Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Oaklee
“Ummm…is that guy for real?”
Allison snorts before grabbing her drink and sipping. “Oh, he is. Cade is the king flirt and completely full of himself. From what I’ve seen, he’s harmless though.”
I glance back over my shoulder, feeling his intense blue eyes on me.
He’s leaning against the bar, sipping from a beer bottle.
His gaze is locked on mine as his twin brother talks to him.
He has to be his twin, because they’re identical.
Well, nearly identical, though their hair is cut a bit different and Cade looks a bit more sun-kissed and weathered than his brother.
“So, tell me about your boyfriend,” Allison states, drawing me away from the man who has completely captured my attention.
I stifle a sigh and paste on a wide smile. “He’s originally from Cincinnati, the youngest of five kids. He moved to North Ridge for his residency in medical school and stayed.”
“A doctor,” she replies with a beaming smile. “How long have you been dating?”
I swallow over the sudden lump in my throat. “Six years, off and on.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s quite a while.”
I nod.
“Yeah. I had just graduated nursing school, and he was starting med school. He was awarded an internship in rural medicine and began shadowing the physicians at the clinic I was working at. We hit it off right away, but between his schooling and our work schedules, it’s been difficult to maintain our relationship,” I tell her, my throat thick with emotion as I think back over the last six years.
If I’m being honest, I’ve felt like this relationship reached a dead end about four months ago, and I was preparing to end it with him.
He started working at North Ridge Medical and moved, leaving me behind in a lonely apartment and surrounded by the dreams I always wanted but kept putting off.
We would go days and days without communication.
Well, he wouldn’t communicate. My texts went unanswered, and my calls not returned for small stretches of time, and I tried not to complain.
I knew he was busy. He was working his ass off, every day reaching for the degree he strived to achieve.
He rarely invited me to join him for the weekend, because he was either working or wanted to sleep.
Then, during one of our rare phone conversations, he asked me to move.
Not with him, of course, because he has a small studio apartment near the hospital used by medical staff, but whatever.
Finally, I felt like a future staring at us both was within my grasp.
It took a little time to make it all happen. I had to contact my apartment manager and get out of my lease. Fortunately, living near a college and hospital made it easy. They allowed me to break my contract without a hefty fee, so all I had left was to quit my job and pack up my belongings.
When Allison reached out to tell me about the available RN position at North Ridge Medical of Cooper Town, a short twenty-minute drive from North Ridge, where Lance was working and living, I readily submitted my résumé.
The smaller, neighboring town appealed to me much more than the bigger city, even though there were job listings posted for the hospital itself.
However, I wanted to avoid working directly with Lance.
It’s always been important to me to maintain a boundary between personal and professional.
Just because I date someone doesn’t mean I want to work with them on a daily basis.
I’ve seen too much reality TV to put myself through that.
“I can understand that. Relationships are hard regardless. I can’t imagine adding distance and crazy-busy jobs on top of it,” she replies.
I nod, taking another drink of my beer. “How about you? Anyone special you’re seeing?” I ask, loving catching up with an old friend.
“Not right now. After my marriage to Zack ended, I’ve been hesitant to get back on the horse again,” she says with a chuckle. “Plus, I know everyone here, and frankly, there’s just no single guys I’m interested in.”
I glance back over my shoulder toward Cade, who is still standing at the bar talking to his twin brother and the woman bartender. As if sensing my eyes, he glances toward me and smiles. “What about Cade?” I ask, returning my attention to my friend.
“Uhh, no thanks. He always seemed like a good guy, but he’s not my type.”
Handsome with a killer smile and body isn’t your type?
I don’t reply, just take a few seconds to enjoy the atmosphere.
Allison suggested we get together for dinner and a few drinks, and I’m glad she recommended this place.
The other bar didn’t sound too bad, but I prefer the casual, laid-back vibe I get from here.
Plus, the eye candy isn’t terrible either.
The moment I think it, I feel guilty. Lance seems to be making more of an effort lately where our relationship is concerned, and I should focus on that, not the hot guy across the bar.
Of course, I’m not doing anything wrong.
I turned down every advance Cade made, including his offer to dance, and I told him I’m in a relationship.
While he might have flirted a bit, he seemed to respect that enough not to make an ass out of himself or make our exchange uncomfortable.
He’s just a flirt, that much is evident, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
We spend the next forty-five minutes catching up, and I have to be honest, I feel very comfortable here, and I’m not just referring to the bar. The entire town feels like home, and I’ve only been here since this morning.
When the clinical manager for the hospital, Dina, called me to set up the interview, the doctor in charge of the clinic agreed to meet with me after he was done seeing patients on a Saturday.
That worked out perfectly for me, so I wasn’t required to take any time off from my other job.
Even though they know I’m leaving and relocating, I wanted to avoid putting them in a bind during a workday.
So, I arrived in town just before noon and took a quick little drive through the downtown area before locating the clinic where I was interviewing.
In addition to Dina, I met with Dr. Houston, who is the physician I would be working with daily, and it was a great interview.
They presented an offer on the spot and granted me the rest of the weekend to think about it, with the promise of calling them Monday to either accept or decline.
I’ll be accepting.
The only reason I didn’t do it when I met with them was because these types of things truly deserve some thought and consideration, but I have already made up my mind.
It’s less money than I am making at my current position, but the cost of living is less here in Cooper Town than in the city, but it’s still a generous nursing salary.
“Hey, Allison!”
We both look over to the two women who approached the table.
“Charli, hi.” To me, she says, “Oaklee, this is Charli Miller and Sommer Hughes, two of Cooper Town’s lifers.
Ladies, this is Oaklee Daniels. I went to nursing school with her, and fingers crossed, she’ll be working at the clinic with me now that Ruth has retired. ”
“Welcome to town,” Charli states, pulling out one of the two remaining chairs and taking a seat without being invited.
“Thank you,” I respond. “It seems like a good place, so far.”
Sommer jumps into the conversation. “It is. I work at the pharmacy here in town, and I just can’t imagine living and working anywhere else. Small towns are the best.”
“I’ve only ever lived in the city, so this is a whole new experience for me. But I’m up to the challenge.”
Allison’s eyes widen. “Does that mean you’re going to accept the job?”
I can’t even fight the smile. “Possibly,” I say, vaguely. If I’m going to accept the job, the clinic should be the first to know.
I’d love to tell Lance, but he’s working at the hospital today, and the text I sent informing him the interview went well, and they offered me the job went unanswered.
Not that I’m too surprised by that. I know he’s incredibly busy, but I thought perhaps he might call me during a break or something.
“I would love to be able to work with you,” Allison gushes. “And you’re going to love it here in Cooper Town.”
“So, Oaklee, what’s your story?” Charli asks, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Not much to tell, really. I grew up in Anderson Township, a suburb of Cincinnati. I was raised by my grandparents and put myself through nursing school. I’ve worked around Cincinnati since.”
“Why Cooper Town?” Sommer asks, both seeming genuinely interested.
I clear my throat. “A guy, of course,” I reply with a chuckle.
Charli’s eyes widen. “Oh, this I gotta hear,” she states, leaning forward as if to hang on my every word.
Lifting my shoulders, I keep it simple. “I met Lance not too long after I graduated nursing school. He was in med school and doing an internship at the clinic I was working at. We hit it off and started dating.”
“So, he’s here?” Sommer asks.
“Well, he’s in North Ridge. He’s doing his residency there.”
“That would explain why my brother looked heartbroken as he walked away and keeps staring at you with sad puppy dog eyes.” Charli is grinning from ear to ear.
“Your brother?” I ask, confused.
“Cade.”
“He’s your brother?” I ask, shocked by this revelation.
“Yeah, don’t hold it against me,” she sasses with a chuckle. “No, he’s a good guy. He’s the outgoing one, which I’m sure you’ve already discovered. Collin, the other twin behind the bar, is the quiet, broody type.”
Interesting…
“Anyway, I heard he was coming over here to, most likely, hit on you, and now he’s standing at the bar looking like someone kicked his puppy.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m sure he’s fine. His ego is big enough to pad the fall.”
Charli barks out a laugh. “Oh, I like you, Oaklee. We’re gonna be friends.”