Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
“Donovan’s off to another veterinary conference?” Roman asks as he enters the room with a bottle of beer in his hand.
The rest of us, including Dora and Georgie, are indulging in a tropical fruit punch that Bianca prepared. After I took my first sip, I was hit with the reminder of my time on the cruise since the punch had the same coconut and pineapple notes as some of the alcoholic drinks I indulged in while I was on vacation.
It’s virgin everything for me in terms of beverages for the foreseeable future.
Matthew lets out a low chuckle. “Sure he is.”
That doesn’t sit right with me but before I can question him on it, Dora announces that she’s going to draw a picture for her little brother. Georgie follows her out of the room as they head to the art station set up in their bedroom.
“So, is your boss at a conference or not?” Roman laughs.
Matt shrugs. “Maybe this time he is.”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
That catches Faith’s attention enough that she turns to look at me. Her gaze studies my face until her fiancé’s voice draws her eyes back to him.
“He leaves New York on the regular,” he explains. “A couple of months ago he took a secret vacation for about a week.”
That tracks since I was on that secret vacation with him.
“Whenever there’s a conference in Boston, he jumps at the chance to go.” Chuckling, he shakes his head. “Carolyn wanted in on the one happening this week, but Donovan wouldn’t even hear of it. He insisted that he needed to be the one representing the clinic.”
“He does own the clinic,” Roman points out. “You can’t fault the man for wanting to be the face of the business he’s built.”
“You’re right.” Matt nods. “That would hold a hell of a lot more weight if he actually showed up at the conference.”
“He’s not in Boston?” Bianca asks.
“He’s there,” Matt answers as he takes a seat next to his fiancée. His hand falls onto her bare knee since she’s wearing a cute pink sundress.
“What’s the problem then?” Bianca questions him. “He said he’s going to a conference in Boston and he’s there.”
“He checked in at the conference.” He gazes at her face. “One of Carolyn’s friends sent her a picture of the two of them checking into the conference yesterday.”
My stomach sinks a little since he didn’t say if that friend was a man or a woman.
Since I always get a notification when Donovan posts anything to his social media pages, I know that picture never made it on any of them.
“Carolyn showed me.” He laughs. “Donovan was grinning from ear to ear, and since he hasn’t attended any of the symposiums since, I’d say he’s having a hell of a good time with Carolyn’s friend.”
My stomach does more than just sink more. It churns inside my body. A wave of nausea hits me.
“Carolyn’s friend told you they’re together?” Bianca asks.
Matt shakes his head. “Not outright, but she did tell Carolyn that Donovan has skipped the same symposiums she has.”
I stare at my brother trying to make sense of everything he’s saying, including the next words out of his mouth. “It’s not the first time Donovan’s taken off for a conference where he’s missed out on the actual conference.”
Bianca and Roman both laugh, but she’s the one who turns to Matt. “He’s single and gorgeous. You can’t fault him for having fun.”
Emotion bears down on me, but I bite back tears with a hard swallow. “Excuse me, please.”
I slide to my feet to head to the washroom. I need to splash cold water on my face. I need to calm the hell down.
It’s been weeks since we told each other that we weren’t sleeping with other people. Since we’ve never circled back to that conversation and we agreed that our relationship was just fun, maybe Donovan has decided to have “fun” with other women, too.
“Delia!” I hear Faith’s voice behind me as I near the washroom door. “Do you need anything? Can I help you in some way?”
When I turn to look at her, I see nothing but concern in her eyes.
She must see pain in mine because she rushes toward me to wrap me in her arms. “I’m here for you. I’m always here for you.”
I break down in her arms. A sob escapes as I cling to her in the hallway of my brother’s home. “I’m tired. I’m just so tired.”
She steps back to guide me into the bathroom. Once the door closes, she wipes the tears from my cheeks. “Whatever it is, I want to help if I can. If I can’t, I want you to know that I love you.”
Nodding, I let the tears flow. “I love you, too.”
She wipes my cheeks. “I may not be a doctor yet, but I do know all about doctor patient confidentiality and we’ll be sisters soon, so I need you to know that I’d never a repeat a word of anything you tell me, Delia.”