Page 39 of Hotwife

“Ah, I see,” Dr. Gregory responded. “Perhaps you’ve passed my son Desmond by. He’s been their photographer for a while now.”

“I’ve seen him a time or two, yes,” I said, ordering my voice to remain impassive.

Des snorted next to me and I resisted the urge to elbow him. “We know each other, Dad.” He smiled over at me. I was going to kill him.

“Interesting,” Cedric drawled. “You never mentioned it, Dot.”

I cringed at his words.

“Desmond owes you a great debt, Dr. Winslow,” Eva spoke up, her silverware clanking clumsily across her plate.

“Why is that?” I asked, looking from Eva to my husband. Cedric remained stoic in his expression.

“Cheers,” Desmond rumbled. “To sharing your…” he gave an unnecessarily long pause that sent heat to my cheeks, “talents, with me.”

The sound of breaking glass met my ears, and I jolted. “Are you alright, Cedric? You need to be careful with your hands, old boy. Those are the money makers,” Dr. Gregory asked with a chuckle, eyeing the broken whisky tumbler.

“Quite fine, thank you. I don’t know my strength sometimes.”

Dr. Gregory, seemingly oblivious to the tense tone of the table, took a sip of his drink and met my eyes. “To answer your question, young lady. Cedric saved my son’s life. You can’t tell by looking at him, but he’s down to one leg, and he’d not be sitting here at all if it weren’t for your husband.”

My mouth hung open in shock. I peered between the two of them, but neither would look at me. Instead, they stared the other down like opponents in a ring.

“Hiking accident,” Dr. Gregory said, more to himself as servers arrived, clearing the plates and setting down the main course of prime rib and scallops.

“Rock climbing,” Desmond corrected, gripping his tumbler until his knuckles were white. If he weren’t careful, we’d have another shattered glass on the table tonight. Which would match my thoughts exactly.

My husband was the surgeon to operate on Des and save his life.

“Perhaps a mistake to take the case,” Cedric stated lowly under the murmur of my sister and Eva thanking the staff and remarking on the well-cooked meat.

Desmond scoffed, and I shot them both a wide-eyed look. Did my husband know about Des and me? The pieces were falling together in an avalanche that was feeling a lot like betrayal.

“Few things are quite as rewarding as a patient who keeps in touch, though, huh, Cedric? Des has told me about you and your correspondence over the years. It was above and beyond the call of duty to check in with him on a personal level as he went through physical therapy. That’s the sort of care lacking in the current medical climate in America. I knew immediately upon receiving your email that you were planning a move to Seattle that I had to have you on my staff. Your bedside manner and skill combined would make a great Chief of Surgery,” my husband’s boss complimented, and my brain spun.

“So you two have kept in touch for years? Like friends?” I asked, turning to Des and then Cedric, who was effectively ignoring me at this point.

Somewhere in the distance, a doorbell rang. My eyes absently followed glimpses of Caroline dashing towards the foyer.

“It’s Cedric who told me about the job opening at the aquarium,” Des said, just above a whisper. “When I told him I was moving here… he had a couple of jobs for me.”

Cedric met my eyes then, and I felt tingles behind my eyelids. Still, confusion wracked me at what I was hearing. Why would Desmond hide the fact that he knew my husband, that my husband saved his life? Why would Cedric have him work at my aquarium?

A couple of jobs.

“Oh, my god,” I said, feeling my sister’s hand take mine.

“Just breathe, Dolly,” she soothed softly.

Suddenly, a southern drawl pulled me from my breakdown. “So sorry we’re late!” Cora announced, walking over to me and kissing my cheek. I stood, returning her embrace.

“I’m so glad you made it,” I whispered in her ear.

We all stood to greet the newcomers.

And that’s when it all fell apart.

Clutching a bottle of wine and brushing rain droplets off his shoulders, stood Kenneth. Desmond raised an eyebrow at me as Cedric, Dr. Gregory, and Kenneth greeted each other like old friends. Like colleagues.