Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Donovan
My phone rings again for the third time since Delia left. The answering service won’t let up, but that’s not on the operator. It’s on Leroy’s owner.
I pick it up to glance at the screen. I’m surprised when I see Matt is calling. I answer immediately because chances are he’s calling to ask if I’ll take care of the Leroy situation.
“Hey, Matt,” I say as calmly as I can.
There’s a possibility he may be my child’s uncle. What started as a hell of a lot of fun on a cruise ship has turned into something more. Something that I’ve wanted for years, but haven’t had the courage to wish for until now.
“Donovan, my good man.” He chuckles.
I am a good man. I’ll be the man that Delia needs to me to be, and the man she deserves regardless if she’s pregnant or not.
“Let me guess,” I steer the conversation in the direction I want it to go. “You want me to take care of the Leroy situation.”
“Handled.” That one word takes a small slice of stress off my plate tonight.
“You handled it?”
“Finally.” He laughs louder. “I’ll see the old guy and his owner tomorrow morning at nine a.m. sharp. Don’t be surprised if he moves from your roster over to mine.”
“I can only hope.” I laugh, too, but it’s muted. “Did you call to give me that good news?”
“That and more.” The sound of traffic filters through the call.
“You’re on the move,” I note. “Are you on your way to the clinic? What’s happening?”
“I’m on my way to meet my fiancée.” His voice softens. “She’s been studying up a storm so I’m going to surprise her at the library with some flowers.”
Faith Upton is on course to becoming a doctor. I know she’ll succeed. Her commitment to her goal is awe-inspiring. Matt never shuts up about how brilliant she is and how devoted she is to acing every course she takes on her path to earning her degree in medicine.
Before I can say anything, he continues, “I just left Delia’s. I brought her spaghetti from Calvetti’s.”
My interest is immediately piqued at the mention of her name. “It’s the best Italian food in the city.”
“You know it,” he says. “Delia went on a cruise a couple of months ago. I was going to ask about it since I know Faith would love something like that for our honeymoon, but time got away from me.”
I’d give him my opinion of the cruise but he still doesn’t know I was on it with his sister.
“Anyways,” he goes on, “I’ll need a week or a week-and-a-half after the wedding for that getaway. I wanted to give you ample time to work that into the schedule.”
It’s still months away and I appreciate the heads-up, but I’ve already blocked out his schedule for the fourteen days after the wedding because I knew the request was coming.
I can’t help but ask about the woman I’m crazy about. I frame it in a way that I hope won’t raise his suspicions. “What did Delia think of the spaghetti?”
“She barely touched it.” He sighs. “Dammit. I have an incoming call. It’s the service. It looks like my surprise for Faith will have to wait.”
I won’t sleep tonight. I can’t, so I do something I’ve rarely ever done. “I’ll take it, Matt. Go see the woman you love.”
“Are you serious, Hunt?” I can’t see him, but I know he’s smiling. “Tell me you’re serious.”
“I’m dead serious.” I walk across my bedroom to the closest to grab a fresh pair of jeans and a clean shirt. “Go to Faith.”
“If you ever fall in love, I’ll return the favor.” He chuckles. “I know it’s a big if, but miracles happen every day.”
They do indeed.
“Go before I change my mind, Matt.”
“Thanks again,” he says before he ends the call.
My phone starts ringing in the back pocket of my jeans. It’s just past two a.m. and I’m headed home. The emergency that took me to the clinic could have waited until morning, but I needed the distraction and the owner of the cat that was rushed in needed assurance that the newest member of their family would be fine.
A recently adopted six year old handsome gray haired male cat was brought in with a red bump on one of his hind legs. It was an abscess that was likely the result of the cat’s interaction with a stone fireplace grate. He crawled in looking for a place to sleep. The grate nicked his leg and caused the infection.
I took care of it and given that I could have pushed the appointment back to the morning, I charged our regular rate. The emergency fee that is tacked on is standard when the clinic is normally closed, but I needed something to focus on other than Delia.
I stop before I look at my phone’s screen because I may need to turn around and head back to the clinic depending on what the answering service is about to say to me.
I stare at the screen when I see the name of the caller.
“Delia,” I answer while trying to maintain some composure in my voice. “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” she says in such a quiet tone that I can barely hear her. “Did I wake you up?”
I may be a strong proponent of how peaceful this city is at night, but someone not far from here is blasting their vehicle’s horn. It’s fucking annoying, but I still wouldn’t trade living in Manhattan for any other place on earth.
“No.” I slow my pace. “I was called in for an emergency. I’m on my way home now.”
“I thought Matthew was on call.” She pauses briefly before going on, “I saw him earlier. He came here and brought dinner.”
“He told me,” I tell her. “We talked.”
Silence stretches across the line for a few seconds. I anticipate that she’s going to ask me what I discussed with her brother, but that’s not the question that she tosses at me. “Can we talk?”
“Any time,” I say as I start walking again. “You have my full attention whenever you want it.”
“Now?”
A smile spreads over my lips. A guy passing by me, nods his chin and sends a smile right back at me.
I don’t give a shit if he thinks the smile was directed at him. If it brightened his night, I consider that a bonus.
“Now works,” I try to level my tone.
“In person,” she clarifies before I can ask if she wants to do this face to face. “Can you come to my place, Donovan?”
“I’m on my way.”
“I’ll let the doorman know to expect you,” she tells me. “He’ll bring you up.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I say, knowing from experience that I can get a rideshare fairly quickly at this time of night.
“Thank you.” The distinctive sound of her taking a deep breath follows. “See you soon.”