Page 12 of The Doctor

“I’m allergic to shellfish, but otherwise we all eat anything.” He sat on the floor next to Landon and kissed his brother's cheek. “Morning, kiddo.”

The little boy smiled at his big brother and the love between them was beautiful to watch. I saw it with the Salingers and I was so glad my son had that. The little boy lifted his spoon to Dom.

“Nice try, kid. Eat your breakfast.” His smile was easy and I wanted more of those. Since he’d arrived, it was the first time he looked relaxed. He glanced over at Bex. “You said you’d have more questions for me this morning.”

“I gave a run-down of our conversation to my brother Jake.” Bex sat at the small kitchen table, twisting her fingers around each other. “He’s going to ask you some follow up questions.”

“What?” He moved closer to Landon. “Why can’t you do it?”

It was obvious the kid was scared. Who wouldn’t be after what he had been through? “Dom… Do you mind if I call you that?”

“Okay.” His shoulders relaxed and he let out a deep exhale.

“Neither Bex nor I ever told our families about you. Well, she told her twin, Mason and her older sister, Debbie. Her youngest brother overheard me and Mason arguing, that’s how he knows. I’m not close to my mother, but Bex is close to her family. Her mother and older brothers don’t know about you. They’re going to be angry and we don’t want you caught up in that.”

Dom frowned and darted his eyes between the two of us. “They’re going to be angry because I’m here?”

“Oh, no.” Bex stood and then dropped to the floor next to Dom. “Not at all. They’re going to be angry atmefor not telling them about you. For denying them the chance to get to know you. They’ll think I didn’t trust them. But when they meet you, they're gonna… Oh, my mother will love you, and I don’t wantthat moment to be muddled with her anger at me. So, I’ll handle them today. But be prepared to meet a few of them before sunset.”

Dom nodded and lifted the remote off the table. “Can I?” When I nodded, he scrolled through channels until he landed on a show with animated dogs which all looked to be dressed like humans. He picked Landon up and onto the couch. “Why don’t you watch some TV while I eat, okay?”

Landon grinned and nodded. “Duma.” It was the first word he’d uttered since he arrived.

Dom gave him one of those easy smiles. “That’s Zuma, yes.” He walked over to the small kitchen table. “We practically have all morning. Landon will watch TV all day if we let him. My Mom doesn’t… didn’t… didn’t let him watch for more than an hour at a time.”

I nodded while I put the eggs and sausage on the table. “That’s good to know. You should probably make a list of their routines and stuff like that so we can all pitch in. Also, a shopping list of everything we’ll need. Someone will make a run to the mall a little later.”

“I’ll get my mom on that.” Bex sat opposite me at the table, allowing Dom to take a spot between the two of us. “Retail therapy for grandchildren is a good way to distract her from how pissed off she is at me.”

Dom frowned at her then stole a glance at Landon who was giggling at the TV. “Language.”

Bex offered a small smile and nodded. “Sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

“Anyway. I’m not her grandchild so she may not seem as willing to do my shopping. It’s fine, I can order things online. I’ll just need some money or a credit card. I’ll pay it back.”

Bex placed a hand on his arm. But I was the one to speak up. “I’ll let you in on a secret, Dom. Hope Salinger will declareyou her grandchild along with Landon and Victoria and it will have nothing to do with biology. She will spoil you and you will let her because unfortunately you have bigger problems than an overbearing, yet delightful, woman who you will never refer to as old. Am I understood?”

“Understood.”

As we ate, we got to know Dom. He didn’t trust us and he was scared as hell but we did learn he had a happy childhood. Even after his dad passed away, his mother had made sure he felt like he belonged. His father’s mother was still alive but she was nearly eighty and admitted she wasn't fit enough to look after a teenager, a toddler, and a baby. That was a problem we’d need to solve as well. Dom didn’t want to lose touch with her. Family was important to the kid, something both Bex and I understood.

He’d loved his mother, that much was obvious. I was glad he’d had that. It was something I never had growing up. No, the only family I knew was the one I found in the Salingers. I’d spent my time after school on the farm. I wish I could say it was because my mother worked hard. But it had more to do with the amount of time she spent looking for the bottom of a bottle and trash talking my father who had walked out on us before I started school.

I shook off thoughts of my toxic family and decided to pay attention to the one I had in front of me.

Dom was explaining his school situation. “So, I play football and basketball. Not brilliant at either but I’m better at basketball. Straight As, mostly.” He smiled at Bex. “And, you’re some badass commando GI Jane, huh?”

Bex smiled, relishing that description. “Former Army Ranger, got out about a year ago to join the family business. We run a tactical training and paramilitary company.”

“Because you’re all former military, right?” The kid had done his research. “Is that why your address was so difficult to find? Are all of you all like, under cover, or something?”

There was no mistaking Bex’s joy at talking to the boy she must’ve missed every day for the last fifteen years. I know I had. “My address is not listed because I live with a bunch of other women in a house that belongs to my sister-in-law. It's called Forte Femme. I’ll take you there some time. Anyway, there is no lease agreement and our company’s information is highly encrypted. But you did the right thing in coming here. This building is safer than the house I live in.” She turned to me and held up a finger. “I don’t want to hear about it.”

As it turned out, Forte Femme hadn’t ever been broken into, but the women hated the idea of being watched and it had been a struggle to convince them to at least lock the damn front door. Last year the women had agreed to an alarm and some cameras after one of our friends who had been renting the attached cottage, had a stalker break into her house.

Before Dom could question her further, a buzz from the intercom had my attention. Checking the screen to make sure it was Jake, I released the entrance door which allowed him into the building.

Bex gave her brother a big hug and gestured for him to come in as she picked up her phone and let us all know she would be back as soon as possible.

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