Page 84 of Take Me Away, Cowboy

Basically, if it zipped and buttoned, it would do the trick.

When the timer rang, she was ready to go, purse on her shoulder and jacket in hand in case this took longer than she thought. She was halfway to the door when a loud crash came from below. She looked out the window, surprised to see Owen, her brother, and Steve working by the barn, tossing wood planks from trucks. When had they all arrived? What were they working on?

As much as she craved answers, she didn’t have the energy or the desire to see Owen. Not yet.

Not wanting a repeat of this afternoon, Paige delicately reversed her vehicle, careful not to disrupt the gravel that Owen fixed—or at least she assumed it had to be him. Asking would mean yet another thank you and she definitely didn’t have that in her at the moment. She was polite, but there were limits to what she could handle.

A text came in while she waited at the stoplight before the hospital.

Checking to see how you’re doing. Dad’s well, as am I. No need for dinner. Love you.

Great. Paige slammed the heel of her hand on the steering wheel, where the start of a bruise formed from juicing the limes. She’d been so wrapped up in her own shitstorm she hadn’t thought to swing by the hospital with dinner or clothes or anything that would have made this experience a little easier on her mother.

She was royally fucking up. The worst part was, her head—and therefore world—would fix itself if she could just tell Owen that she loved him too, that she was scared shitless, but if he could forgive her, she’d consider options other than travel.

The problem was, she needed forgiveness from so many people at that moment, she didn’t think she could have that conversation with Owen until amends had been made across the board.

When she got to the hospital, Paige stopped in the gift shop and bought two bags of peanut butter M&Ms, her mom’s favorite, and headed to her dad’s room, feeling not at all absolved. It would take more than a thousand calories of peanut butter and chocolate to feel like she was making her way back to her family.

Her mom’s smile almost broke Paige’s heart right then and there. That love when she’d done nothing but screw up lately made her feel both unworthy and like she was the luckiest woman on the planet.

“Hey, baby girl.” Her mom hugged her tightly and Paige started to break. “Why are you so dressed up, hun?”

Paige pulled back and straightened her suit jacket. “I’m here to ask for privileges so I can help someone from high school’s daughter. She’s pretty sick and they haven’t been able to get any answers. The mom stopped by earlier.”

“Oh, honey, that’s great. I’ll bet you’ve missed practicing, huh?” Her mom nailed the underlying feeling that ran through every bad decision she’d made since she got home. Sure, Banberry was small, yes she was scared to stay, to fall in love and feel trapped, but more than all of that, she missed medicine. She missed her patients.

“I have,” she admitted. “So much.”

“Then get out of here already. But leave the M&Ms and let me know how it all turns out.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I know you do, honey. Hey, you haven’t seen your brother, have you? His friend Steve came by to get him a few hours ago, but I didn’t get a chance to ask him if he’s all right.”

“He’s at the farm with Steve and Owen,” Paige said, trying not to emphasize Owen’s name as much as it seemed to scream itself in her thoughts. “Looks like they’re working on the barn for Dad.”

“That Owen’s a good one,” Marge said. Paige swallowed an Owen-sized lump in her throat. “That Steve can get out of hand, though, don’t you think?”

“I do. But Brad’s a big boy. He can handle himself. Most of the time.”

Marge chuckled, shook her head.

“He can.” Her mom cleared her throat, looked at the door. “Now go. I’ll be here if you need me.” The sentiment went beyond the walls of the hospital, and again Paige was grateful.

Aury was still radio silent. Time to make things right with her career.

She followed the signs to administration until she came to a door labeled Dr. Miranda Roberts, Chief of Medicine. She took a deep breath and knocked. This was it, her first step in reaching out to Banberry for more than just a place to crash for a week. Why did it feel bigger to Paige than just asking for privileges to help a friend?

The door opened and she found herself face-to-face with her mentor from Oxford, where she’d done her residency after the Royal Hospital. She stood there, jaw on the floor, words failing her.

“Paige?” the woman asked, incredulous. Her mouth mirrored Paige’s, puppet-like in its gape. Except the woman seemed to have much better control of her other faculties, unlike Paige, who could only nod, feeling very much like an idiot for not being able to do anything else. “Come here, you!” Miranda wrapped Paige up in a hug that made her feel, for the first time in weeks, like everything might be okay.

“How… What are you… This is so…” Paige could barely eke out a half sentence. Luckily, Miranda laughed, pulled Paige into her office and sat her on one of the couches.

She waved her arm, sweeping across a room Paige recognized, down to the photo of Miranda’s dog. Everything was in the same configuration that it had been in London. It gave Paige an odd sense of nostalgia mixed with vertigo, like her world spun circles around her.

“I got here two years ago. The old chief and I used to practice together in Nairobi and he called to tell me why I couldn’t miss coming to this corner of the world, that the place would charm the knickers right off me. Of course, he was right, I mean look at it. It’s like something out of a country and western movie!” Miranda gushed.

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