start something if one of us is not in the right place to see it through.”
“You’d honestly take on the responsibility of a child that isn’t yours?” His brown eyes grew wide. “That’s saying something, man. I thought you just wanted to get into her pants.”
“It’s only a little about wanting to get into her pants.” I arched a brow at him. “Also, you know that by saying that, you just jinxed yourself into marrying a woman with a child one day?”
“I don’t have time for that.” He smirked. “Super busy guy here, you know? I have some business books to read. No girls for me. Not for getting into their pants or any other reason.”
“Sure, I believe you,” I joked. “When you meet the woman, let me know. It’s going to be fun saying I told you so.”
Hunter’s eyes went back to the sky, but he didn’t argue. He simply took a breath before focusing his attention on the water and going back to the subject of private practice.
Throughout the day, we talked about what we might need and spitballed ideas about how we’d be able to keep helping our patients. Although our discussion never ventured to April and Adi again, they were still on my mind.
I’d been looking forward to fishing on my day off all week, but right then, I was more looking forward to the next day, my session with Adi, and having lunch with April again. What did that say about my earlier objections to asking her out?
Chapter 12
APRIL
My blood boiled as I sat in therapy with Adi and watched her having trouble grasping things in her hand. Chris and Hunter were sweet and supportive of her but it was obvious she was getting frustrated regardless.
It was all because Craig wanted her to ride on the back of his fucking deathtrap and now he couldn’t even be bothered to send a damn text to check up on her. I was so pissed off at him that I had brief fantasies of dismembering him slice by slice.
I wanted to wring his neck or magically replace every spoon of sugar he would ever shovel into his coffee with salt instead. So many revenge strategies whirled through my mind that I started to wonder if I’d missed my true calling.
Perhaps I should’ve become a scriptwriter for a suspenseful television show or a politician instead of a receptionist. It seemed my vindictive streak was far wider than I’d ever thought.
Seeing my daughter in pain brought out a bad side of me that made me want to really hurt Craig in return. Then again, short of severing his favorite appendage—which I’d already vowed not to do—there wasn’t much that would actually hurt him.
No amount of name-calling, arguing, or fighting with him would make him feel a damn thing more than he already did about any of this—which was nothing. I was pretty much limited to plotting revenge, which might’ve been satisfying but it was also useless.
“I can’t do it,” Adi cried, dropping the toy meant to assist in motor function on the floor. Her face was flushed and droplets of sweat had popped up on her brow. “It’s too hard.”
Chris put a hand on her shoulder and bent his knees to be on her eye level. “I know it’s hard, but you’re doing so well. How about we take a break for a few minutes? There’s nothing wrong with needing a rest.”
Her eyes dropped to her shoes, but she nodded. Hunter bumped into her side, intent on cheering her up. “Have I showed you our hall of fame? Chris and I ask our patients to write down funny things that happen to them or that we do in their sessions. We have a whole wall filled with cards.”
“Can I, Mommy?” She glanced at me, and the despair in her eyes nearly killed me.
“Of course.” I waved them off, got up from the stool I’d been sitting on, and headed in the opposite direction.
I needed a minute to regain control of my emotions and I didn’t want Adi to see me while I did. I heard their footsteps echoing down a corridor on the side of the training room but it took me a second to realize I wasn’t alone.
Spinning around, I schooled my expression to a more neutral one from the glower my features had set in automatically. Chris stood behind me, a concerned frown pulling his brows together and worry in his eyes.