First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

Feeling like the odd man out, Ian shifted slightly. “Going somewhere?”


“Yes, actually,” Lexi answered without looking at him. “There’s plenty of milk in the fridge. I left a big bottle out on the counter. It’s still warm.” She took Patrick from Ian’s arms and rubbed her nose into his neck, making him giggle. “Be good for daddy, sweetie. Mommy will be home soon.”

“Where are you going?” Ian asked, hating the needy undertone of his voice.

“I have a few appointments. Should be back by dinner.”

Ian glanced at the clock. It was barely nine a.m. “What appointments? There’s nothing on your calendar.” He knew, because he had looked. Worried that Lexi might try to do too much too soon, he had taken it upon himself to ensure that did not happen. Thankfully, he had found an ally in Aidan, who handled the business side of things.

Without answering, she handed Patrick back to Ian and looked at Aidan. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“Lex –“ said Ian, but she was already out the door. Ian turned to Aidan. “What the hell was that all about?”

“Not sure. But shot in the dark? Lexi’s pissed.”

Ian nodded, barely managing to bite off the “no shit, Sherlock” comment before it made it past his lips. “What appointments does she have today?”

Aidan shrugged apologetically. “That, I honestly don’t know. But when I heard Lex had called for Fritz, I figured something was up. Don’t worry, Ian. I’ll keep her out of too much trouble.”

And that grated against Ian’s nerves like steel wool on his skin. Aidan shouldn’t have to be doing anything of the sort. That was his job.

“Maybe you should keep an eye on Patrick,” Ian said, surprising himself. Aidan was probably the only person outside of his own family that he would trust with his son. The man had proven himself more than enough over the past seven months. “Let me take Lexi wherever she needs to go.”

“Do I look stupid to you?” Aidan said. Then he shook his head. “You still don’t get it, do you?” Opening the door, he took one step into the hallway. “But honestly, Callaghan, I hope you figure it out soon, because I don’t think either one of you is going to make it through another one, and you’ve got the kid to think about now.”

Stunned, Ian stood in silence as he watched Aidan insert his private key and step into the elevator. Lexi was already long gone, no doubt waiting in the sleek limo. As he closed the door, Patrick grabbed tightly onto his hair and pulled until Ian gently disentangled his fingers.

“Yeah, I get it little man. You’re hungry. And Daddy’s an idiot. Come on. At least I know how to fix one of those things. You might have to help me with the rest, though.”

With a smack of his little hand against Ian’s jaw and little gurgle of agreement, they headed for the kitchen.

*

“Alright, Alexis. You may get dressed now.” Dr. Elena McKenzie put her hand lightly on Lexi’s shoulder, the slight crackling of the paper gown as loud as an Alaskan avalanche in the quiet space.

Lexi sat up, holding the gown in place, which seemed kind of silly, really. The doctor had just performed a thorough exam; there was nothing she hadn’t already seen. It made about as much sense as folding her underwear and hiding it between the other articles of clothing when she undressed, yet she always felt a strange, prudish compulsion to do so.

She dressed quietly behind the silk paneled screen, hand-painted with a landscape scene while recessed lighting radiated a light, warm glow. All around her, the walls were a brushed hue of – well, it was hard to describe, really. Something between orange and pink, Lexi guessed, a solid attempt to recreate the hue of a perfect sunset, she supposed. Soft classical music played in the background. Water flowed gently over plates of colored glass in one of those zen-based sculptures, no doubt designed to instill a sense of calm and tranquility, just like every other feature of the room. No sterile white walls and hard-on-your-butt exam tables here; it was first class all the way. Considering that each office visit sucked a nice four digits out of Lexi’s bank account, it should be.

“Well?” Lexi tried not to fidget, but it was difficult. The doc had her head bent down over some device that looked like what an iPad wanted to be when it grew up. As the specialist other specialists deferred to, Lexi had come to expect nothing but the best from Doc McKenzie – in everything.

Dr. McKenzie looked up. It was a slight glance – her head didn’t move, only her eyes – but Lexi suddenly felt like a child about to be scolded. After an eternity, the rest of the doc’s head followed. The flat digital screen was placed on the carved mahogany desktop.