Destiny's Wish by Marissa Dobson

in a rather chipper mood yourself.”
    “I am.” He smirked. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have one more patient to check on.”
    “Very well.” Nancy eyed him for a moment longer before stepping away and allowing him to go about his business.
    It was obvious she was suspicious, but he didn’t owe her any explanation. They were friends, but they weren’t overly close. He’d tell her eventually, along with the rest of the world. The one person he did want to tell before rumors circulated the hospital was his brother, Jason. He needed to know before the Valentine’s tea party that he had promised to take Destiny to, because that was sure to get the gossip mill started.
    Deciding his patient could wait a bit longer, he turned to the door leading to the staircase to head down one floor to Jason’s office. He might be able to catch him there before his next surgery. The last thing he wanted was for Jason to confront him about Nora in front of others, or for the Valentine’s tea party to get back to him before Brian had a chance to explain.
    “I was wondering when you’d show back up to work.” Jason strolled down the hallway from the opposite direction, and headed straight toward Brian.
    “What?”
    “I knew you were at the cabin this past weekend and you were with them.” Jason opened the door to his office and nodded for Brian to follow. “I see you haven’t decided yet that you need to stay away from them.”
    “Just the opposite.” He stood with his hands in his pockets as Jason took a seat behind the desk.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “I’m taking Destiny to the father and daughter Valentine’s Day tea party here at the hospital. I thought you should know because once I do there will be nothing to keep the rumors from spreading.”
    Jason leaned forward, his hands clasped on top of the desk. “You’ve got to be joking. Have you even considered what this will do to Nora or Destiny? You’re giving that little girl hope of getting a father, when there’s no way you can be that for her.”
    “Who says I can’t?”
    “What?” Jason pushed forward as if he was going to stand before he thought better of it.
    “Don’t look at me like that. Nora is special, unlike any woman I’ve met before.” Warmth spread through him just from thinking about her; that smile of hers lit the darkness within him. He glanced at his watch—twenty minutes until he had to be downstairs with Nora. “If she’ll allow me, I’ll be there every step of the way. I’m going to be at Destiny’s first treatment in just a little bit.”
    “What do you know about being a father?”
    “What did you know about being a father until you adopted Faith?” Brian countered.
    Jason shook his head. “This is different . This isn’t like a new baby, you’re taking on a six-year-old child.”
    “It’s the same thing, and I’ll learn. Anyway, we’ve taken to each other fairly well already. This isn’t just about Destiny. I’m committed to Nora and they come as a package. I would hope you’d understand and be supportive. With Destiny’s treatment, Nora has enough on her mind. I don’t want the next gossip hitting the hospital to be that you’re against what’s happening with us. She doesn’t need that, nor does the gossip mill.”
    “I’ll keep my mouth shut and you can do what you want. I can’t say I’m happy with this, not only because she’s Jim’s wife, but because of the child’s condition.”
    “She’s a widow,” Brian corrected.
    “The point is still the same. She married Jim. Now you think you can step into his shoes?”
    “I think nothing of the kind.” Brian inwardly steadied himself; it would do no good to raise his voice. Then the rumors would really fly. “Jim isn’t here and there’s no reason Nora and I can’t be happy together. There’s nothing to feel guilty about. If you died, would you want Liz to eventually move on and find someone who made her happy?”
    “This isn’t