Page 11 of Redeeming Harmony

“We’ve had discussions about me buying the clinic, yes.”

“Discussions? You have a contract written up and ready to go,” she said. “I think you’ve moved beyond discussions.”

“What I’m offering your father for the clinic is fair and reasonable,” he said. “Have you even talked to Warren about this? Because he’s still going to be working here and -”

“Yes, you’re so generous to allow my father to continue to work at the clinic that he built from the ground up. You’re happy to waltz in here and just take over, huh?”

“Just take over?” he said. “Look, I don’t know where you’re getting your information about my clinic plans, but I know it wasn’t your father or me. And since we’re the only ones who know what we’ve discussed, maybe you should keep your thoughts to yourself until you hear what we have to say.”

“Tell me something, Dr. Henshaw,” Harper said. “Are you that lazy that you’ll convince a man to retire early, so you don’t have to put in the work of starting up your own clinic?”

His fraying temper snapped. “Since we’re speaking about the character of people we hardly know, let me share my insights about you. I think you’re a spoiled little brat who’s so used to getting her way in everything, she doesn’t know what to do when she doesn’t.”

“Fuck you,” she said.

“Not even if you begged me, sweetheart,” he said.

Her cheeks turned bright red, and her voice rose. “Listen up, you pompous butt biscuit, I’m not letting you take our clinic without a fight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you owned the clinic as well,” he said, laying on the sarcasm thick as his voice loudened. “Your father must have forgotten to mention that to me.”

“If you think I’m going to sit back and watch as you trick my father into -”

“I am not tricking him into anything!” Nathan said. “Your father is an intelligent man who is perfectly capable of making a decision about his clinic.”

“Don’t try to tell me who my father is,” she said. “You’ve known him less than a fucking year. And I won’t let you manipulate him.”

“Manipulate him?” Nathan said in frustration. “And you talk about me not knowing your father. Are you that self-centered that you don’t even know the type of man your father is? I always got the impression that you’re a daddy’s girl, but maybe he avoids showing you the real him because he’s as sick of your bullshit as I am.”

“You asshole,” she shouted. “You know nothing about my relationship with my father and -”

“Harper!” Warren’s gravelly voice spoke behind Harper.

She shut her mouth with a snap and stared at her father, who stood in the doorway of the surgical suite, his gloved hands held up in the air and most of his face hidden by a surgical mask.

Dull heat flushed Nathan’s cheeks when Warren stared at Harper and then him, disappointment and irritation in his gaze.

“This is a place of business,” he said. “I’ll give you two options. Behave like adults or take your shouting match over to the house where there aren’t clients.”

Harper, her cheeks as flushed as Nathan’s and her anger so palpable it was practically a visible shimmer around her body, said, “I’ll take option three. Being as far as possible from Dr. Henshaw.”

She shoved her sketchpad into her messenger bag and stalked past the swinging door that led to the front of the clinic.

Embarrassed beyond belief, Nathan said, “Warren, I -”

“We don’t have time to talk,” Warren said. “I’m in surgery, and you’re seeing appointments.”

He disappeared back into surgery, and, feeling sick to his stomach, Nathan picked up the syringe and headed toward the front.

Chapter 4

“Harper!” Addison practically screamed her name and yanked her into the apartment, hugging her tight and covering her face with loud, smacking kisses. “Oh, honey, I’m so happy to see you.”

Harper hugged her back, tightening her arms around Addie’s waist when Addie started to release her. She buried her face in her best friend’s neck and reminded herself that stupid Dr. Henshaw was not worth crying over.

The look of disappointment on her father’s face, on the other hand…

“Harper? What’s wrong, honey?” Addie rubbed her back.

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