Page 1 of The Physician's Barbarian
One
AMBROSE
“Elevate and rest. You should be fine within a week.”
That was a lie. Frank would be back by the end of the week because he refused to take enough time off to truly rest and get well. Any time he was injured, it took twice as long to heal because he wouldn’t stay off the injury. Sometimes it felt like I was just talking to the wall when I gave my recommendations. It made me wonder why anyone bothered to come see me if they were just going to ignore me.
The bell over the door of my clinic rang, alerting me that someone new had arrived. I helped Frank to his feet, handing him his cane. A necessity after he ignored my orders during his last injury. I wasn’t holding my breath that he’d learned his lesson. I led the way out of the back room, holding the door open for him on his way out. He didn’t thank me or say goodbye. The most I got was a grumble when I reminded him to rest. I’d long since accepted being under appreciated in this town. I’d leave if I didn’t have family obligations keeping me here.
Speaking of which, I turned to face my sister as she bustled around the reception area. The clinic was small, just the receiving area and the two treatment rooms in the back. Evelyn stopped by at least twice a week to help me keep up with the chores because my sister was the one person I could count on. I smiled softly at her, stopping her long enough to plant a kiss on the top of her head.
“Thank you.”
“As always, you’re welcome,” she replied cheekily. “How’d it go with Frank? Do you think he’ll listen to you this time?”
I gave her a flat look. “What do you think?”
Snickering, she shook her head. “That man will never learn.”
Grunting in acknowledgment, I headed for the back. I would likely need more salve when Frank eventually came back. It was better to get ahead of it in case I got busy.
“Ambrose…”
Something in Evelyn’s voice made me stop in my tracks. Glancing over my shoulder, I frowned at her.
“What is it?”
She twisted her fingers, chewing on her bottom lip. It was strange behavior for her. My sister had never been shy or soft-spoken. Especially with me. If she was that anxious, something had to be wrong.
Turning to give her my full attention, I prompted her again. “Evelyn?”
Sucking in a breath, she locked eyes with me. “I’ve met someone.”
My brows snapped together. She’d never mentioned a man before now. Granted, I could be a tad overprotective, but still.
“And who, pray tell, did you meet?”
I was suspicious. Father had made mentions of men he wanted to offer my sister to in the past. I’d held him off for the time being, but I didn’t live at home anymore. He could’ve beencampaigning behind my back. I wasn’t going to let him sucker my twenty year old little sister into a marriage with a craggy old man just because our father wanted to keep his standing in the community a little while longer. Evelyn deserved better.
“Do you know Beau? The baker’s boy?”
Relief flooded me. Beau Fletcher was a soft-hearted man. He’d treat Evelyn like a queen if they got together. It explained why she was so nervous, though.
“You mean the man who I play cards with once a week? We were in school together? That Beau?” I teased.
The man was a friend of mine. A little older than Evelyn, but not by as much as the men our father had been mentioning. I saw him as a brother and would in no way complain if he joined our family. I couldn’t help letting her squirm a little, though. Usually I was the one getting teased. I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to get back at her.
Her cheeks turned bright pink in embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze again, rubbing one arm awkwardly. “Yes, well… I’ve been doing the shopping since Mother got sick, and we got to talking… He’s a really nice man. But he said he wouldn’t think of courting unless he talked to you first.”
My respect for the man grew. Few would go to such lengths to maintain a friendship. Not when love was involved.
“I was hoping if I talked to you first, I could convince you to go easy on him? I like him a lot, Ambrose. And I know if we married, it wouldn’t be a cushy life, but?—”
I cut off her rambling by putting my hand on her shoulder, waiting for her to look up at me. “Hey… You know I don’t care about stuff like that.”
It didn’t matter to me who Evelyn chose as long as she was happy. If she ever needed help with money, she only had to ask. Her happiness was more important.
“So… you’ll accept his request to court me?” she asked, her eyes searching mine with barely banked hope. I hesitated for a moment, dragging it out, but eventually, I smiled and nodded.
