“Mornin’.” Charity turned over. She wore Elijah’s long white t-shirt, which was unusual when she slept in bed with her husband. They’d barely spoken over dinner, she had been too mad by his doctor comment. The tension thickened as the evening wore on and when Charity brought Jamie to bed, she went to bed herself.

“Is it six yet? I don’t have to be to the hospital until seven.” Elijah threw the covers over his head. “I think the seafood was off.”

“It’s five.” She crossed her ankles. “It’s not the seafood. The bottle of red wine is what’s making your head hurt.” She huffed. “I haven’t heard from my dad, or your mom. Amazed that you aren’t the least bit worried.” Charity sat up in bed and tightened her ponytail, which she did when she was anxious.

“Can we not start the day this way, Charity? I have no idea what ticked you off last night, but it is too early to start again now.”

“You have no idea?” She shook her head. “Telling me I’m not a doctor anymore is totally okay?”

Elijah sighed from under the covers. “Why are you being so sensitive?”

“Now I’m sensitive? Seriously, are you trying to get into a fight?”

Elijah flipped the covers over and leaned up on his elbow. “Look, I apologize for the doctor comment. I didn’t mean it as you think. I just meant you aren’t practicing now.”

“So I’m not busy? I gave up practicing so I could be with Jamie. I’m trying to figure a way to make two hundred million dollars to match another donor, who’s a sexist pig. I have my father’s seventieth coming up. Jamie’s been through a horrific injury, my dad nearly had another heart attack,” she said and sucked in a breath to continue her list of woes, “now he and your mother are missing, and yet you don’t give a toss about anything!”

He looked at her in confusion, like he had no idea why she felt the stress of everything. “You don’t have to take everyone on, Charity.”

“I’m not.”

He shook his head, it was one argument he obviously knew he couldn’t win. “Regarding our parents: we aren’t going to file a missing persons report for two consenting adults because it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. Jamie was up past her bedtime and I think we’ll all benefit from some extra shut-eye.” Elijah turned over.

“I’m going to call Maxine at the hospital and see if she knows where my dad is.”

Elijah went back to sleep before Charity finished her sentence. She slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen.

She made a cup of coffee. On mornings like this, she was glad they had a coffee maker that utilized pods because it saved time. Charity stepped on a princess tiara on the way to her office. Shit. The morning was not starting well.

She punched in the numbers to Maxine’s personal phone. Charity didn’t care it was early. “Good morning, Maxine. This is Charity Bennet, Scott’s daughter.” As if she didn’t know.

“Yes Charity.” Maxine’s voice sounded groggy.

“I’m trying to reach my father and I’ve had no luck since yesterday afternoon. It’s out of character for him not to be available to me.”

“Dr. Thompson took a break from the city for a few days. I’m sure you will hear back from him when he returns.”

“He was supposed to be home yesterday.”

“He apparently extended his trip. Is there an emergency?”

“Not really.” She frowned. “Is Margaret, Dr. Bennet’s mother with him?”

“Dr. Thompson asked that I respect his privacy. Therefore, I don’t feel comfortable giving out details of his trip.”

Really? The woman was not going to budge on her information. An incoming beep on her phone, letting her know she had another call, stopped her from arguing with the woman. “Thanks, Maxine.” Charity hung up and switched to the other call. It had to be her father. Who else would call at five thirty in the morning, unless it was an emergency? “Dad?”

“I can be your daddy.” 

Hal Jaworski. Seriously? “It’s a bit early to be calling, isn’t it?”

“I’m back and wanted you to know I got your message.”

And you had to let me know at five thirty? “Good to know.”

“I think the list of donors that I gave you is an excellent start towards achieving our two hundred mill goal.”

Charity could hear he was smoking a cigar. The signature inhaling and exhaling made Charity nauseous, as if she could actually smell it. She swallowed and pushed the image of him smoking out of her mind. “Yes, the list. That’s why I wanted to meet with you.”

“We can discuss this on the phone.”

“Fine. You know I personally know almost everyone on the donors list because I’ve dealt with them personally before.”

“Charity, I wanted to hire the best fundraiser on the east coast that I could get my hands on. It’s you, which you should take as a compliment. I’m not begging for your help like some street urchin. You were hired for a fundraising job at Pinnacle. I’ve done everything correctly, crossed my t’s, dotted my i’s. What is your problem, Charity?”

Hal knew if she didn’t finish the job then heads would roll; namely hers and Linda Curry’s. As Linda indicated, Charity didn’t really need the money but it could ruin her name. It was a matter of principle and Charity hated failure. Then there was the moral conflict in going against Thompson Hospital. Charity didn’t want to lock horns with her father or Thompson Hospital. She was screwed no matter what she did.

“Mr. Jaworski, I think the way you went about our arrangement was underhanded. I’m not sure what this will do to my reputation and that matters to me a lot, as does my father. Contacting people to give to a project at St. Luke’s after I have already sought funds for their competitor says little of my loyalty.”

“You’re a doctor right?”

“Correct,” Charity said, not sure where he was going with that, but knowing he was up to something.

“You took an oath to do no harm. If a murderer showed up in your emergency department you would try to save him, right?”

“You’re comparing apples to oranges. There is no oath of Greek origin that I took before I became a fundraiser. I’ll contact some of the players on the list. Why don’t we set up a time to meet next week?” Charity had too much on her mind to waste time debating ethics with Hal Jaworski.

“How about tomorrow at eleven. We can meet at my office because I know lunch at a restaurant intimidates you.”

No, you sexist-fat pig. I prefer not to have lunch with a man who gets drunk before two and has horrendous table manners. “That’ll be fine. See you then.” She’d have to come up with another approach to raising the money. He wanted her to use the list, she’d have to come up with her own. She had just over twenty-four hours to outsmart him.

Charity didn’t even hear Jamie while she was working in her office. Lucky for her Elijah was home to pick up the little Peanut. He went the extra step and got Jamie dressed. Today she was Princess Jasmine. It wasn’t easy to keep up with her daily choice of costumes. Elijah had already been the Beast and this morning he was the Genie. Charity wondered when she would get into the act. Her recent short temper would make her perfect to play the villain in anything.

“Still talking to me?” she asked. She realized that she was still in her pajamas with her hair in a ponytail. She sat down at the table. “No news on my dad. Maxine did confirm he went away with someone. It’s obviously your mom and they extended their trip.”

Elijah got up from the breakfast table and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head. “Even you’re allowed a bad mood once in a while. Just don’t make it every day,” he teased. “I don’t like when you refuse to snuggle with me. I prefer looking at your face as you sleep and not the back of your head.” He pulled Charity in for a kiss.

“Daddy don’t bite Mommy’s neck,” Jamie warned.

“Daddy loves Mommy. I can kiss Mommy any time I like because I’m married to her. You aren’t kissing boys until you are very, very old.”

“How old is very, very?” Charity smiled for the first time that morning.

“I’m thinking twenty or forty. I plan to have a chip implanted so I can monitor her whereabouts. Maybe a shock collar too so when a boy gets close she’ll zap him. You never know what technology will be around as she ages,” Elijah joked. “What did Maxine say?”

“I was stonewalled by my father’s watchdog.”

He laughed. “I think you can forget about being worried Charity because I can see my mother. Gamma’s here Jamie. What a treat and now Mama won’t have anything to worry about.”

“Hooray. It’s Gamma time.” Princess Jamie slid out of her seat.

Margaret glided into the kitchen with Scott’s car keys in her hand. Neither Elijah nor Charity had to ask where she’d been.

“Morning sweetie!” she kissed Jamie. “Gamma missed you!” She hugged Jamie and picked her up. “I dropped Scott off at the hospital. Keeping him away from that place is as hard as bathing a cat.”

“Morning, Mom.” Elijah strolled over and kissed her. “I’d love to stay and chat about bathing felines and anything else you’ve been up to, but I have to go and join Scott at the hospital. Hope you had a good time away.” Elijah gave Jamie a silly kiss, Margaret a peck on the cheek and Charity managed a slip of the tongue.

 

 

Elijah left and Margaret sat in his seat, munching on the toast left on the table.

“How was your trip?” Charity wanted to tell her she’d been worried, but the happy look on Margaret’s face said it all.

“Oh, Charity. Your father and I have become so close! I’m falling in love with him. However, the reason for my visit, besides saying hi to my little princess, is to talk about Scott’s surprise party. It’s coming soon.”

Charity blinked and then blinked again. “You lay a bomb on me that you love my father and in the same breath you want to talk about a party? At least tell me where the two of you went.”

“We were in Montauk. Scott arranged for a fabulous rental that was way too big for two people but you know your dad.”

“Yep, always the best for Dr. Scott Thompson. Paella for dinner is all you missed. Want some? It’s probably dinnertime in Spain.” Charity laughed.

“No thank you, I’ll pass. I booked the venue, which is not exactly what you might choose.” Margaret grabbed a binder out of her bag by the door and set it on the table.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Charity said as she shoved a piece of cold toast into her mouth. She went to the fridge and grabbed the paella. It actually sounded good at the moment. Even cold.

“I’m planning a carnival to celebrate Scott’s seventieth!”

Charity nearly choked on the paella. “I’m not sure my father would be excited for that. He’s the chief of a hospital named after him, and not really a hit up a ride and eat cotton candy kind of guy.”

“I plan to have it at a baseball diamond, which I’ve reserved. We’ll have red balloons everywhere to make it festive. I know they make surgical gloves in many different colors so we can special order red ones and fill them with helium. They’ll be the balloons. I’m going to hire a symphony orchestra to play and we’ll serve hotdogs with red wine from the Rhone region in France.”

“You aren’t serious. Please tell me you’re kidding. Did you and my father smoke something funny while in Montauk?” Charity had pictured something subdued and elegant, which was more attuned to his taste.

“I think your father is ready to be a free spirit in some aspects of his life. What a better way to celebrate Scott than a carnival in his honor. Jamie Lynn would love it and seeing that little girl smile would be a gift in itself.”

“I don’t have the time or energy to fight you on this one so a carnival it is. Do you have the guest list I sent you?” Charity asked.

“I do, but I don’t want it too big. Your father doesn’t like huge crowds.”

“News to me because he seems comfortable talking in front of hundreds.”

“Leave that to me. Your job is going to be getting him there on time. I’ll send you the specifics.”

Charity couldn’t get the pairing of hotdogs with red wine off her mind.