Page 62 of The Doctor's Simple Life

People are nice to me and ask about the baby whether I want them to or not, but nothing is that unusual.

After lunch, Giselle comes back.

I force a smile to my face. She’s not really going to keep checking up on me every single day for the rest of time, is she? It’s nice that she’s worried, but I am an adult. I can look after myself.

I get ready to tell her that, but before I can, she beams at me and says, “Hey, Sienna. The new owner wants a chat with you.”

“What? Why?” I stammer.

She shrugs. “He’s speaking to all senior members of staff. It’s routine, I think.”

“I’m not senior.” I frown.

“You’re managerial now. That means you’re important enough to have a voice in this place.”

“Okay,” I say dubiously. “But why me?”

“Did you not listen to a word I said?” she scoffs, leaning against the doorframe and folding her arms.

I groan. This isn’t a fight I am going to win. “Does he want to meet right now? I’m in the middle of a report.”

“Finish your report and then come through to my office, okay? I’ll let him know you’re coming.”

As promised, I finish the notes and go up to the office. Giselle is waiting for me outside, and she smiles as I approach. “Good luck,” she says with a wink, then pushes me through the door before I can ask any questions.

Good luck. What am I going to need good luck for?

Surely, the new guy can’t be that scary. He’s probably just another rich fool from the city who thinks that owning a small hospital in the middle of nowhere gets him some status points. It’s not like he’s going to fire me. He doesn’t know me, and Giselle wouldn’t have been grinning if I was in trouble.

Right?

He’s facing the window when I step inside, a silhouette in a tailored suit and his blond hair in perfect spikes.

And my heart does a flip in my chest.

He turns around and smiles sheepishly at me. I stare at him in utter shock.

I’d recognize that shadow anywhere.

“Reece?”

CHAPTER 30

REECE

From the way her mouth drops open, I’m terrified that she’s about to burst into tears when she sees me. “Hey, Sienna,” I say sheepishly, trying my best to smile. “How are you doing? It’s good to see you.”

It’s not enough. Nothing I can say will ever be enough to make up for what I’ve done to her. But hopefully she can forgive me someday.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she snaps, then takes a harsh breath, planting herself on the spot.

I know exactly what look this is on her face. Now that she’s gotten over the initial shock of seeing me, her expression has turned into a careful mask of neutrality.

It makes sense. She’s a nurse. She’s good at masking her emotions. It’s part of the job.

I just wish she didn’t feel like she had to do it with me.

But I get it; I really do. I let her down. I can see it now, so clearly where I couldn’t before. From the second I said no to Mikey, no to the promotion, no to staying — that’s when I knew I had let her down. What she wanted from me was to stand up for her and the town, and instead, I was awful to her.

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