Page 59 of Push

“That’s sooner than planned.”

Alotsooner than planned—monthssooner.

I had no doubt Gwen would be happier smashing goals again, but I still wasn’t convinced the timing was right. Everything in our lives seemed complicated enough without juggling more stress. But that elusive new boss of hers might surprise me. Maybe I was worrying for nothing.

I said none of that to Judy. She’d only want the cold, hard facts. “Gwen has a set office day, so I need to reorganize my patient load—”

“Nope. You hired me to run your clinic for a reason. I’ll be frank. You’re a difficult man to replace, and I’ve been doing it a lot lately. Fill-ins don’t come cheap, you know.”

I folded my arms across my chest. Ian got someone in to cover his hangover once, and she hadn’t complained. “I need Tuesdays off for Noah. It’s non-negotiable.”

“Non-negotiable?” Judy snorted. “Says the man who rocked up to my office with coffee and breakfast.”

“That’s not negotiating.” A smile broke across my face. “That’s very clearly bribery. Please, Judy. Iwantto do this.”

And not just for Gwen. Too much time had already slipped past me. My little dude was growing like a weed, and he’d turn one before I could blink. I wanted to be a part of his life more than I had been—like I should have been all along.

Judy sensed she could drag more out of me than a coffee. “You want it that bad?” She lifted her chin. “What else are you offering?”

I didn’t even hesitate to answer. “Every Sunday on call.”

Judy’s eyebrows shot up. “Youmustbe desperate.”

I lifted a shoulder. Judy would be doing me a favor. Usually, we referred patients to other clinics to avoid working ourselves into the ground every weekend, but I couldn’t stand Sundays on my own. That used to be the day I’d kick back with Gwen and Noah. Now, it was me climbing the walls of an apartment that was too small and too quiet.

“We could generate a lot of extra revenue to cover some of our costs if you pick up the Sunday work.” She stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

I shook on it but didn’t let go of her hand immediately. “Can I juggle some extra times, too? Maybe coming in late an extra morning—”

“Don’t push your luck, Donnie. I wasn’t kidding about the cost of the fill-ins. We’re on a knife’s edge as it is.”

“It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“It’s that bad.”

“How? I’ve been working my ass off pulling double shifts for weeks. So has Ian.” My brow furrowed as I tried to make sense of the mess. “I thought we’d sorted out the cash flow problems?”

“Me too. Every time we solve one issue, another one pops up. Patients stop paying their accounts. We’re burning through supplies, and prices are hiking up. You know the drill. We were back in the black and had a good week or two, but new invoices keep rolling in.”

Unease churned my gut. “Let me look into it.” Something wasn’t right.

Judy’s eyebrow flicked up again. “You?”

“Yes.Me. I poured a lot of money into this place. Still do. There must be something I can do. Maybe I can scope out the suppliers for better deals. Find new options.” I raked my hand through my hair. I’d need more than a few coffee bribes to get us back in the black. “Failing that, maybe we can get in a professional to look over everything with fresh eyes.”

“You thinking of an accountant?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, or an auditor, maybe? You’re doing a great job keeping us afloat, but maybe they can spot something we’re missing.”

“Good plan.” The thin line of her lips curled up. “You’re a decent sort when you put your mind to it, Toby.”

Earning a sliver of respect from the woman I paid to run my clinic shouldn’t have made my heart swell, but it did. No teasing. No awful nickname. Just a couple of nice words. Even that tiny bit of praise was a drug. I ate it up. My cheeks burned because I was grinning like a damn fool.

“Bloody hell,” she muttered. “That face of yours. I should learn to keep my mouth shut.”

“Too late! I heard it. I’m a decent sort. No backsies.” I headed for the door. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get the hell out of here before I screw up again.”

I gave Judy a bow and escaped.

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