Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,55

He nodded to her father, who in the past few minutes had turned even paler and more confused looking.

“Honey?” Bridgett knelt beside him. “How about I help you upstairs to bed?”

“John? I should have called you,” her father said again.

“That’s it.” Dr. Williams motioned to a few employees. “Please help him into his study and have my bag brought in from the trunk of my car. It’s parked right out front.”

The employees immediately jumped into action.

Dr. Williams turned to Aubrey. “Why don’t you join us?” he asked her, then he turned back to Bridgett. “Your presence is required as well,” he said in a stern voice. Not giving Bridgett a chance to respond, he turned and walked towards her father’s office.

“You did this,” Bridgett hissed as she tossed down her napkin. “I will ruin you,” she said under her breath.

Before leaving, Aubrey turned to the crowd. “Feel free to finish your dinner. I would request that after you’re done, however, you head on out. My father isn’t in the best of health right now. Thank you for your understanding.”

Bridgett marched back to her and yanked her arm. Then Aiden was there, hovering over her.

“Let her go,” he hissed, and Bridgett immediately dropped her hold on Aubrey.

Aubrey could have handled Bridgett herself, but she wanted her father’s acquaintances to see Bridgett for who she was. A bully.

“No, please.” Bridgett smiled to the group. “Eat, drink. I’ll straighten up this mess, and we’ll be right back out here to finish enjoying our evening with everyone.” She waved the staff over to finish handing out the dinner.

The moment she turned away, her smile dropped, and her eyes narrowed at the pair of them.

“Shall we?” Aubrey asked in a sweet voice and motioned towards her father’s office.

“Drop dead,” Bridgett mumbled under her breath as she passed by them.

“Nice. Guess it doesn’t take much for her to show her true colors, huh?” Aiden said.

Aubrey chuckled. “Thanks to Zoey for cluing me in on that little fact.”

Aiden shut the door behind them as they stepped into her father’s office once more. Aubrey felt her stomach growl as she stood beside her father’s desk and watched. Her father was sitting in his chair with Dr. Williams by his side. He was taking his heart rate while Bridgett hovered over him.

“He’s fine. As I mentioned before…” She tried to pull Harold back to his feet, but her father at this point couldn’t even stand. “He’s just tired.”

“Leave Dr. Williams to do his job,” Aubrey told Bridgett.

The woman turned on her. “Just who do you think you are? Coming in here, demanding things?”

Aubrey’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? First, I’m his daughter.” She pointed towards her father. “Second, I haven’t demanded anything. Dr. Williams showed up here and made all the demands. No doubt after seeing how sick my father was, he grew worried.”

Bridgett opened her mouth to respond, but just then the doctor’s bag was delivered.

“I don’t like your father’s blood pressure,” Dr. Williams told Aubrey. The fact that the man wasn’t addressing Bridgett just set the woman off even more. “I’m going to call an ambulance.” The doctor pulled out his phone.

“No, you won’t. Harold doesn’t want—” Bridgett started.

“Thank you, Dr. Williams,” Aubrey said firmly. “Since I’m his only current relative, I consent to him being taken in.” She narrowed her eyes at Bridgett.

“I’m fine, John,” her father broke in. His words were slurred, which made her worry even more.

It was strange—her entire life she’d hated the man, but seeing him the way he was now, well, it almost broke her. Maybe because she believed someone had done it to him? Maybe because it was Bridgett? Whatever the reason, she was determined to see that he returned to full health and that Bridgett got what she deserved. Which was absolutely nothing.

“Thanks,” Dr. Williams said and touched her arm. “But, seeing as I’m still your dad’s official primary physician”—he turned towards Bridgett and added—“it only takes my say so, legally speaking.” He stepped away as he called nine-one-one to have an ambulance come get her dad.

“Afraid of what they might find?” Aubrey asked Bridgett quietly.

The woman glanced nervously over at the wet bar that lined the back of her father’s office.

“No,” she said firmly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

To Aiden’s credit, he caught on quickly and strolled slowly over towards the bar and motioned to the bottle her father had drank from earlier that day. “Dr. Williams, can I offer you a drink?” Aiden picked up