Page 4 of Rumours and Romance
I look up with a professional smile. I’m not quite as outgoing with my greeting but try to sound friendly “Doctor Morton. Nice to see you, sir.”
“Enough with this ‘sir’ business, I told you to call me Phil.”
I nod and go to sit in the chair in front of his desk as he settles in behind it. “Phil. I’m eager to continue our conversation from yesterday about the opportunities for me here.”
“Yes. We’ll get to that. First, how are you enjoying the town?”
I try to curb my impatience. If he wants to waste time with small talk, I’ll play along. “It’s a beautiful area. Very different from the city. I’m going to get out on the water this afternoon, and I’ll be viewing some rental houses tomorrow.”
“Rental?” Doctor Morton scoffs. “You should be investing, my boy. Owning real estate is the best way to get established in town.”
This is similar to the tone of our conversation yesterday. I get the feeling he wants to know I’m here to stay, but making a commitment to something, even a house, feels like too much for me right now. After all, the last commitment I made started with a diamond ring and ended with a broken heart.
“I’m sure I’ll do that in the future,” I say, hoping it’s enough for now.
“Hmm. Yes. And have you had the chance to meet anyone?”
For fucks sake, what is this, a matchmaking interview or a professional discussion? I decide to try and steer the conversation toward what I’m hoping to hear. “I haven’t had much of an opportunity yet. Speaking of opportunities, I would be curious to hear some more about what you meant by potential partnership opportunities. As you know, that was a driving force behind my applying for the position here.” Hopefully my blunt approach works.
“Ah, yes. I suppose I should elaborate further on that.” He leans forward and steeples his hands on the desk. “The wife wants me to slow down my work over the next few years. That, and as you know, my specialization is really in large animals. We’ve got more hobby farms popping up in the area, and the demand for veterinary services for those animals is increasing. My hope is to secure a partner who can take over the majority of the domestic animal practice in town, freeing me up to both take on the large animal work, and lighten my overall hours.”
I nod, trying to curb my enthusiasm. This is exactly what I’ve been hoping to hear. But when I open my mouth to respond, Morton keeps on going.
“You’ve never lived in a small town, Jackson, so forgive me if this sounds patronizing. We’re a close-knit community. People here want to know who they’re trusting their animals to. They want to know you. Anyone who becomes a partner in my practice will become an integral part of the tapestry that makes up this town. I need to know that you’re committed to Dogwood Cove for the long haul, that you see yourself making a home here.”
I get it. He wants me to say I’ll stick around, that I won’t leave for another opportunity in a couple of years. The problem is, I have no idea how to prove to him that won’t happen. I can say I have no intention of moving, I can tell him — again — how making partner in a clinic is my career goal, and this opportunity meets all of my requirements. But I’m starting to suspect he wants something more tangible. The problem is, I don’t want to buy a house right now, I have absolutely no intention of starting a family, or anything else that would prove I’m settled. For now, my words will have to do.
“I appreciate that, Phil. And I am committed to staying here. I hope we can revisit this conversation in a few months when I’ve shown you that commitment.”
After a second of silence, he nods. “Right, then. That sounds like a plan. Now, shall we review what’s on the docket today?”
A few minutes later, I’m heading into the surgical suite to scrub up and get ready for my first procedure of the day. My mind is so focused on the stats of the animal coming in, a ten-month-old yellow lab named Tucker, that I don’t notice the person walking toward me until we collide.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, my hands automatically coming to a set of slender shoulders. My eyes meet green ones, lined in heavy black liner, and I mentally curse and drop my hands instantly. Of all the people it could be, it had to be her. Veronica is one of the veterinary technicians, and yesterday when I was introduced to the team, there was no mistaking her open appraisal of me. When she asked if I wanted to get a drink after work, it only confirmed to me that she was not so subtly hinting at being more than just friendly to the new staff member. Dating someone I work with is an absolute non-starter, even if I was interested. Based on the way she’s batting her eyelashes at me, she’s probably hoping my hands on her body wasn’t the accidental impulse it was.
“It’s no problem, Doctor Holt,” she says with a high-pitched giggle that instantly grates on my nerves. “I’m scrubbing in with you today, won’t that be fun?”
I make a noise of acknowledgment as we both walk the rest of the distance to the surgical suite. Once there, I tune everything out, going through all of the steps to prepare for the procedure. Another tech has Tucker ready, so I quickly wash up, pull on a scrub cap and gloves, and take my place. Veronica comes to stand beside me, too close beside me, and I sidestep away.
“Everyone ready?” When the two techs nod at me, I begin. It’s a simple and quick procedure but I take it seriously every time I have an animal under anaesthetic. My attention is focused on Tucker, and I execute his neutering flawlessly.
Half an hour later, I’m washing my hands in the sink when Veronica comes up beside me again. I stifle a groan of frustration.
“Your hands were so…talented, Doctor Holt.” Good God, the sexual innuendo is dripping from every word this woman says. It’s uncomfortable and I’m wondering how the hell to make it clear to her I am not interested in anything more than a professional acquaintance.
“Thank you, Veronica. I appreciate your assistance.” I keep my tone formal, and immediately leave to phone Tucker’s owners to assure them the procedure went well.
Somehow I manage to avoid Veronica for the rest of the day, and by the time I’m off, she’s already gone. I head straight back to the motel, feed Harley, and spend a few minutes with him. My body is full of energy that needs to be released, so I grab my paddle board, change into my swim shorts and rash guard, then load up my car and follow directions to the beach. The ocean is calm, and there’s only a few people around. As soon as my feet hit the sand, I feel myself calm. Water has always centered me, and there’s nothing more peaceful than being out there on my board, feeling the burn of my muscles working to stabilize myself and move through the water. I zip up my life jacket, and head down to the water’s edge. It’s cold, but I don’t plan on getting wet today. I zip my phone into the waterproof belt pack I carry, which also holds my keys and a water bottle, and push off from the beach. Staying on my knees, I paddle out for a while before standing up. My board slices through the water, and instantly everything inside of me settles. My mind empties of stress, and I leave it all behind for a while.
An hour of strenuous paddling later, I can feel my muscles starting to shake, so I turn back toward shore. When I reach the beach, I lay my board down against a log and sink down onto the sand. It’s warm from the sun that’s been shining all day, and being this close to the dinner hour, the beach is mostly empty. I close my eyes and let myself think about the last time I was out on the water. It was the day after Stefani dropped the emotional bomb on me that she wanted kids, and if I didn’t, then she couldn’t marry me. To say her ultimatum came out of nowhere is an understatement. For the five years we were together, I thought we were on the same page. She had made it clear she was fine not having children, that she loved me, and wanted to be with me no matter what. Then one day, she comes home and announces that she had been lying, hoping I would change my mind, and that having a family was important to her. And if I wasn’t willing to give her a family, then I clearly didn’t love her enough and the wedding was off. The problem is, I’ve never wanted kids. And she knew this when we first started dating. I’m happy being the fun uncle to my two nieces and one nephew. So I called her bluff, not thinking she was serious. But the diamond ring still sitting in a box in my suitcase says she was.
The paddle I went on the next day was fueled by heartbreak and betrayal. I thought she was the woman I would spend the rest of my life with, and it turned out our entire relationship was built on a lie.
Today, being on the water felt like the last step of my fresh start. It might be the same ocean, but here, there is an entirely different energy.
Chapter 3
Mila
