Page 44 of Stepbrothers

“It’s certainly very beautiful.” She watched a gray squirrel clambering up a tree. “And, Hugh, will you work for the family business one day?”

“Maybe, Trig and I are the same. If we get fed up of our physical jobs we can put on a suit. But not yet, we both love what we do.”

“Wealllove what we do,” Parker said. “A person spends a lot of time at work, it’s important to do something you feel passionate about. Which is why we’re keen for you to follow your dreams, Clarice, of becoming a school teacher.

Oh bloody hell, she hadn’t submitted the form yet, even though her professor had sent back confirmation that she was happy to be a referee.

Quickly, she changed the subject. “I went for the health check.”

“I know,” Hugh said. “I called to make sure you were there.”

Of course he did.

“And I’ve got the results.” Parker pulled out an envelope. It had been opened.

“What?” She stopped. “How come you’ve got them? Opened them?”

“I paid the bill.”

“Well, isn’t that a big fat breach of confidentiality.” She scowled.

He kind of shrugged and handed her a sheet of paper. She studied it. ‘Negative’ was stamped next to a variety of medical terms and numbers. Though at the bottomFehad been highlighted in red.

Her heart did a little skip. Shit. Had her promiscuity bitten her on the butt? She’d been careful for the most part but occasionally she was too full of cocktails to remember a condom. She frowned and read on.

Low iron, recommend eighteen milligrams of iron supplement daily

Phew, that was okay, she could handle an iron supplement.

“You’re verging on anemia,” Parker said. “Apparently.”

“So it is no wonder you’re always tired.” Hugh dipped into the pocket of his chinos. “I took the liberty of getting you some multi-vitamins with the required amount of iron.”

“Bloody hell. Fussing much?”

He frowned. “It’s not fussing, it’s taking care of you.”

“And we’ve been concerned about your low energy levels,” Parker said, touching her cheek. “Which we’re allowed to be, we’re your big brothers.”

As annoying as it was, they had saved her going to the shop, and if the vitamins gave her more energy, that would be a good thing. Since Hugh and Parker had come into her life, she needed energy.

So she took the tablets and slipped them into her little clutch bag. “Thanks.”

“Make sure you take them, one a day, starting today.” Parker narrowed his eyes as if to show he was serious.

“We’ll get your blood checked at the clinic again in three months,” Hugh added.

Before she could object and say she’d visit her own doctor, he pointed upward. “What do you think?”

She followed his line of sight.

A tree house. But no ordinary tree house. This one circled the trunk of an enormous oak and could comfortably accommodate a small family. The wood was pale and solid. It had two windows, and the door was a hatch in the floor that was reached by a long ladder at a steep angle.

“Wow,” she said. “Cool place to play.”

“Exactly.” Parker took a step onto the ladder. “Come on.”

Chapter Ten

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