LITMIR.BIZ

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Cathleen stopped and pointed toward one of the offices. A brown and gold nameplate on the door stated it belonged to Dr. Lucas Rand.

      “Thanks.” He lightly squeezed her shoulder, making her blush, which sort of surprised him since they’d known each other from the fifth grade.

      Moving forward, he peered into the small office. Dr. Rand spoke into a handheld dictation device. His usually perfect dark hair looked as if he’d been dragging his fingers repeatedly through it.

      Theo knocked lightly on the door.

      The doctor looked up, his dark eyes full of pain. He clicked off his machine and stood, holding out his hand. “Theo.”

      Theo shook his hand, trying to figure out the best way to word what he had to say. Finally, he decided the hell with it. He’d talk to Dr. Rand man-to-man.

      “About Mimi,” he began.

      “I can’t believe she’s dead.”

      “Me, either.” Theo dug his hands down into his pockets and resisted the urge to shift from foot to foot. “I’m guessing you know she had a baby?”

      The other man nodded. “Of course. When she first got pregnant, I wrote her script for prenatal vitamins.” He choked up, averting his face and swallowing hard as he tried to get himself under control. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

      “I’m sorry.”

      Dr. Rand sighed. “I tried my best to save her. I couldn’t. I let her down. And now her newborn child is motherless.”

      “About that.” Theo tried to figure out the best way to say it, and then decided to just blurt it out. “Is the baby—Amelia—yours?”

      Dr. Rand stared at him, his expression a mix of surprise and horror. “Good Lord, no. Mimi and I haven’t been together like that in at least a year.” He blinked and peered at Theo the same way a scientist might inspect a particularly interesting petri dish full of bacteria. “Um, Theo? I don’t know what you’re getting at, but it’s my understanding that Amelia is your daughter.” He flushed and looked away. “At least that’s what Mimi told me. And she had no reason to lie.”

      Mine. For a split second, it seemed to Theo everything tilted sideways. The room suddenly felt too warm. Treading carefully, as it was common knowledge that Dr. Rand had still cared for his ex-wife, Theo cleared his throat.

      “Look, Dr. Rand—”

      “Call me Lucas.”

      Theo nodded. “Okay. Lucas. This is awkward, but Mimi never contacted me about being pregnant. I would have helped her.”

      “I took care of that. I’ve been paying spousal support anyway, so I just added to it. I don’t think she ever intended you to find out, at first. Clearly, she changed her mind.”

      “That doesn’t make sense.” Frowning, Theo couldn’t make sense of any of this. “Besides, she and I were only together a couple of times. I sincerely doubt that I could be Amelia’s father.”

      Some dark emotion flashed across Lucas’s face, before he looked down. When he raised his head to meet Theo’s gaze, he expression was calm. “One time is all it takes. You know that.”

      Theo found himself at a loss for words.

      “Look, Theo.” Lucas gripped his shoulder. “I’ve always thought you were a good guy. And little Amelia is a Colton. You should be raising her. Obviously, since Mimi came to you when she realized she was ill, that was her last wish for her baby girl. Amelia needs to be with her family. I work all the time, here at the clinic. I have nothing to offer her, while you...you have a rich heritage, a large family and plenty of support.”

      Put that way, Theo knew Lucas was right. But how could Theo be a father? He had no idea how. His own father had been an abusive drunk, who’d only shown up when he needed something and stayed just long enough to break his young children’s hearts.

      His father’s mother—Grandma Dottie—had raised all three of them, and Flint, Theo and Gemma worshipped the ground she walked on. Maybe she could help, Theo thought. Or at the very least, explain to him how a good father should act.

      Still rattled, he nodded and turned to go. Lucas tightened his grip on Theo’s shoulder, stopping him.

      “Theo, I swear I will find the medicine to treat this thing,” Lucas vowed. “Or a cure, if it comes to that. In the meantime, have Gemma check you out. I want you to bring Amelia by immediately if she starts showing any flu-like symptoms. Same with you or anyone in your house. We need to treat early, before symptoms become life-threatening.”

      The other man’s choice of words worried Theo. “You talk like this is some new kind of disease.”

      “It might be.” Lucas appeared to be choosing what he said carefully. “I’m doing everything I can to figure it out.”

      “You’re a good man, Dr. Lucas Rand.” Theo moved away. “I’ll go have a word with Gemma now.”

      “She’s in the back with the sick children.” Lucas frowned. “I don’t want you going back there. It’s not safe.”

      “Then why is my sister there?” Theo asked sharply.

      “She’s taking the proper precautions—she has on a mask and gloves. Let me page her and see if she has time to come out.”

      Theo waited while Lucas did that. After a moment, Lucas’s cell phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words and hung up.

      “She said she’ll call you later, once her shift is over.” A sudden weariness appeared to settle over the doctor. “Thanks for stopping by, Theo. You know the way out, right? I need to get back to work.”

      Summarily dismissed, Theo took his leave. When he reached the front desk, he saw the waiting room had once again begun to fill up.

      This time, he simply made his way to the door. He had a lot to think about, but most important, he needed to pick up formula and diapers.

      Once that was done, he headed home.

      On the drive there, he called his grandmother Dottie. If he remembered her schedule right, she should be home from church by now. Though she was seventy-five years old, she played canasta with several other widowed women once a week. She’d never remarried, but she kept busy. She ate lunch out with her church friends on Wednesday, and then went to Bible study that night. Church on Sunday, a reading group on another day—he couldn’t keep up with her schedule.

      The phone rang six times before she picked up. “You’re there,” he said, relieved. “I thought I missed you and was about to disconnect the call. How are you, Gram?”

      “Not too good,” she answered, surprising him. “I think I might be coming down with something.”

      He felt a flash of alarm. “Promise me you’ll go to the clinic and get it checked out.”

      “It’ll probably pass.” She didn’t sound too worried. “If not, I’ll have Gemma check me out. If she thinks I need to see a doctor, I will.”

      Relieved, he asked her if she was sitting down.

      She laughed, or attempted to. Instead she made a sound that turned into a hacking cough.

      Instantly alarmed, Theo felt his stomach twist as he remembered what Gemma had told him earlier. He told Gram she needed to go to the clinic immediately and get checked out.

      “Don’t be silly,” she replied, after she regained her voice. Even over the phone, Theo could tell she wasn’t well. “It’s just a cold,” she continued. “Nothing to stress about.”

      “Gram, please. I’ve got enough on my plate. Don’t add having to worry about you to my list.” He knew making it be about him was the only way she’d consider doing something for herself. That was his gram Dottie. Always doing for others.

      “What

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