AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But no. She couldn’t think about any of that right now. She blinked back the tears and forced herself to think about cellular structure instead.Contents of the cytoplasm: cytosol, cytoskeleton, centrioles, endoplasmic reticulum,golgicomplex, mitochondria, ribosomes, lysosomes, vacuoles—
A knock sounded. Avery’s gaze darted to the door, hope rushing into the empty cavity of her chest. Had Wes returned?
The door swept open and Katie appeared on the threshold. “Hey. Can I come in?”
The disappointment was crushing. Fifty-pound weights pressed on her shoulders. She sagged onto the sofa.
Katie frowned as she stepped inside and closed the door. “All right, that’s it. Something’s wrong. You’ve been quiet all morning, and now I find you alone in your office when we both know gossiping in the breakroom is your favorite part of the day.”
Avery couldn’t even pretend to be okay. “Wes just left. He said to tell you good-bye.”
She sank down beside Avery. “I’m sorry.”
“I thought he might stay another day or two.” Or forever. “But something happened in Albany—it’s complicated, I think. There’s a woman there—the sister of that friend who died.” She tried unsuccessfully to keep the jealously from her voice.
“Oh, honey.”
Avery released a wry laugh. “You were right. You warned me,but did I listen? Nope, I just went merrily on my way, spending time with him, getting attached to him, falling in—” No. She wouldn’t say it. “And now he’s officially gone and I’ll never see him again.”
Katie put her arm around Avery. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know how quickly it can happen—how it can just crash over you like a wave and knock you to your knees. How it can twist you up inside until you think you’re going to die.”
“I can’t do this right now. I can’t think about this.” Avery knuckled the tears from her eyes.
“Why don’t you take the afternoon off? You could catch up on your sleep. The rest of us can handle things around here.”
“I’d rather stay busy. I don’t do naps and it won’t do any good to sit around stewing on my feelings.” Avery took a cleansing breath, stood, and straightened her lab coat. “Anyway, this was my strategy all along, right? Concentrate on the clinic and care for the community. Nothing has changed really.”
She forced her mouth into a smile and ignored the pitying look on Katie’s face as she swept out of the office. But they both knew that everything had changed.
Chapter35
If only the hands digging into Avery’s back muscles could reach deep enough to soothe her aching heart. She breathed in the calming aroma of lavender and eucalyptus as the table beneath her creaked under the masseuse’s pressure. The bachelorette day at the Riverview Bed-and-Breakfast was well underway. She and Katie had already received manicures and pedicures. Now they were being massaged within an inch of their lives. Avery would take all the pampering she could get.
A heat wave had ushered in August. It had been eleven grueling days since Wes’s departure, and the pain of his absence sat like a heavy brick in the center of her chest. She’d thought he might text her when he had reception, but she hadn’t heard a word from him. That only sharpened the sting of loss. Not an hour passed that she didn’t think about him. Wonder where he was and how his back was holding up. She’d begun to text him a dozen different times. Had written out complete messages—everything froma simpleHow are you?to entire paragraphs about how she felt. She’d deleted them all.
A moan sounded from the table beside her. “Oh my gosh,” Katie said on a sigh. “That feels like heaven. Gretchen, you’re amazing. Can you come home with me?”
“You just relax and let me massage away all that wedding stress.”
Avery needed to get her head in the wedding game. “Only four weeks now. I can’t wait to see Cooper’s face when he sees you in that gown.” The dress featured a fitted bodice and spaghetti straps that set off Katie’s delicate collarbones and long, graceful neck. The gown’s soft, full skirt transformed her into a modern-day Cinderella.
“Ooh, that spot right there,” Katie said. “It’s where I’m holding all my wedding stress. This is bliss. Ave, I’m so glad you finally have a day off to enjoy this with me.”
“Me too. It’s been fun.”
Dr.Chan had accepted the position on Sunday and wasted no time moving to Riverbend. Avery’s mind still spun with how quickly it had all come together. It was such a relief to have another doctor on board. To have that piece of the puzzle in place. She could hardly believe she’d found someone so perfect for the clinic, for the town.
The entire staff was thrilled to have Lucy on board, and she’d jumped right in with both feet. She was just what Avery and the clinic needed. Today was her first time as the solo doctor at the clinic, but Sharise was there to answer any questions that might arise. All Avery had to do was lie here and enjoy the bliss of having nothing to do.
She suppressed a yawn. The dim lights and soothing instrumental melody made her sleepy. That and the fact that she was still experiencing insomnia. Her last good night’s sleep was when Wes—
No. She would not think about him anymore. It was Katie’s day. “Are you nervous about the wedding?”
“I’m really not. I’m just eager to become Mrs.Cooper Robinson. I know our engagement was quick, but it seems like I’ve waited forever to be his.”
“Maybe because you were in denial about your feelings for months on end?”
“Oh, hush, you. What was I supposed to do? I took one look at Cooper and lost my heart.”
