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“Did you fill out one of the registration forms?” Jolie asked as she led the woman down the hall to the first exam room.
“Nope. That’s not why I’m here. Let’s sit in your office.”
Once seated in one of the chairs placed in front of Jolie’s desk, she thrust out her hand. “Irene Fuller. I came because you need me.”
Bemused, Jolie settled down behind her desk. “I do?”
“I see you just had Bill Cuddy in here. How’d that go?”
Jolie cleared her throat. “I’m afraid I can’t discuss my other patients, Irene.”
“He probably tried everything from bear grease to voodoo before giving up and seeking medical help.”
Jolie had to smile at that. “I wouldn’t go quite that far.”
“And what about the paperwork and getting him settled for his exam? Did you have to do labs?”
“I’m not sure why—”
“I used to work in this clinic with the physician’s assistants who came out twice a week from Rapid Creek.” Irene beamed at her.
“You worked as an RN?” Jolie thought wistfully of the efficient, hardworking RNs she’d worked with in Los Angeles.What I’d give for one of them now.
“Sure did. When we moved to Billings I went back to school, so I worked as an RN and substitute X-ray tech in a thirty-bed hospital. Helped in the lab sometimes, too—so I went to school again for that. In such a small, rural facility, I had to be a jack-of-all-trades at times. Not that you can do much in a medical clinic’s lab anymore without an awful lot of expense for certification.”
This was sounding almost too good to be true. “Are you looking for ajob?”
Irene nodded and winked. “My husband retired, but I’m not ready for pasture.”
There weren’t enough patients yet. Jolie’s savings couldn’t support the expense of paying salary and benefits for an employee.Impossible.“Um...do you have references?”
Irene fished an envelope from the needlepoint bag at her feet. “A résumé and references. You’re welcome to call anyone on the list.”
Give her your regrets.
“Did you include the phone numbers?”
Irene nodded.
Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. You can’t afford this.
But despite the warning bells in her head, Jolie’s next words just tumbled out. “Could you come back for an interview? Maybe this Thursday, the twenty-third?”
Irene nodded and offered her hand. She had a good handshake, strong and decisive.
The phone on the desk jangled. “Thanks,” Jolie mouthed as she picked up the receiver. “See you then.”
As Irene left the office, Jolie heard her sister’s voice on the line. “Thea, here. I’m really worried about Dad.”
Jolie drew in a sharp breath. “Is he hurt?”
“It’s his heart. He’s always so out of breath, and he won’t slow down. I’m sure he doesn’t take his medication.”
“Has he had chest pain?”
Thea gave a short laugh. “He’d never admit it unless he was on death’s door. Remember what he did after my wedding reception?”
After the guests had gone he’d looked quite gray, with white lines of stress at his mouth. Thea and Jolie had exchanged worried glances, then Jolie had tactfully approached him. He’d fixed her with an angry look, turned on his heel and disappeared into his office.
