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I didn’t want to hurt him or teach him a lesson. He’s got it all wrong.
I wanted to be with him. I wanted to know him. And once I did, I needed to see if he had more in him than he’s given anyone before now. If he had something more forme.
I think he does.
No, Iknowhe does.
“Ensley?”
I look up. It’s Mrs.Evers. I’ve never met her, but she called earlier, insisting that Drew see Bennie. She’s been worried about him for weeks, and I finally suggested she come in. She needs reassurance.
Of course, now I’m concerned Drew will be impatient with her. He thinks she’s a dog mom hypochondriac. And he’s not in his best mood. I’m quite sure he’s actually about as bad as he gets.
“I’ll get you checked in,” I tell her. “There’s a bench near the window for you two.”
Bennie is a brown dachshund. He seems perfectly happy, bouncing along on his tiny legs, sniffing at the ground.
Maybe Drew is right. The dog seems fine.
“He looks good, Mrs.Evers. Are you sure something’s wrong?”
She picks him up, and he licks her face. “I know I call here a lot. I’m sure you all must think I’m a dotty old woman. But Bennie is my baby. Maybe he’s fine, but I have to be sure. Wouldn’t you rather be thought a fool than to miss something important?”
My throat tightens. “We’re going to make sure Bennie is perfectly healthy and happy. I understand what you mean.”
She sits on the bench. “Thank you.”
I focus back on my screen. Mrs.Evers is right. You should be willing to look foolish for what’s important. You can’t care what anybody thinks. I send the notice that Bennie has arrived to the back screen, then switch to managing the flow of emails that have come in. If I stare hard enough, maybe I can figure out how to handle my situation with Drew. I care about him, and I think I’m somehow missing something important, something that’s caused this huge misunderstanding between us.
But what?
I didn’t want him finding out about my old job this way. Of course he’s mad. But if I can get him alone to explain, I’ll find the words. I have to.
Maria steps into the lobby to call Mrs.Evers into a room. Maria glances at me briefly, and I can see from the concern in her expression that she knows something is up. But she smiles at Bennie and leads the two of them in for the exam.
Todd pops out of the other exam room. “Dr.Daniels says to call Missy’s mom to make sure the surgeon has talked to her. He says Missy’s surgery went fine and to schedule a follow-up in three days here with us.”
“Got it.” I think he’s done, and he knows nothing, but then he comes closer. We hardly ever talk, so my stomach drops that he’s acting out of character. He knows, too.
“What’s up?” I ask, trying to keep my voice level.
He raps his knuckles on the desk. “I probably shouldn’t clue you in, but I have to.”
“Okay.” My heart hammers painfully.
“Drew’s going to fire you. He told Maria to do it, and she told him to do it himself. Did y’all break up or something? Vera said she saw you two hanging out awfully long in his office and thought you might be dating or something.”
My head spins. He’s going to fire me. So that’s it. There are no more chances.
Suddenly I can’t manage that scene. I don’t want it. Don’t want to live through it. Don’t need it. “Thank you for telling me.”
Todd turns to go back to his exam room, but I say, “Can you hold on a second?”
He leans against the filing cabinet. “Sure,” he says. “I’m waiting for the two Pomeranians to arrive. They’re late.”
“They are.”
I check the schedule. Four appointments per hour straight through to five o’clock. That’s a long time to wait for someone to come yell at you.
