Diagnosis: Daddy (Doctors in Training 1)

He nodded, forcing himself to say, “We’re going to have to talk about your leaving, eventually. About how best to prepare her for it. Not that there’s any hurry, of course. You’re welcome here for as long as you want to stay. And, well, for now, she needs you here. As do I.”

He saw her throat work with a hard swallow. “I’ll stay as long as you need me, of course.”

So why didn’t that make him feel any better? Maybe because he wanted her to stay for some reason other than pity for the poor, motherless child and her fumblingly inept father?

Looking down at her teacup again, she added, “We’ll work it out, somehow. We’ll figure out a way to handle everything in Alexis’s best interest.”

And what about him? He swallowed, reminding himself that he and Mia had been friends before and would remain so in the future. Even if she wasn’t living with him. Even if she weren’t there to greet him every evening with a smile and conversation. Even if…

Even if she found someone else to share her meals with. To have children of her own with.

He pushed himself abruptly away from the table. “I’ve got some notes to write tonight. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”

“What about your tea?”

He didn’t want it, but he picked up the cup anyway because she’d gone to the trouble to make it for him. “Thanks. Good night, Mia.”

Still sitting at the table as he moved rapidly away, she said after him, “Good night, Connor.”

The kitchen looked as though a tornado had ripped through a bakery and scattered flour, sugar and decorations haphazardly across the counters. Mia winced as she stepped on a sugar heart, feeling it crunch beneath her shoe into the kitchen floor tile. Listening to a spate of giggles and chatter from the living room, she picked up a kitchen towel to begin cleaning.

“Man,” Connor said, looking around in surprise when he entered from the carport. “What happened in here?”

“Three first-graders happened in here,” she replied with a slightly weary-edged smile. “We made and decorated cupcakes. That kept them busy for half an hour.”

Another burst of girlish laughter drew his attention toward the doorway. “Oh, I forgot. Tonight’s the sleepover, isn’t it?”

Alexis had begged to have McKenzie and Kayla over for this last Friday night in January, and Mia had given in after being reassured by Connor that he didn’t mind. As long as Mia didn’t mind if he wasn’t there much to help, he’d added. He’d probably be spending quite a bit of time with his study group while the sleepover was taking place.

It was just after seven now. She’d actually expected him to be later. “Have you had dinner? I made pizza for the girls. I think there are a couple of slices left in the fridge.”

“Thanks, but I ate with the group. Haley made a big pot of stew and some corn bread.”

“Sounds good.”

He shrugged. “I like your soup better. She was a little heavy-handed with the seasonings.”

Unreasonably pleased with the off-handed compliment, she said, “The girls are playing with the video game. I told them they could stay up until nine. I figured that way they’d maybe be asleep by ten.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

A crash came from the other room, followed by a wail. “You broke it! I told you to wait and let Mia do it!”

It was the first time Mia had heard Alexis sound genuinely angry.

“I didn’t mean to!” That sounded like McKenzie. “I just wanted to—”

“Mia! McKenzie broke my—”

“No, I didn’t—”

“Yes, you did, McKenzie,” Kayla piped in. “I saw you.”

Mia and Connor were already moving to intercede.

They found Alexis red-cheeked and tearful in front of the video game console, her lower lip trembling as she confronted McKenzie, who looked guilty and a bit defiant.

“What’s the problem?” Mia asked.