Page 21 of Fierce-Dane

“Chloe always wrote her own rules and you didn’t like it. You and Dad were both upset over finding out about Royce at the same time you found out she was pregnant.”

His sister had been trying to thwart the Fierces’ matchmaking scheme and control her own destiny. In the process of her friends-with-benefits agreement with Royce, she ended up pregnant...and in love.

His parents came around, as he knew they would.

He only wanted Chloe happy and she was in the end. His brother-in-law, Royce, was a great guy.

“And we did accept it,” his mother said. “Just like we’ve been open-minded about everything in both of your lives. Or as much as we could be. We were wrong to tell Chloe she’d never find anyone because she was selfish with her ‘me time’ and didn’t want to compromise. You’re not selfish enough with your time and maybe you should be. Why don’t you set the table.”

Which was his mother’s way of saying she was done talking about this.

It was fine with him because he was too.

Maybe he’d try again, if he could get out of his own damn way.

6

MAGICAL HANDS

The following Thursday, Dane was in his office working when he looked at the next name on his schedule.

Nathan Fierce. Wyatt and Adriana’s son.

He opened the door and saw Carolyn Fierce sitting there with Nate on her lap, the eleven-month-old’s face flush and tears in his eyes, his hand pulling on his ear.

“Carolyn,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Both Wyatt and Adriana are in surgery and not reachable. The daycare knows to call me as a backup. This little guy is not happy. He’s running a fever and cranky and has the ‘I’ve got some pain in my ear if you haven’t noticed yet’ pull going on.”

“I see that,” he said. “Most likely an ear infection. Let’s check the little man out.” He moved closer to Nate and tried to get the boy’s fingers out of the way to look in his ear. The child was having no part of it.

He already knew there was a fever being run since the nurse’s aide had taken and recorded it.

Dane turned and pulled open a drawer. There were toys in there they could distract the kids with.

“He likes dinosaurs and cars,” Carolyn said.

She was an old pro here. He’d seen her plenty enough times with one or more of her grandkids, either coming along for the visit or bringing them in just like this since it wasn’t always possible for some of her children to get out of work and handle an emergency.

He found a toy ambulance in the drawer and pulled it out to show Nate.

Nate’s chubby hands reached for it and he took that chance to look in the baby’s ear to see that it was indeed an infection.

He looked in the other while he had a chance.

“Double ear infection. This one isn’t as bad so he’s not worrying about it,” he said “Let me listen to his breathing. Would it be easier if I put him on my lap?”

“Sure,” Carolyn said and handed over Nate who came to him easily enough since he was distracted.

“Hey there,” he said.

Nate reached for the stethoscope and wrapped his fingers around the tube. He’d handled this enough that he could still let the child touch it while he did what he needed to.

“He likes that,” Carolyn said. “Might have another doctor in the family.”

“Could be,” he said.

“Not Chase,” Carolyn said. “He’s a wild one. Just like Wyatt was as a kid. But you know, I never expected him to be an anesthesiologist either.”

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