Her Three Liberators [The Hot Millionaires #6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Online Free PDF Page B

ourselves forward like that. If someone changes their mind about something, we accept the reasons they give without probing. We’re usually too well-mannered to do anything else.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry.” A brief giggle slipped past her guard but was quickly extinguished. “I didn’t mean to imply that you Yanks lack manners.”
    “You’d be right,” Daniel said, sharing an amused smile with his sons. “We do tend to be rather direct. And I know you’ve been too busy helping me to think of something like that.”
    “Well,” Jonny said, “at the risk of being branded bad mannered, I’ll give the Standishes a call tomorrow and ask what happened. I know them personally, so it won’t seem odd.”
    “Know their daughter, more like,” Harry said, grinning. “Careful she doesn’t take it as a green light to rekindle your hot, steamy affair, big brother. For some reason that escapes me, she seemed pretty cut up when you dumped her.”
    “No chance of that.”
    “That would be helpful,” Daniel said. “Talking to the Standishes, I mean, not the resumption of hot, steamy affairs.”
    “Make up your mind, Daniel,” Brad said, winking at Steffi.
    Daniel pointedly changed the subject and they spoke on general topics for the rest of the meal. As soon as it came to an end, Daniel’s male nurse appeared and their father excused himself. Steffi stood and kissed his cheek, a gesture that Daniel appeared to appreciate.
    “Goodnight, boys,” he said from the doorway, “and welcome home.”
    “He’s really glad you’re all here.”
    Steffi’s soft voice broke the air of despondency that prevailed following Daniel’s departure. Jonny felt as though he’d been playing a part all the time their father was present, pretending to carry on like nothing had changed. Hell, everything had changed and Jonny wanted to hit something, or someone—anything to vent his inchoate anger at the injustice of it all.
    “This calls for a real drink.”
    Brad got up and produced a bottle of fine cognac from the drinks cabinet. Without asking who’d like one, he filled four snifters and handed them round.
    “Tell us everything you know about his illness,” Harry said. “We tried cross-questioning his nurse this afternoon, but he wouldn’t tell us a damned thing we didn’t already know.”
    “Stage five of a brain tumour,” Steffi said, taking a fortifying sip of her brandy before speaking. “A glioblastoma multiforme, if you want the correct name. By the time Daniel realized he was sick and got the diagnosis, it was too late for surgery.”
    “What treatment’s he getting?” Jonny asked.
    Steffi sighed. “He’s refused chemo. He reckons it wouldn’t give him much longer and he hates the idea of all the side effects.”
    “He would,” Brad said. “Probably doesn’t want to lose his hair.”
    “That’s what he said to me,” Steffi agreed with a wistful smile.
    Brad looked at her from the opposite side of the table, his eyes full of despair. “And they definitely can’t do surgery?”
    “There’s an outside possibility.”
    All three of them perked up. “They why doesn’t he—”
    “The tumour is very close to the brain stem and he’s been told that the risks outweigh the chances of success. And even if they are successful, they probably wouldn’t be able to get it all, which would only delay the inevitable.”
    “He should still consider it,” Harry said, stealing the words from Jonny’s lips.
    “He won’t.” Steffi shook her head. “I tried to convince him, but there are no guarantees, and I think he’s just accepted his lot.”
    “That doesn’t sound like Daniel.” It was Brad’s turn to shake his head. “He’s an out-and-out fighter.”
    “He’s been feeling low for longer than anyone realized,” Steffi said pensively, “and simply finds it too much of a struggle. He’s a methodical man, as you well know, and wants to die on his terms, with everything arranged