Page 110 of Primal God

“Is the bruising normal?”

“It is.” He pauses. “I never apologized.”

“For what?”

“For kicking my shoes off next to the door instead of putting them on the rack.”

I snort. “Oh, so you did know it was your shoes I tripped over?”

“I knew.”

“It’s okay. You’ve made it up to me, Daddy.” I say the last part teasingly, but don’t miss the heat in his eyes.

“I’m going to bring my nurse in here and she’s going to help me with the cast.”

I groan. “No.”

“Yes. But Daddy will make it up to you.”

“You play dirty.”

“I play to win, little girl.”

He winks at me as he disappears. A moment later, he comes back with an older woman.

“Lilith, this is Shelene. Shelene is my righthand woman, and this office wouldn’t survive without her.”

Shelene snorts. “Laying it on thick, Dr. S., but keep it coming. You know I love it.”

Dimitri tells me, “Shelene has worked with me since day one.”

“You must be the wonderful Lilith I keep hearing all about.” She gestures to Dimitri. “This one can’t stop talking about you.”

My eyes widen. “Really?”

“Really.” She leans in and says in a loud whisper, “He’s totally smitten.”

My cheeks are warm, which only makes her laugh.

“Oh, I see it’s mutual. Good for the two of you.” She turns to Dimitri. “Let’s do this, doc. I have an appointment with the grandkids that I can’t be late for.”

The two get to work. I’m sad to see that the cast is going to go from my knuckles to my elbow.

Shelene asks, “What color do you want, honey? We have white, pink, blue, green, purple, and black.”

“Purple, please.”

“Good pick.”

Before I know it, the fiberglass cast is dried and I’m ready to go.

“It was so nice to meet you,” I say to Shelene.

“You, too. I’m sure I’ll see you at the Christmas party.”

I only smile, because I know it’s not that easy and there’s a big chance that I won’t be around for the holidays.

Dimitri says, “Let me walk you out.”

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