Dueling Drs: A Small Town Hospital Romance

“How are things at the office?” The old man’s eyes studied me carefully, ensuring I would tell him nothing but the unvarnished truth.

“I’m off today, so things are out of my hands.” Unless I received an emergency call.

“Are things any better with Suzie’s brother?”

“No,” I sighed. “Things are not better, but they aren’t worse either, so I guess that’s something. I don’t really expect things to improve, Granddaddy.”

He stopped staring down at Berna and looked up at me, with a serious expression. “You’re thinking of leaving.” It wasn’t a question because Granddaddy was a smart, astute man.”

“Yes, I am considering it. I don’t need to be here in order to practice and it’s not like this place has a great need for a pediatric heart surgeon. My skills would be better served someplace else.” Probably anyplace else if I was being honest. It still rankled that Drew had called me a quitter, because I wasn’t a quitter. There were times, plenty of them in college, in med school and even during my residency, that I had thought about quitting but I never did. Not once. But I also knew when to cut my losses and I was losing valuable time at JRMC since I wasn’t learning what I was here to learn.

It was a lesson I learned early, at the hands of my mom and stepdad. Sometimes it was better to cut your losses than fight a losing battle. I’d been weighing my options for weeks and leaving always came out as the best choice for me.

“I sure would miss you, Zola, but I understand that you have to do what’s right for you. A bright woman like you could make your mark anywhere in this world and there’s no reason you should not go out and do it.”

I smiled at the man who had welcomed me and treated me like I’d been part of the family forever. “I would miss you too, Granddaddy. Not every house comes with a dirty talking old man who makes killer scrambled eggs and the most amazing lasagna ever.”

“Well now you’re just trying to flatter me.” A small blush stained the ball of his cheeks. “But my lasagna would be a damn good reason to stay.” He winked just as the doorbell rang.

“Not if I want to fit into my jeans next year,” I told him and stood with Gigi in my arms to answer the door. Another good thing about living in Jackson’s Ridge was that I had almost no worry that there would be a photographer on the other side of the door, looking for a gotcha photo of me or Suzie, or the girls. When the figure on the other side of the door came into view, I secretly wished it was a photographer.

Drew stood on the doorstep, big and imposing, his ever-present scowl fixed in place. “Zola.”

“Suzie is in the shower.” That was my only response and I turned on my heels and left him standing there, to follow me inside or to go home. Either option was fine with me.

“Oh. Okay.”

I could feel the size and the weight of him behind me, but I didn’t turn to make sure he was following me and I didn’t make polite conversation because I wasn’t in the mood. And it was my day off from Drew and his constant scowl, his inability to get past the fact that we’d had one night of hot sex, like a million years ago.

“Good morning, Aaron.” His voice was friendly as he exchanged pleasantries with Granddaddy. “How are things?”

Granddaddy slid a worried glance my way before his smile reached Drew. “Can’t complain too much. Love this town, the salty sea air and the precious little ones. You?”

“Same. Thought I’d stop by to check on Suzie and the girls before I head to the office.” He looked so uncomfortable that I couldn’t help but smile, and that only made me mad. I wasn’t the type of woman to feel glee at someone else’s suffering is discomfort, but Drew had turned me into that kind of person.

“I’m sure Suzie will appreciate that. Eggs and toast?”

“Uh, sure. If it’s no trouble.”

Granddaddy laughed. “None at all. We’re all family here.” He handed Berna to Drew and shuffled off to the stove, cranking up the heat and adding a big pat of butter for the eggs. “Scrambled okay?”

“Perfect.”

The more I sat there, watching him act perfectly cordial with Granddaddy, the angrier I felt myself become. Drew could apparently be nice and civil and polite to everyone else on the whole planet, but he couldn’t even manage a professional civility to help me become a better heart surgeon. It was maddening.

Drew leaned in, gently bouncing Berna in his arms. “You’re off today, right?”

“Yep.”

“Got any plans?”

What was he doing? I turned to him, a question I knew he wouldn’t answer in my gaze and shrugged. “Nope.”