Chapter 17
Toby
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what else to tell you.
” Anthony shook his head sadly. “I really hate that Abby is acting this way. There’s not anything she can do, though, at least not until Liza is hired.
She could try to make Liza’s life hell once she’s on here at the hospital.
” He sighed and shrugged. “Then it would be a job for HR. But all we can do now is ride it out and see how everything plays out.”
“I suppose so.” I motioned for him to sit.
“So, other than the Abby stuff, how’s it going with Liza?” Anthony asked with a knowing smile. “Everything going smoothly?”
I couldn’t wipe the huge grin off of my face. “It is. I haven’t told her everything yet, but we’re getting to know each other. Spending a lot of time together.”
“It’ll come in good time. What about settling into Bluewater? Are you ready to join my clan yet?” He grinned at me as I shifted in my seat. He knew how uncomfortable the question made me.
“I am, and I’m not,” I said. “I want to join, but the thought of leaving the clan of my family makes me uneasy.”
He nodded. “I’m not really pressuring you. Consider yourself adopted into my clan for as long as you need to be. An honorary member. We would love to have you permanently, but it’s entirely up to you.”
After our talk, I shook his hand and thanked him for coming by my office before sitting down to work on the new heart healthy menu. It took several days to get a menu down, then once it went into production, I had to deal with all the small changes and problems that invariably popped up.
My anxiety didn’t really calm down throughout the day or even after lunch. And it certainly was no better when out of the blue, my office door opened, and Abby walked in.
“What are you doing here?” I whirled in my chair and jumped to my feet to face the doctor.
She had a bright smile on her face, but it was so fake it almost hurt to look at. “There’s someone here to see Liza, and since she’s not here I thought I would bring her to you.”
Liza’s mom walked in and looked around the office expectantly. I sighed and motioned toward the small sofa against the wall. “Please, sit.”
“How lovely it is that you’re already meeting her parents,” Abby said in a sickly sweet voice.
She leaned forward. “I told Tish here a few things about you and Liza. Hope you don’t mind.
” She waved at the older woman before closing my office door behind her.
My blood boiled, the desire to slap the woman far too strong.
I’d never been violent toward a woman, but this one in particular brought out the worst in me.
Breathing deep, I turned my attention to Liza’s mother.
It wasn’t hard to keep my cool around the older woman, at least, not at first.
“Is it true?” she asked in a hard voice. Tish looked a lot like Liza, but older and like she’d lived a rough life. She’d seen too many days in the sun and too many bottles of beer, if I guessed correctly. And not enough leafy greens. “Are you dating my daughter?” Tish continued.
I nodded once and sat in my desk chair. “I am.”
She sniffed and crossed her legs, looking upset. “You’re standing in the way of Liza’s bright future.”
“What are you talking about?” I had a sneaking suspicion, based on the things Liza had told me about her mother.
“You’re the man Dax has been talking about. You’re preventing Liza from going back to the man she’s meant to be with.”
For fuck’s sake.
“He’s giving up,” she said desperately. “And he’s Liza’s chance at a better life, don’t you see?”
I wanted to throw this despicable woman out of my office, but she was still Liza’s mother, however much they were estranged.
“He should give up. And Liza doesn’t need a better life. The one she has is pretty great.”
“You’ve got her all confused. You’re both blind. You must be made to see that Liza and Dax are meant for each other.” She dabbed at her bone-dry eyes. “You’re the reason my Liza won’t return my phone calls.”
I snorted. “No, ma’am, I believe your behavior is the cause of that.” I narrowed my gaze on the woman. “Why would you want Liza to be with a man who doesn’t respect her, or her choices, and who cheated on her? He’s stalking her, do you realize that?”
She scoffed. “All men cheat, and it wasn’t stalking. You’re being dramatic. He’s just passionate about his feelings for Liza.”
“I’m sorry, Tish, but you’re wrong. On so many levels. First of all, I will never cheat on Liza.”
She laughed and gave me a smug look. “Oh? Then what about that pretty doctor that walked me in here?”
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “There’s nothing going on between me and Dr. Abby. And there never will be. She’s just bad at hearing the word no.” I eyed the older woman. “Like someone else I know.”
“You’re not good enough for my Liza,” she exclaimed.
“No, that’s another thing you’re wrong about. While I will spend my life proving that I deserve Liza, you’re the one who isn’t good enough for her.”
She gasped and real tears filled her eyes this time, but I couldn’t stop now.
“No real parent, no good parent would encourage their child to be with a man who doesn’t respect them, just for the sake of what’s in his bank account and how it might benefit her.
You seriously need to reevaluate your priorities and be the parent Liza deserves, or you’re going to fool around and not have a place in her life. ”
“I don’t need to be lectured by the likes of you!” She jumped to her feet and grabbed the doorknob. “Dax will win Liza back, and then you won’t be anything but a memory!” She slammed the door behind her.
Well, damn. It was nice to have her out of my office, along with the smell of stale cigarettes she’d brought with her.
My adrenaline hadn’t even had time to settle before my door opened.
It was Abby again. She didn’t come in this time.
“Yes?” I said roughly.
She smirked. “Pity. That first impression didn’t go too well, did it?”
“You have got to stop.” I didn’t know how, but I would find a way to bring this woman down a peg.
She raised her eyebrows and fluttered her hand at her chest. “I have no idea what you mean.” Narrowing her eyes, she leaned in. “I’m just enjoying the show.”
Bile rose in my throat in reaction to my inability to do a damn thing as she walked away. Instead, I slammed my door and sat at my desk, practicing breathing exercises until my mind had calmed enough to work on my menus.
Eventually, it became clear that I wouldn’t be productive today, so I shut everything down and headed home.
Liza had gone home too, so I grabbed dinner from Wayne’s service and headed to her place. “Do you think it’s safe to be here?” I asked.
“Well.” She sighed. “I figure he knows we’re dating. And if he doesn’t find me here, he’ll come to your apartment.” As she unpacked the dinner, she stopped and met my gaze. “We might have to move.”
We. She’d said we.
I seriously contemplated telling her what had happened with her mother, but she was so happy. Even after the fiasco at the diner, my turning into a dragon had distracted her and put her in a better mod. If I told her about Abby’s behavior today, it would just bring her down again.
Her relationship with her mom wasn’t the best and I also didn’t want to add more strain. It was clear that Dax and Liza’s mom were in cahoots. They conversed too much for my liking for me not to believe they’d been plotting. I had to figure out a way to put a stop to it.
It would’ve been great if I could’ve found a way to protect Liza from having to deal with it when she’d dealt with enough from her mom already.
So, I just played it by ear.
“Should I apply to a different department?” she asked out of the blue after we’d finished our dinner.
I sighed and turned on the couch. “I talked to Anthony about it today.”
Liza perked up. “Oh?”
“Yeah. He seems to think there’s not much she can do to block you getting hired.” I grimaced. “Except in her department. Anywhere else in the hospital, it’s not likely she’ll be able to touch you, and if she does, you can take it to HR.”
She sighed. “But he thought she’d block me from getting hired.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Have you put in your application?”
“First thing this morning,” she said. “I guess tomorrow I’ll put in some for the other floors.”
“Maybe once you get hired, soon in the future, you’d be able to transfer to the maternity ward.”
She sighed and leaned into me on the couch. “You’re right. This is a setback, but only a small one.”
“Exactly. You’re still a rock star,” I whispered.
“I’ll support you no matter what you decide to do but you have to do what’s best for you and what makes you happy.
” I couldn’t help but feel guilty though, even though this isn’t directly my fault, I was still a bit responsible for Abby’s treatment of Liza.
Maybe I should’ve let Abby down sooner, more directly than just avoiding her. Maybe then all this would’ve been avoided.