The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

“Of course.” She nodded, seemingly greatly unhappy to see his name there.

“He’s willing to supplement Cooper’s income and the income of all the businesses that will be closing their doors. He’ll do that while Cooper has to go through the courts to get this mess sorted out. But as I said, all that’s going to happen is the police will discover that whoever signed off on this”—I pointed to her computer—“took a bribe to do it. And then your whole office is under investigation.”

She studied us and then she nodded. “I happen to be friends with Sheriff King. I’m going to call him. If you could wait outside in reception while I do so.”

Cooper and I did as she asked, waiting impatiently outside her office, sharing frustrated looks. Twenty minutes later Rothwell called us back into her office, looking harried and a little pale.

“Sit.”

Once we were seated she gave us a pinched look. “Sheriff King has confirmed there have been no such complaints or call-outs to the bar. He says you’re an upstanding businessman, Mr. Cooper.”

“I always liked Jeff King.” Cooper smiled at me and I gave him a relieved grin in return.

“Yes, well. I can assure you that this petition is unnecessary. Your license will be approved.” She waved at her computer.

“And whoever took the bribe?” I said.

She narrowed her eyes on me. “For all I know this is a clerical error. In any case it’s now an internal matter.”

Meaning she’d fire the asshole but neither that person nor Devlin would be pulled up to the law because she didn’t want the police investigating her office.

Cooper seemed to sense my indignation because he gripped my hand tighter. “That’s all we wanted, Ms. Rothwell.” He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Thank you for your time.”

She gave him a clipped nod and we walked out of there with me bristling the whole time.

“They’re going to get away with it,” I said as Cooper led me out of the building to his truck.

“That’s not our fight, Doc.” He held the passenger door open for me. “Our fight is with Devlin. And believe me, that’s enough to handle for the moment.”

On the drive back to his bar, I let his words sink in.

Unfortunately he was right. If Ian Devlin was willing to go to the lengths he had to steal Cooper’s place from him, then we needed to concentrate on our fight with him before worrying about anything else.

My cell rang, interrupting our usual comfortable silence. I frowned, not recognizing the number. “Hello. Jessica Huntington speaking.”

“Ah, Dr. Huntington,” a vaguely familiar male voice said, “it’s Dr. Paul Duggan here.”

My heart immediately started to race a little faster. “Dr. Duggan. It’s nice to hear from you.”

Cooper glanced at me and I grinned at him excitedly. He winked at me before turning back to watch the road.

“I’m sorry it’s been a few days, but I had to check your references out.”

“Right.” I waited, nervous.

“Your last employer isn’t too happy with you,” he said softly, and my heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach.

“I gathered.” I felt Cooper’s gaze on me at my sad tone.

“However, they did concede you were a good doctor . . . until you up and left with no notice.”

“Dr. Duggan, I can explain—”

“You don’t need to. This is a small town, Dr. Huntington, and word is you and Cooper are pretty permanent.”

“We are,” I assured him.

“I’m just going to go on faith that that will keep you here. And truth is, no one as qualified as you has applied for the position.”

My spirits immediately picked back up. “Are you offering me the job?”

“I am. Are you accepting?”

“Yes!” I cried out and he laughed at my exuberance. I grinned as Cooper reached over to squeeze my knee, smiling at me, happy for me.

“Then I’ll see you at the clinic on Sunday at ten a.m. so we can go over the ropes. You’ll officially start Monday morning.”

“I’ll be there.” I was relieved. So freaking relieved I couldn’t even explain it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

We hung up and I bounced in my chair. “I got a job.”

“I heard,” Cooper said, amused.

“I’m going to be a doctor again.”

He swung a tender look at me. “You never stopped being one, Jessica.”

Relaxing back into my seat, I stared out at the town passing us by and I smiled. “Today is a good day.”

“Yeah,” Cooper agreed.

A banner hung from the ceiling in Antonio’s with the words Bon Voyage, George! printed on it.

The place was packed with people mingling over the buffet, drinking, and just enjoying their last night with George Beckwith before he left for Nova Scotia.

“I can’t believe I threw this party for you, George Beckwith, only to find out you sold your damn store to a chef! A chef! Like we need more competition,” Iris grumbled at him.

Her loud annoyance had jerked my gaze from Archie and Anita. They were sitting over in a corner with some people I didn’t recognize. Anita looked skinny and tired, but she was out and about and I took that as a sign of strength. A good sign.

As for Archie . . . he was drinking soda.

I leaned in to Cooper. “I’m going to go rescue George.” o;Of course.” She nodded, seemingly greatly unhappy to see his name there.

“He’s willing to supplement Cooper’s income and the income of all the businesses that will be closing their doors. He’ll do that while Cooper has to go through the courts to get this mess sorted out. But as I said, all that’s going to happen is the police will discover that whoever signed off on this”—I pointed to her computer—“took a bribe to do it. And then your whole office is under investigation.”

She studied us and then she nodded. “I happen to be friends with Sheriff King. I’m going to call him. If you could wait outside in reception while I do so.”

Cooper and I did as she asked, waiting impatiently outside her office, sharing frustrated looks. Twenty minutes later Rothwell called us back into her office, looking harried and a little pale.

“Sit.”

Once we were seated she gave us a pinched look. “Sheriff King has confirmed there have been no such complaints or call-outs to the bar. He says you’re an upstanding businessman, Mr. Cooper.”

“I always liked Jeff King.” Cooper smiled at me and I gave him a relieved grin in return.

“Yes, well. I can assure you that this petition is unnecessary. Your license will be approved.” She waved at her computer.

“And whoever took the bribe?” I said.

She narrowed her eyes on me. “For all I know this is a clerical error. In any case it’s now an internal matter.”

Meaning she’d fire the asshole but neither that person nor Devlin would be pulled up to the law because she didn’t want the police investigating her office.

Cooper seemed to sense my indignation because he gripped my hand tighter. “That’s all we wanted, Ms. Rothwell.” He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Thank you for your time.”

She gave him a clipped nod and we walked out of there with me bristling the whole time.

“They’re going to get away with it,” I said as Cooper led me out of the building to his truck.

“That’s not our fight, Doc.” He held the passenger door open for me. “Our fight is with Devlin. And believe me, that’s enough to handle for the moment.”

On the drive back to his bar, I let his words sink in.

Unfortunately he was right. If Ian Devlin was willing to go to the lengths he had to steal Cooper’s place from him, then we needed to concentrate on our fight with him before worrying about anything else.

My cell rang, interrupting our usual comfortable silence. I frowned, not recognizing the number. “Hello. Jessica Huntington speaking.”

“Ah, Dr. Huntington,” a vaguely familiar male voice said, “it’s Dr. Paul Duggan here.”

My heart immediately started to race a little faster. “Dr. Duggan. It’s nice to hear from you.”

Cooper glanced at me and I grinned at him excitedly. He winked at me before turning back to watch the road.

“I’m sorry it’s been a few days, but I had to check your references out.”

“Right.” I waited, nervous.

“Your last employer isn’t too happy with you,” he said softly, and my heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach.

“I gathered.” I felt Cooper’s gaze on me at my sad tone.

“However, they did concede you were a good doctor . . . until you up and left with no notice.”

“Dr. Duggan, I can explain—”

“You don’t need to. This is a small town, Dr. Huntington, and word is you and Cooper are pretty permanent.”

“We are,” I assured him.

“I’m just going to go on faith that that will keep you here. And truth is, no one as qualified as you has applied for the position.”

My spirits immediately picked back up. “Are you offering me the job?”

“I am. Are you accepting?”

“Yes!” I cried out and he laughed at my exuberance. I grinned as Cooper reached over to squeeze my knee, smiling at me, happy for me.

“Then I’ll see you at the clinic on Sunday at ten a.m. so we can go over the ropes. You’ll officially start Monday morning.”

“I’ll be there.” I was relieved. So freaking relieved I couldn’t even explain it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

We hung up and I bounced in my chair. “I got a job.”

“I heard,” Cooper said, amused.

“I’m going to be a doctor again.”

He swung a tender look at me. “You never stopped being one, Jessica.”

Relaxing back into my seat, I stared out at the town passing us by and I smiled. “Today is a good day.”

“Yeah,” Cooper agreed.

A banner hung from the ceiling in Antonio’s with the words Bon Voyage, George! printed on it.

The place was packed with people mingling over the buffet, drinking, and just enjoying their last night with George Beckwith before he left for Nova Scotia.

“I can’t believe I threw this party for you, George Beckwith, only to find out you sold your damn store to a chef! A chef! Like we need more competition,” Iris grumbled at him.

Her loud annoyance had jerked my gaze from Archie and Anita. They were sitting over in a corner with some people I didn’t recognize. Anita looked skinny and tired, but she was out and about and I took that as a sign of strength. A good sign.

As for Archie . . . he was drinking soda.

I leaned in to Cooper. “I’m going to go rescue George.”