Page 91 of Jagger

As she walked away, I couldn’t help wondering whether he would ever be free of her ghost. If not, I wouldn’t be able to compete with that.

CHAPTER 25

Bella

With the cherry pie safely on my passenger seat, I headed to the doctor’s clinic. Poppy had provided me with an address and directions. I found his place easily enough, although when I pulled into the parking lot, it appeared like a lovely house adorned in white with turquoise shutters. There was a front porch with flowerpots, but the flowers were all dead and no one had pulled the carcasses, tossing them into the trash.

Still, I had a feeling it was going to be quaint inside.

I wasn’t disappointed, the small but accommodating reception area adorned with lots of magazines and pictures of the mountains surrounding the town. There was a single patient inside, the younger woman flipping through an issue ofWomen’s Day.

“Can I help you?” an older lady asked from behind the reception desk.

“Hi, I’m Bella Winters. I don’t have an appointment, but Doc Welby said I could stop by and see his clinic. I’ll wait.”

Her eyes opened wide. “You are very much welcome and the doc indicated maybe you’d stop by. He’s finishing up with a patient, but I’ll tell him you’re here.”

“Thank you.” I suddenly felt suffocated, almost leaving as she walked away. No. I refused to walk out now. I was taking control of my life, but I had to do this for me, not just because of how I felt about Jagger.

I couldn’t sit down while waiting. I was far too nervous. My pulse was racing, my hands clammy. There hadn’t been a single surgery I’d performed where I’d felt this nervous. Why now? Because the decision I ultimately made would be the most life-changing event I’d ever gone through by far. My gut told me that.

Was it a positive decision?

I was leaning a certain way at this point.

At least ten minutes passed until I heard two voices. Doctor Welby walked out from the back alongside an older lady. She was laughing and my keen eyes told me she was flirting with him. That brought a smile to my face. He was a good-looking older man with a full head of hair and other than slight paunch in the front, lean and mean.

He’d make a good catch for anyone.

He showed the lady to the door, his smile remaining as she walked out. “Mrs. Jensen. I’ll be right with you.”

The other woman sitting in the chair offered him a huge smile. “Doc Welby, you’re worth waiting for and remember, I’m no longer flirting.”

This time I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. This was definite flirting. Poor guy. I wasn’t certain whether to feel sorry or happy for him that he was so popular with the ladies.

He shifted his attention in my direction and it seemed as if relief flooded his gray eyes. “Bella. It’s so good to see you. Please come back to my office and we’ll chat.”

I followed behind him, noticing out of the corner of my eye the receptionist was watching me intently. My decision would alter her future as well. She had every right to be nosy.

Doc Welby’s office was tiny, every wall surface covered, his desk a complete mess, and I noticed there wasn’t a computer in the room. Still, I had a feeling the man was completely organized. He’d have to be if he knew all the patients’ first names without looking at charts.

“Have a seat, my dear,” he told me, pointing toward the single one in front of his desk. The chairs were likely from the seventies, the desk more ancient than that, but his furniture suited him.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

“Nonsense. For a pretty lady like you, I’ll make all the time in the world.”

“I don’t think you have any issues with the ladies.”

I’ll be damned if he didn’t blush. “They’re just gold diggers.”

He was adorable and this time I did laugh. “Maybe so.”

He plopped his folded hands on the surface of his desk. “So, what do you think of my little place?”

“Very… quaint.”

His laugh was heartfelt. “I know there needs to be some updates, but I do have a new computer system installed, not that I’ve been forced to learn to use it, but it’s state of the art. I have almost three thousand patients, most of which come to me on a regular basis. I get to make my own hours, enjoying a longer lunch. And I have terrific views. What more do you need in a profession?” His eyes were twinkling.

---