Page 59 of Paging Dr. Summers

“Sidney, this is my—” Maxwell halted, clearly flustered. “This is Brooke,” he quickly corrected himself, his voice strained. “And Logan,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

What the hell? My mind raced. What had he been about to say when he introduced Brooke? What did he think she was to him?

I glanced at Brooke to see if she found any of this odd or inappropriate. She looked bewildered, as if she couldn’t believe it was happening. I didn’t want to steal the moment from her, as it could prove monumental for her future—a future that I knew didn’t include me. It shouldn’t have been such a sobering thought, but it was.

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Sidney commented before diving right into the conversation with Brooke. “I have to say, you are a skilled storyteller, Brooke. You know how to engage an audience. Tell me, how long have you been in radio?”

Brooke squeezed my hands before responding. “Since high school. The station hired me to do odd jobs after school, like making coffee and running errands, but I begged anyone I could to let me in the booth. I think they got tired of me asking, so they finally relented.” She laughed.

I could picture her badgering her bosses, and it made me smile.

“They let me fill in during a weekend spot, late at night, probably thinking no one would listen to me, but people called in to say how much they loved me.” Brooke’s face glowed as she spoke about what was obviously a memorable event for her. “So I started filling in more until I got my own show about ten years ago.”

Sidney nodded, seemingly impressed. “Sounds like you have tenacity and talent.”

Brooke nibbled on her lower lip. “I hope so.”

Sidney leaned forward, studying Brooke more intently than before. “Tell me what kind of preparation you put into your shows and how you go about choosing content.”

Brooke sat up taller, rising to the occasion. “That’s easy. I let the music guide me. Of course, I do my research to make sure the stories and behind-the-scenes glimpses are factual. But honestly, I do my best to present every song I play like a gift because that’s what music is.”

Both Sidney and Maxwell sat back, appearing to be taken in by Brooke’s enthusiasm and needing a moment to process.

How I ever thought she was a hot mess, I’ll never know. I’d come to realize that her brand of crazy was just passion, and I was lucky enough to get a taste of it. I would do my best to enjoy it while it lasted.

“What is going on over there?” Claire demanded to know as soon as I picked up the phone.

“Well, good morning to you too, sunshine.” I stretched and yawned in bed.

The previous day had been a full one, and I was exhausted. Logan and I had hiked up to Alpine Falls, which had taken several hours but was so worth it. I’d never seen a more exquisite place in all my life. The dense forest, crystal-clear lakes, and wildflower-filled meadows, not to mention the cascading falls, were breathtaking. As was Logan. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of him, which was bad news for me, because we had an expiration date, but I was trying not to think about it.

“Don’tgood morningme. I thought you told me you only met Sidney Harper last week.”

I sat up, confused, the daylight streaming in from the large window in my bedroom with the best view of the lake.

“I did. What’s this all about?”

“Oh, I don’t know, only that Janice is about to have an aneurysm over here.” Janice was the station manager at Rockin’ River 97.5, and everyone who worked there kind of hated her.

“I thought you would sound happier about that possibility,” I teased her.

“Trust me, I’ve already written her eulogy in my head, but that’s beside the point.”

“What’s the point?” I laughed, imagining Claire’s eulogy for Janice. It would probably start with, “We gather together today to remember Janice, who never failed to give us something to talk about. Whether it was her unforgettable fashion choices of pairing plaid with horizontal stripes on a daily basis, or how she made every staff meeting go for hours on end when she could have sent the information in a two-line email.”

“Only that someone from Sidney Harper’s office called Janice asking about you, which no one should know about, but you know how no one around here can keep their mouths shut about anything. Anyway, Janice is freaking out, wondering why you quit like it wasn’t her fault that you never got promoted or had a better time slot. Of course, she’s blaming everyone else that a talent like you left.”

“Really? What did the person from Sidney’s office say? This is the first time I’m hearing anything. When we met, he took my contact information and said he’d be in touch, but it’s been crickets.” I still couldn’t believe I’d actually met him. It seemed too good to be true, and since I had heard nothing in a week, I’d figured I was right.

“I’m not exactly sure what they said. Casey—Classic Casey, not Cowlick Casey—” Claire specified, “said all he knew was that it sounded like someone had big plans for you. Maybe Florida or something.”

Classic Casey was a DJ. Cowlick Casey worked in the accounting department and probably didn’t know he had earned the nickname. But honestly, I’d never seen so many cowlicks in one person’s hair, and it looked like he’d given up on trying to comb the mess, so every day he came into the office looking like he’d just rolled out of bed. Nice guy, though.

“Florida?”

“Are you moving?” Claire sounded panicked. “It’s okay if you do. It’s not like Omaha is the land of opportunity. But I need to mentally prepare for this.”

I leaned back against my pillows, stunned. “I don’t know. Honestly, no one has contacted me. Florida?” I said again.

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