another file. “I think you’ve been sniffing too much rubbing alcohol.”
“How do you explain it?” she asked.
“He’s psychic, remember? With his ability, he can predict death.”
She scoffed. “I knew you’d take his side. I’ve got to go. He just came out of another room with that glazed look in his eyes again. I’m going to go talk to the patient before it’s too late.”
“You’re the picture of sensitivity.”
“Bite me,” she said and hung up.
I laughed. Ebbie woke from her nap and yawned. “Almost done here,” I said to her. “Then we’ll take you back to my place.”
I glanced up when I heard footsteps in the hallway. I hoped Sean was finally back with an update about the arsonist. Instead, my father approached the doorway to my office, looking as suave and debonair as always. In his fifties, he was tall, slim, and old-time movie star handsome. Well, except for the hickey on his neck.
See what I meant by my parents being traumatizing?
“Lucy, Suz said you wanted to see me?” Dark silver-streaked eyebrows drew downward in a deep V as he looked around. “What’s with all these boxes?” His face contorted comically and he sneezed.
“Bless you.” When Dad sneezed was one of the few times he didn’t look refined.
He sneezed again, and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. “Is that a...” His eyes widened in horror. “A kitty litter box?”
I was hoping he wouldn’t notice that.
He leaned to his left and stared at my chair. “Is that...”
Or notice Ebbie, either.
He was allergic to cats.
“It’s temporary,” I said as Ebbie stretched and eyed my father like he was a giant cat-scratch post.
“Lucy Juliet Valentine...,” he boomed.
I winced. “I can explain.”
He sneezed again, and I noticed his eyes had started watering. “In my office. Now.”
Reluctantly, I pushed the box I was working on aside and followed him out. I closed the door tightly behind me so Ebbie couldn’t escape. Even though that would serve Jeremy Cross right for leaving her with me, I didn’t want a lost cat on my conscience.
The short hallway felt like a brick oven as I tromped behind my father. I could practically see steam coming from his ears like something out of a cartoon. I’d like to say that I’d never seen my dad so furious, but I’d pushed my luck with him a time or two or twelve before.
In all honesty, it was rather easy to do since we were so very different. He was caviar whereas I was egg salad.
I contributed my complete lack of arrogance to being brought up by Raphael (a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy) and my very hippie trippy mother. And even though I’d been raised with every advantage and had access to a hefty trust fund, I knew how very lucky I was. Especially in comparison to the way Sean had grown up.
Even though we spent a lot of time together now, my father hadn’t been huge part of my life in my younger years (his social calendar often took precedence). But all along, even when he wasn’t a huge presence in my life and we were often at odds, there was one thing that overcame all that.
Unconditional love. I had always known how much he loved me—even when he wasn’t very good at showing it.
Which I was whole-heartedly counting on to save me from a cat-induced tirade as we headed into his office.
When he stopped short in front of me, I nearly walked straight into his back.
Deathly quiet, he said, “Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on around here.”
I peeked around him and saw that Suz had already packed all his files. A dozen boxes sat stacked by his door. Priceless artwork had been bubble-wrapped, and even family photos were missing from their frames.
He spun around. “Lucy?”
“It’s like this,” I said, feeling slightly guilty as I looked into his red, watery eyes. Maybe keeping Ebbie here with me today hadn’t been the best idea. I should have had Sean take her upstairs this morning, but I’d been worried that he’d
“How do you explain it?” she asked.
“He’s psychic, remember? With his ability, he can predict death.”
She scoffed. “I knew you’d take his side. I’ve got to go. He just came out of another room with that glazed look in his eyes again. I’m going to go talk to the patient before it’s too late.”
“You’re the picture of sensitivity.”
“Bite me,” she said and hung up.
I laughed. Ebbie woke from her nap and yawned. “Almost done here,” I said to her. “Then we’ll take you back to my place.”
I glanced up when I heard footsteps in the hallway. I hoped Sean was finally back with an update about the arsonist. Instead, my father approached the doorway to my office, looking as suave and debonair as always. In his fifties, he was tall, slim, and old-time movie star handsome. Well, except for the hickey on his neck.
See what I meant by my parents being traumatizing?
“Lucy, Suz said you wanted to see me?” Dark silver-streaked eyebrows drew downward in a deep V as he looked around. “What’s with all these boxes?” His face contorted comically and he sneezed.
“Bless you.” When Dad sneezed was one of the few times he didn’t look refined.
He sneezed again, and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. “Is that a...” His eyes widened in horror. “A kitty litter box?”
I was hoping he wouldn’t notice that.
He leaned to his left and stared at my chair. “Is that...”
Or notice Ebbie, either.
He was allergic to cats.
“It’s temporary,” I said as Ebbie stretched and eyed my father like he was a giant cat-scratch post.
“Lucy Juliet Valentine...,” he boomed.
I winced. “I can explain.”
He sneezed again, and I noticed his eyes had started watering. “In my office. Now.”
Reluctantly, I pushed the box I was working on aside and followed him out. I closed the door tightly behind me so Ebbie couldn’t escape. Even though that would serve Jeremy Cross right for leaving her with me, I didn’t want a lost cat on my conscience.
The short hallway felt like a brick oven as I tromped behind my father. I could practically see steam coming from his ears like something out of a cartoon. I’d like to say that I’d never seen my dad so furious, but I’d pushed my luck with him a time or two or twelve before.
In all honesty, it was rather easy to do since we were so very different. He was caviar whereas I was egg salad.
I contributed my complete lack of arrogance to being brought up by Raphael (a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy) and my very hippie trippy mother. And even though I’d been raised with every advantage and had access to a hefty trust fund, I knew how very lucky I was. Especially in comparison to the way Sean had grown up.
Even though we spent a lot of time together now, my father hadn’t been huge part of my life in my younger years (his social calendar often took precedence). But all along, even when he wasn’t a huge presence in my life and we were often at odds, there was one thing that overcame all that.
Unconditional love. I had always known how much he loved me—even when he wasn’t very good at showing it.
Which I was whole-heartedly counting on to save me from a cat-induced tirade as we headed into his office.
When he stopped short in front of me, I nearly walked straight into his back.
Deathly quiet, he said, “Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on around here.”
I peeked around him and saw that Suz had already packed all his files. A dozen boxes sat stacked by his door. Priceless artwork had been bubble-wrapped, and even family photos were missing from their frames.
He spun around. “Lucy?”
“It’s like this,” I said, feeling slightly guilty as I looked into his red, watery eyes. Maybe keeping Ebbie here with me today hadn’t been the best idea. I should have had Sean take her upstairs this morning, but I’d been worried that he’d
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