Page 106 of Someday You Learn

Ha. Good for you, Beth.

“I react the way a father should.”

“Yeah, maybe if she were sixteen. But she’s going to be thirty next year, honey. This is where you have to let the baby bird fly whichever way the wind blows her.”

Honey? Did Beth just call Dr. O’Neil honey?

“I need to tell her that I know—bring it up and see what she says.”

I reach up and drag my hand down my face, growing more nervous the longer I listen. If Dr. O’Neil knows about our arrangement, that means he’s going to come for me too.

Fuck. We’re just one week away from Cashlynn’s gallery opening and a few weeks away from him making his decision about the practice, and I still couldn’t tell you which way he is leaning. But this? If he knowsthe truth and confronts Cashlynn about it before she’s ready, it could be catastrophic.

I walk away, even though every part of me wants to keep listening, but the receptionists just unlocked the doors, and I have patients to attend to. If I can avoid Robert for the rest of the morning, perhaps I can talk to him at lunch, gauge how much he knows, and maybe head him off before he speaks with Cashlynn.

Or maybe I just tell him the truth myself?

But Cashlynn wanted to wait. She’s been adamant about it.

“Dr. Sheppard?” Cassandra calls me, pulling me back to reality.

“Yeah?”

“Mrs. Kingston is ready in room two.”

“Thank you.”

Knowing I have to put my personal life on hold right now, I enter the room to check on one of my favorite patients.

The rest of the morning goes by so quickly, I barely have time to dwell on the conversation I overheard this morning between Dr. O’Neil and Beth. But as soon as lunchtime hits and I head toward my office, I hear Dr. O’Neil yelling from his.

“Why did you lie to me?” his voice echoes down the hall as I make my way in that direction. “I’m so disappointed, June.”

Fuck. He’s talking to Cashlynn.

Before I can think, I’m standing in his doorway and when he turns around and sees me there, he bristles. “We’ll talk more later.” He ends the call abruptly, shoving his phone in his pocket and standing tall. “Can I help you, Parker?”

I don’t take a second to overthink what I’m about to do, I just act.

“All Cashlynn wants is for you to believe in her and trust her enough to make decisions on her own about her life. Is that really too much to ask?”

Hiseyebrows raise, surprised by my confronting him, I’m sure. “I don’t like my daughter keeping secrets from me.”

“Ha. That’s rich coming from you.”

He takes a step closer to me. “What did you just say to me?”

I lower my voice, but stand my ground. “I think it’s ironic that you’re upset with your daughter for not being honest when you’re keeping secrets from her too.”

He narrows his eyes at me. “I’m not sure what you think you know…”

“I know enough,” I say, debating if I should reveal my hand or wait.

“You’d better watch your tone with me.”

“Or what? You’re not going to hand the practice over to me?” I say a little too loudly. “At this point, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Something comes over me in this moment, rage fueled by a protective instinct mixed with optimism and purpose. I’ve bent over backwards for this man for the past six years, but right now, I’ve lost so much respect for him that I’m prepared to handle the consequences of speaking up.

---