Breaking the Doctor, page 16
Sara had become more and more vocal since they’d moved in—the little girl just needed time. Patti put her hand on Reza’s shoulder, and turned him toward the ride at their back.
Everyone in the park could see how sexy the love of her life was. However, his lips pressed together like a little boy when he saw the sign. “Sounds fun, but Patti here wants to go on something fast—and I don’t like roller coasters.”
Perfect segue as the nanny was now here to go with the girls.
“So you say. Hold my hand.” She held out her hand like she’d protect him.
Reza shook his head. “I might break it if I do.” He said to the nanny, “The girls want to do the merry-go-round, shopping and get a little dinner.”
He handed the older woman an expense card and the nanny nodded and knelt down to talk to Rose and Sara.
Reza turned back toward her again and she laughed at how strong his shoulders were and how she knew he could hold her just right. She returned them to the conversation and pointed to the line. “You won’t break it, just like wearing this t-shirt didn’t kill you.”
He tugged on his shirt like it was the stupidest thing he’d ever worn. “I look ridiculous.”
“No.” She pointed to the other family wearing mouse ears and matching shirts. “We could have those too. Sara is sure talkative, isn’t she? Her and Rose chatter non-stop.”
The nanny took the girls’ hands and they started walking in a different direction. Patti gazed at him and he quickly said, “She’s happy. I thought for a while I was a complete failure as an uncle or substitute parent.”
“We’re all just figuring it out as we go.” So they were alone. And it was time to have fun. She pointed toward the line. “Are you ready now?”
They joined the line for the huge waterfall rollercoaster. “Can’t I just take you to another character breakfast, lunch or dinner?”
She laughed when a fresh breath of cold air hit them both as they made it inside the building. Patti reached up and cupped his handsome cheek. “You facing your fears is absolutely adorable.”
He patted her hand and took it off his face, though he still held it. She shook her head until he said as they walked closer to the ride, “I’m not afraid. I just survived a plane crash.”
She jerked to a stop. Seriously? They absolutely did not need to go on this. She clutched her heart. “You did? When?”
“In the last movie I saw,” he said with a chuckle.
She burst out laughing. They continued to walk forward, but tears were in her eyes as she couldn’t believe she’d almost fallen for that one. Once she could breathe through her laughter, she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Stop. I actually believed you.”
He winked at her like they were both part of his joke and he said as they went up the last path toward the ride, “Guess you don’t know my sense of humor yet.”
“And you don’t know mine,” she said the moment they stepped outside and toward the logs they were getting in.
As they passed a fountain, Patti splashed him. He wiped his face and shook his head. “Water!”
She continued down the final path where the staff directed them to a number. “You’ll get wet on this ride anyhow.”
He grinned and pressed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get you back.”
They took a step forward. One more round and then it was their turn. “Look at it this way… you can change out of your t-shirt and back to your polo, after the ride.”
The doors opened for them. She stared at the seats. “We’re here now.”
He asked, “You ready?”
She stopped and waved for him to go first. “Absolutely. After you.”
He followed her direction and stepped in. She then followed. But as the ride worker lowered the bar to keep them in their seat she held out her hand to hold his and said, “Reza.”
Hands clasped, he pointed toward a camera as the ride began to hurtle forward. “I’m here. Smile!”
Her heart beat faster. This was why they’d come here. They zoomed along a route the machine repeated over and over, but as they began to climb and she heard the metal of the machine clink, she closed her eyes and her heart pounded in her chest as she clutched his hand.
A moment later, she felt the sun and the heat beat down on her skin but they flew down the slope at breakneck speed. She screamed out, “Ahhh!”
But then a huge splash of water overtook their small boat and she was head-to-toe wet. Laughing she stepped off the boat when the ride stopped. Reza helped, but as she shook her very wet hair, more droplets of water went everywhere. He laughed and pressed against her back to nudge her forward to the exit. “You’re soaked too.”
And not once had he complained. She stood in her sneakers that squeaked from the water and kissed his cheek. He hugged her tighter and said, “Now let’s go back to the hotel.”
The water didn’t hide his attraction to her and that made her blush. She stared at her feet and asked, “Without the girls?”
He guided them away from the rides. “The nanny will text when they’re leaving. I gave her a card to spend on whatever the girls wanted.”
A card in this park for whatever they wanted? That was seriously a lot of money. She couldn’t imagine it actually as she simply walked beside him and said, “Generous.”
He quickly brushed against her backside where her t-shirt clung to her skin and whispered in her ear, “No, selfish. I want time, alone, with you.”
Heat rose inside her too that more than doubled the humidity. She laughed and exited the park. “Reza, I haven’t had this good of a time in a long while.”
They walked along the Victorian-style boardwalk that led back to their hotel, skipping the faster train. Less people surrounded them now as he said, “I haven’t acted like a kid since I was a kid.”
She pushed her hands into her pockets. “What was life like in Iran? Would your parents like me?”
He nudged her arm and said, “They’ve wanted to video chat with you.”
“We can do that?” Her eyes widened unsure what to say to parents as her own were now gone.
He nodded. “Everyone in the world has smart phones now, pretty much.”
Her parents had ensured she had a good life, but sometimes world politics made places sound horrible and dangerous. Maybe that was wrong, so she shrugged, willing to be open-minded. “Okay sure. When we get back. I’d like dry hair first.”
They made it to the door of the hotel that opened automatically for them as he said, “Fair. Don’t be nervous.”
Maybe before she’d held back but she wasn’t the same anymore. She’d grown. Her sneakers continued to leave a trail behind them. “Me? I’m a bastion of strength now.”
“Good.”
Other people were on the elevator so they stayed quiet until they were alone again. He led her toward their room and she asked, “So answer my other question?”
He stared at her blankly and took out the plastic card key from his back pocket. “Which was?”
She leaned against the wall when he opened it. “What was life in Iran like?”
He motioned for her to go inside. “I wasn’t allowed out of the house much. When I did go out, I played soccer with my friends in the field. And as a teen, I went with my father in the morning to buy the fresh bread. And if I didn’t get an A on every exam, I’d never be allowed outside.”
Huh. So his parents expected more from him and built his confidence. He closed the door behind them as she peeled off her soaking wet shoes and left them near the door. He did the same as she said, “So your parents cared a lot about your grades. My parents taught me the social scene was somehow more important and to fit in. Then after my disaster on TV, we were never to talk about that again.”
Without thinking of more, she took off her soaked blue t-shirt and walked into the bathroom to let it dry. He followed, peeling off his villains’ shirt though he twirled his like it was a towel and drained the water from the fabric before he hung it in the bathtub, doing the same to hers. “Were you a cheerleader then?”
His muscles as he took care of her shirt caught her attention and her body grew more aware. She forgot what he’d asked until she met his brown-eyed gaze and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. She nodded. “Yes. I also ran track which is how I have these muscles, and I played music. I always wished they’d pushed me toward taking music more serious after I failed, but…if I ever have children, he or she can go wherever they want and I’ll support their dreams.”
He reached for the button on his pants and said, “We.”
“When we have children.” She wiggled out of her wet shorts that didn’t make it easy for her. In the movies her clothes would skim off like a banana peel, but the water made the denim stick to her skin.
He walked into their bedroom and made a beeline for a drawer with his underwear in it, taking off his white briefs only when he had a new pair in his hands. “Good, because I agree. As long as they do their best and learn to follow through on their dreams.”
Dreams. Fair. She’d found a website to submit original scores to. She’d send a demo. Heck, she could put her demo online and let the world hear it. But right now her body was warm and achy and wanted more of Reza. She eyed him up and down. “Okay… you’re out of that shirt already.”
He cupped her backside and kissed her. However as she held him, he glanced down at her, holding her tight when he said, “Before we shower, I was thinking…”
“Thinking?” She prodded as she needed to know what he thought.
He unsnapped her bra as he said, “This is the closest we get to having a honeymoon until we hire a second nanny. So we better take advantage of this.”
“Agreed.” She stood on her tiptoes. They were alone. She was happy and this could be their happily-ever-after. She kissed him again and he took her wet bra, tossing it on the floor. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He guided her toward the bed.
Differences didn’t matter. What mattered was love. She understood that now and nothing was going to stop her from being the best wife to Reza she could be. The beat in her heart was too real. As Reza claimed her lips, she stopped thinking. Here, she was alive and aware and loved. Life was good.
Chapter 20
Reza had big plans. Now that Patti was his wife, for real, then this was his family. So he happily drove the car with Patti, Rose and Sara to the local elementary school. Patti had compared the private and public school options, choosing public for the better standards though she could revisit that at any time.
Once they arrived, he took Sara out of the car seat and held her. They said goodbyes to Rose, just for the day, but then stepped back to give Patti room. Patti hugged her sister who said, “I don’t want to go to a new school.”
Rose had mentioned she’d miss her friends, but agreed she didn’t like her teachers much. Patti kissed Rose’s forehead. “We talked about this. We’re staying with Reza and that means new house, new school, new friends.”
Rose coughed but it was dry and a reflex more than anything. She jutted her bottom lip out and pouted. “But I hate meeting new people.”
Patti stood and patted her sister’s back as they stepped toward the building for registration. “You’ll do great. Now go in there and make us proud.”
Rose nodded but didn’t move. “Will you be here to pick me up?”
Patti raised her hand in the air and swore like she was in court while directing her into the main office with them. “Yes, we’re going into the office now to put both our names on the sign-out sheet.”
Rose lowered her head like she’d been defeated. She held one wrist and turned toward the building. Reza carried Sara to stand next to Patti when Rose turned around again and asked, “Sara?”
Reza put his niece down and the two of them hugged like they were family too. His heart grew a little bigger. Rose then pushed Sara’s hair back and said, “Sara, watch out for my sister for me, okay?”
“Okay,” Sara said.
“That’s really cute,” Reza said as Rose walked in the door. Reza picked Sara up and the they all went into the office to finish the paperwork. Once they were done, the principal’s assistant took Rose’s hand to take her to a classroom.
The three of them didn’t move until she was out of sight. In a few hours they’d be back to get her, but for now he then held Patti’s hand and asked, “Are you ready to help me interview nannies?”
Outside on the white cement pavement her steps bounced as they headed toward the car. “Reza, yes. But there is something I need to tell you.”
His mind raced. He didn’t know about anything else that might affect their day. He massaged her lower back and asked, “What’s going on?”
She sucked in her lower lip and her face was beet red when he clicked the car to unlock it. He opened the door to let the hot air out as she said, “I got an offer.”
He opened the second door to air out the back seat before putting Sara inside. “An offer?”
Then he stilled and stared at Patti. She nodded at him and then jumped, “It’s for a commercial. A jingle really, but it’s my first offer!”
A huge smile grew on her face. She’d put herself out there after a brutal loss, and won. “So you get paid for your music now?”
“Yeah. Yeah,” she said like that was incredulous and needed repeating and then quietly added, “I do.”
“I’m proud of you.” He kissed her, Sara on his hip, then he swung his niece into the car seat.
Patti’s kiss gave him goosebumps and he hoped that reaction never ended. He buckled Sara in as Patti said, “I’m dedicating my career to you.”
She pushed her wayward blonde hair out of her face and stayed right with him as he said, “You don’t have to.”
Once Sara was secure he closed her door but held Patti’s passenger door for her. She slid into the passenger seat. “Sure, I can write a dedication, something like, I’m the luckiest girl in the world to marry someone who believes in my dreams.”
Reza leaned down and kissed her again, capturing her sexy lips. “Patti, you’re mine forever now.”
They drove home, Patti singing in the car and Sara trying to follow along. The first time he’d heard her humming, she’d stopped like he’d caught her stealing cookies from the kitchen. Now she was happy and bouncy and confident.
He parked in the drive, and opened Patti’s door for her but she hopped out on her own. He went in the back and unbuckled Sara to bring her in when Patti waved over his shoulder at a car that had parked behind him. Patti said, “Oh, there’s Leila.”
“Hi,” Leila said when she got out, carrying a small piece of art. She lugged it to where they stood, then looked from one to the other. “You both seem happy now.”
Reza put Sara down and took the art he’d lent her. “Thank you for returning this.”
No one moved. Patti stayed beside him and then said, “We’re about to interview nannies. Do you want tea?”
She’d clearly learned fast about being polite to everyone which was part of his culture. Leila looked down. “No thank you.”
Patti asked, “Is there something else?”
Leila winced. “Yes, I wanted to apologize in person, not just return Reza’s art. I hope you can join us for Persian tea with a few of the ladies this weekend? I am sorry for what I said to you, about your music.”
Patti patted Leila’s back and walked the woman toward her car as she said, “Accepted. Maybe about the tea, if we get some help.”
He watched with fascination. This Patti he saw before him was clearly stronger than the one he’d initially married and the way she moved her hips was very sexy. Leila put her sunglasses on her face and said, “I can only imagine. Call me.”
Finally, they were home. He signaled for the nanny to come play with Sara.
Patti set up the tea set near the computer and he joined her as he asked, “Are you ready for the backup part-time interviews now?”
She took his hand and asked, “How many people are we interviewing today?”
Right. He told her fast, “Twenty online and five that are coming here.”
“I’m already exhausted,” she said as they turned on the computer screen to begin the video interviews.
He poured them both tea as the program opened. “We haven’t started, but one of them has to be good. We’ll find one, and then I want to take you out to celebrate.”
Her gaze narrowed as she asked, “What are we celebrating?”
“I won custody,” he said with a smile. The random cousin would have to find another child to adopt because Sara was staying here under his protection. “I got an email while we were at the school. Technically we have full custody.”
Patti’s face began to glow. She kissed his cheek but saw the video camera on screen caught them. Luckily they weren’t connected to anyone yet. “Perfect. Then let’s find the right nanny.”
Right. He hit the button. Finding the right help was great. But he already had the love of his life at his side and now they were achieving everything they wanted in life, together. He had two great girls to raise and honestly his life was fuller than he’d ever imagined. Life was good and he’d never thought he’d be the one to live happily-ever-after, until now.
Thank you for reading. I’ve wanted to write a doctor romance for a long time that’s not related to a series. This was a book of my heart. Personally I have no real musical talent though I do know I’m a soprano so when I sing I need to keep it down so no one hears my voice cracking. Anyhow while this was a standalone, I hope if you’re looking for a sweet family drama where characters continue to interact in one big family that needs romance to cure their upbringing, where the first book in the series is absolutely free Secret Crush!
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Also by Victoria Pinder
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