Fix Me

Luke

I DIDN’T WANT TO MOVE again. Three moves, no, four in the same number of weeks was killing me. There was a rolling stone and then there was me. I stuffed the last of my clothes from the drawer into the suitcase that I’d barely had time to unpack and hauled it out to my car. I told myself it was a good idea, but in the back of my mind, I wasn’t so sure.

Paul wanted me to live on the premises. Apparently, he had a busy couple of months coming up and he felt it would be easier and more convenient for all parties involved if I lived on there. I had explained to him that Bree and I were not going to pursue a relationship just yet. I made it clear I still cared about her, but until things were more settled, we were going to be strictly professional.

To say the man was happy was an understatement. I had rejected the idea several times, coming up with numerous excuses, but Paul Sullivan wasn’t the kind of man that said no. I was sure he wanted me close to keep an eye on me and use me as an emergency babysitter. I didn’t mind, but dammit, I didn’t want to fucking move again. I needed to find a place that I could settle into.

I was still struggling to break ties with Texas. If I didn’t settle in soon, it was going to be all too easy to quit and go back. I couldn’t do that. I refused to go back. My last visit to my mother’s house told me it was a bad idea and confirmed my belief I had done the right thing by getting away. But if I didn’t put down some roots very soon, it was going to be harder to resist the pull to go back.

I took another look around the guest house that had been my home for a couple of weeks and mentally said goodbye. I was technically off for the day. I already had a key to the small cottage on the Sullivan property. Their idea of a cottage and mine were very different. It was essentially a house situated near the back of the property. There were two full bedrooms and a bathroom along with a decent sized kitchen and living room. My idea of a cottage was a tiny studio.

I left the house, feeling a little guilty for abandoning the elderly owner after such a short period of time, but my need to take care of Bree outweighed any guilt. I was about five minutes from the Sullivan estate when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t surprising. I had a lot of applications and resumes out there.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Luke,” I heard Ellis say. I looked at the phone as if I could somehow see her face.

“Ellis?”

“Yes. Don’t tell me you forgot me already.”

“Not at all. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you had some time to grab coffee. I would love to catch up.”

I thought about my grand plans for the day which included unpacking my meager belongings and then nothing. “Sure. When?”

“I’m free right now if you are.”

I smiled, looking forward to talking to a friendly face. “Absolutely. Where?”

We quickly arranged a place halfway between us. I turned the car around, anxious to see how Ellis had been doing. She had always been somewhat of a hero to me back in med school. She was one of those proteges and just to be in her presence was inspiring.

Walking into the coffee shop, I quickly spotted Ellis at a table, her head bent down as she read from her tablet. She was always reading which was probably why she was so smart. “Reading again?”

Her head popped up, a big smile on her face. She got up from her chair and gave me a firm hug. “I am. I was just reading up on the result of a new technique being performed—” she stopped talking. “I’m sorry. I get so carried away.”

“I don’t mind a bit.”

Taking a seat at the table, I sipped the iced mocha I had ordered. “You look good,” she said. “I don’t think you’ve aged a bit.”

I laughed. “I hope I’ve aged a little.”

“You know what I mean. How have you been?”

“Really good. And you? Have you been in California for long?”

She smiled, her gray eyes brightening. “Not too long. I was in India for a while. Then the UK and then New York.”

“Wow!” I said thoroughly impressed. “Working?”

“Yes. Gaining as much experience as I can. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greatest doctors in the world.”

I smiled, happy for her success. “Sounds like you’re well on your way to joining their ranks.”

She waved a hand. “I have a lot to learn.”

I wanted to ask her about Bree’s surgery, but didn’t want to violate any privacy laws. I was sure that was one of the underlying reasons for her invitation to coffee. “So, the surgery you proposed, have you done it before?”