Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3

PITTSBURGH OR BOSTON? Aubrie had weighed the pros and cons of each but looked over her notes yet again. Both were far from Maiden’s Bay. Pro. Yet both had harsher winters than she’d ever experienced. Con. Pittsburgh had room for her to move up in the department. Boston was a higher position, but she’d be coming in as a newbie managing people she hadn’t worked with before.

Still, neither screamed out to her as the right path. Was there even a right path? At this point, she was playing it by ear, “it” being her life the past year. Or perhaps all of her adult life. Even when she did have a plan, life found a way to disrupt it. Throwing a dart at a map would be about as useful in making a decision as purposefully making one.

She scoured the two job offer letters yet again, as if they held tiny clues pointing her in a direction. Notifying Doc Bernie had been difficult, but part of her hoped he would have insight on which to choose. He merely congratulated her on both, then updated her on the prospects of her replacement.

She set the letters down and stepped into the kitchen. As the coffee brewed, she leaned against the cabinet and tapped her fingers on the counter. She needed to get out of this place. It didn’t feel right staying in Doc Bernie’s family’s apartment any longer. Each day, she worked less at the practice, until finally Doc said she didn’t have to come in unless he called her. She felt useless, all the while taking up space, using the utilities. It was time to pack up and get out. Where to was the question.

Despite knowing better, she sipped the hot brew, only confirming it needed time to cool.

A knock sounded at the door.

She checked through the peephole. Bran.

Another decision to make—answer the door or not. She looked down at her clothes, regretting not changing out of the red flannel pajamas before having coffee. She cracked the door open, Bran opening his mouth.

“Hold on.” She shut the door before he could speak and ran to the bedroom. She threw on jeans and a Dallas Cowboys hoodie, the star cracked and lettering faded from wear. Looking in the mirror, she redid her ponytail and straightened her bangs. Why she bothered with any of it, who knew? If anything, she should’ve made herself look worse. But then she remembered he had seen her at her worst, in bed in the morning, opening up about Reid. Crying. Yet it didn’t scare him away then. The thought of it tore at her insides.

Not bothering with socks or shoes, she hurried to the door and stopped. It couldn’t hurt making him wait a few more seconds. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Bran.”

“Hi, Aubrie.”

They stood in the doorway, staring yet not staring at each other.

“Can I… come in?”

I don’t know, can you?

She swallowed her pettiness and opened the door wider.

Bran entered, staying close to the door. Close to the escape route.

He pointed at her shirt. “Cowboys fan. I had no idea you were into football.”

“It’s my brother’s from a while back. I drove him and his friends to a concert, and I got his favorite hoodie.”

“I see.” Bran nodded, the silence uncomfortable.

Aubrie wanted to get it over with. “What are you doing here?”

“I called a few times yesterday, but….”

The phone calls didn’t go unnoticed. Only unanswered. What was she going to say to him? Was there anything he could say to make her feel better about what happened to Doc and the practice? What happened to them?

“Well, you’re here, so….” She folded her arms across her chest.

“Yeah. Um, I made a promise to Doc to come talk to you.”

“Is that the only reason you came? Because of some promise to Doc?”

“No.” He held up his hands. “Not at all. I mean, he did encourage me to put on my big boy pants and do it. But I wanted to talk to you. I just didn’t know how, I guess.”

Aubrie sighed. “Coffee?” It was more a way to busy herself than to be polite.

“Sure.” Bran pointed to the sofa. “May I?”

“It’s your family’s, after all.” She regretted the steeliness behind it. It made her sound ungrateful for the place, the opportunity, and that was far from the truth. She poured him a mug and handed it to him, opting to sit at one of the stools at the kitchen island.

“Are those your job offers?” He pointed at the desk.

“Reading through my mail?”

“No. Doc Bernie told me about them. I just assumed.”

She nodded. “You assumed correctly.”

Bran set down the mug. “Look. I don’t know if he told you this, but Doc has this crazy notion that we should take over the practice. Together, I mean.”

“I’m leaving, Bran.”

“I told him he should give it to you. You’d be better for it. No, not better. Best. You’re the best person for it.”

Was this his way of making things better? “What, now that you’ve been caught, you’re going to easily hand over the prize to me?”

“No.” He rifled his hands through his hair and jumped up from the couch. He walked to the window overlooking Pearl Avenue. “I feel like everything is coming out all wrong.”

“Then, make it come out right.”

“You’re right.” He turned around, back to the window and pitiful face to her. “What I’m trying to say is, don’t leave for the wrong reasons. Don’t leave because of me. Because of my screw up.” He held up a hand. “I don’t mean that your decisions revolve around me. Please don’t take it that way. You may have many reasons to take a job elsewhere and leave Maiden’s Bay behind. I just don’t want my behavior to be one of them. I’d hate to think that I not only screwed up with Doc, and us, but the whole town. Because they deserve someone like you taking care of them.”

He said us. As in, there was an us to begin with.

His phone buzzed, and he clenched his hand over his pocket.

“Go ahead, take it,” she said.

“No, this is more important.”

“Bran, take it.”

He froze for a few seconds, letting the ringtone carry on, then nodded and answered it, turning away from her again to the window.

What was she to say to all that? She tried to say he had nothing to do with her decision, but that was a downright lie. Of course his actions had been the catalyst for all of this.

She stared at the letters on the desk. The letters that still provided no answers. She took a swig of her coffee, cool enough to do so, and then gulped half the mug down. Part of her wished there was more than caffeine in it.

And for Doc Bernie to think they could work together? After all that happened? Sure, they eventually worked great together at the practice. But that was before she knew of the lies. How could she trust Bran again? That he wouldn’t hold things back from her?

Doc Bernie was holding onto an idyllic dream. No, it was best to hire one of the candidates in his list of qualified applicants, and for her and Bran to move on. Separately. She shouldn’t even entertain the thought of working together again with Bran. So, why did it persist in her head right now?

Bran hung up, placing the phone back in his pocket. “That was the hospital in Seattle.” He didn’t bother turning around, as if his words were for the town itself.

“What’d they say?” The eagerness was a little too evident in her voice. As a doctor, she didn’t want to see a colleague wrongfully get kicked out of his career. Convincing herself that was the only reason was hard.

“They’ve come to a decision. My probation is over.” He turned around and looked at her, the desperation in his eyes visible across the room. They hurt to look at.

The victory was bittersweet. He was no longer in trouble and could carry on with his career. That alone made her relieved for him. Yet, now knowing the verdict, his ruse was rendered unnecessary. He wouldn’t have had to do any of it, coming to Maiden’s Bay, vying for Doc’s practice.

“I’m allowed to return.”

The small spark of joy at hearing his pardon extinguished. The past week and a half, she wondered if he carried on in Seattle. Not knowing perhaps was better than knowing he’d be there for certain. That he was out of her life for good.

“About what I said.” He took a step closer.

“What about it?” She stood from the stool, returning to the crossed arms stance. “No, you know what? It’s just as well. I’m happy for you. Really. You go back to Seattle, and I’ll be going to Pennsylvania or Boston, or wherever I end up. The truth is, neither of us deserves that practice.”

He took another step. “You can’t really mean that. For yourself, that is. You did nothing wrong.”

“I lied to Doc Bernie, too.”

“No. It was my lie.”

“Not saying anything makes me just as guilty, doesn’t it?”

“No, it doesn’t.” He rubbed his chin. “Aubrie, you did what you did to help me. If I hadn’t been there, if it were only you, would you still be leaving right now? Or would you stay?”

“I can’t think of it like that because you were there. You were a part of all of this.” She hated how her voice weakened, how her eyes watered. They weren’t supposed to do that. Not for Bran. She had given enough of her time for him. Her energy. Her trust.

“Please, just go.” It took everything in her not to let the tears fall.

“Aubrie—”

“Bran. We’re done here.”

His mouth was open for more words, but he heeded hers. “All right.” He walked past her to the front door, turning around before going. “I wish you the best, Aubrie. You deserve it.”

She gave a nod, the tears betraying her, having to wipe them with the back of her hand. “Good luck to you in Seattle.”

He paused, as if he meant to say something else. But then he turned back around and left.