Page 49 of The Doctor's Simple Life

I’m glad I wasn’t there for the paperwork.

I want to be there for her.

We go out to the town’s only bar. It barely even counts as a bar, really, but they serve drinks, and they usually play almost decent music.

“I have beensobored all day,” I say as we take a seat at a table in the corner.

“You should have done something, then!” she says like that’s easy and I’m stupid.

I shrug. “Like what? You’re my only friend, and I’ve done everything there is to do around here.”

She pauses and takes a breath so audible it makes me blink up at her. She’s looking at me like I’m under a microscope, so I take a sip of my drink to try and take some of the intensity out of it.

Finally, she says, “I can’t be your only friend. What about Gramma?”

“Right.” I laugh. “Because I’m going to go and hang out with your grandmother on my day off.”

“Why not?” she huffs, sticking up her nose in mock offense. “She’d be happy to see you. I’m sure she could keep you busy when I’m not there to babysit you.”

“Wow, insult after insult today. Maybe I shouldn’t have come out with you after all if this is how you feel.”

Sienna shakes her head and scoffs. “Shut up. I’m your only friend, right?”

I stick my tongue out at her and roll my eyes, though I can’t really be upset with her. I don’t think I ever could be, not for long. “Whatever. I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

She makes a comment about that too, and we bicker back and forth until we’re almost crying with laughter, goading each other on to say sillier and sillier things. And even as my belly hurts from the way she makes me laugh, there’s that thought in the back of my mind again.

Nothing else makes me feel like she does. This town isn’t really that bad, is it?

I mean, it’s slow and it’s small, and there’s not that much to do, but it brings you closer to other people, doesn’t it? Having people around you, who care about you, who are there for you.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

Could I really stay here, in a small town, away from everyone I know, away from any convenience and public transportation? Just for Sienna?

Am I crazy to be considering it at all?

CHAPTER 24

SIENNA

“Do you even have MRI machines here, huh?”

Mikey lets out an enormous snort, and I clench my fist to restrain myself from smacking him. I’m sure someone has before. But I’m better than that. I am.

I resign myself to imagining it instead.

“We do, actually.”

“From when? 1860?” He lets out another honking laugh, and I smile thinly.

I’m shocked that they even let this guy become a doctor, let alone become the owner of our hospital. I’m surprised he has two brain cells to rub together. It’s clear he thinks much the same of me.

Ever since he got here, every other sentence has been some awful comment about how small-town hospitals are basically useless, how we’re all stupid, and how he’s obviously so much better than all of us put together.

I’ve been smiling and gritting my teeth as best I can, but I hope Reece gets here soon because this attitude is unbearable. Giselle really owes me one for making me put up with this. Twice.

He’s a lot like Reece was when he first got here, and I understand now where Reece got it from. If this was what his work culture is like, then no wonder he was a complete ass when he arrived here.

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