Raising the Bar Read Free

he’d have to call James “ Dad” .
    James cleared his throat. It annoyed Dylan that the guy looked closer to Dylan’s age than his mother’s, though he knew James to be in his early fifties. Bright blue eyes, black hair that had only recently begun to gray, and a muscular frame held James in good stead with the ladies, or so his mother’s secretary seemed to think. Diane knew everything about everything, and she loved dishing to Dylan during his visits.
    James nodded to Dylan’s mother, and she said, “We’d love for you to join us, Dylan. James and I have been talking. We want to cut back on the work we have. Time to start enjoying retirement.”
    Dylan frowned. He hadn’t expected that. The relief he should have felt, that his mother wasn’t going to profess her undying love for James, slid under worry. “Retirement? You’re ready to quit the practice?” He knew his mother had money, but not enough that she’d leave a lucrative job so soon. He thought she enjoyed her work.
    “No.” James shook his head. Then, to Dylan’s dismay, the other shoe dropped. James covered Barbara’s hand. In front of Dylan. “Your mother and I are seeing each other. We want to start enjoying ourselves more, and we thought you’d be the perfect man to step in. We’ve been talking about bringing someone in for a while, to free up our hours.”
    “You’re stellar with your patients, and there’s no one we’d trust more,” his mother said kindly.
    What was all this we nonsense? Dylan didn’t often swear, but between his brother and mother, he felt more than ready to curse a blue streak. He deliberately clamped down on his emotions, conscious of the way his mother and James were watching him.
    Considering he’d known this was coming, he should have been better prepared to handle the news. He’d analyzed his growing hostility toward James, knew he had issues concerning his own relationship with his mother that he transferred to James, but he hadn’t yet resolved his feelings. Though his father had been dead for over ten years, he still seemed like such a large presence in Barbara’s life.
    Dylan cleared his throat and forced a smile. “I’ll have to take some time to consider joining you. I do appreciate the offer, I hope you know.” He swallowed a large mouthful of water and decided to ignore their being a couple for now. “I have my own patients at the hospital, but I’ve been toying with the idea of branching out on my own.”
    He couldn’t look away from their joined hands. Especially when James stroked Barbara’s with his thumb.
    Jealousy ate at Dylan like a cancer, shocking in its ferocity. Jealousy? Was that it? He didn’t like another man taking the role he’d assumed when his father had passed? Dylan did his best to keep a calm expression and took another large sip of water.
    “Dylan?” his mother asked softly.
    Saved by an arriving waiter, he brought himself back under control while everyone ordered. The waiter left, and he spoke before he could reconsider his answer, separating business from personal concerns. “Joining you would be a smart move for my career. You already have an established clientele. Many of whom would view me as an extension of you, Mom, to ease the transfer of cases. I’ll also have several who will follow me into the practice, I’d think. On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. But I’ll think on it, if you don’t mind.”
    “I would expect nothing less.” Barbara’s eyes sparkled with joy.
    “Terrific.” James slapped him on the back, and Dylan smiled through gritted teeth.
    Swear to God, he calls me “Son” and I’ll lose it.
    Thankfully, his mother turned the conversation toward his younger brother’s pending nuptials. Gage and Hailey made a terrific couple, and his heart lightened at the thought of being an uncle someday. At the rate those two went at it, he figured he didn’t have long to wait. The waiter brought their food, and they ate while discussing