Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Unexpected Encounters
Author
Alpha Dominic leaned against the wall outside the private dining room, phone pressed to his ear.
"Busy?" he asked.
Xavier sounded confused. "Not really. Just got out of a meeting downtown."
"You throwing one of your parties tonight?"
Alpha Dominic ’s mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Actually, I’m having dinner with your future wife right now. Miss Hannah happens to be my wife’s best friend. And I couldn’t help overhearing her say you probably smell like old man and regret."
Xavier went quiet. Then he let out a low laugh. "So you called just to mess with me."
"Not at all." Alpha Dominic ’s voice dripped fake innocence. "I’m doing you a favor. Looking out for your romantic future. You’re welcome."
Xavier was done. "I’m hanging up now."
Alpha Dominic pocketed his phone, feeling good about himself. If he had to get called old, Xavier could suffer too. Besides, warning the guy was the right thing to do. That counted as being a good friend, right?
"Dominic?"
He looked up. A woman in a purple dress was walking toward him. For a second, he didn’t place her.
"Dr. Reed?"
Quinn smiled as she got closer. "It is you. I thought I was seeing things."
Quinn Reed was his old doctor from overseas. She ran his entire rehab program. She knew exactly how much pain he went through just to stand on his own two feet again.
Alpha Dominic never forgot what she did for him. There were days he wanted to quit so bad. And she always said the same thing, calm and steady. "Don’t you want to see that person again?"
He clenched his teeth and kept going.
Quinn was the only person he ever talked to about what he was fighting for.
"Dr. Reed. Small world." His voice was polite. Professional. Distant.
Quinn’s heart sank a little. She could hear the wall he was putting up.
She didn’t expect to see him here.
"You—"
Before she could finish, Hannah walked right past them.
"Oh, sorry. Didn’t see you."
Hannah’s eyes darted between the two of them, taking in every detail.
Alpha Dominic’s jaw tightened. He started explaining before he could stop himself. "This is my old rehab doctor from overseas. And this is my wife’s best friend."
Quinn was about to ask him if he ever told that person how he felt. But he said wife. So he was married now.
Hannah nodded, her face giving nothing away. "Oh, okay." Then she slipped back into the private room.
The second the door closed, she leaned into Elara and whispered, "There’s a woman outside talking to your husband."
"She’s pretty too. Said she was his doctor from overseas or something."
Elara blinked. That must be the doctor who helped Alpha Dominic walk again. He mentioned her once, real quick.
"Oh, I know who you mean. So she’s a woman. She must be good at her job."
Hannah rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "Girl, wake up. The way she was looking at your husband? All soft eyes and sweet smiles. That wasn’t a doctor look. That was an I-want-him look."
Before Elara could say anything, Alpha Dominic pushed the door open and walked in.
Hannah shut up immediately.
Alpha Dominic looked at them, eyes narrowing. Were they just talking about him?
"Ran into an old friend. Dr. Reed, the one I told you about. She’s back in the country on vacation."
Elara didn’t seem bothered. She wasn’t about to get jealous over every woman who crossed Alpha Dominic ’s path.
"Is she alone? We could ask her to join us."
Alpha Dominic looked surprised. "She’s meeting someone. But next time, yeah. We should take her out to dinner. Properly."
"Together," Elara added.
He smiled and leaned in close to her ear. "I thought my wife might get jealous."
Elara’s cheeks went pink. She pushed him lightly. "Stop. I’m not that petty."
--
Nancy had gone back to work. Even after her brother came home, she only stopped by the house every now and then.
She figured she would never run into Yardley again.
Then he called.
"Hey, sorry to bother you, Nancy. Orion is sick. He keeps asking for you. If you have a minute, would you come to the hospital with me?"
Orion was sick?
That chubby little kid with the round face? How was he sick?
Nancy did not even think about it. "Of course. Text me the hospital address. I will head over right now."
"Thank you. I really mean it."
When Nancy got there and saw the small figure lying in the hospital bed with an IV in his arm, her chest tightened.
"Daddy, you lied! Nancy did not come!" Orion had a fever patch on his forehead, his mouth stuck out in a pout.
Yardley kept his face calm. "Orion, I did not lie."
A nurse walked over, getting ready to give him a shot.
"Come on, sweetie. Hold your arm out flat for me."
"No! I do not want a shot!" Orion squirmed and tried to pull away.
Yardley’s brow furrowed. "Orion. Behave."
Right then, Nancy knocked and stepped inside. "Orion, I came to see you."
"Nancy!" Orion turned into the perfect little angel instantly. "Okay, nurse. You can give me the shot now."
Nancy smiled and gently took his other hand. "Look at me, Orion. If you watch me, it will not hurt at all."
The nurse glanced up quickly, then slid the needle into his little hand. "There we go. His mom really knows how to calm him down. We tried everything and he would not listen."
Nancy froze. "I am not his mother."
"Oh, I am so sorry." The nurse looked embarrassed. "You two just have that look. My mistake."
That look?
Nancy looked down at the small pale face on the bed.
Now that she really looked, their eyes did look kind of similar.
But lots of people had similar eyes.
Orion piped up right away. "Yeah! Nancy and I look like mother and son!"
"Enough." Yardley’s voice cut through, cold and firm. "Be good and let them finish. No more fussing."
Orion’s lip trembled. He looked like his feelings were hurt.
Yardley did not look at his son. Instead, his eyes landed on Nancy. "Have you eaten? I know this was last minute. The housekeeper sent food over. Would you stay and eat with us?"
