Page 61 of Someday You Learn

Oooh. Good come back, Seth.

I shake my head, buttoning up my lab coat and resisting the urge to throw his stapler at him. “No, because I would never do what you just did to that poor girl out there.”

Hewaves me off. “Again, it doesn’t seem like you’re ready to run things around here if you wouldn’t do what’s best for the practice.”

Someone knocks on the door, interrupting the tongue-lashing I was about to give him.

“If you could get that, that’d be great.” Seth smiles up at me like I’m his fucking butler.

Clenching my teeth, I open the door to find Robert O’Neil standing there, looking between us with his usual no-bullshit expression.

“Gentlemen,” he greets us, looking back and forth between me and Seth, who’s now standing behind his desk.

“Robert. How can I help you?”

“We’re having a staff meeting in ten minutes. I need you both present.” Without further explanation, he storms off, no cane in sight.

He’s been back at work for a week, and things have returned to normal for the most part. However, there’ve been moments where I’ve noticed him watching me from the corner of my eye, or he’ll come up and ask me a question about a case, almost like he’s testing me. And maybe he is.

I know I broke the trust he had in me by lying to him about Cashlynn, and I don’t blame him for watching me more closely now. But I’ll be keeping an eye on him, too—because the more I’ve learned about their relationship as father and daughter, the more protective I’ve become of her. My father never would have discouraged me from doing what makes me happy and chasing my dreams. He had his faults, but I guess when it was time for me to start figuring out what to do with my life, he’d learned from his mistakes with Dallas and Penn.

I got the father who believed in me and praised me every time I accomplished something I put my mind to and succeeded—which I always did. I had this obsession with being perfect. But over the years, I wonder if that praise for being driven, for never wanting to make mistakes, is what’s made my failed relationship with Sasha haunt me for so long.

“That was your cue to leave my office,” Seth snaps, pulling me back to the present.

I shoot him a glare before turning and heading down the hallway, where the rest of the staff has already gathered. A quick glance at the clock confirms that it’s lunchtime—the brief window each day when the doors are locked and there are no appointments on the schedule.

Robert clears his throat loudly, commanding everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for making time for this. I didn’t want this to wait until our Monday meeting because I need to be truthful with all of you about something very important.”

Murmurs ripple through the room.

Truthful? My chest tightens. Is he going to explain what he and Beth were discussing that day I overheard them? Fuck. Is he sick? Is he about to tell the entire staff before he tells his daughter?

“My fall three weeks ago was eye-opening, to say the least. Lucky for me, I didn’t break anything, but it was a wakeup call—a reminder that I’m not getting any younger.” A few of the staff chuckle nervously. “With that being said, today I am formally announcing that in three months, I will be retiring from Carrington Cove Animal Hospital.”

Holy shit. He’s really doing it.

This is really happening.

Everyone starts to speak amongst themselves, but Robert clears his throat again and they fall silent. I glance over at Seth, who has his arms crossed over his chest, beaming like he just won the fucking lottery.

“As you know, we have two very capable doctors here, Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Brown, both of whom I believe would do great things leading this practice. But only one name can be the sole owner, so in threemonths’ time, I will announce my choice of who will replace me as the head doctor.”

Seth and I lock eyes, and he’s already smirking like it’s a done deal.

Robert steps up to me, offering his hand. “You know what’s at stake here, right, Parker?”

“Of course, sir,” I say, gripping his hand firmly.

“Good.” He leans in and lowers his voice. “And let me make one thing clear—being engaged to my daughter doesn’t mean a damn thing. If anything, it means you’ve got even more to prove.”

I swallow hard, willing my voice to stay steady. “Yes sir.”

Robert nods once, releasing my hand. “Then I expect to see the doctor I’ve been mentoring for the past six years over the next three months, and hopefully, someone even better than that.”

He turns away and walks over to Seth, probably to give him a similar speech.

But my insides are twisting.

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