The Family Doctor. Bobby Hutchinson

with pride. “My own children were lucky. They had the best grandfather in the world. My father was a wonderful man. He supported me and the children after my husband deserted us.” Her voice became bitter again. “He walked out before Georgia was even in school.”

      It was hard not to think that Dorothy would drive anyone off.

      “That must have been very difficult for you, raising a family on your own.” Kate was trying to get a better sense of Dorothy’s life.

      “Oh, it was hard.” Dorothy shook her head. “Four kids, and no husband to help raise them. It was a struggle.”

      “You must have been very self-reliant. What sort of job did you have?”

      “I taught piano,” Dorothy announced with great pride. “I come from a very musical family. My father was a professor of music at the University of British Columbia.”

      “How wonderful. I love music, but I can’t play any instruments.”

      “All my children play—my father and I taught them. Piano, violin. Georgia had promise as a professional pianist, but she didn’t pursue it.” Dorothy’s mouth turned down in a disapproving line. “She only plays the guitar these days—a total waste of God-given talent, if you ask me. And of course Tony was very talented as well. He took up the saxophone.”

      In her mind Kate immediately saw his tall figure, knees bent, eyes closed, passionately playing Dixieland jazz. By now she felt a bit like a voyeur, but she couldn’t help asking, “Does he still play?”

      “Oh, yes. He used to be part of a jazz group that played in piano bars all over the city, but now that he has McKensy, he no longer has the freedom to go out at night. Once you have children, your life changes.”

      “Yes, it does.” Kate was thinking of her stepdaughter, Eliza. She hoped her ex-husband had remembered about the birthday party the little girl was attending this afternoon.

      Kate glanced at her watch. Her workday was almost over. “I’m going to be going home soon. Is there anything more I can do for you, Mrs. O’Connor?”

      Dorothy gave Kate a look that said she didn’t think Kate had done anything to begin with. “No, I really don’t see what anyone can do. There’s no way that what’s done can be undone, is there?”

      “Unfortunately, no.” Smiling at Dorothy was becoming more and more of a struggle, but Kate did her best. “I’ll leave you, then, and I hope Dr. O’Connor continues to improve.”

      “So do I.” It was plain from the tone of her voice and her deep sigh that Dorothy expected nothing of the kind.

      As she hurried down the hall to the elevator, Kate wondered what made some people so negative. She’d met plenty of them in the course of her job; they were the ones who found the most to complain about, so they were the ones she dealt with on a regular basis.

      She loved her job, she reminded herself as she finished the day’s work, then retrieved her purse from her drawer and headed out to the parking lot. Defusing hostility was challenging, and Kate knew she did it well. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t glad to leave her work behind her and head home at the end of the day.

      She was relieved that the late afternoon meeting she’d had scheduled was canceled. It was the weekly one the chief of staff held with department heads, and Kate had been asked to attend because of a staffing complaint. Tony O’Connor was obviously in no shape to conduct a meeting.

      After all that had happened, Kate felt she knew him better than she had that morning. She was sorry now that she’d been unsympathetic toward him. He had a lot of family issues to deal with, and she knew how that felt.

      So he played the saxophone, huh?

      Kate sent him good thoughts and headed home.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      TWENTY MINUTES LATER, she pulled up in front of her modest frame house, annoyed that her ex-husband, Scott, had once again parked his battered car in the paved driveway. The ancient vehicle sat there, flaking bits of rust, its hood up and various pieces of its innards spread across the lawn, which Kate had mown and trimmed just two days before.

      But it wasn’t the battered car that made Kate frown and hurry up the walk. Eliza was sitting on the front steps, her bare knobby knees clasped between her arms, tears trickling down her cheeks.

      Her golden blond hair, clipped fashionably close to her skull by Kate’s hairdresser, stood up in stiff peaks, carefully sculpted in place with the mousse Kate had given her, and she was wearing her bright pink party dress. Kate knew the birthday party she was supposed to attend must have started at least half an hour before.

      “Eliza, what’s wrong, honey?” Kate raced up the steps and sank down beside her stepdaughter. “I thought you were supposed to be at Melanie’s party.”

      Eliza nodded, her wide blue eyes overflowing. “I was, but Daddy forgot to get me a gift. He said he would when I got home from school, but then he couldn’t drive me because the car’s broken again.” She rubbed at her face with the palm of her hand. “I made her a card, but I can’t go without a gift. Everybody got her something special—they all told me what they got her in school today.” Her voice wobbled. “I wanted to give her some of that sparkly lotion from the Body Shop, but it’s too late now.”

      Frustration at her ex made Kate’s heart pound. She had to struggle to keep her tone neutral. “And where’s Daddy gone?”

      “He went to see if he could borrow Mike’s van. But he’s been gone a long time.”

      Kate could guess why. Chances were good Mike’s van was out of gas or had some problem with the carburetor or the battery or the alternator. Scott’s friends could have been his clones. None of them could organize anything except getting together for a beer at the pub. Last-minute emergencies with vehicles were the norm rather than the exception. And like Scott, none of them held down a steady job.

      “Would an unopened package of kid’s bubble bath and dusting powder do for a gift, you think?”

      “Yeah.” Eliza’s little face brightened. “But where will we get it?”

      “I just happen to have some in my dresser drawer.” Eliza’s own birthday was coming up soon, and Kate had bought the items on the weekend.

      She rushed in the house and found them, then grabbed some purple tissue, tape and a pink ribbon as well. Eliza could wrap on the way to the party.

      They hurried to the car and Kate slid behind the wheel. She didn’t bother leaving Scott a note—he’d know she’d bailed him out yet again. Eliza concentrated on wrapping as Kate drove swiftly to the address the little girl recited from the printed invitation. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far away. Eliza would be late, but not hopelessly so.

      Kate went to the door with Eliza, and a cheerful young woman answered.

      “Hey, you must be Eliza,” she said with a wide grin. “Melanie’s going to be so happy that you’re here—she’s been missing you.” She rubbed her hand on her jeans and then stuck it out to Kate. “Icing sugar, sorry. Hi, I’m Belinda Rogers. You must be Eliza’s mom.”

      “I’m Kate. Sorry she’s late.”

      “No problem, the girls are still in the pool. You did bring your swimming suit, Eliza?”

      Kate’s heart sank, but Eliza nodded. “It’s under my dress.”

      “Off you go, then.”

      Eliza gave Kate a fast, fierce hug and then ran off to join her friends.

      “She doesn’t have a towel.” Kate felt like a negligent parent. Eliza had forgotten to tell her it was a swimming party.

      “No problem, there’s a whole stack of them by the pool.”

      “What time should I come and collect her?”