Page 5 of Beating Heart
At least for the moment.
Doc Dolby walked back into the room with Cutler, who happened to be one of the cutest kids I’d ever met.
“How’s it going in here?” Doc asked. He was a nice man, and when I’d met him over Zoom after I’d applied for the position, I’d warmed to him immediately.
“I got a breathing treatment, Pops,” Cutler said, walking over to stand by his father.
Nash rumpled his hair, and it was endearing.
But most endearing was the way that Nash Heart looked at his son.
You could see the love, the concern, the fierce need to protect his little boy, all in that gray gaze of his.
So, I’d give him a pass for being a bit of a dick to me, because it was coming from a place of concern.
“Great. We’re going to try a few new things, too,” Nash said.
“I wrote out the prescription for a new inhaler with a stronger medication, and you can pick up the peak flow meter at the pharmacy, as well. So we can start with these right away.” I handed him two pieces of paper.
“Well, if you have any problems with the new meds, you’re in luck. Dr. Chadwick is renting the house from Winston and Mary Hall right next door to you. She moves in this weekend. They had a holdup with getting the utilities turned on, so she’s been stuck at the Magnolia Falls Inn for now,” Doc Dolby said.
What are the chances that this guy who already didn’t like me was my new neighbor? And why the hell was Doc telling him where I was going to be living? That was none of his business. I’d shared the fiasco about my move with him this morning because I’d had to have the movers hold off on delivering all my furniture while I was holed up at the hotel in town over the weekend. But I certainly didn’t need him telling patients about it, even if he’d eventually figure out that I was his new neighbor.
“She’s moving next door to us?” The man sounded like he’d just been told a serial killer was moving in next door to him. My new neighbor clearly didn’t care for me. “That house has been empty for years, aside from a few summers when the Halls used to come down for the weekend.”
“Yeah, I spoke to them when she accepted the position, and they agreed to rent it out to her for the six months that she’s staying.”
Nash’s face hardened. “Six months? Seems tough to provide this phenomenal care you keep promising when you’ll just be passing him off to the next person in a few months.”
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
I squared my shoulders. “It’s a six-month contract. I will provide the best care I can during my time here.”
Nash pushed to his feet, surprising me, as he had to be at least six foot two inches with the way he towered over me. “You couldn’t find someone more permanent, Doc? I don’t like the idea of switching doctors every six months.”
Doc clapped him on the shoulder, and it was clear they had a close relationship. “You worry too much, Nash. Plus, I think she’s going to fall in love with Magnolia Falls and extend that contract of hers.”
Wishful thinking.
This was temporary.
I just needed some time to figure out how to rebound from the dumpster fire that was currently my life.
I cleared my throat and bent down to meet Cutler’s gaze. “It was nice to meet you, Cutler. I’d like to have you come back in a few weeks so we can see how the new inhaler is working. Would that be okay?”
“Yes. And now that we’re friends, you can call me Beefcake. That’s what all my friends call me. And if we’re going to be neighbors, we should be friends for sure. You can even be my girl.”
I chuckled at the unusual nickname and the fact that a six-year-old appeared to be hitting on me.
Hey, my self-esteem is in the shitter, so I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Cool name, Beefcake. And we can definitely be friends. How about you call me Dr. Emerson instead of Dr. Chadwick? Since we’re friends and all.” I winked before pushing back up to stand as I turned to his father and raised a brow. “And do you have a nickname that I should be calling you?”
Nash’s lips twitched in the corners before his eyes hardened again. “I don’t think you’re sticking around long enough to be using nicknames, Dr. Chadwick.”
He took his son’s hand in his and led him out the door as Cutler turned around and waved at me.
The little guy had his dark hair slicked back with a ton of gel, and his cherub cheeks were pink and adorable.
