Page 3 of What the Doctor Ordered
Needless to say, Lily squealed. Again.
CHAPTER 2
Simon
“See you tomorrow, Dr. Vale.”
I nodded politely to one of the nurses, trying not to grimace at the sultry expression she sent me. I should be used to the looks by now. Ever since my father died and I was named sole heir to his successful medical empire, women have been noticing me more, essentially begging for my attention.
I humored them for a little while, going on a few dates here and there, but they quickly grew tiresome, especially when it was clear that most of them were only interested in the fortune I was inheriting. It had been a while since I’d been on a date because of the vicious cycle of becoming attracted to a woman, becoming attached, only to have her show her true gold-digging colors, then dumping her, and doing it all over again. I didn’t particularly mind being single, however. Preparing to take over Father’s business now that he was gone had me busy enough.
A romantic partner was not something I needed right now. They would likely just get in the way of my work.
Nodding to a couple of other doctors as I went, I finally stepped out of the stark white building. It had been a particularly trying day, with a few difficult patients who refused to follow their care regimen. Although those moments were difficult, it was that much more rewarding when I could successfully guide others on a journey toward healing and wellness.
I had always known I would be a doctor. Many believed it was because of my father, and while that was partially true, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I did it just to follow in his footsteps.
There was no question that my father was a major role model throughout my life. He was the kindest doctor, and his patients had adored him; so much in fact that many of them attended his funeral. But it was seeing the joy he brought to others that made me want to become a doctor.
My eyes widened when I stepped out onto the sidewalk and came face to face with my mother.
Dinah Vale might have lost her husband, but it didn’t break her spirit. Her graying dark blonde hair still shimmered and didn’t have a single strand out of place. Those who didn’t know her well would think she was completely happy, but I knew better. Her dark blue eyes held just a hint of the sadness I knew she was carrying heavily, even if she refused to show it.
She was the strongest woman I knew. Maybe the strongest person altogether.
“Mom,” I said, hearing the concern in my own voice. I raised my arms to hug her as my eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from a nearby streetlight. “Are you alright? What are youdoing here?” Mom didn’t smile like she normally did when we reunited, which just worried me further.
She frowned up at me. “We need to talk, Simon.”
About half an hour later, Mom and I were seated across from each other at a restaurant, sipping on some red wine while we waited for our meals to be served.
“You could have called me,” I told her. “You didn’t have to leave the house at this time of night.”
“Lawrence is always happy to take me anywhere I need to go,” Mom said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“The poor guy,” I said lightly as I pictured my mom’s elderly, soft-spoken driver.
Mom was quiet for a moment, tracing her fingers over the base of her glass. “I’m worried about you, Simon,” she said at last. “You have made no moves to find a life partner. You’re not getting any younger, you know. And frankly, neither am I.”
I grimaced. “Mom, is this really what you came all this way to discuss?”
Mom pinned me with a look. “I figured that I should since it is now imperative that you marry. And soon.”
I felt my eyebrows rise. “What do you mean?”
“It appears that a part of the will was overlooked,” she said. She pushed a folder across the table to me. “There is a certain stipulation that I came across.”
“Stipulation?” I repeated in confusion, quickly opening the folder and pulling out the documents.
I flipped to a page she had marked with a colorful sticky note. Scanning it to locate what she could be referring to, I blinked several times when I finally found it, as if that would make the ludicrous sentences disappear. I lifted my eyes to meet my mother. “Was father aware of this clause?”
“There’s no way of finding out for sure now,” she said, a touch of sadness in her voice. “But that is beside the point, Simon. You see now that you must find a wife soon, don’t you? You need to either be married or, at the very least engaged, to fully take over your father’s business or it will be run by the board until you do.”
I ground my teeth together at the thought. Father had very specific ways that he wanted this company to be run. If I let the board take it over, even temporarily, it could spell the end of everything my dad had worked to create: a successful medical empire that still managed to give the patients the feel of an intimate family practice.
I knew some of those board members. There was no doubt they would try to change things to make the company more financially lucrative. That wasn’t a problem on its face, but those greedy board members prized efficiency above efficacy. I had a feeling that they would insist on sacrificing my father’s morals in order to make the company run more profitably.
I couldn’t stand by and let that happen.
