that in mind, she took a few more sips of the sweet milky brew, then, feeling fortified and ready to face whatever was out there, she headed off to see her next patient in what was proving to be a very interesting morning.
FELIX WASN’T AT HOME.
Arms loaded with items for their dinner, Lucas set everything down in the kitchen. “Where is he?”
Chessa, the childminder, shrugged and said in a quiet voice, “He went out an hour ago, saying he needed to buy prawns, and hasn’t come back yet.”
Damn. “And where’s Cora?”
“Outside with Pete.” The young woman’s brow creased. “Should I be worried? He’s been good for the last few weeks, but he did put some bottles of ale in the fridge. I haven’t seen him drink anything, though.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your job to watch him. If he ever fails to come home before you’re supposed to leave, though, call me so I can make sure Cora is taken care of.”
“I would never leave her by herself, Mr. Elliot.” The twenty-five-year-old looked horrified.
“I know you wouldn’t. I just don’t want you to feel you have to stay past your normal time.”
The sliding door opened and in bounded Pete the Geek in a flash of brown and white fur, followed closely by Cora, whose red face said they’d been involved in some sort of running game. The dog came over and sat in front of him, giving a quick woof.
Lucas laughed and reached in his pocket for a treat. “Well, you’re learning.”
He and Cora had been working on teaching Pete not to leap on people who walked through the door. By training him to sit quietly in front of visitors, they forestalled any muddy paw prints or getting knocked down and held prisoner by an overactive tongue. The trick seemed to be working, although if the tail swishing madly across the tile floor was any indication, Pete was holding himself in check with all his might.
Kind of like him when Darcie had smiled at him as he’d left the hospital?
Good thing he had more impulse control than Cora’s dog.
Or maybe Darcie was training him as adeptly as Cora seemed to be training Pete.
“He wants his treat, Uncle Luke.”
Realizing he’d been standing there like an idiot, he tossed the bacon-flavored bit to Pete and then bent down to pet him. “I think he’s gained ten kilos in the last week.”
He squatted and put an arm around both his niece and her dog.
Cora kissed him on the cheek, her thin arms squeezing his neck. “That’s just silly. He doesn’t weigh that much.”
“No?” He gave her a quick peck on the forehead, grimacing when Pete gave his own version of a kiss, swiping across his eyebrow and half his eye in the process. “Okay, enough already.”
He couldn’t hold back his smile, however, despite the niggle of worry that was still rolling around inside him.
Where the hell was his brother?
Standing, he kept one hand on Pete’s head and smiled at the minder. “Would you try ringing his mobile phone and seeing how long he’ll be while I fire up the barbie and get it ready? I don’t know about everyone else but I’m starving.”
His voice was light, but his heart weighed more than the dog at his feet.
“Of course,” Chessa said. “I’ll bring you some lemonade in a few minutes.”
As he was preparing the grill, she came out with a glass and an apologetic shake of her head. “There was no answer, but I left a voice mail.”
“Thank you. Luckily I brought some prawns with me, just in case. Feel free to stay and eat with us, if you’d like.”
She smiled. “Thanks, but if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll head back to my flat. Do you need anything else?”
“No, I think we’re good.”
Twenty minutes later he had the briquettes going while Cora and Pete—worn out from a rough-and-tumble game of tug of war—lounged in a hammock strung between two gum trees, the dog’s chin propped on his niece’s shoulder. Both looked utterly content. Rescuing Pete had been the best thing his brother had ever done for his daughter, unlike a lot of other things since his wife’s tragic death. In fact, the last four years had been a roller coaster consisting of more lows than highs—with the plunges occurring at lightning speed.
He went in and grabbed the package of prawns and some veggies to roast. Just as he started rinsing the shellfish, the front door opened and in came his brother. Bleary, red-rimmed eyes gave him away.
Perfect. Lucas already knew this routine by heart.
“Was our cookout tonight?” his brother asked, hands as empty as Lucas’s stomach. “I forgot.”
His molars ground against each other as he struggled with his anger and frustration. Was this what love and marriage ultimately led to? Forgetting that anyone else existed outside your own emotional state? Felix had a daughter who needed him, for God’s sake. What was it going to take to make him look at someone besides himself? “Cora didn’t forget.”
His brother groaned out loud then mumbled, “Sorry.”
“I’m just getting ready to throw it all on the barbie, so why don’t you get yourself cleaned up before you go out there to see?”
The first two steps looked steady enough, but the next one swayed a bit to the left before Felix caught himself.
“Tell me you’re not drunk.”
“I’m not.”
“Can you make it to your bedroom on your own?” The last thing Lucas wanted was for Cora to come in and see her father like this, not that she hadn’t in the past. Many times.
Felix scowled. “Of course I can.” He proceeded to weave his way down the hallway, before disappearing into one of the rooms—the bathroom.
Looks like you’re spending the night on your brother’s couch once again, mate.
Lucas had impressed on Cora the need to call him if her father ever seemed “not himself.” The pattern was bizarre with periods of complete normalcy followed by bouts of depression, sometimes mixed with drinking. Not a good combination for someone taking antidepressant medication.
He made a mental note to ask Felix if he was still taking his pills, and another note to make sure he arrived at work…on time! As he’d found out, it was tricky getting Cora off to school and then making the trek to the hospital, but if the traffic co-operated it could be done.
Otherwise that hard-won peace treaty would be shredded between
