“Dave carved it all for me,” she said quietly, kneeling beside him. She picked up one of the small people. “This one is me.”
He carefully took the piece from her, looking it over. “He was really talented.”
“He would carve wooden toys and sell them over the internet. He had a lady who made the outfits for the people. But he always worked on pieces for me.” She ran her hand over one of the houses.
“He forgot a bit on your doll, though.”
She frowned, glancing over. “What? Where?”
“The red bottom.” He turned it around and lifted the material of the dress.
She rolled her eyes. “Not everyone has an obsession with my bottom the way you do, Daddy.”
“Just as well. If anyone else tried to touch your bottom, they’d lose their hand. Right, show me your basket.”
He pulled everything out, one by one. “Twelve.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Count it out for yourself.”
She slowly and carefully counted everything. He put each item back in the basket as she counted it. Her shoulders slumped. “Twelve.”
“Go mark a frowny face on your chart.”
“At this rate, I’m gonna have more frowns than smiley faces.” Yesterday she’d earned a number of frowns for that tantrum she’d thrown.
Doc turned and walked into the living area with the basket of stuff. He paused as he heard his phone ring. He picked it up and frowned as he saw Kent’s name.
Caley sighed long and loud. She dragged her feet as she made her way to her chart. She heard Issy answer his phone. She didn’t pay much attention as she put another frowny face on her chart. This was not going to end well for her, she could tell.
She turned as she heard Issy swear. His face was twisted in a scowl.
“Fuck. Can’t someone else go to him?” he snapped.
He sat and rubbed at his temple. She moved behind him and leaned over the sofa to rub his shoulders.
“Yeah. Yeah, sure. No, I think it will be quicker and easier for me to drive than fly. Yeah. Got it.”
She paused then straightened. What was going on?
Issy grunted then ended the call without a goodbye.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she whispered, her stomach trying up in a knot.
He stood and turned towards her. “Baby doll, I don’t want to. If there was any way that I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t.”
“What’s happened?” she asked, suddenly worried. “It’s not Archer, is it?”
“No. No, Archer is fine. It’s work. One of our guys has been shot.”
“Oh God. A friend? Is he in the hospital? You need to go home to help him?”
“Wouldn’t exactly call him a friend. More like a thorn in my side, bane of my existence, pain in the fu…flipping butt,” he said hastily. “Zander isn’t exactly friends with anyone. And he doesn’t follow any rules. He also won’t let anyone but me fix him up. So he’s currently holed up in one of his hidey-holes in Colorado, and is waiting for me to come doctor him because Lord forbid, he be normal and go to a hospital.”
“He’s been injured and he’s refusing to go to a hospital?”
Issy sighed and moved into the bedroom, pulling out his duffel bag. He grabbed a few pairs of underwear, jeans and shirts, putting them neatly into his bag. Even in a rush, he took care.