Page 91 of Last Chance Love

“Because I said that’s what’s going to happen,” she told me simply. “Having you on shifts with Leon was nice, but I think it’s time for you to experience a few of those shifts on your own. I have no doubt the two of you will find time to spend in your respective cabins when the shifts end.”

It wasn’t like I could say anything against her, it wasn’t a suggestion, and she hadn’t given a reason that would give me an avenue to argue. This was probably just as much her ranch as it was Mr. Isaiah’s after all she’d done, and there was no arguing with the powers that be.

That didn’t minimize the surge of paranoia and worry inside me. There was no reason she should come to tell me about changing my schedule, particularly to take me out of the clinic, especially when she was not going to offer reasoning behind the decision. Why go out of her way to say that when a simple change in the scheduling would have told me what I needed to know?

“Fine, I guess,” I grunted after a moment. “Not much I can say, is there?”

“No,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I already ensured it wouldn’t cause a serious issue at the clinic. You’ll keep a phone on you that we’ll provide, and you'll get an alert if any emergencies require your help. Drop everything you’re doing, perhaps not literally, so we don’t have another building incident, and get here ASAP.”

I suppose there was some comfort that it wasn’t my abilities or lack thereof causing this change. “Fine, but why? Just…did I fuck up?”

“Don’t worry that handsome face over the whys and why nots. All you need to worry about is following the new schedule,” she said. “As of next week, you’ll see some changes, so prepare accordingly.”

“Sure,” was all I could manage because nothing was left to say. “Anything else?”

“No,” she said, walking past me and heading for the main doors. “That covers everything and then some. Honestly, I should have stopped by before.”

“Before?” I asked, paranoia tingling again.

“As in sooner than this,” she clarified with a smirk. “Talking with you has been more enjoyable than I thought.”

“I’ll try to take that as a compliment,” I told her coolly.

If she noticed my sarcasm, she paid no attention, giving me a little wave before she stepped out into the heat. I saw only a flash of the grimace of displeasure from the afternoon sun glaring into her eyes before the doors closed, blocking her from sight.

I walked over to the tablet she’d been fiddling with and opened it. It hadn’t just been the basic supplies she’d been looking at, but other supplies as well. Opening up previously closed tabs, I found she had been looking at the inventory in full. There were sections I couldn’t access with my current login, but I had most of the doctor’s information to do that if I needed to, especially Dr. Gideon, who was on shift.

With a grimace, I set it back down and ignored the tablet. I didn’t know what was going on, butsomethingwas. Mona hadn’t come here just to check how things with Leon were going or to gossip about relationships. She had told me about the changes to my workload for a reason, but why?

Why?

LEON

“Move!” I snapped as I pushed a couple of guys out of the way. Thankfully, the double doors to the clinic opened quickly, and I barreled into the lobby, my head darting around to find a familiar and welcoming face.

Instead, I was met with a sea of faces, all staring back at me with varying levels of blankness, curiosity, and worry. None of which helped in the slightest as I searched for the face that would undoubtedly look the calmest and give me answers. The exact thing I needed while my heart threatened to hammer its way out of my chest and might make it easier to breathe.

“Move,” I snapped again as I pushed through the crowd, and unbelievably, many of them did. A few stared at me in confusion, but they were easy enough to get past.

“Leon,” a familiar but not comforting voice called, and I whipped around to find Mona standing near the hallway leading to the exam rooms. It wasn’t who I was looking for, but she would do for the moment.

I darted over to her immediately. “Where are they? What’s going on? Are they okay?”

“Breathe for a moment,” she told me calmly, which only infuriated me further.

“Do not tell me to breathe,” I snapped. “I just found out Reno and Elliot got attacked by…someone last night while they were out longer than they were supposed to be. So tell me what thefuckis going on and if they’re okay.”

“Leon,” she insisted, her eyes looking over my shoulders. I had no idea what she was trying to tell me other than to get me to calm down, which wasnothappening.

“Don’t!”

“Leon,” a new, deeper voice interrupted, and I felt hands on my shoulders squeeze, not roughly, but hard enough to get my attention. I glanced over my shoulder to find Max behind me, his face somber as he leaned closer. “C’mon, let’s do this in another room.”

“I…” Glancing between them, I looked at the rest of the people in the room. Every set of eyes was locked on the three of us, and I realized why Mona had been trying to calm me down. I was drawing attention to myself and making a spectacle as I let panic and fear get the better of me. “Fine. Sure.”

They led me into the hallway through the first open door, and Max closed it behind us. It was him I looked at. “What are you doing here?”

“What? I’m not allowed to be concerned when I hear that two of our guys got hurt on a basic sheep-finding mission?” he asked wryly.

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