Chapter 9
CLAY
It’s ridiculous—absolutely bonkers—that I can’t have a full week of uninterrupted vacation. Here I am, back on the mainland for an urgent consult. Thankfully, Nantucket is only a quick ferry ride away, but still, this explains why I have no life outside of work. It’s all consuming.
My assistant nurse enters the room with a patient and the parent. My heart sinks at the sight of Mrs. Brooks. Dark circles under her eyes show she’s sleep deprived worrying about her daughter. I mentally slap myself for complaining about my interrupted vacation. I have nothing worth complaining about in comparison to what parents must go through.
“Here, take a seat.” I gesture for Mrs. Brooks to sit opposite me. I smile at the eight-year-old. “Clara, do you want to do some coloring at the craft desk while Mommy and I have a chat?”
Big blue eyes pierce my soul. Trusting. I don’t take it lightly that her health is my top priority.
“Yes, please.” Clara makes her way to the adjoining room and calls over her shoulder, “Do I get a scratch and sniff sticker if I color within the lines?”
I nod at the nurse. “I’m sure Nurse Anna can make that happen.”
“For sure.” Anna smiles and passes me the clipboard with the latest test results.
I scan the first page and resist frowning. This is not what I’d hoped for. Surgery is unavoidable now. Making eye contact with the nurse, I flick my head to the doorway. She promptly closes the glass door to the craft room so the child won’t overhear the grim conversation I need to have.
I take a deep breath and face Mrs. Brooks. “All the scans confirm my prognosis. Clara has a condition called Inguinal hernia. Part of the intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Repair involves surgery to push the intestine back and stitch the abdominal wall closed.”
Mrs. Brooks blinks and says nothing.
“The procedure takes forty-five minutes and she’ll need two weeks off school. Four to six weeks before returning to any sports activities.”
She stutters, “Is there another option?”
I shake my head. “You’re welcome to get a second opinion. Our whole team has studied these results. The consensus is that we book her in for surgery ASAP.”
She clenches her fists to her chest and after a long pause, nods.
Knots form in my stomach. Being a parent must be a tough gig. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like. I would hate for anything bad to happen to Rex and I barely know the kid. He sure has grown on me.
I slip out an information brochure on the condition and go through the details of the surgery with Mrs. Brooks. Ten minutes pass quickly enough and Anna leads them out of the consultation room.
I lean back in my swivel chair and let out a sigh. Glad that’s over. I’m better in the operation room than telling parents the risks of surgery. It’s never an easy conversation.
Pushing up from my seat, I make my way to my senior manager. It’s a good opportunity to pop my head through the door and check in before my interview next week. Show how I’m here when it’s needed despite that I’m on vacation break.
The scent of bleach and lemon permeate the white hallways of the Oakridge Children’s Hospital. Squeaky rubber shoes echo down the corridors as staff in scrubs pass one way or the other. There’s never a moment”s rest in this department. Action, go, go, go. Day and night, 24/7. Weirdly, I thrive in this environment.
I push the door labeled, “Head of Pediatrics.” The office that I dream will be mine by next month. The position became vacant after Dr. Thomas dropped the bomb that he’d accepted a position in Australia. Can’t blame him for taking the opportunity.
Lance grins my way from his seated position. “You can’t keep away, can you?”
I shrug and drop into the chair opposite him. “Once I got the email, thought I better deliver the news myself and make sure my patient has the first priority of surgery.”
Lance steeples his fingers. “I like your dedication, Clay. But we could’ve handled this one for you. I can’t even remember the last time you had a decent break.”
“I’ve got my eyes on the prize.” I point to the open door with the head of department in embossed print. “How are my chances looking? I heard this absurd rumor that the board prefers a family man. That’s biased, don’t you think?”
Lance raises his palms. “I have no opinion on the matter. But it wouldn’t hurt for you to show up to the staff picnic with at least a date, show that you’re human and have a social life other than work.”
My jaw ticks. “I am human. I just put someone else’s needs before mine, five minutes ago. I’m not half a person because I don’t have a partner.”
“Hey, I hear you.” Lance shakes his head. “So no date, no prospects?”
“Man, I don’t think you are hearing me at all.” My voice is a little more than peeved.
Lance glances over my shoulder and in walks Dr. Russell Gathmore. The surgeon who I have no doubt is applying for the same position as me. The doctor who is married and has adorable twin girls. Blonde ringlets as well. Sickening.
And me? I have no wife. No kids. Not even a goldfish. The last one died after three weeks. Yeah, it’s a little sad.
“Russell, will you be coming to next week’s picnic? Naomi and the kids coming?” Lance asks.
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Russell, with his neatly trimmed orange beard, marches to the metal filing cabinet, slips in a manilla folder, retrieves another one, and leaves the office.
I turn to Lance, determination stiffening my spine. “I’ll be there too. With my fiancée.”
Lance jerks his head back. “You’re engaged?”
“Yeah. Proposed on Nantucket. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me.” My throat is drying up with each lying syllable. The proposal part is kind of true. I did get down on one knee.
Who am I kidding?
“Wow. Why didn’t you say so? I didn’t even know you had a girlfriend. You’re full of surprises, Clay.”
I stand to my feet. I need to get out of here before the ground opens up and swallows me whole. “Yeah, I surprise myself sometimes.” Surprised by how dumb I can be when I have so many letters after my name but lacking a few brain cells when it comes to controlling my big fat mouth.
KAT
I miss Clay. How is it that I can possibly miss a man I’ve talked to a handful of times? Every time I spot a shadow out my window where I’m working, I jerk around to see if it’s Clay coming back from his meeting.
The poor man sat me down like a kid and told me he had to leave Nantucket. He made me promise I’d have Nathan walk me to and from town if I needed to leave the resort. I almost laughed in his face, but the genuine concern I’d seen there stopped me cold and forced me to remember that Danny very well might be a true danger to me.
My palms sweat thinking about it and I swipe them down my shorts while pushing away from the table. I need some air. I’ve been working all morning and the numbers are starting to blur together. Diagnosis codes flash behind my eyelids every time I blink and I’ll likely dream about them tonight. Unless Clay happens to interrupt my dreams again. I’m all for the distraction.
My unit is quiet, just the way I like it when I’m working. Low key classical music plays in the background but otherwise there are no sounds. Sunlight spills across the table and I roll my neck side to side to ease the tension that’s gathered there.
Moments like this, I almost wish I had a dog that I could take for a walk. A pet might alleviate some of the monotony from my life and help keep my head on straight when it comes to men.
A shadow sweeps across me where I stand in front of the table. My eyes snap open in time to catch a glimpse of Nathan walking past. He wiggles his fingers at me but keeps going. Probably going to see his mom.
I blow out a breath of disappointment and slide my feet into my flip-flops. I wait until Nathan is around the curve in the path and dart out into the warm light. The salty ocean breeze washes over my tongue and I’m tempted to stand here and bake in the golden glow. But if I do that, Nathan will feel obligated to stay with me if he sees me out here alone. I don’t need a babysitter on the resort. I wish I didn’t need one in town, but I can’t risk Danny getting too close since I never learned self defense. I don’t like thinking of myself as helpless, but I’m afraid I would be.
Muttering and scuffling footsteps trickle in from my left. My pulse ratchets up and I press my spine into the warm siding at my back. It takes me a second to recognize Clay’s voice and the tension bleeds out of me fast enough to leave me lightheaded.
His muttering continues and he rounds the corner of the unit down from me, his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head bent forward.
“How was your consult?” I don’t know why I interrupt his musing, only that I don’t like the way his brow is furrowed or the way he’s kicking sand like it personally offended him.
His head snaps up and he stops so fast his body wobbles. “Kat.” He looks around, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I didn’t expect to run into you.”
“You’re walking past my unit.” I pat the door beside me. “What did you expect?”
“Um.” A blush creeps over his cheeks and he palms the back of his neck, then tugs the waist of his pants. He’s wearing dress slacks and a pressed white long-sleeve dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A tie hangs loose around his neck, alongside a pair of shiny black shoes.
“Why are your shoes around your neck?” It’s such an odd sight that I can’t help asking.
He rocks onto his bare heels. “Didn’t want to get sand in them.”
“You brought that on a vacation.” I make a motion with my hand that encompasses his outfit and his blush deepens.
“Well.” He stops and straightens his shoulders. “I knew there was a chance they’d call me back to the hospital, so I brought it just in case. I like to be prepared.” He said the last bit like it was a challenge.
“Okay. So, how did it go?”
The rigid posture deflates and his shoulders resume their rounded position. His toes dig trenches in the soft sand. “Good. The consult was good.”
“Then why do you look like that?” Now, my words challenge him. I want the truth. A man who’s come back from a successful meeting doesn’t look like that. I should know. I’ve seen Tim coming back from the courtroom often enough to know what success looks like, and this is not it.
A pair of seagulls squawk overhead and swoop down low to look at us, hoping for a bite of food. I shoo them away while keeping an eye on Clay to make sure they don’t make a mess on his nice clothes.
“I’ve done something you won’t like.” His voice is low and apologetic.
It snaps me back to those last few months with Danny and my heart stutters. My throat dries out so that I can barely speak, but I manage. “What?”
He winces but meets my gaze. “I’d like you to come to the company picnic as my fiancee.”
“What?” My voice screeches so high the gulls answer me and make another lazy sweep. This time, I almost wish they would drop a little surprise. Right on Clay’s infuriating head.
He tunnels a hand through his hair. “That came out wrong. Let me explain.”
My ears ring, but I listen to his fumbling explanation that he’s hoping to be the next head of pediatrics but the men in charge want a family man. Preferably one who’s married, but he thought it would be okay since we already had the fake proposal on Nantucket. When he’s done, his face is bright red and there’s a mix of shame and hope in his steely eyes.
No. No way. “It’s one thing to pretend so that Danny will leave me alone.” I stumble over my words, a small part of me wishing all this could be real. I squash that thought and dig in my heels. I’m not getting rushed into anything ever again.
“But the whole island thinks we’re engaged now.” He strides toward me, long legs eating up the distance. “A woman on the ferry asked if we were getting married on Nantucket. She mentioned something about a newspaper.”
No. No. No. This can’t be happening. “They can print our breakup as easily as they printed our engagement. But what you’re asking?” I shake my head because the idea of pretending to be Clay’s fiancée is way too appealing. “You’re asking me to pretend in front of your entire hospital staff?”
He stops in front of me, blocking the sun.
I need space. Being close to him messes up my brain. I slide to the side and walk toward the beach.
The sound of his steps matches mine as he follows.
I turn and hold up a finger, ready to give him an earful. He’s lying. Manipulative. I should have known better. He’s as bad as Danny. That last thought is unfair, and it pierces my heart.
A blur of motion pops out from the roses and slams into my lower legs. My arms flail and I lurch forward, straight into Clay’s open arms. My chin bounces off his chest and his arms go around my waist.
“Sorry.” Rex’s voice pipes up as he jumps to his feet and takes off running.
“Please, Kat.” Clay’s nearness and the way he stares down at me with hope brimming in his eyes is an intoxicating mix.
So intoxicating that I find myself nodding. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.” He kisses my cheek and my bones turn to mush. “Now, we’d better track down Rex. I get the feeling the little guy just pulled an escape.”
Laughing, we take off after the boy. Clay catches him around the waist and tucks him under one arm like a football. “Where are you off to?”
Rex kicks. “I wanted to see whales.” He kicks again, then gives up when Pam and Dalton rush down the beach. “I’m in trouble.”
“Yeah, bud.” Clay ruffles Rex’s hair. “You sure are.”