Chapter Twenty-Two
THE FOLLOWING DAY, anxiety infused Julie. First, she had to stop by the office to review Mary’s evidence and head to the courthouse for the trial.
Rodney, who had spent most of the night with her, sat beside her in the SUV. He worried about Mary since she had been secretive about what she had found, but Julie trusted that Mary wouldn’t hurt her. Even though Gary might have been upset about his termination, Mary didn’t show any reaction. She had asked if she could work for Julie instead of Carlos. Still, Julie realized the importance of avoiding office politics in a small workplace, so they divided her responsibilities until Mary took over for Gary. That had been months ago.
As she fidgeted with her hands, Rodney gently clasped them in his own. “It’s okay. I’ll be there.”
“What?” She shook her head. “Oh, no, it’s not the office. It’s the courthouse I’m most anxious about. All my problems may have revolved around it.”
Rodney smiled. “I will be there too.”
Grits turned from the front seat. “Dr. Garcia is also going to the office before court.”
“Shit.” Rodney clasped her hand tightly.
Julie sighed, concerned about this development. “Now is the perfect time to tell him about his wife. Maybe he doesn’t realize that she might be behind it all.”
“Julie, we still haven’t cleared him,” Rodney protested.
She waved her other hand dismissively. “I understand you’re worried about Carlos, but now that I’ve considered it, I don’t believe it’s him. I think it’s Renee. She has access to his money, so she could easily have done whatever she thought was necessary to protect her husband.”
“They both have the motive and the means.” Rodney lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Just don’t be alone with him.”
“I won’t,” she lied, fully aware that she planned to tell Carlos about Renee’s call and potential involvement. Julie knew she would go to great lengths to protect Rodney, but she refused to cross the line into murder. In fact, she set boundaries on many things, but murder was one line she would never cross.
Rodney chuckled. “Somehow, I just don’t believe you. Never close the door behind you when you’re with him. I want to always keep eyes and ears on you.”
She could do that. She nodded. “Okay.” Then, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his fresh cologne and relaxed. All would be fine now that Rodney was beside her.
Last night, he didn’t mention the marriage question again, leaving her unsure if he was joking about it like before or being serious this time. Everything felt so sudden, yet it didn’t. Things had never felt so right with someone. Her heart belonged to him. She was in love with him.
Although there was no urgent reason to rush into marriage, she felt at ease with the idea, provided she had a few months to carefully plan specific details, such as the design of her dream dress. She didn’t envision a lavish wedding. Her closest friends were Stacy and Laura, so she planned to have just two bridesmaids. Naturally, Stacy would take on the role of maid of honor. She recognized that this decision might be difficult for Laura. Still, deep down, she trusted her friend would eventually come to understand, especially when presented with the charming men Rodney would bring to the wedding reception.
She had genuinely expected her life to follow the typical pattern of surgeons marrying fellow surgeons or a trophy husband, only to end in divorce a few years later. This was partly why she had never taken anyone seriously. That wasn’t the life she wanted. She wished for the love she felt for Rodney to infuse her entire life.
“What made you smile?” he whispered.
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. “You.”
“Great! So, when are we going to set the date?”
A laugh bubbled up from deep within, sending all her nerves out the window. “You never give up, do you?”
“Not with you,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Never with you.”
She welcomed his comfort and the words that made her heart race.
He leaned into the curve of her neck and whispered, “I love you, Julie Banks.”
Her heart soared to new heights. She believed he might, given that he’d asked for marriage, but he hadn’t said those words before. It was a strange time to process his love, but she thought any time would do.
“Do you love me?” he softly asked in her ear.
She nodded. “Yes,” she replied, breathless.
“So, are you going to say yes to my proposal?”
Rodney definitely wasn’t the kind of guy to propose on one knee. He’d ask while injured, while in a hospital bed, and, well, she’d lost count of how many times he’d asked.
“I’ll think about it.” Her heart swelled with the promise of a commitment—one she knew would endure a lifetime. They shared something that most couples lacked—true love.
He kissed the hollow of her throat and squeezed her hand. “That’s all I ask.”
Cowboy drawled, “Sorry to interrupt the festivities, but we’re here. The other team has arrived, which means Dr. Garcia is here too.”
Reality loomed over her happiness, yet she refused to let it be taken away. She was resolute in her desire to become Rodney’s wife very soon.
Julie waited as they cleared the clinic. “Everything has been checked except for Dr. Garcia’s office. The door is closed, and the team mentioned he just arrived.”
“Julie,” Rodney said before letting her out of the SUV, “you are not to go near that office without me.”
She nodded. “Okay.” However, she didn’t care whether Rodney was present or not. He could watch her entire conversation with Carlos for all she cared. She just needed to have it.
As Julie walked into the office, Mary seemed nervous, which made her worry. What was going on? Rodney must have noticed, too, because he moved closer to her side.
After ensuring that Carlos’s door was closed, Julie greeted the assistant. “Good morning, Mary. I’m sorry for not having much time, but I’m curious about what was so important.”
Mary glanced at Carlos’s door and swallowed. “It’s just—” She paused, looking at Rodney. Then she gulped. “I’m sorry. HIPAA.”
Julie understood that it involved patient information. She turned to Rodney. “Julie and I are going to my office.” Without waiting for his approval, she led the assistant to her office and closed the door. Anticipating Rodney’s worry, she opened the blinds on the small window to the outer office so he could see inside.
She approached her chair and invited Mary to sit. “All right, Mary, what’s on your mind?”
Mary fidgeted. “I was clearing out the patient billing files and saw that some of Dr. Garcia’s files were mixed in with yours, so I began to organize them. That was when I noticed this.” She handed Julie a set of paperwork.
She anticipated more elaboration. However, Mary fell silent, her hands clasped in her lap and her head bowed.
“I should have noticed it earlier but never checked the old bills after Gary left.”
Julie felt overwhelmed as she looked down at the stack of patient bills. She didn’t have time to comprehend what Mary was trying to show her. Since she didn’t manage the billing, she had expected the assistants to perform their duties correctly. Mary and Gary were trained in medical billing and coding.
“What am I looking at?”
Mary stood and approached the side of the desk, surprising Julie. She restrained herself from being overly skittish. There was nothing to fear from Mary, especially since Rodney was outside the door.
The assistant indicated a location on the first patient’s bill. “Here,” she said, then directed to another location, adding, “and here.”
Julie noticed it right away, and anger surged through her veins. “Are they all the same?”
Mary stepped back and returned to her seat. “I’m afraid they are.” She looked pleadingly at Julie. “I swear I had nothing to do with this. It was when Gary oversaw billing.”
Needing a moment alone, she dismissed Mary. “Thank you. I’ll handle it from here.”
Mary stood up. “I’m sorry.”
Julie nodded, recognizing that the girl was seeking her forgiveness. “I understand, Mary. I also know you wouldn’t do something like this.”
As Mary left, Rodney walked in. “Is everything okay?”
“No.” She put the bills in a folder to deal with later, but her temper was on the verge of getting the best of her.
“Anything you can discuss?”
Julie glanced up and squinted. “The jerk is involved in Medicare fraud. He’s jeopardized our clinic one time too many.”
Rodney whistled and sank into the chair opposite her desk. “What are you going to do?”
Rolling her shoulders to ease the tension, she sighed deeply. “Whatever it takes to protect the clinic.” She wouldn’t lie under oath or break the law, but she would discover a way to separate Carlos from the clinic.
She needed to find a way to buy him out. Perhaps she could sell her house and buy something more affordable. Even better, they could stay at Rodney’s place. She loved it there.
She tapped her finger on the top of the file, her mind swirling with possibilities to save the clinic and considering how it could end because of Carlos. Her anger reached new heights.
The vibration of a phone caught her attention.
Rodney smiled. “It’s mine. Let me step out and take this.” He went into the outer office, down the hall, and answered the call. Julie knew he could still see her office from where he stood, which made her feel safe.
But she didn’t feel secure or at ease in her job. She had reached her limit.
Grasping the folder, she stood up and took determined steps toward Carlos’s closed door. She knew Rodney could see her, so she didn’t worry about being in danger. Besides, she would leave the door open as he’d asked.
Mary jumped up. “There’s something else you need to know,” she said anxiously. “His latest mistress is with him.”