Page 74 of The Seal's Promise
“It’s Ms. Alright, let me grab my coffee and we can start with a quick tour of the hospital and talk about the positions available.”
Brooke spotted a familiar truck parking outside, and quickly grabbed her coffee and the bag May held out to her.
“I’ll see you tonight at the Summer Solstice,” May whispered.
“Thank you,” Brooke said, grateful that no matter what happened in her life she always had her family.
It was unavoidable to run into Dalton but at least she had the Pattersons to deflect any awkward exchange between them.
“Good morning, Dr. Hart, I’m just interviewing these doctors for positions at the hospital,” Brooke said when he stopped to stand in front of her.
“Oh, that’s unexpected news,” Dalton said, looking from them back to her. But then plastered on a charming smile. “You’ve made a great choice, Sandy Point Hospital is a fantastic opportunity.”
After a brief introduction she ushered them out of May’s. While she’d used almost half a bottle of concealer to hide the dark circles after a night of crying, Dalton looked fresh and gorgeous as usual, as if ending their short affair hadn’t been difficult for him at all. That not only hurt Brooke, but it pissed her off too.
She spent the next two hours interviewing the Pattersons. They explained that after years of working in Atlanta they were burnt out on city life, and Misha had always hoped to start a family practice and live near the coast. They were both from the Savannah area, and Sandy Point seemed like the perfect place for them. While legally she couldn’t ask if Dr. Misha was hoping to start a family soon, Brooke suspected that that was in the cards for them. But she felt confident that having at least two full-time physicians on staff at any given time would cover their small-town hospital and give the Pattersons the work-life balance they were looking for.
“So, I’m going to follow up with your references while you both make your final decisions, but it’s safe to say the jobs are yours if you want them,” Brooke said at the end of their tour.
“Fantastic,” Dr. Misha said.
“We look forward to the formal offer!” Dr. Jack said with a big grin.
After Brooke saw them out she turned to find Nora scowling at her.
“What? They’re great. Perfect for a small-town hospital.”
“Oh, sure, true, those two beautiful, exceptionally trained doctors seem really excited to move here and they’re likely just what this town needs.”
“So then why are you giving me a dirty look like I’m making a huge mistake?” Brooke asked, feeling deflated.
But before Nora could respond, Dalton walked up with an elderly man he’d been working with for the last hour. The gentleman wore a Navy shirt and was telling Dalton all about his glory days in the service.
“Alright, Dr. Hart, I hope to see you next time I’m here.”
The words cut even deeper now that Brooke had accepted that Dalton would be leaving sooner than expected. And now that she’d found not one but two full-time physicians.
Dalton set the tablet he’d used with the patient on the counter and looked back and forth between Nora’s scowl and Brooke.
“Everything okay, ladies?” he asked in his charming, upbeat style, and Brooke got annoyed again.
“Oh, sure, Brooke just found your replacements. You know, a two-for-one on well-educated and experienced doctors suddenly after your job?”
Dalton smiled. “That’s great news, right?”
“Yep, I just need to call all their references and confirm their certifications but it’s looking good,” Brooke said. “They said they were already working with a real estate agent to look at local properties and they seem eager to start by the end of summer.”
“Great—unless Dr. Hart decided he wanted to stay on,” Nora prompted.
“I don’t think we can pass up the Pattersons, and I can only consider the applications I have, not the maybes,” Brooke said and walked away. She didn’t want to make the conversation any more awkward.
She locked herself in her office the rest of the day and waited to leave until right before she needed to be at the Summer Solstice. Tyler was supposed to pick up Max from school, take him to baseball practice, and then the festival. And she was beyond stressed out, but she kept reminding herself this was the only way to win full custody. Her life was just hitting a rough patch, and she needed to suck it up. So what if she’d accidentally fallen in love with her childhood crush, a man who would be gone in a few weeks? By fall her life would settle into a new normal, and Dalton would just be a fond memory.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Dalton
Now or Never
