Page 65 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

I scrubbed a hand through my hair. ‘I applied and was accepted.’

‘That had to make your parents happy. You getting a spot. Finding your purpose.’

I loved the confidence in her voice. Too bad her assumptions about my parents were all wrong.

‘My dad was livid. Told me I was ruining my life.’

Fire burned in her eyes. ‘What the hell is wrong with your folks?’

Sadly, all I could do was shrug. ‘They’re elitists. Even when you practice medicine, there is a hierarchy to each specialty. With orthopedics, especially if I worked in professional sports, they’d have a reason to one-up all their friends. Family practice, which in my opinion is the mainstay of medicine, was not glamorous enough for them.’

She crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Did he ever apologize?’

‘No, he just said that when I was ready to grow up, I’d move back to Harpeth Manor. Join a practice and provide his friends at the country club with all the Viagra they could ever want.’

That made her shake her head. ‘I’m beginning to understand why you took the job in Senegal.’

I pulled her back into my arms. ‘They shame me a lot less these days, but there are still biting comments around the holidays after one too many glasses of wine.’

‘And Ivy Falls? Are you glad you decided to fill in for Doc Sheridan?’ The anticipation in her eyes was sweet.

I slid a hand around her neck and pulled her in for a slow, deep kiss. ‘Best decision I’ve made in a long time.’