Page 16 of The Dragon's Surprise
Chapter Six
Three days later, Lexi wanted to storm into the clinic, find Kyle Baker, and scold him for avoiding Ethan.
The first day they’d arrived, he’d spent nearly the entire day with the boy, making a big impression. To the point Ethan kept asking after him. Every time Lexi had to gently say Kyle must be busy at the clinic, the boy had wilted a little.
Since she didn’t have a phone number and she’d been busy with both Ethan and checking in with the clan leader and the Protectors, Lexi hadn’t had a chance to try and see the dragon doctor in person.
What she couldn’t understand was the radio silence. As a doctor, Kyle should understand how important stability was to a child who’d recently been abandoned. If the dragonman hadn’t wanted to be a part of his son’s life, he should’ve started as he meant to go on.
Because now, it would make everything that much harder if Kyle decided he was too busy to spend time with Ethan. She knew a little something about that.
After all, Lexi still remembered her first birthday after her mother had left her and Jennifer at their grandmother’s house, when she’d gotten a birthday card. It’d given her hope that hermom would return. And yet, as each birthday passed without another word, it only reminded her of how much she was unwanted.
It was something she didn’t want any of her charges to feel. Well, more than they already did, if they were given up at a later age.
The one good thing from the past few days was Ethan and Jackson had become fast friends, to the point she’d left Ethan with Jackson and his grandmother for a few hours. Lexi had liked the older dragonwoman the first day, with her no-nonsense attitude and secret stash of candies she gave out when she thought no one was looking.
With her free time, Lexi intended to finally hunt down Kyle and tell him he needed to make up his mind about Ethan. Maybe not about parenthood just yet, but if he was going to be a part of the boy’s life, he needed to be consistent.
She reached the clinic, took a deep breath, and willed her temper to cool. Shouting didn’t accomplish anything, especially with those who weren’t at fault and merely worked at the clinic.
After asking to speak with Dr. Baker at the front desk, she resisted pacing as the dragonman called someone. A few minutes later, a woman in her early 30s, with black hair and light brown skin, walked up to her. She had the white lab coat of a doctor, but before she could ask, the woman spoke up.
“Dr. Baker is getting some much needed rest. What can I help you with? Is the boy okay?”
“Er, who are you?”
The dragonwoman didn’t so much as smile. “I’m Dr. Alvaro.”
“Alvaro? Wait…”
“Yes, Rio and Solana are my cousins. I live with a different clan, but I’m here temporarily. Are you here about the boy?”
“No. I mean, yes.” She glanced around. “Can we talk in private?”
“I have a few minutes, nothing more. Follow me.”
Lexi followed the dragonwoman, more than curious about Kyle needing rest. Had there been an emergency? If so, she hadn’t heard anything.
Once they entered a small office, Dr. Alvaro leaned against the desk and quirked a dark eyebrow in question. Lexi resisted clearing her throat and asked, “Did something happen?”
For a few beats, the dragonwoman said nothing as her pupils flashed to slits and back. Eventually she replied, “It’s been hectic, is all you need to know.”
“Wait, you do know who I am, who I brought, and why I need to talk with Kyle?”
“I may be a guest here, but yes, I know the boy is his biological son. Regardless, Dr. Baker finished a twelve-hour surgery only a few hours ago, the second surgery in as many days, and desperately needs to rest. He’ll contact you when he can. That’s all I can share.”
Part of her admired the dragon doctor for protecting her patients and what happened inside the surgery. And yet, another part of her wanted to know if Kyle had saved his patient or not. If not, then she could only imagine how he felt, and he wouldn’t be in the mood to try and charm a little boy.
Lexi’s lingering anger and irritation faded away. Why hadn’t anyone told her Kyle had been busy trying to save someone’s life?
Then she realized the answer: she was a human, the outsider. It shouldn’t sting, and yet it did, because it meant all the years she’d spent trying to help the dragon orphans didn’t count for much.
Stop it, Lexi. Now’s not the time.She focused on Dr. Alvaro and nodded. “I understand you can’t tell me the specifics. However, can you tell me if Kyle went home or not? That way, I know where to check in with him later.”
The dragonwoman tilted her head, her pupils flashing, and studied her. Why, Lexi didn’t know, but she eventually nodded. “Yes, he’s at home. Now, excuse me. I have a patient that needs me.”
Dr. Alvaro gestured, and Lexi took her cue, exiting the room and heading back toward the entrance. Once she was outside, she hesitated. Would Kyle mind her checking in on him? If he didn’t answer the door, she could just go back to Ethan and wait until he was rested.
