Baby For The Mountain Man

The rough sex we’d had before we went to sleep was good, but it couldn’t relieve me from stress, so when I woke up this morning and took Chloe to the hospital for the tour, I was ready to spit fire. I was supposed to take it slow, but as we walked through the corridors, listening to the representatives’ spiels, I was unable to stop grumbling.

“This place doesn’t look the way I imagined it to be,” I said straightforward.

“It doesn’t?” Mr. Roberts, one of the sellers, asked, stopping mid-step to look at me.

“I looked at the documents you provided, but they show something completely different. The capacity is insufficient, and the placement of the wards isn’t right. The whole place is structured wrong.”

“But, sir, we assure you that with a minimal investment, it will be able to reach its maximum potential.”

“I would already be investing enough money into this property. I don’t want to go bankrupt just fixing this place.” Okay, that had been an exaggeration, but I needed to get my point across.

“Sir, consider the location and its long-time competitiveness,” Mr. Meyers, the other representative, said. “It occupies one of the best spots in the area, and it would provide you many clients.”

“I’m not satisfied with the location,” I countered as we continued walking down the corridor.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Chloe wincing, awfully quiet. She hadn’t said a word since we started the tour, letting me do all the talking. I glanced at her and spotted a sour expression on her face, but the moment our eyes met, she masked it, which didn’t sit well with me at all. What was wrong with her now?

“But the location is its strongest asset,” Mr. Roberts said.

“Exactly my point. It doesn’t offer anything of value to me, and frankly speaking, I don’t think I would get this business rolling any time soon. I didn’t make millions by hoping for the best. I made millions by careful planning and smart business decisions, and I don’t think this would be a smart business decision.”

Chloe let out a barely audible grunt, and I turned to look at her. She was glaring at me, her lips pursed. Roberts and Meyers looked equally unsatisfied, and I could guess they wanted nothing more than to be out of here and at home with their families. Still, I had to hand it to them—they weren’t giving up that easily.

“Sir, we hope you will reconsider this. If you look at the past few years, you will see that the hospital runs better than others in this area. We have a good reputation for a reason.”

“I’m not finding your argument convincing at all,” I bit back.

With a sigh, Chloe came in between us. “If you’ll excuse us for a second, I would like to talk with Dr. Evander in private.”

She pulled me aside, out of their earshot, and faced me with her hands on her hips. “What is going on with you? These people are bending over backwards to meet your needs and you’re being rude. If you don’t want the place, then say it. Don’t make them adhere to your every whim!”

For a few seconds I was unable to do anything but gape at her. I was already used to the Chloe who would make sure I was completely satisfied, but this Chloe right here was defying me, and I didn’t know what to make of it.

“A whim?”

“Yes. A whim. You’ve been completely disrespectful to them for no reason. This place isn’t as bad as you make it to be. Sure, you would need to invest some money to make it work the way you want it to, but it’s not a lost cause.”

I ran my hand over my face. “You don’t understand.”

“No, it’s you who doesn’t understand. You’re mixing personal issues with work here, and it’s clouding your judgment. Get over whatever you’re going through, Bryce.”

She looked away and exhaled a long sigh. “Look, l heard your argument with your mother in the kitchen. I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have listened, but it was hard to walk away when you two were really going at it. I wanted to tell you that they weren’t fair, and they should try to listen to your side of the story, but the point is—you can’t let your parents’ disapproval get to you. Deal with it like a grown up and stop sulking.”

Just wow. Who was this woman and what had she done with my Chloe?

I maintained our eye contact, completely taken aback. A woman had never said this to me before, so hearing Chloe put me in my place was making me shocked and impressed at the same time.

And just like that, all my anger dissipated. I threw a glance at the sellers, finding them in the middle of a hushed conversation, and took a few steps toward Chloe. She was looking so fierce—so confident—and it was making me want her more.

“What do you think?” I asked her.

She cocked her head to the side, clearly confused with my question. “What do I think about what?”

“What do you think about my mother’s words? Do you think I’m was

ting my skills and time? Do you think it would be better if I returned to my original plan?”

Her brows furrowed as she let her eyes wander to some spot in the distance. It looked like she was thinking whether she should be honest with me or not.