“Relax. She’s only going to be there one more day.”
“I am relaxed. Hey, you’re a grown man. You can do whatever you like with whomever you choose.”
He didn’t hide his frustration when he met her gaze. “Why change now? The last time I had a woman in my life, all you talked about was how it was never going to last.”
“I was right.”
He grunted, unwilling to continue this game. “You’re my cousin, and I love you, but come on, Eve. Knock it off.”
“Fine. I won’t talk about the fact that she must have a powerful reason to volunteer in the Bronx. Altruism is one thing, but a woman like her? Two months after that article in the Times that had your picture on it?”
He shook his head, refusing to be baited. Eve meant well, but sometimes he wasn’t sure if she was looking out for him or was jealous. He really hoped it wasn’t the latter. “I can’t decide between the Pernil con Mofongo and the number one combo.”
“Get the combo. That way you’ll have enough left over for dinner.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Eve gave him an eye roll. “Cut it out. I’m in no mood.”
“I can see lunch is going to be fun.”
“Yes, we’re going to talk about you. And Warren. And all the things you wish I wouldn’t bring up.”
“Yay,” he said. “I can’t wait.”
The taxi pulled over and Daniel paid the driver as Eve went in to try to grab a table. Through some miracle of timing, they had to wait only five minutes for one.
The restaurant smelled like its signature Puerto Rican roast pork, and the casual atmosphere lent itself to loud discussions and laughter. Their orders were taken pronto, and Eve wasted no time getting to the point.
“Warren can’t do anything with the house until you remove your things. And that has nothing to do with you starting at the Center. So just bite the bullet and call him.”
Daniel held back a sigh. Though he doubted he’d have any luck, he decided to go for one more attempt at forestalling a conversation he wasn’t ready for. “You look tired. Out clubbing with the girls again?”
“Thanks a lot, you dick. Two martinis. That’s all I had. And yes, I was out with the girls because I haven’t done anything remotely fun in over a month. Anyway, I know you’re just trying to change the subject, and no, I’m not going there. Warren wants answers, Danny. Is that so hard to understand? You aren’t the only one who lost a father.”
“Whoa,” he said, taken aback. “Going right for the jugular today, huh?”
“This is me, giving you a smack. As much as I love what you’re doing for the clinic, you have other obligations. Unless you plan on spending the rest of your life being an unpaid GP in the Bronx.”
“Of course I don’t. That’s not... I’m...damn it, I’m just not ready to leave yet.”
She winced. “You made a promise. To take your place at the Center.”
“I promised Dad.”
“Warren is still your family, and the Center is still your father’s legacy.”
Daniel flinched and hoped Eve hadn’t seen.
“Unless he told you all bets were off when he died?”
He really had to bite down on that one. Their meals arrived, but the churning in his gut made food the last thing he wanted. “Did Dad mention to you any plans for expansion?” he asked, careful to keep his tone casual.
She looked puzzled. “Well, he knew we’d have to hire additional help once you came on board. More support staff, for one thing, and we talked about finding another neurologist. He said once the three Cassidys were there, the waiting list would double. Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah.” Just what he’d thought. Eve really didn’t know anything about his dad’s grandiose plans. She thought Daniel was being stubborn and childish. He wished he could explain to her why he needed more time, but he couldn’t. Not until he could figure out what to say to Warren.
It didn’t help that he had no idea what his brother was feeling. They were only four years apart, but had completely different temperaments. Warren was more like their dad and the two of them had been really close. Their father had bragged about Daniel, but talked to Warren.
So why hadn’t he wanted Warren to know about his very ambitious plans for a whole new approach to their practice? His death had come so suddenly, and so soon after he’d told Daniel about his ideas that Daniel figured he’d died of a stroke. That he’d probably also suffered some mini strokes, and that was why their last and final conversation had been so unsettling. But it was his heart that had given out, and the autopsy had shown no abnormalities in his brain.
The promise he’d made his father wasn’t only that he’d work at the Madison Avenue Neurological Center. Discovering his father’s true colors had shaken him to the core. He didn’t want to walk into his new life until he completely understood what he wanted his life to be. What the hell was he supposed to tell Warren? Nothing? Should he just pretend the conversation with his father had never happened?
Maybe. But Daniel sure as hell wouldn’t forget it. He looked at Eve again. “Dad encouraged me to take some time off after I finished my fellowship.”
Eve’s mouth opened but it took a few seconds for her to ask, “When?”
“A few days before he died. I’d just finished at Mount Sinai.”
“During that private dinner meeting he had with you?”
“Yes.” Daniel knew she expected him to elaborate. Wouldn’t happen. Eve had been the office manager for sixteen years. She’d started right after graduating from Cornell and no one could have run the busy practice more smoothly. He shouldn’t be surprised she’d found out about the dinner. She just didn’t know what had been discussed, and it was clear she was hurt by his silence.
“He never mentioned the time off to me,” she said, then took a quick sip. “However, I really doubt he meant for you to take three months.”
“I’m not ready yet, all right? And for what it’s worth, he told me to take whatever time I needed. I wish things were different. But please know I’m not being frivolous. There’s a lot at stake here.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your hesitation. All you ever wanted was to become a neurologist. To be like him. You don’t need to be dealing with stuffy noses and syphilis. You’ve got a gift, Daniel, and you’re wasting your talent.”
He exhaled as he shook his head and picked up his fork, although he doubted he’d use it. “You know she’s having an affair, right?”
Eve blinked at his non sequitur. “Warren’s wife? Yes. And so does he. What difference does that make to your commitment?”
“None. None whatsoever.” He took a big enough bite to put an end to the discussion. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do. Help Warren with their father’s house, with the trust and the business that was now technically half his. But nothing about that plan was simple anymore.
A minute of silence went by before he pointed his fork at Eve. “Warren stayed home from work for a week after Dad’s death. One week. Then it was back to business as usual. He knows I need some time to think things through, but all he cares about is the Center. He could quit tomorrow and have more than enough money to live out his life in luxury. Maybe with his wife, if he even gives a damn about her anymore. But at this rate, with the hours