Page 92 of Obsessed Heir

“Oh, someone’s here,” she murmurs, leaning forward with an eager expression as she glances toward the hallway.

“It’s Stein, coming to check on you,” I assure her gruffly. I brace myself for another round of arguing over whether she still needs to be seen by a doctor. We’ll see what the esteemed doctor has to say.

But it’s Abigail who arrives, with Stein following at her heels.

“No need to run,” he says as she leads him into the suite. “I wouldn’t mind the company of a beautiful woman for a few more minutes.”

Fucking Stein. I scowl at the sight of them together. The smug bastard is hitting on Abigail at the first opportunity—and in my own home.

“I’m fine, Son,” Mother replies with a hint of annoyance.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Stein counters smoothly, turning his attention to his patient.

“Good afternoon, Doctor,” Mother greets him, switching to her pleasant Southern manner. “Abby, hello dear.”

“How’s my favorite patient today?” he asks as he crosses the room, not sparing Abigail a glance. It’s as if he’s forgotten her in a matter of seconds.

I won’t forget the deliberate slight toward Abigail. At the same time, I want him nowhere near her.

“Casting a wide net, aren’t you,” I mutter. The self-centered son of a bitch approaches Mother as I set the drink in her hand.

“I’m just fine, Doctor,” she replies to him, pretending not to hear what I said.

Stein’s phone rings. He blows out an exasperated breath as he reaches for his cell. “Stein.”

I focus on Abigail as she lingers awkwardly by the entryway. The lines of tension around her eyes are concerning. That can’t be good for a woman who may be expecting, even at this early stage.

I should ask Stein directly so he can move on from wanting to chase Abigail and concentrate on his patients.

“Keep pressure on it. I’ll be right there.” He ends the call, shoving the phone in his pocket. “Broken glass at the bar,” he explains, addressing me.

Damn. I was more worried about headaches and people being seasick. I didn’t take issues like this into account. In the future, I’ll lay off Stein.

“Keep me informed,” I say, my tone neutral.

“Oh dear. Go on,” Mother interjects with her concern, turning toward others when the emergency is mentioned. “I hope no one was seriously injured.”

“Don’t think you’re going to avoid me that easily,” Stein replies with an easy grin as he heads to the door. “I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I’m done.”

“We may leave for dinner, so don’t rush back,” she informs him.

We need to go. I was able to set up a meeting with Harris later this evening. He’s still up to discussing a potential investment, even after I left him mid-sentence earlier today.

“No worries.” Stein opens the door. “It’s an excuse to call Abigail…to see if you’re available,” he says. Then the bastard has the audacity to wink at her before letting himself out.

“Isn’t he sweet?” Mother sighs, oblivious to the womanizing reputation Stein’s earned.

“Yes.”

I shift my attention from the door to Abigail, watching as she eats it up.

“I don’t know if Dr. Stein needs to continue these house calls,” Mother muses thoughtfully. “The swelling has gone down, and there’s only a slight pinch. I think I’m doing just fine on my own.”

“You see, you didn’t need a helper after all.” If she’d realized that earlier, we wouldn’t be in this problem.

Mother lifts her chin, looking at me with the sharp glare only a Southern woman can manage to pull off. “Of course I did,” she says, her accent more pronounced. “And I still do.”

That’s it. I hit that line of stubbornness that tells me I’m not getting anywhere fast.