Practicing Partners (Maiden’s Bay #2)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

AUbrIE ZIPPED UP the last of her bags and slid it off the bed. Only one garment remained in the apartment. The jacket Bran had worn over the flannel shirt the night of the fireworks still smelled like him, but Aubrie refused to wallow in it. She folded it neatly and left it on the bed. Whichever family member would come in here next could give it back to him.

She carried the bags to the door and took one last look out the windows at the incredible view of Maiden’s Bay. She would certainly miss the place, the apartment right in the heart of downtown, Crescent Cafe, even Campy’s Bar. Hard to believe she’d miss a bar, but she already did.

With her car parked out front on Pearl Avenue, she loaded up the luggage in the trunk. If it were up to her heart, she’d get in the driver’s seat and take off. But as she stared at the facade of Doc Bernie’s practice, she knew it wouldn’t be right to not say her goodbyes in person.

The door opened, and out came Edith. “You’re not going to leave us without saying goodbye, are you?”

Aubrie let out a slight chuckle. “Of course not.”

Edith stepped off the curb and approached the car. “Are you all packed? Anything I can help with?”

“No, I’m good.” Aubrie hated hearing her voice choking up.

Edith sighed. “For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry to see you go. You fit right in with us, with the town, in such a short period of time. We feel like we’re losing a part of it.”

“We?”

Edith nodded. “Come and see.”

“What do you mean?”

Edith held the door open for Aubrie. Instead of the sign-in log and Edith’s trinkets, the front desk was covered in flowers, the geraniums, gardenias, roses, and chrysanthemums she’d seen often through the windows of Bea’s Bouquets. Helium-filled balloons swayed in the air, held down by one of Edith’s paperweights, with sayings Best Wishes! and Good luck! and Thank you!

“What is all this?”

Edith smiled wide. “This is all for you. I know it was a short amount of time, but I don’t think you realize how many lives you’ve touched here.” She plucked a card off one of the bouquets and handed it to Aubrie.

Aubrie read it aloud. “‘Ian and I are so thankful for your due diligence. He’s fully recovered from his tonsillectomy. Keeping our fingers crossed no more strep!’” She recalled the boy with strep at the start of her job here. The boy who compelled her to review all things ear, nose, and throat related. A catalyst for an argument with Bran. She nearly laughed out loud, recalling the argument led to them having dinner. The start of their… well, whatever it was, it was over now.

“Here’s another.” Edith gave her another card.

“‘We wanted to give chocolates but didn’t know if that was too unhealthy for a doctor. Hope your next catch is as great as Maiden’s Bay. The crew of Harpeth Rose.’” The tears filled her eyes, and she didn’t bother fighting them. “That was sure an interesting day. Can’t say I’ve ever done so many physicals in a row.”

“Well, you never know what you’re going to get in this town.” Edith smiled.

It broke the eroding dam for Aubrie.

“Oh, honey, I didn’t mean to do that.” She laid her hand on Aubrie’s back.

“No, it’s not your fault.” Aubrie sniffled and wiped the tears off her cheeks, the cleared ones replaced by fresh streams.

“What is it, honey?” Her voice was soothing. “Do you not want to go? Is that it?”

“How can I give this all up? I’ve never seen anything like this.” She dabbed her eyes once more. “I mean, what am I doing? I wanted to start new somewhere, leave my past behind. Be a part of something I could get behind, that gave me a renewed purpose. I found all of that here. And I’m throwing it away.”

“Here, come sit.” Edith guided her to the waiting room chair, grabbed a few tissues, then sat next to her. She handed her the tissues. “I thought you wanted that new job?”

“I didn’t know what I wanted.” Aubrie cleaned up her face and blew her nose. “I mean, it’s not even a possibility now, is it? I wasn’t forthcoming with Doc Bernie, and that wasn’t right of me.”

“You apologized, and he forgave you, didn’t he?”

Aubrie nodded, though she hadn’t known Edith knew of her apologizing to Doc. Maiden’s Bay. It nearly made her laugh, bringing a second of cheer.

“It’s not just Doc. I… I’m not sure I’d want to stay if it wasn’t with Bran. I know it sounds silly, but he’s part of the reason I enjoyed being here. We really were a team, as much as I didn’t want to see it.”

Edith rubbed her back. “It’s not too late to change your mind. Would you stay if Bran returned to work here?”

“It’s not even worth thinking about.” She chuckled. “Even though I’ve thought about it nearly nonstop. He’s back in Seattle. That’s where he belongs, in Trauma. I’ve come to terms with that. Or so I thought.” She took a deep breath. She had denied herself thinking he’d return in order to move on. There was no sense in hoping for something that wouldn’t happen. “I thought if I focused on the next thing for me, that it would be easier to deal with all of this.”

Aubrie caught sight of Doc Bernie outside making his way toward the office. She sat up straighter and squished the tissue in her hand. It didn’t serve anyone well for him to see her like this.

Doc opened the front door and stepped in. “Good morning, Aubrie! I didn’t know if we’d see you this morning.” He grinned, then scanned the assortment of balloons and flowers on the desk. “Well, what’s going on here?”

Edith stood. “Those are for Aubrie, from past patients.”

“How nice.”

Edith approached him. “I think it’s time you had a chat with Aubrie. She was just saying how she’s conflicted, in leaving.”

“Is that right?” He looked at Aubrie, who bit her lip. Was it out of shame? Embarrassment? She didn’t have the energy left to be upset Edith had said anything.

Doc Bernie’s attention swung back to Edith. “Are you sure?”

“I think it’s best to tell her.”

Aubrie perked up. “Tell me what?”

Doc Bernie and Edith stared at each other for a long moment. After an eternity, Doc nodded.

Aubrie stood. “What’s going on?”

“It’s about Bran,” Doc said. “And the practice.”

“What about Bran and the practice?” No reasonable idea melded Bran and Doc’s practice together at this point. Aubrie’s heart thumped and blood warmed.

“How about we go back to my office and chat?” Doc nodded toward the hallway.

Aubrie’s feet were fixed, a leaden weight of anxiety. She wanted to demand answers, sick of the kept secrets between the people in this office. Doc Bernie not telling her about leaving the practice until she arrived, nor about her competition or his rheumatoid arthritis. Bran omitting his probation on top of his wretched plan to turn over the practice. Her holding on to Bran’s secrets. There were too many, and the thought of another made her blood boil.

Doc must’ve sensed her mixed emotions. “Please, Aubrie. If you even have an inkling of a desire to stay, you need to hear this.” He held out his hand, offering up his office.

Aubrie exhaled slowly and moved her heavy feet to Doc Bernie’s office. She took the seat in front of his desk, while he walked around to his seat.

“I contemplated telling you this. I want you to know it was because I didn’t want to interfere with your decision in leaving. I wanted that to be independent of whatever happened here. Not because I didn’t want you to know.”

Aubrie nodded but kept silent.

“I’ve come to a decision about the practice. Bran has been working out the logistics on his side of things, while I’ve been working with an attorney in town.”

She nearly shot out of her chair. “Are you saying Bran is taking over the practice? After what he did to you?”

Doc Bernie held up a hand. “I know you were hurt by Bran. That doesn’t escape me. In fact, he hurt several people by what he did. But he is not a bad person. I’m not just saying that because he’s my grandson, either. I’m saying that because it’s true. And in trying to make things right with me, the practice, the town, I think he’s come up with an excellent idea.”

How Aubrie would love to say she didn’t want to hear it, but nothing could be further from the truth. “Go ahead.”

“Bran is finalizing details with Seattle University Hospital to set up this practice with an amazing opportunity. I would help him in the transition of taking over, and Seattle would provide their expertise—cardiology, pulmonology, nutrition, and health—in a unique way. Members of their teams would visit the practice once a month on scheduled days to provide their care, in which patients across Maiden’s Bay and the area could see these specialists without having to travel far. Follow-ups could be done through telehealth in between in-person visits. It’s the best of both worlds and will really be a game changer for specialty care in the area.”

Aubrie thought it over, looking for flaws. “And insurance—”

Doc held up a hand. “We are working things through with the hospital and insurance providers. Bran is also looking into a funding program for the underserved in order to cover care for those in need.”

Aubrie bit her lip again. “Why are you telling me this now? When you didn’t want to before?”

Doc Bernie sighed. “Because when Edith tells me you’re conflicted in leaving, she’s really telling me that you’re looking for a way to stay. And I tend to believe Edith’s gut.”

“I don’t understand. I mean, it sounds almost too good to be true. It would be a great opportunity for the community to get specialized care, for sure if the financial aspect is worked out.” It was brilliant. Almost so obvious, she was upset they hadn’t thought of it earlier. There it was again. They. “But you said you’re handing it over to Bran. What does that have to do with me?”

“Would you consider staying now, knowing this information?”

Aubrie curled back into her seat. She was leaving today. Today! How could Doc Bernie throw this on her now?

Then again, how could he not?

It was Doc’s style, throwing curveballs at the most inconvenient time. He wouldn’t be Doc Bernie if he didn’t throw it out.

“I’d love to stay.” The waterworks built up again. Damn the tears. “I’m not so sure Bran would want that.”

Doc Bernie nodded. “You’re willing to leave us, drive thousands of miles east, with that uncertainty?”

The knot grew in the pit of her stomach. She knew what she had to do if she wanted to stay. And of course she wanted to stay. She wanted it all. To stay, work at the practice, work with Bran. Be with Bran.

“Not exactly.”

Doc Bernie tipped his head in confusion. “Does that mean you’re going to stay?”

“It means that I do have a drive to make.” She stood and walked to the office doorway. “To Seattle.”