After passing through the security gates, I parked in front of the house and entered through the double doors held open by the same gentleman as the day before.
“Good morning,” I said as I passed him and the lion heads embedded in the massive wooden doors.
“Good morning, miss.”
I smiled as I approached Benito’s bed. His color was better, and he was using the incentive spirometer. “Good morning, Mr. Costa. How are we feeling today?”
His expression brightened when he saw me, and I felt a pang of guilt. “Call me Benito, dear.”
“I’ll have to get used to that.” Draping my coat over a chair, I picked up his chart and flipped through it. He had a private aide at night, but she was only qualified to make sure he didn't die while I was gone.
“I feel better this morning.”
Setting down the chart, I turned to look directly at him. “I can see that. You have some color in your cheeks.”
“I decided to start using this thing like you told me to.” Gesturing with the spirometer, he set it aside as I leaned closer to take his pulse.
“Good.”
Going through the motions, I took his vitals and wrote them down while he chatted.
“Mostly it’s because I want to prove my son wrong. Noah seems to think you’ll let me go downhill just because we’re not in the hospital. I told him he was full of shit.” He coughed lightly. “Excuse my language.”
“Not a problem.” I put away my gear and picked up his hand. “You can tell him you’ve already improved in the short time I’ve been your doctor.”
“I knew you were a good girl.” Benito patted the hand I held his with, and I felt my cheeks heat.
Inexplicably, tears clogged my throat. He wasn't anything to me but a patient, and I shouldn't light up under his praise.
Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth to ask a question when Noah stormed into the room, his voice raised in clear agitation.
“I told you I was to be informed when she arrived.”
Straightening my spine, I glanced over my shoulder and said, “Dr. Wentworth has arrived.”
Benito chuckled. “I instructed Bedford to let you know.”
“He did,” Noah said. “But I see he took his sweet fucking time with it.”
“I’ve only been here for a minute,” I said, still holding his father’s hand.
Noah’s height dominated the space around him, making me feel shorter than usual. Or maybe it was the aura of foreboding and distrust that made him appear taller than he really was. His mouth was pinched, his eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on me and Benito.
“Surely, flirting with your patients goes against some sort of code.”
“Noah, that's no way to speak to your guests.”
Those words were spoken by a newcomer; as he came into the den, his golden honey hair swept over his forehead, stopping just shy of being too long. The suit he wore was impeccably tailored to hug his body, compared to the more modest cut of Noah’s suit.
Stepping closer, this man held his hand out to me, his blue eyes dancing alongside his smile. “Giovanni Bianchi. Pleasure to meet you.”
If his goal was to force me to drop Benito’s hand to shake his, then he succeeded. “Dr. Sailor Wentworth.”
“You were right, Benito.” Leaning around me, he winked. “She’s a stunner.”
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked, pulling my hand out of his warm and lingering grasp.
“A friend of the family.”
