She finished unpacking a box of antibiotics and placed the last bottle on the shelf. “Doc, what did you mean when you said you had something to tell me?”
“What?”
“When you were on the phone with Winnie. You said you hadn’t told me yet.”
Doc pivoted, his hands sliding into the pockets of his lab coat. “That’s right. We were interrupted yesterday.” Lila’s heart raced with anticipation. She leaned in, eager. “What were you going to tell me?”
Doc half sat on the stainless-steel examination table, his arms now folded in front of him. “Well, it’s like this. Winnie has been hounding me for a long time to slow down. She wants to travel. We both wish to spend more time with our son and his family.”
He looked at her and Lila wondered if he could see her heart pounding. Surely, the intense hammering was visible through her lab coat. She swallowed and clasped together sweaty hands, waiting for him to continue.
Outside the window, a pickup pulled into a parking space and stopped, a lone star matching the Texas license plates visible in the rear window. The polished deep blue exterior of the pickup truck gleamed in the sunlight, its chrome accents shimmering with brilliance.
Doc stood. “Oh, looks like he’s here.”
“Who’s here?” Lila asked, frowning. Why did they get interrupted every time Doc was about to share his news? News she suspected was announcing his retirement. News that could change her life.
Doc motioned for her to follow him outside.
Lila’s heart skipped a beat as she trailed after Doc, her mind racing. Who was this guy?
As they stepped out onto the porch, the scene of freshly cut grass and the distant promise of rain hung in the air. Lila squinted against the sunlight, her gaze landing on the figure emerging from the pickup truck. Tall and broad-shouldered, he moved with a confidence that demanded attention.
“Lila,” Doc began, his voice tinged with a hint of excitement. “Meet Whit Calloway.”
The name rolled off Doc’s tongue with a sense of significance that sent a shiver down Lila’s spine as she stepped forward.
Suddenly, her heart jumped a beat.
It was him. The guy from the rodeo.
She swallowed against the dryness collecting in the back of her throat. “Whit,” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.
He approached with a casual swagger, a pompous grin playing at the corners of his lips as he recognized her. “Nice to see you again,” he drawled, his words sending a jolt of electricity through the air.
The look in his eyes told her his statement wasn’t exactly genuine.
Lila’s mind raced as she struggled to maintain her composure. A palpable tension hung in the air, reminiscent of their earlier encounter in that arena.
Doc cleared his throat, a serious look settling over his features as he observed the charged silence between Lila and Whit. “So, you two have met before?”
Lila managed a nod, her thoughts in turmoil. What was happening? Why was this guy here?
“We met briefly the other night.” Whit’s eyes met Lila’s. “In Jackson.”
“Well, I’ve got some news,” Doc continued, his gaze shifting between the two of them. “I’m planning on retiring soon. Been thinking about it for a while. After my little heart incident, both Winnie and I agree it’s time.”
Doc sighed, looking genuinely pained. “Whit, give us a moment?”
Whit leaned against his truck and nodded.
Doc took Lila’s elbow and guided her out of earshot of Whit.
Her heart, already unsteady, now acted like it was the drummer in the town’s Fourth of July parade.
Doc adjusted his glasses against the glare of the late morning sun. “Now, Lila, I know you’ve been with me for years and you’ve put your heart into this clinic. I always appreciated that,” he said, his voice steady yet carrying an undertone of regret.
Lila nodded, the muscles in her jaw tightening. She sensed something was coming, something she might not like.
