31. Raining and Pouring
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Brooke
Raining and Pouring
T he saying “good things come in threes” must also apply to bad things: not only was Brooke freaking out about Tyler having Max for his first custody visit, but she still had to work with Dalton at the hospital the rest of the summer while trying to get over him, and she forgot she had two new applicants arriving that day to tour the hospital. She also needed to finalize the medical tent supplies for the Summer Solstice that started tonight.
“Wow, you look so pretty today,” May said to Brooke as she shook her head. Her sister was lying through her teeth.
“Don’t start, it was a terrible day yesterday. I’ll give you the shortest version if you promise not to ask me any questions.”
“I don’t accept those terms, but speak now or I’ll follow you around like a stalker all day until you do.”
“Tyler stopped by my house unexpectedly last night and is fighting me for fifty percent custody of Max, and I ended things with Dalton because I’m already too attached.”
May’s mouth fell open.
“Now make me a double espresso iced latte, so I can maintain enough energy to convince one of the doctors visiting the hospital today to stay in Sandy Point.”
“Oh, I bet those two are your doctors,” May said, gesturing over to a man and woman sitting in the small seating area.
Brooke cringed at what they’d probably overheard and turned to find not one, but two extremely attractive people sitting with fresh cups of coffee.
“They must be early birds like you,” May said, and then the sound of steaming milk shattered the awkward quiet.
The man stood first and moved to shake her hand. “I’m Dr. Jack Patterson. You must be Brooke Banks?”
The woman stood also. “Hello, I’m Dr. Misha Ford Patterson.”
“Oh, you’re a couple?” Brooke asked. Both were dressed in sleek suits and looked like they were going to a glossy photo shoot instead of an interview.
“Yes, we wanted to wait and tell you in person in case that affected your review of our applications,” Dr. Misha said.
Brooke laughed. “Oh no, if anything I see that as a benefit. Sandy Point is a small town and I think that fact has been discouraging to the younger unattached applicants. I’m hoping it’s one of the major reasons you’ve applied?”
They both grinned and Dr. Jack put his arm around his wife. “You would be right, Mrs. Banks.”
“It’s Ms. Alright, let me grab my coffee and we can start with a quick tour of the hospital and talk about the positions available.”
Brooke spotted a familiar truck parking outside, and quickly grabbed her coffee and the bag May held out to her.
“I’ll see you tonight at the Summer Solstice,” May whispered.
“Thank you,” Brooke said, grateful that no matter what happened in her life she always had her family.
It was unavoidable to run into Dalton but at least she had the Pattersons to deflect any awkward exchange between them.
“Good morning, Dr. Hart, I’m just interviewing these doctors for positions at the hospital,” Brooke said when he stopped to stand in front of her.
“Oh, that’s unexpected news,” Dalton said, looking from them back to her. But then plastered on a charming smile. “You’ve made a great choice, Sandy Point Hospital is a fantastic opportunity.”
After a brief introduction she ushered them out of May’s. While she’d used almost half a bottle of concealer to hide the dark circles after a night of crying, Dalton looked fresh and gorgeous as usual, as if ending their short affair hadn’t been difficult for him at all. That not only hurt Brooke, but it pissed her off too.
She spent the next two hours interviewing the Pattersons. They explained that after years of working in Atlanta they were burnt out on city life, and Misha had always hoped to start a family practice and live near the coast. They were both from the Savannah area, and Sandy Point seemed like the perfect place for them. While legally she couldn’t ask if Dr. Misha was hoping to start a family soon, Brooke suspected that that was in the cards for them. But she felt confident that having at least two full-time physicians on staff at any given time would cover their small-town hospital and give the Pattersons the work-life balance they were looking for.
“So, I’m going to follow up with your references while you both make your final decisions, but it’s safe to say the jobs are yours if you want them,” Brooke said at the end of their tour.
“Fantastic,” Dr. Misha said.
“We look forward to the formal offer!” Dr. Jack said with a big grin.
After Brooke saw them out she turned to find Nora scowling at her.
“What? They’re great. Perfect for a small-town hospital.”
“Oh, sure, true, those two beautiful, exceptionally trained doctors seem really excited to move here and they’re likely just what this town needs.”
“So then why are you giving me a dirty look like I’m making a huge mistake?” Brooke asked, feeling deflated.
But before Nora could respond, Dalton walked up with an elderly man he’d been working with for the last hour. The gentleman wore a Navy shirt and was telling Dalton all about his glory days in the service.
“Alright, Dr. Hart, I hope to see you next time I’m here.”
The words cut even deeper now that Brooke had accepted that Dalton would be leaving sooner than expected. And now that she’d found not one but two full-time physicians.
Dalton set the tablet he’d used with the patient on the counter and looked back and forth between Nora’s scowl and Brooke.
“Everything okay, ladies?” he asked in his charming, upbeat style, and Brooke got annoyed again.
“Oh, sure, Brooke just found your replacements. You know, a two-for-one on well-educated and experienced doctors suddenly after your job?”
Dalton smiled. “That’s great news, right?”
“Yep, I just need to call all their references and confirm their certifications but it’s looking good,” Brooke said. “They said they were already working with a real estate agent to look at local properties and they seem eager to start by the end of summer.”
“Great—unless Dr. Hart decided he wanted to stay on,” Nora prompted.
“I don’t think we can pass up the Pattersons, and I can only consider the applications I have, not the maybes,” Brooke said and walked away. She didn’t want to make the conversation any more awkward.
She locked herself in her office the rest of the day and waited to leave until right before she needed to be at the Summer Solstice. Tyler was supposed to pick up Max from school, take him to baseball practice, and then the festival. And she was beyond stressed out, but she kept reminding herself this was the only way to win full custody. Her life was just hitting a rough patch, and she needed to suck it up. So what if she’d accidentally fallen in love with her childhood crush, a man who would be gone in a few weeks? By fall her life would settle into a new normal, and Dalton would just be a fond memory.