Page 4 of The Potter

The blonde flinches and grabs the phone. “Certainly, sir.”

A hand touches my back, nudging me forward. “See you later, Summer,” he calls over his shoulder.

“Will he really fire Serena?” I ask, noting the exit sign and heading in that direction.

“Probably. My brother’s mood has been a little volatile lately.”

That makes sense. “So, you’re saying I caught him at a bad time?”

Dr. Duke, as the woman called him, laughs behind me. “You caught him on a bad year.”

“A year? He’s been an ass—angry person for a year?”

That’s not how his former patients described him at all.

“Yeah,” he admits, a frown crossing his face. “It’s been rough. I’m sorry you got caught up in his wrath.”

I’m sorry, too. Had I known Dr. Potter’s generosity was on a timer, I would have pulled more double shifts and made the trip to Texas sooner.

“That’s okay.” I sigh, staring at the ground as I follow behind him. “It was a long shot anyway.”

Dr. Duke pauses at the door, his hand on the handle, hesitating. His mouth pulls tight as he stares at me with apologetic eyes. “I’d like to tell you to give him a couple of weeks and try again, but I’m afraid I would just be setting you up for more disappointment.”

I swallow the emotion rising in my chest. “It’s not your fault.”

Dr. Duke opens the door. “It’s not yours, either.”

“Thank you for not really calling security when you heard me yelling.”

That charming personality rears up again, as it had when we approached the desk of women earlier. “If anyone gets to escort beautiful women who piss off my brother out of this office, it’s going to be me.”

I can’t help but let loose a genuine smile. “It was nice, sort-of, meeting you, Dr. Duke.”

At least someone in this office was kind. The front-desk ladies were much like their employer—dry and soulless.

“It was nice meeting you, too, Ms.…”

“Belle. Halle Belle.”

The devilish charmer rubs his hand across his mouth. “Oh, Ms. Belle, with that southern name and accent… The trouble we could get into.”

Clearly, Dr. Potter’s office is lacking in the professionalism department, but I like that Dr. Duke made leaving less humiliating by offering me a compliment. It’s been a while since I’ve heard one of those.

Duke being nice makes guilt settle in the pit of my stomach. I was mean to Dr. Potter. I’m not the woman who yells at a surgeon she respects. All I wanted was a chance, and Dr. Potter gave me one. His decision didn’t go how I wanted, sure. But still, he gave me the chance I requested.

I just didn’t realize how much hope I had riding on that one chance.

I flash Dr. Duke a sad smile. “Will you tell him I’m sorry for yelling?”

His grin fades, his shoulders dropping as his gaze briefly flashes to the ground. “I will. Take care of yourself, Halle.”

Nodding, I gather my self-respect and walk down the hall toward the elevators.

And for the first time in four years, I have no plan, no direction, and no backup.

Dr. Potter took all of it with one inconsiderate slam of his office door.

Vance

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