Cain by Kathi S. Barton Page B

pleasure. I know you said she was hurt and that she needed
tending, but well, sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you
have her with you? You being in love with her and all.”
    Cain looked at Mrs. Webb. In love? With
Julie? He didn’t think so. She was, why, most of the time he wanted
to strangle her, but love her? No, that couldn’t be
right.
    Cain was back at the main house before
he realized it. He couldn’t remember if he answered Mrs. Webb or
even left her anything for Julie’s pain. He couldn’t even remember
walking across the driveway and coming to his room. He was staring
out into the night when he realized that he thought maybe he just
might love the little twit. Now he had to figure out what the hell
to do about it.
    Looking at the bedside clock when his
phone rang, he nearly didn’t answer the private number. His family
and a few friends were the only ones who had it. Coming to realize
what his feelings for Julie were had him doubting his own sanity.
So when he barked his name into the phone, he couldn’t help but
flush when laughter greeted his rudeness.
    “ It has to be a woman to
have you sounding like a bear with his foot in a trap. They do that
to you so often you check your feet regularly to see if you still
have two. I’m assuming it’s a woman because you’re the only man I
know that has five of the most beautiful sisters ever created and
still doesn’t have a clue.”
    Cain decided that the next time he saw
Damon Grant, he was going to knock the older man on his flipping
ass. “If you just called to be a pain in my ass then I have others
here that are more than willing to do that. It’s two in the
morning, Damon, what the fuck do you want?”
    Damon’s laughter didn’t improve his
mood. Cain nearly hung up on the man. He didn’t need this right
now.
    “ Oh, Cain, I want so much.
But I digress. I want you to come and be my partner at the office.
I had to wait until your forms came through, impressive by the way,
and your transcripts. First in your class at med school, class
president, the list is as long as it is impressive. What do you
say?”
    Cain felt behind him for the chair and
sat even though he hadn’t found it. The floor hit his ass hard. It
was cold and unforgiving, but he didn’t feel a thing.
    “ You want me to come and
work for you? In your practice?” Cain heard the squeak in his voice
and was grateful when Damon didn’t mention it.
    “ No. I want you to be my
partner—as equals. I know you just got bought out by the other firm
in Maine. Too bad about that. But they only had good things to say
about you. Phillip said you’d make a great partner and told me that
I’d be a stupid man to let you go. And we both know that I’m not a
stupid man.”
    Cain tried in vain to wrap his head
around what Damon was saying to him. He and his partners had parted
on good terms. They wanted to go in a more modern way of seeing
patients, stacking them three deep so they could see more patients
in less time. Cain preferred the old ways, seeing each patient for
as long as they wanted or even needed. He didn’t think the other
way was going to save them any money in the long run.
    “ No. No, you’re not
stupid. Why? I mean, why me and why now?” Cain thought about his
sister. “Quinn put you up to this, didn’t she? I’m going to pound
her ass but good when I find her.” Cain could hear Damon’s laughter
again.
    “ Ah, Cain my boy, you
always were a distrusting sort of young man. Not that I blame you.
You didn’t have much reason at all to trust, did you? But no, this
is a legitimate offer I’m giving you. I’d genuinely like for you to
become my partner.”
    Cain had always dreamed of becoming
Damon’s partner, his equal, ever since he’d set his leg as a
teenager. Damon had been beyond kind to the younger Cain, making
sure that Cain had had his pain under control and managed before
he’d let him go. And when Cain had started crying when the pain
became