Page 92 of Beating Heart
I didn’t go with Nash to drop him off or pick him up because it wasn’t my place.
But I’d thought about him every second of the day and made Nash FaceTime me the minute he’d picked him up so I could hear everything.
I couldn’t even wait until I got off work and we had dinner that night.
That’s how invested I was.
And it was no different with his father. My casual relationship had turned out to be the most fulfilling relationship I’d ever had.
Nash Heart had healed me. He’d put me back together, and I was the happiest I’d ever been in my life.
As corny as it sounded, this man completed me.
He was the yin to my yang.
The peanut butter to my jelly.
“Did you hear me, Emerson?” Doc asked, pulling me from my Nash-filled daze-slash-panic attack I felt every time I talked about leaving.
“I’m sorry. My brain is on overload. You said there are two great applicants, right?”
“Well, they are both wonderful. But neither one is you.” His gaze softened. “But I want you to do whatever is best for you, all right? If you think that’s Boston, then I support you. But if for any reason you’re having second thoughts, you just have to let me know before I move forward with anyone else.”
“Of course. But obviously, if they’re interested in me, I’d be a fool not to take it.” I shrugged, my heart racing at the thought.
Did I want them to offer me the job?
Of course, I did.
How could I not want this?
I’d interviewed with them for residency, and I’d been blown away by the program. I’d flown out there and spent a day touring the hospital and making rounds. But in the end, I hadn’t ranked them as my first choice. Collin didn’t want to move to the East Coast, and I’d gone against my better judgment and stayed in San Francisco. I’d loved the hospital there, too. It meant working with my best friend and starting my life with my fiancé.
And in the end, that decision had blown up in my face.
I wouldn’t make that mistake twice.
“Can I give you a little advice from a man who’s lived a lot longer than you?” he asked, hesitant with his question.
“Always.”
“It’s okay to change your plan. Rose and I never planned on coming back to Magnolia Falls after I completed my residency. But her mom got sick, and life happened, so we came back here with the intent of staying just a year. And then Rose got pregnant, and we wanted to stay near family.” He had a look of nostalgia on his face, and it made my chest squeeze. “I had all these plans, and I was hung up on them for the wrong reasons. Life was happening right in front of my eyes, all while I was planning for a different one. The grass is not always greener, Emerson. And it seems like you were pretty unhappy with that life you came from. I know you were just planning this as a stopover to figure out what you wanted to do next, but take the time to weigh all your options, all right? That’s all I’m saying. Don’t take that job just to prove that you can do it. Do what makes you happy. And if Boston makes you happy, you have my full support.”
I pushed to my feet and came around my desk, closing the distance between us. I wrapped my arms around him, settling my cheek on his shoulder. “Thank you.”
He gave me a few pats on the back and chuckled when I stepped back. “You smile a lot more now than you did when you first arrived. Remember, you can do good work anywhere that your heart is full.”
I nodded, pushing down the lump that was forming in my throat.
“I know. This place sure has grown on me.”
“Magnolia Falls or a certain father and son?” He squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t run from joy, Emerson. Just because one person let you down, doesn’t mean everyone will.”
I swear, Magnolia Falls was no different from Rosewood River.
Everyone knew your business. But they were also rooting for you, so it was hard to be annoyed.
I shook it off. I was interviewing with the most incredible hospital tomorrow. I needed to keep my head on straight. The last time I let myself get distracted, it didn’t work out so well for me.
