Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

“GOOD JOB.” DOC clapped his hands. “I think our first day was a success.”

Aubrie’s facade of a smile waned as Doc Bernie walked back to his office.

Bran wanted to apologize again for being late. But his dad and stepmom arrived back in town last night and insisted on meeting him for breakfast. Despite Bran’s several warnings of having to go, Dad had drawn out the meal, deciding to drop news about how they’re moving to Florida after they had finished. Not only was it a shock, but it irked Bran that they hadn’t told him earlier. Not even Nathaniel thought it a good idea to pick up the phone to let him know. But he was so late, he didn’t have time to ask the questions that ran through his head.

It wasn’t that he cared what decisions Dad and Rita made. They had their own lives, mostly separate from Bran’s, and they could go wherever or do whatever. But with Doc Bernie retiring, and now them leaving, the familial connection with Maiden’s Bay was dwindling. Would that affect Doc’s decision? Had he known of their impending move? Surely he knew they were in Florida during his retirement party. If Bran had called upon arrival, he would’ve known, too.

It didn’t matter when he found out. What nagged him was the thought that maybe there wasn’t enough connection to his hometown to keep him coming back. Was there a goodbye to the town for him, too?

Edith turned off the front waiting room lights and headed for the patient rooms.

“Let me help you with closing,” Aubrie said.

“Oh, that’s okay. It’s part of my job. You go on ahead.”

Doc Bernie popped his head out of his office. “You two, big day tomorrow. Make sure to rest up.”

Aubrie looked back at Bran, and he shrugged. Who knew what Doc had in store for the two of them.

His stomach growled, as he had not eaten since the eventful breakfast this morning. Edith warded off Aubrie’s helping hand, assuring her she had closing covered.

“Hey, Aubrie.” Bran stopped her as she retrieved her purse out of the front desk. “I was wondering if you want to get some food down at Campy’s?”

Aubrie didn’t hide her surprise enough. He didn’t mean to make her feel uncomfortable. He didn’t even know if that’s how she felt. But whatever it was, it was negative and not his intention.

“Come on. It’s getting darker earlier these days, and you’ve got to be hungry by now.”

Her eyebrows raised.

“I saw that meager salad you brought for lunch, and that was what, six hours ago?”

Aubrie sighed. “I don’t know how you do it. You invite me to come with you, yet it also feels like an insult?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… I know I’d be hungry by now, in your shoes.”

Aubrie stared at the ceiling, as if looking to the heavens for guidance, before meeting Bran’s gaze again. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Really?”

“Are you questioning my decision?”

“You mean... like how you questioned mine back there with the staples earlier?”

She opened her mouth, apparently at a loss for words.

“I’m just joking, Aubrie.”

She slung the straps of her purse on her shoulder. “I’ve changed my mind.”

There was no winning with this woman. “Come on. We said we’d start over. At least give me a chance to—”

Aubrie held up a hand. “Fine. Can we not do this in front of….” She nodded to Edith.

He wanted to point out it didn’t matter where they bickered. It’d make its way through town, back to Edith somehow. But he seized the opportunity.

“All right.” He opened the front door for her, and they exited onto the street. The cool evening breeze was a relief from the office’s sterile vibe. Edith had lit a cinnamon-apple scented candle at her desk to give the air some personality, but it mainly served to ignite a headache for Bran.

Aubrie closed her coat a bit tighter with the wind. Bran took the initiative to lead the way up Pearl Avenue the few blocks to Campy’s.

“I understand it, by the way,” Bran said. “Questioning my judgment today.”

“It was a knee-jerk reaction.” Aubrie kept her eyes ahead. “I shouldn’t have presented that doubt in front of the patient, especially in front of the patient’s mom.”

“It’s okay. Really. You don’t know me. You’ve never seen me work, let alone work alongside me. I would’ve done the same.”

“Really?” Her laser focus broke, affording a softer glance at Bran.

“Maybe?” His shoulders raised, he couldn’t hold back the chuckle.

Aubrie’s resolve broke, a genuine smile showing. Perhaps the first one he had seen all day. It was beautiful.

They crossed the street and went up the stairs to Campy’s. It wasn’t quite as crowded as Saturday, but happy hour did bring in many of the locals hitting the bar for a drink before continuing on home.

“How about a table this time?” Bran held out a hand to an open booth by the windows.

Aubrie nodded and sat down on one of the cushioned benches, while Bran occupied the other. A waitress dropped two menus for them and took their drink orders.

Aubrie investigated the menu as if she were reading the tonsillectomy text. Bran hadn’t been face-to-face with her a whole lot, and now that they sat opposite each other, he noticed how her bangs accentuated the darkness in her eyes, in a good way.

The waitress came by with their drinks and took their food order. Bran had waited until the pressure of selecting was over with, as it seemed to be Aubrie’s full focus. Either that, or she couldn’t stand to look at him.

“So, how do you think the first day went?” He took a sip of his iced tea.

Aubrie gave a muted smile. “All right, I guess. It definitely pointed out how I need a refresher in general medicine.”

“I think you did a great job covering the signs of concussion with the head wound patient.”

“Darren.”

“Yes, Darren.” He cleared his throat, her stare one that could send daggers into a man’s chest.

Aubrie wiggled in her seat and took a deep breath. “I’m just going to come out and say it. Honestly, it’s why I agreed to this dinner.”

“I’ll take it straight.” Of course she’d be to the point. Subtlety was not her thing.

“You didn’t show up until halfway through the morning, without as much as an apology. What’s your deal?”

Bran bit the inside of his bottom lip. “For the record, I did apologize to Doc. But you’re right. I should’ve apologized to you, as well. We’re coworkers, so it’s only right to show you the same respect.”

Her left eyebrow furled and head tilted, as if she questioned his intentions in such a statement.

“So, I apologize. There was a family thing that was, honestly, thrown on me this morning, and it made me late, despite my many warnings that I would indeed be late.”

“And Darren. You seemed eager to tend to the head wound.”

He nodded. “I was. My expertise is trauma, and I’ve seen patients lose a lot of blood with head wounds. I didn’t think his would be that bad but wanted to be sure. And the quicker to get it done, the better.”

She mulled this over and concluded with a head nod.

“Look, I don’t mean to step on toes. I truly did want to get it closed up, and then I would’ve checked on signs of concussion. But I’m glad you were there to do that. Like I said, you did a great job with the patient and his mother.”

She opened her mouth, but Bran beat her to it.

“Irene.” He smiled, and Aubrie followed. “See, I do listen. And remember, too.”

Their food arrived, Aubrie with a plateful of penne, and Bran his burger. It had been years since he ordered the famous Campy’s crew burger, and he hoped to all hell it still tasted as good as he remembered.

“That burger is massive.” Aubrie eyed the wonderful monstrosity before him.

“You want a bite?”

“No, that’s okay.”

“Here.” He sliced a wedge out of the stacked burger. “You have to at least try Campy’s crew burger once. The locals will appreciate it, trust me.”

She hesitantly accepted the wedge and took a bite. “Oh, my goodness. What’s that sauce?”

“Campy’s sauce.” He pointed out one of the plastic condiment bottles at the wall edge of the table. “And don’t try to figure it out. It’s the best kept secret of Maiden’s Bay. I put it on their fries and chicken tenders. I’ve even ordered eggs late at night and covered them with the stuff.”

“It’s amazing.” She followed it with a sip of her drink. “Here I thought Maiden’s Bay didn’t have any secrets.”

“I see you’ve spoken with some of the locals, then?”

She nodded.

“I suppose it doesn’t take long to realize how small of a town we are.” The use of “we” struck him. As if he belonged here, was a part of the community after all these years away.

“You left to go to school, I take it?”

“That was part of it.”

“And the other part?”

He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I guess the same reason why others leave their hometowns. In the hopes of there being something bigger out there. More possibilities.”

“While I was lamenting the busyness and crowdedness of Dallas.”

“You grew up there?”

“Lived there all of my life.”

“But you don’t seem to have an accent.”

She smiled. “My parents moved there from Maryland after they got married. They’re still there—parents, brother. My sister and her family.” She grew quiet with the last words.

“But you wanted the opposite as me, something slower, calmer?”

She nodded, though he got the sense, as with his answer, there was more to hers. He didn’t want to push his luck, though. If she wanted to elaborate, she would.

“I guess it’s true then, that the grass is always greener.”

Aubrie set down her fork, her elbows on the table, and she leaned. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“You left town to get your degree, live the big city life. And now you’re back.”

“Yes.” He nodded slowly, not sure where this was going.

“Then, today, at the practice… I mean, up until the teenager showed up with his mom, it seemed like working there was absolute torture for you. That—” She sat back and exhaled hard. “I really don’t mean this to be rude.”

“Go on.” Bran braced for whatever was coming his way.

“Just your actions, your demeanor. It seemed like you were… above the work. Above being there. Maybe not just the office and work. Maybe here, in town.”

As much as he didn’t want there to be an underlying truth to her words, there was. Not so much that he was above the work. It wasn’t the type of work he wanted to do. Being back here, despite being temporary, made him feel like a bit of a failure. He knew he was good at his job, and that kind of confidence was necessary as a trauma surgeon. But perhaps he did fail in Seattle, in another way.

“I’m sorry if I came across like that. I certainly didn’t mean to. I just… I have a lot going on, juggling the possible transition from Seattle to here, the family news I heard about this morning. Perhaps I was a bit antsy, uncomfortable even, being in Doc Bernie’s practice again.”

“It is weird—the transition, that is. I can’t say pediatric oncology prepared me for this type of work.”

He chuckled, his armor softening. Something about being in front of Aubrie made him feel he had to be defensive, that he had to explain himself with her more than anyone else he’d ever met. But it felt good to talk with her. A genuine conversation.

“I’ll admit, seeing a trauma patient—albeit not quite the magnitude I see—was a bit of a relief.”

“I knew it!” Aubrie’s fist hit the table. “You wanted the wound to be deeper, didn’t you? A real traumatic emergency.”

“Now, that’s just terrible.” His pretend seriousness vanished, and he laughed.

“Doctors are terrible people sometimes.” Aubrie took another sip. “We want to save lives, but in order to save lives, we need lives to be in peril.”

“There’s truth in that.”

“Of course there is.”

Bran looked at her, wondering if she was being snarky, as if she only spoke in truths. But her smile remained.

“You know, I really am sorry for today. And the other day. I’m starting to realize that maybe not everyone eats up the charm I can dole out.”

“You think?” She laughed.

The warmth of it sent fire through his core. He cooled it down with his drink. The last thing he needed was to turn this coworking relationship into a different kind of relationship. Besides, despite her personality softening this evening, that didn’t mean she still didn’t hold him in the low regard she all but laid out the other night.

“I promise to be on time tomorrow.”

Her eyes grew big, and she nodded. “Okay. I’m going to take your word for it.”

“You go on ahead because it’s true.”

“Speaking of tomorrow, any idea what we will be busy with?”

Bran shook his head. “I thought about what the heck it could be. Some special holiday here, or event. I can’t think of anything. I mean, what would keep that place busy?”

“You don’t want me to answer that, speaking of patients needing to be in peril.”

His mouth hung open. “Look at you. There is a bit of a devil in you after all.”

“I’m just saying that when a doctor says expect to be busy, you’d assume it’s with patients who need you, right?”

“Uh-huh. We’ll go with that.”

“Shut up.” She giggled, and that was it. That feeling again. This was not supposed to be happening. None of this was—him returning home, taking over the practice, disappointing Doc Bernie, having this other person as an alternative that could thwart his plans. Nothing would thwart his purpose here more than a romantic fling.

But Aubrie was different. She saw right through him, from the very instant she met him. No one, no woman, had ever made him feel so uncomfortable, out of place, and well, like such a jerk for doing some of the things he did and saying some of the things he said. There was no hiding with her.

Hopefully, he could do a better job at hiding what he felt in this moment than all of the other things she had figured out about him.

Because that internal gut reaction, those butterflies, that connection… they were hard to hide.