Possessive Doctor

“I didn’t know he’d go on TV. I didn’t know he’d do the ads. I just… I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. But the truth is, those things aren’t what bother me.”

I frown a little. “They aren’t?”

“No.” She shifts in her seat. “Your father is a rich man. That means he has connections. He has friends.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” I say, almost laughing. “Nobody likes him.”

“No, they don’t. But he has money and that’s enough to buy some influence.” She frowns at me. “You can’t see that?”

“I don’t… I guess not. We weren’t always successful.”

“I see.” She drums her fingers on the table. “He’s making inquiries. I didn’t tell Brent this, but I’m telling you.”

“Why? And what kind of inquiries?”

“Inquiries into our family. Into our business. He’s talking to mutual friends about what he could do to hurt us, or at least to undercut us enough to make us want to give you up.”

I take a long breath and let it out. “I really can’t believe he’s going so far.”

“Can’t you?”

“No. I’m just…”

“You’re his ticket.” She stares at me. “Or did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

I feel my whole body go still. My heart almost stops beating. “What?”

“I know about your little marriage deal. I know about the land and the oil. Just like your father, I have friends and connections. It wasn’t easy to find out, but I made some very interesting phone calls.”

“How?” I choke the word out.

“Don’t worry about how, dear. Suffice to say, I know.”

“So then you understand why I can’t go back.” I lean toward her. “He’ll force me into a marriage. He’ll make me—”

“Oh, stop whining.” Her words come out whip-sharp although she doesn’t raise her voice at all.

I sit back, shocked.

“I was young once,” she says. “I had friends, I had loves. I had a family that supported me and gave me everything in the world. And then one afternoon, when I was nineteen years old, my father called me into his study and told me that I was going to marry a Lofthouse boy. He didn’t even say which one.” She smiles a little bit. “I thought it was his brother, Ronald. I’m happy it wasn’t.”

“You were forced to marry Brent’s father?”

“Forced?” She gives me an amused look. “No. I wasn’t forced. I was simply told it was going to happen.”

“But you didn’t have to. Nobody… has to.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She shakes her head slowly and lets out a sigh. “I knew what I had to do. I didn’t want to. I had loves, I had friends. But I knew that my family needed me to marry the Lofthouse boy, and so I did. That was a long time ago, dear, and I’d make that choice again. It helped save my family. It gave me five children and a good life. There might not be some wild love between Edward and I, but that doesn’t matter. We have something better than that.”

“What?” I ask, my voice choked and emotional.

“We have money and we have power.”

She stares at me and I swear I don’t recognize her. I can’t imagine that a person like her could even exist.

I push my chair back and stand.

“I can’t,” I say.

“You can, Amber. And I think you will.”

“I’m sorry. I know you don’t want me here… but I can’t abandon Brent. He’s done too much for me already.”

“Oh, I know. But speak with him. Convince him you must leave. Do what’s right, Amber, instead of what you want. That’s the mark of a woman.”

I turn my back to her. I’m shaking and I don’t want her to see it. “I’ll… I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Think hard.”

I limp away, leaning on my cane. My security boys fall into place. They’d been listening the whole time but neither of them look at me.

“Good tea,” Sylvia Lofthouse says behind me. I glance back and she’s drinking from my cup, a little smile on her face.

I turn away and shiver again before hurrying away. My leg hurts but I keep going.

The onion girl gives me a pitying look as I pass her.

His mother wants me to leave. I thought… I thought they’d worked something out. He seems so happy and lighthearted today. I figured that was because he got his mother’s approval, despite what my father’s doing.

But no, I was wrong. He’s happy because he stood up to her and made his own decision.

I can respect that. I can even love that. But her words keep ringing in my ears.

Do what’s right.

I don’t know what that is. I don’t know if the right thing is to leave and marry Michael like she married Brent’s father, or if the right thing is to stay with Brent.

I can feel myself shivering all over as I limp back to the room. When I get there, Brent’s still gone. I shut the door, leaving my security boys outside. I throw myself onto the couch and cover myself with a pillow.