucking coward.”

“Rory is a promising doctor. A pregnancy and child will only jeopardize her future career.” Frolla sighed. “It was magnanimous of me to give her the fellowship. At least it was something I could offer.”

“You could have helped her. You could have been a father.”

Frolla laughed. “Why would I step forward when you took responsibility for me? Suffice to say, I was stunned to learn that you were the father of her child. You’re an impressive man, Mr. Owens, impregnating a woman all the way across the country.” He laughed. “Why would you ever lie about such a thing?”

“I was helping a friend.”

“And now this friend wants to repay you by…benching you for a game? The rest of the