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He seemed to be thinking it over. “Oversight on my part about the meeting. My office assistant is on leave, and things have been a little scattered. Let’s meet right now.”
With a wink, he lifted her hand and brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles before letting it go. Ally’s breath froze in her lungs because his lips seared her skin and her heart was beating this hard, rhythmic thud in her chest. Then he reached across the table to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, and her pulse took off like a bottle rocket anxious for the Fourth of July. Husband-like gestures, she reminded herself; he was only playing a part. And for her sake, no less.
He took a sip of his water. When he spoke, his voice sounded low and a little husky, and she had to focus on the meaning of his words. “I do plan on requesting that you adhere to strictly modern medical practices in emergency cases where I’m involved. As we previously discussed, I understand that Louis is your cousin and that you hadn’t technically started the job yet, so you’ve got a pass there. But in future cases, we need to be on the same page regarding treatment.”
“You think because I used the clay on Louis that I would discard modern medicine whenever I feel like it?”
“Well…I don’t know. And it’s not just Louis now, is it? You seemed pretty convinced in Ginger’s situation, too.”
Debates about medicine she was used to, so thankfully everything Abe had taught her kicked in. This topic she could discuss with complete confidence. She tried to decide how best to proceed.
He beat her to it. “Since you brought this up, I feel like I need to give you some advice. Despite our rough start, I have a good feeling about you, Ally. Aside from the mu…clay, Louis’s evacuation went well. You made the right call regarding the hospital. And I admire the way you handled Jacob Weil. He can be pretty intense, if not outright intimidating. I know you had Ginger’s best interests in mind. Anyone could see your compassion. Except…”
“Except what?”
“Except that I’m wondering if you’re aware of Dr. Boyd’s opinion on this subject.”
“Which subject?”
“The subject of medical marijuana. He’s very much against it.”
“But it’s legal now.”
“Not at the federal level. And he lobbied hard against it here in Alaska.”
“Ginger brought it up.”
Tag exhaled. “I know, and like I said, I think you handled it very well. But you need to be careful.”
A million invisible needles pricked at her skin. “Careful?” She repeated the word flatly. Careful was the opposite of what she needed to be in order to get her message out, especially when medical marijuana was a topic about which she should be able to speak freely.
“Yes, if you don’t want people to think you’re…”
She smiled and asked, “What? I don’t care what a few people say, people who don’t know the facts. All I want is to help people who want to be helped.”
“You might not think you care right now, but even one person in a position of power can have a lot of pull. What if you lost your job? How would that help anyone?”
That part did bother her, the job-losing bit. She’d worked so hard to get here. Her grandfather had sacrificed so much. “Dr. Boyd can’t fire me, not by himself. The board hired me.”
“I know, but…he has a lot of influence in the hospital and on the board, and in the community, for that matter. At the very least, he can make your life miserable. Please don’t think I’m being condescending here. I have no doubts about your skill and experience. But, on another level, I don’t want to see you get yourself into a…situation. I’m afraid you might not understand how powerful bureaucracy and politics can be.”
These words hit another nerve, reminding her of both her vulnerability and the importance of building a strong reputation. She might be young, but she wasn’t stupid, not where her profession was concerned, anyway.
“Did you not hear the part where I spent four years in the Army?”
“That’s one of the things I’ve been wondering about. How did you reconcile all of this? I can’t imagine Uncle Sam being very tolerant of your alternative methods.”
