Page 2 of Hotel Mallois

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor. Keep taking such good care of your father, and I'll see you in six months."

"Six months? I don't plan on coming back here for five years," Warren Taylor grumbles, starting to walk down the hallway.

Katherine follows him after making an apologetic gesture to the doctor and positions herself by his side.

"You should be more polite, Dad," she scolds him, taking his arm.

"I am polite," he says, "but I don't know why we always have to come here. You've seen I'm fine."

"That's exactly why - to make sure that heart of yours keeps working perfectly. These are just check-ups, Dad. I don't understand why you have to make such a fuss every time we come to one," Katherine complains.

"Because it's a waste of time. You have much more important things to do than waste time here with me."

Katherine stops dead in her tracks just as they cross the exit doors and stares at him.

"Nothing is more important than your health, is that clear?" she says in that sharp, cutting tone that characterizes her.

"Sure," her father responds with a sigh. "You're just as stubborn as your mother, rest her soul. Did you know that?"

"I know, you've told me many times," Katherine smiles, "but that won't get you out of these check-ups. Besides," she adds, resuming their walk to the car waiting in front of the hospital, "if I didn't bring you, I'd have to deal with your daughters' complaints, and they're more persistent than I am."

Warren Taylor's laughter catches the attention of several passersby, but father and daughter remain unfazed as they reach the car, where Mike Foster, Katherine's driver and loyal shield-bearer, waits with the back door open.

"How did it go, Mr. Taylor?" he asks politely, with the familiarity granted by his years of service to his daughter.

"Perfect, Mike, you know me, strong as an ox," Warren jokes as he climbs into the back seat.

"Glad to hear that, sir," Mike smiles and closes the door.

"He's impossible today," Katherine comments while Mike accompanies her to the other door.

"He enjoys seeing you annoyed, that's all," Mike responds.

"Yeah, since he retired he gets bored a lot. Let's see if Caroline comes and takes him to some of her meetings," she comments, referring to her younger sister.

"I'm sure she'll come soon," Mike says before closing the door.

Katherine is fastening her seatbelt when her phone starts ringing. She looks at the screen and shows it to her father, raising her eyebrows.

"See? We haven't even left the hospital, and your daughter Caroline is already calling to find out how it went."

Warren doesn't comment before Katherine answers her younger sister's call, but the man couldn't be prouder of the daughters he has.

"Everything's perfect," Katherine says, "and he's being grumpy, as usual. How are you? Are you on the cruise yet?" she asks, activating the speakerphone.

"Boarding in a few minutes," Caroline answers. "I'll stay a few days to make sure everything's running smoothly, then head back to New York, so be good while I'm away, Dad," she says, raising her voice, causing Katherine and Mike to laugh.

"I'm always good. It's your sister who complains too much."

Katherine rolls her eyes and turns off the speakerphone to continue talking with her sister.

"Do you want to come to the hotel, or would you prefer Mike to take you home first?" Katherine asks when she ends the call.

"Home. Hospital visits put me in a bad mood, you know that. By the way, I heard you fired your personal assistant again. What happened this time?"

Katherine looks at him, mouth agape.

"Do you have a mole in my hotel?"

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