Page 130 of Clara Knows Best

“We’d be glad to have you.”

“Okay, cool,” he said, getting up to go.

“Well, don’t leave yet,” she objected. “You just got here.”

He sat.

“You’re moving here?”

“Yep.”

She smiled. “Good.”

He shrugged modestly.

“Are you sure you’re ready to leave your job in Austin?”

“Already quit.”

“Quit? Did they give the promotion to someone else?”

“No. I just didn’t want it anymore.”

“Oh,” she said, and after a pause, asked, “You’re thinking soon, then?”

“Stat. My nurse, Margo, comes with me. She’s a battle-axe.”

“That’s good to hear. We haven’t been able to hire another nurse.”

“Well, glad to be useful.”

A moment of silence passed between them, and then Dr. Wilder said seriously, “Jesse, I don’t need you to be useful to me. I think it’s time I explained something. Are you listening?”

He had been looking at the carpet, but he looked up now. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m a poor communicator, always have been, but this is important. I’m going to keep it as simple as I can, for clarity’s sake. The truth is, I haven’t considered myself a mother of four since the day I saw you. Everything I’ve done for you has been for your own sake. Regardless of what you seem to believe, I have no ulterior motive.”

Afraid she would see his disbelief, he looked down at his hands.

“You wanted to know why I paid for your school? I could tell as soon as you started your pre-med courses that you were called to this.You were meant to be a doctor.That’s it. There was no other reason.”

Jesse ran a hand over his stubble-roughened jaw. Nature’s contouring.

“And the reason I made you come here in February? As you suspected all along, I was manipulating you, but I wasn’t trying to be sneaky about it and I didn’t do it for business reasons. I did it because I knew that if I could get you totalk to me, we could clear the air. Do you hear me?You were meant to be part of this family.”

She was getting to the really hairy stuff now. He was not sure he wanted to think about Dr. Wilder clearing the air because Clara had a crush on him. “We done talking about feelings yet?”

“If you can repeat back to me what I said,” she answered evenly.

“What? Seriously?” he demanded.

“I need to know that you heard me. Miscommunication has tripped us up in the past.”

He rolled his eyes, knowing it was rude. But dealing with her brought out the immaturity in him. “I heard you. You put me through school because you could tell this is my calling.”

“You were meant to be a doctor,” she agreed. “What else?”

“You didn’t make me come here in February on business. You wanted to clear the air.”

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