Page 389 of Steamy Ever After

“Sorry, I’ve probably said too much. Curse of being the town doc. People tell me all kinds of things. Speaking of, I thought we might head into the office. I’ve got some things I need to take care of.”

I look at him and wonder if that might not be the best thing. His strength is failing. But that’s not my decision to make.

“I need to take a shower.” I hold back a smile as to why that might be. “Give me a little bit?”

“No rush, sweetie.”

I head to my room and take a shower. When I remove my clothes, I breathe in the lingering scent of Drake on the fabric. Part of me doesn’t want to wash him off my skin, but it’s time to get to work.

The faster I learn the ropes of my uncle’s practice, the easier things will be in the long run.

WORK

Less than an hour later, I’m showered, dressed, and even put on a bit of makeup. When I head into the living room, my uncle isn’t there, but there are sounds coming from the kitchen. I head in there, where he’s cleaning up his breakfast dishes.

“Can I help?”

“No, that’s the last little bit. You ready to head in to work?”

I’m nervous and excited at the same time. He says work, which makes me think this isn’t a casual visit.

“How many patients do you have scheduled?”

“Just a few. I’ve blocked off my mornings for the foreseeable future. Mornings are the worst for me.”

I can understand that.

“I’d love to help out. No better way than to jump in and get my feet wet.”

“That would be very helpful. And I agree. We still have some time before the first appointment. I thought I’d show you some of the not-so-fun aspects of the practice.”

It’s another reminder I’m in over my head. In Redlands, all I did was show up and see patients. I didn’t have to worry about running a business. I was an employee.

Not a business owner.

“That’s what I’m most worried about.”

“What’s that, hun?”

“The business side of things. Do you think I should take some classes?”

“You don’t need to do that. I’ve got a business manager. Sara takes care of most things. She handles the books, does most of the coding, and deals with all the insurance claims. The office practically runs itself, but there are a few things I need to show you. And of course, we’ll want to introduce you to the specialists you’ll be referring patients to.”

“Okay.”

“Everyone knows you’re coming. I’ve been talking you up ever since you agreed, but we’ll want to make introductions before …” His voice trails off, and just like him, I don’t want to hear the end of that particular sentence.

With that heaviness weighing me down, I force a smile to my face. “I’m eager to get started.”

Which is the truth.

It’s been well over a week since I fled Redlands. I took my time driving up the coast, needing those few days to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

My job is the best on the planet. Helping others to stay healthy makes me feel good. Helping those who are sick manage chronic conditions, or recover from an illness, is the greatest gift I’ve been given. I consider myself blessed.

That’s all to say, I’m excited to get back to work.

There’s one major problem.

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