Page 18 of The Last Lavender Sister

Brynn stole one last glimpse of Aster in the ball cap, her ponytail swaying slightly as she made her way back behind the counter. It was a good look on her and added a hint of swagger. She did own the place, after all, and between these four walls, she carried herself like she did,exhibiting a level of confidence Brynn hadn’t seen from Aster before. But this was her space, and she seemed very much at home.

As she exited the small shop, she heard Tori exclaim to the next customer, “Did you see her? The lady leaving. That was the new vet. She’s real, real nice. You folks need to take your pets on over next time they have the sniffles.” Brynn paused on the sidewalk, feeling like a character in a film because did actual people talk like that? The small-town chatter was real! She’d just experienced nothing comparable in bigger cities. No one was interested beyond a few niceties on their way somewhere. Nothing personal, just a truly different pace and culture.

“You went to Hole in One?” Eve shouted when Brynn walked in the back door of the clinic clutching her box of treats. “Joan, Dr. Brynn went to the goddamn Hole in One. Get in here.” Tyler’s office manager, Eve, was a woman in her fifties with lots of blond hair and mascara. She didn’t mince words and had sharp attention to detail. Brynn understood why Tyler kept Eve around, even if she was a little brash. Luckily, that intensity extended to her joyful side as well. “Oh, dear Lord, did they have the chocolate homicide thingy today? Get out right now. They did. Joan!”

Joan, a short brunette in charge of the front desk, raced around the corner and came to an abrupt stop like the Road Runner himself at the edge of a cliff. “We got Hole in One?” she asked in her customary high-pitched voice.

Brynn grinned. “I thought we could use a snack for our staff meeting.”

“I’d say we could,” Joan exclaimed. She was the quieter type, but sweet as could be, and did a nice job of handling the clients as they arrived for their appointments. “Well, this is just so nice of you, Dr. Brynn.”

“Is it time for the meeting?” Freddy asked, coming around the corner. He was a devoted vet tech and also handled most of the kennel work. Youngish, with a short beard likely designed to make him look older. Brynn had only known him a short time but was already impressed with his gentle demeanor with animals. That skill set went a long way to ease what could be a scary time for pets.

“You’re three minutes early, Freddy, and you’ve earned a gourmet doughnut. Yes, you have,” Eve said, taking the box from Brynn. Sheplaced it in the center of the table in the small break room and broke out plates and silverware from a magical cabinet organized to all of her preferences.

“Well, let’s all have a seat, grab some breakfast, and get started,” Brynn said. Was it weird that she was nervous? She’d attended a million staff meetings over the course of her career and had contributed consistently. This was the very first one she’d run entirely by herself, however. Tyler’s three employees each grabbed their pick of doughnut and blinked back at her expectantly.Deep breath.

“Right. Well, I don’t think we’ll be long, but I did want to keep afloat Dr. Lawson’s tradition of having a staff meeting once a month. It’s good for us to touch base and share our thoughts.” All three heads nodded eagerly, and she appreciated how much they seemed to care about their jobs and the clinic. “First of all, I think we’re doing a great job of patient flow, and I appreciate the system you have in place, Eve, for the exam room rotations.”

“It really is the most efficient way,” Eve said, nodding. “To float you around while Fred and I prep in between. Should we offer bagels to those who are waiting? That’s been a question I’ve had for a while. Years even. I always thought that would be a nice touch that Dr. Tyler never went for.”

Brynn understood why. The cost for daily bagels would be huge. She saw what Tyler billed, and it was a fraction of what you could charge elsewhere. From a financial perspective, Tyler could barely afford those red and white mints she had in a dish on Joan’s desk. “I love your ambition, but I think our budget might be too tight for bagels.”

She watched as Eve’s face fell. “Maybe I’ll just make them at home then. I could learn.”

“It’s something for maybe down the line.” Brynn refocused. “I would like to address charting admin and how important it is for us to prioritize it above things like organizing the sample closet.”

“That was Eve’s call,” Fred said, referencing their big project the week before, as charts stacked up. He caught Eve’s challenging stare and backpedaled. “But I supported her decision.”

“That it was.” Eve tented her hands on the table. “We are only as strong as our most organized cupboard, Dr. Brynn. I believe that.”

“Me, too,” Joan said dutifully.

Brynn swallowed. “Yes. I hear you, but our charts are backed up, and the health of our patients is more important than anything. Right?”

The three of them checked in with each other before collectively nodding. “Can’t argue with that,” Joan said.

“We love our patients. God bless ’em,” Eve said.

“I’d do anything for those little guys,” Fred offered, and the depth of emotion behind his eyes said he meant it.

“Updating the medical records after I’ve added my notes will help them immensely.”

“On it, Dr. Brynn.” Her new name. She’d never been calledDr. Brynnin her life until Homer’s Bluff. It had pulled her up short at first, but the more days passed, the more she tried it on. Wasn’t so bad now, especially since she knew they meant it with affection.Dr. Brynnwas feeling like a brand new persona, and after her year, that felt good. She stole a bite of her Lavender Lemonhead doughnut before glancing at her notes for the next agenda item. “How on earth…?” she asked no one in response to the immense flavor that hit her tongue. She was off topic and knew it, but smack her ass, that doughnut was too good to be real. How was the dough so soft?

“Hole in One gets better each time I try one of their doughnuts,” Joan said in her meek tone, nodding with immense understanding. Everything she said dripped with honest-to-goodness sincerity. “They’re an asset to this town. Before them, we had a little doughnut shop in town center, but they lacked innovation and closed up after just two sad years. That lady quilts now and attends shows in all the little surrounding towns. I have one of her patchwork deals. She’s better at quilting than baking. I’ll say that.”

“Sometimes her doughnuts were not so fresh,” Eve said as if she was confessing something delicate. “I didn’t want to say anything, but it’s true. Bless her anyway, and her mama.”

“Those doughnuts sucked,” Freddy said outright. “But it’s all we had. Then the, uh, Violet’s little sister stepped in, and damn. We were in business.”

“Aster,” Brynn supplied, surprised that Aster had been right about folks not remembering her name. How? Aster Lavender was a memorable person. At least to Brynn, who’d already flashed back to her in the ball cap more than once that morning. That’s when shenoticed that the three initial doughnuts selected by her staff had quietly disappeared as they’d talked, and a second doughnut appeared on each paper plate. Her offering was a hit. “Well, anyway. As much fun as doughnuts are, we should get back on task.”

“Anything you say, Dr. Brynn,” Joan said, admiring her Chocolate Murder doughnut like she’d just met a new best friend. “Fire away.”

Brynn’s nerves had been calmed, and they went on to have a balanced, productive staff meeting, everyone high on a little sugar and enjoying their morning a bit extra thanks to her pit stop on the way to work. She’d be sure to let Aster know that her doughnuts had greased the wheels of her first staff meeting in Homer’s Bluff, no pun intended.

Well, maybe a little one.

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