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“Yes, apparently, you’ve made quite an impression on her.”
“I see,” he said, feeling a little stunned. He thought he’d made progress with her for sure. But to switch over to him? From Doc?
“No, I don’t think you do, Nate. I know we got off to a bit of a rough start, but the office staff, they like you. You know what Bianca said to me the other day? ‘Doc, why can’t you be more like Dr. Miller? He’s so patient, so kind…’ Of course, she was only partially kidding, but she was serious, too. Ellen respects you. And more importantly, the patients like you. I don’t know what you did for Maureen Handy, but I saw her at the country club this afternoon and she told me that if I let you get away, I was the biggest fool she ever hoped to meet.”
“I…don’t know what to say, except, I’m glad to be here, sir, um, Phillip.”
“Good to hear that, because I plan to take more sick days in the future.” He winked. “My golf game needs work.”
There was a momentary pause in which neither of them said anything.
Nate checked his watch. Old habits were hard to break. “Is that all? Because, I really do need to get back on schedule.”
Doc waved him off. “Sure. Get back to work, Nate.”
Nate was about to leave the office when he stopped himself. “I want you to know that I appreciate you telling me all this. It means a lot to me. But I do have one question. You left out an important member of the office. Do you know what I can do exactly to make Lola like me?”
Doc leaned back in his chair and grinned. “She doesn’t like you, huh?”
Nate shook his head.
“Well, if you figure it out, then by all means, share it with me. We’ve worked together for almost thirty-five years now, and she doesn’t like me, either.”
*~*~*
Lauren thought about going inside the office, but it was nice out here in the parking lot, next to Nate’s car. It gave her time to gather her thoughts. He was the last one out the door. Hector walked alongside him on his leash. They were so cute, the pair of them. Nate, tall and handsome, and so protective of his tiny dog. It was a sight Lauren didn’t think she’d ever get tired of.
He looked surprised to see her.
“What are you doing here?” He looked in her eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Can we go for a walk?” she asked him.
They walked quietly side by side for a few minutes. Hector did his “business,” as Nate called it. It was an early evening in June, technically not quite summer yet, but warm and muggy enough to feel like it. Lauren didn’t mind, though. This was home.
“I’m going to buy my building. The whole lot actually. About two acres’ worth.”
He stopped and looked at her. “Can you afford that?”
“I have a trust fund. Ten million dollars. So, yeah, I can afford it. But after I invest what I need for the company, it will pretty much wipe me out.”
She let him digest that.
“I went to talk to Daddy about it. He’s a…was a businessman. Well, you know that. I knew he’d have some advice for me.”
“What did he say?”
She felt herself shudder. “He thought it was a good idea. But at first, he didn’t know who I was, Nate.”
He let out a breath. “Oh, baby…”
Lauren hurled herself in his arms. He tucked her head under his chin and held her. She hadn’t come here to cry… No, that was a lie. She had definitely come here to cry. She wanted to cry a river. An ocean. A whole universe full of tears until there wasn’t an ounce of fluid left in her body. But she hadn’t wanted to cry alone. She’d wanted this. She’d wanted Nate to put his arms around her and comfort her and make her feel better. Because she knew that somehow, he was the only one who could.
“I’m so sorry, Lauren,” he said, stroking her hair.
She nodded against his strong chest. “I knew it would happen. I just…didn’t want to think about it. But…you know what the worse thing is, Nate?”
“What?” he asked softly.
