Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

THE EVENING HAD taken quite the turn. Who would’ve thought the man that smooth-talked his way at the bar would be the very man Aubrie would have to work with—and essentially compete against for a practice she wasn’t exactly sure she wanted yet.

But she did want to be better at it than him. Yet, based on what she saw at Campy’s, he was revered in the town. At the very least, well-known.

“I want to introduce my two proteges here with me tonight for this special occasion.” Doc Bernie stood on a chair, which alone made Aubrie nervous for him. He was spry for his age, but her skills didn’t need to be tested out on her first night on her new—albeit temporary—boss.

“This is Doctor Aubrie Turnbridge.” He pointed her out below, and Aubrie gave a meek wave to the crowd. “She comes to us from Texas.”

Murmurs filled the room, sending Aubrie’s nerves alight. Was coming from Texas a bad thing? Did they have some grudge against Texans? Or would she be the new entertainment in town, someone different that everyone wanted to get to know?

“And of course, most of you know my grandson, Bran Jackson.”

“You know you can also call me doctor, right?” Bran smirked, and the crowd laughed, taken by his playful banter.

“This isn’t just a birthday party, although your presence here tonight has made it one of the best.” Doc looked down into his drink. “I’ve asked these two to be here because I will be turning over the practice. As in, I’m retiring.”

Some gasps echoed through the crowd, while others started in with applause.

“We’ll miss you!” someone shouted from the back.

“I’ll miss you all, more than you can know.” Doc looked back at Aubrie, then Bran. “Which is why I want to make sure the practice will be in good hands. I will be training these two fine people in the weeks to come, to make sure they’re prepared to serve Maiden’s Bay as I have, if not better than I have.”

“Impossible!” another shouted from a corner.

“So, please, raise your glasses in a toast. Out with the old, in with the new.”

The crowd repeated the last phrase, clinking glasses and taking sips.

Interesting that Doc Bernie hadn’t mentioned to the group that only one of the pair would carry on with the practice. Aubrie hadn’t the time to linger on the fact too long because a young woman approached her. Her long blonde hair was fashioned in a stylish low ponytail, her eyes a soft gray and friendly.

“Hi, I’m Cynthia Pruitt.” She reached out her free hand, the other holding a wine glass.

Aubrie accepted the hand and shook it. “Aubrie Turnbridge.”

“Don’t you call yourself Doctor Turnbridge?” The underlying poke at Bran wasn’t lost on Aubrie. She already liked Cynthia.

“Only when necessary. Not usually at birthday parties.”

The two women chuckled.

“I wanted to introduce myself when I heard you’re from out of town. I know it can be a little bit of a culture shock, especially moving here from a big city.”

“Are you not from Maiden’s Bay?”

“Me? I am. But one of my best friends, Josie—” She waved to a woman who was laughing loudly, tight brunette curls waving with her happiness. “She moved here fairly recently. Not to say it was rough for her. Maiden’s Bay can be… different.”

“I understand. It’s definitely a different vibe, just the size difference alone.”

“What am I missing out on here?” The curly-haired woman smiled between them.

“Thought you would like to meet Aubrie. Maybe do a piece on Doc Bernie retiring, and highlight the new doctor.”

“A piece?” Aubrie asked.

“That’s a great idea!” She turned to Aubrie, shaking her hand. “I’m Josie Morrison with KSMV. The local TV station here? It would be a great way to get folks comfortable with the transition.”

“Oh, I’m not sure….” It applied to too many things. Being on camera. Being interviewed. Taking on the job.

Someone pulled at Josie’s arm. “Ah, I have to go mingle. Here, take my card. You let me know if you change your mind, or if you just want to chat. Maybe grab some lunch, have a tour of the town?”

“I’d like that.” Aubrie appreciated the kindness but yearned to get out of the stuffy party air and into the bed awaiting her down the hill. She didn’t want to appear rude. That was the last thing she needed for a first impression with locals.

Josie vanished in growing celebration, leaving Aubrie alone again with Cynthia.

“So, how do you know Doc? I guess most people here know him from being his patient.”

“Actually, my niece, Gwen, is dating Doc’s grandson Nathaniel. Bran’s younger brother.”

Aubrie took a second to make the link.

“And Doc’s office is across from where I used to work, Bea’s Bouquets.” Cynthia chuckled. “Small town. Usually more than one way of knowing someone here.”

“Used to? Where do you work now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Not at all. I’m a greenhorn on Harpeth Rose.”

Aubrie recognized the name as something said earlier in the evening, but couldn’t exactly remember the context.

“I’m a crab fisherman. Fisher woman.” Cynthia shook her head. “You know, it’s taken decades for women to be accepted in the profession, but it doesn’t feel right saying anything other than fisherman.”

“That’s pretty impressive, whatever title you want to give it.”

“Thank you. It’s been interesting, that’s for sure.”

Aubrie took a sip of her drink, keeping an eye on Bran, who chatted with another man ten feet away.

“Would it be too forward if I gave you my number also?” Cynthia asked. “In case you want to know where to eat, or go sightseeing. Heck, just to have someone local to talk to. We can meet up with Josie, too, if you’d like. It’d be good to have someone like her on your side.”

“On my side?” Aubrie’s eyebrows furled. Perhaps Doc Bernie didn’t have to say anything about how she and Bran were competing.

“Please. I know Doc would love to have his grandson take over, but we all know how Bran can be. Doc wouldn’t have invited you here if he didn’t have his doubts, either. And woman to woman, my money is on you.” She lifted her wine glass and clinked it with Aubrie’s.

Aubrie added Cynthia to her contact in her phone and weaved her way through the crowd out of The Codfather. The day’s events had carried on longer than expected, and she longed for rest in a bed that wasn’t standard hotel fare.

She fought the desire to pinpoint Bran in the jumbled crowd on her way out. Part of her wanted to stay at least as long as he did. But that was ridiculous. Was it really a competition in every aspect? As if Doc Bernie would choose one over the other based on how long they stayed at his party. If that were part of the criteria, then she would happily forfeit now.

No, it was going to come down to who had the better work ethic. Who had the knowledge, the bedside manner. Compassion for the people of this town. It was probably a good thing to have Cynthia’s number, and an in with Josie, especially if they knew a lot of people and held influence in town.

Aubrie got in her car and made her way down the hill. The side streets were dimly lit, with Pearl Avenue at the bottom of town the brightest, outside of the lighthouse. It was something to see a lighthouse in operation. All Aubrie had seen was the Point Bolivar lighthouse, which was not only closed off from the public, but non-operational.

Did the lighthouse actually still help sailors? Maybe that was something she could ask Cynthia.

Aubrie parked the car on the street, making sure there were no overnight parking restrictions posted. A black Audi sat in a spot, so she wouldn’t be the only one ticketed if she kept it there overnight. She scanned the key fob, opening the outer door, and walked up the stairwell. She turned the key into the door lock, but it was already unlocked.

She slowly opened the door. Music blasted from the smart speaker, and a backside greeted her, the stranger’s hand on the open fridge door, head peering inside.

“Excuse me?” She barely heard herself over the jazz music.

The man turned around, and Aubrie dropped her keys.

Bran.

“What are you doing here?”

Bran cupped his ear. “What?” He pointed a finger to guide her to wait, and told the smart speaker to pause.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “How’d you get in?”

“That’s what I would like to know about you.” She grabbed the keys off the floor, then crossed her arms over her chest. Only a few minutes of interaction with this man today, yet it felt like an eternity.

“This is where I’m staying. I had a copy of the key made years back from Doc Bernie.”

“Well, it’s not where you’re staying now.” She jingled the keys in the air. “I was given the keys this afternoon, and it’s in my contract that the position provides lodging. Didn’t you see my stuff in the bedroom?”

“I haven’t been back here yet. Although, I see the contract must not provide board.” He nodded to the empty fridge.

“I just arrived today.” She scoffed. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. This is where I’ve been assigned to stay—by your grandfather—so you need to leave.”

“With all due respect, maybe I deserve to stay here. You know, since it is family property.”

First, the awkward exchange at the bar. Then, the wine spill, on top of being introduced as her competition. And now this? When all she wanted was to plop in bed and not wake up until Monday. And deserve? What exactly had he done to deserve her living quarters? “I traveled farther to be here.” It was the first one-up she could think of. “All due respect.”

“How do you know?”

“Your grandfather said you worked in Seattle as a trauma surgeon.” She straightened, feeling emboldened. “Which means not only did you travel a shorter distance to be here, but you can also afford to stay somewhere else.”

This time, Bran crossed his arms, pursing his lips. “Pediatric oncology doesn’t afford such a luxury?”

Her throat lumped up, not having known he knew that about her. “I’m not practicing pediatric oncology now, am I?”

“Nor I trauma surgery. Although, if I were to guess, my expertise would have more practical value for the practice.”

The dig hurt, despite her facade.

Bran loosened his stance and walked out of the kitchen. “Look, we obviously did not start this out right.”

Aubrie held back the eye roll and kept her mouth quiet.

“We don’t know each other, only what Doc Bernie has mentioned. Considering how he approached me about this situation, you were probably in as much shock as I was.”

Aubrie let out a laugh, relaxing a tad. “It was unexpected, yes.”

“Okay. How about we start over tomorrow? We show up and put in the work. We don’t have to be best of friends, but we can get along, right?”

“There’s a problem with that.”

“What is it?”

“Tomorrow is Sunday.” She couldn’t help but have a teeny victory in there somewhere. “The practice is closed.”

“Knowing Doc, he’s on-call whenever he’s not in the office, despite there being two other family practitioners in town. But that’s beside the point.”

He wanted to get a little victory in, too, didn’t he? Of course Doc Bernie was the type to be on-call. Aubrie took note she’d have to be more careful in her assumptions.

“So, Monday, then. We agree to start over?” He offered his hand, steady in the air as if it were propped on a table. Perhaps he was good at his job.

Aubrie hesitated. It was hard to trust this stranger, stranger being a loose term when she felt like she knew more than she cared to after today. But she had to try. For Doc Bernie’s sake. And for her own sanity.

“Agreed.” Aubrie’s hand met his, surprisingly warm and soft. She had expected rough hands, ones that were dry from scrubbing day in and day out.

He squeezed her hand delicately but gave one firm shake before letting go.

She remained standing by the front door, staring at him. Bran stood in silence, looking around confused.

“Um, so I’ll see you Monday, then?” It was as polite as Aubrie could muster to tell him to leave.

“Yep, Monday.” Bran didn’t budge.

Aubrie cleared her throat in the awkwardness. “And the apartment?”

“Oh, right.” Bran snapped his fingers and jumped into action. “Sorry.” He grabbed a duffel bag from the floor and patted down his pants pockets until he confirmed the keys were there.

Damn it if the guilt didn’t start to build up in Aubrie’s chest, tightening her lungs and constricting her throat. “Are you going to be okay, finding another place to stay?”

What if he said he wasn’t? Was she prepared to share this place? Absolutely not. Yet she couldn’t help feel bad he had expected to have a place to stay, and she was kicking him out.

“I’ll be fine. I know a place not far from here I can go.”

“Okay, great.” It came out too cheerfully canned, and Aubrie wanted to shrivel into a corner. “Oh, one thing.” She stepped toward him as he stopped in the doorway. “Is it okay to park out front overnight?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. But if you are worried, there’s an alleyway that leads to a parking lot behind the building.”

Aubrie briefly smiled. “Thanks.”

Bran nodded and walked out the door.

Aubrie closed it behind him and locked it.

She briefly considered propping a chair under the doorknob. He did have a set of keys to the place after all, and who was to say he wouldn’t show up randomly looking for something he’d left behind. But with her luck today, there’d be a fire, and she’d be stuck having propped the door closed.

Such doom and gloom thoughts, Aubrie. Worse than imagining such luck, she was starting to think like her mother.

“Mom!” She tipped her head back, knowing how upset her mother would be for not having called her. But Aubrie was a full-grown adult, damn it. Besides, she’d have all day tomorrow to give her a call. While she tried her best to avoid Bran Jackson.

She laughed as she corrected herself.

Doctor Bran Jackson.