Page 10 of Paging Dr. Breakup
His ears burned, knowing that people were talking about him. “Okay, dream team. If you’re not an employee at this facility, then I suggest you head on out because actual employees at this facility have real work to do.”
Mom made ahmph.
Pop studied him until his back prickled with sweat. Cal wanted to shrug out of his vest. It had suddenly become warm in here.
“Use your energy for hospital things,” he said, trying to project authority. He wiped his hands on a napkin then reached for a squirt of foaming hand sanitizer. “No dates for the festival. Besides, my time here in Yukon Valley is temporary until Mom and Pop get more support.”
Pop crossed his arms and planted his feet. Uh-oh. “Who needs more support?” Pop asked. “I’m not an invalid. Aggie and I are taking care of the homestead just fine. Besides, we’ve got all the support we need right from all of our extendedfamilyhere in Yukon Valley.”
That word snapped like a rubber band on Cal’s wrist. Hard enough to sting and get his attention.
Pop puffed up his chest, winding up even more. “Yukon Valley has everything that I need. It has a hospital, nice people, and folks willing to help at any time.”
Amberlyn, Clyde, and the unit secretary all nodded.
“It doesn’t have a cardiologist,” Cal said.
“The chance of me needing another cardiologist anytime soon is pretty small, now that my heart has been roto-rootered and the pipes reinforced.”
Mom shook her head.
Amberlyn and Clyde chuckled and drifted away.
That left Calvin with a potential unpleasant argument brewing with Pop. It was a familiar argument about his parents’ future. He was not going to have it here in his place of work.
“Let’s talk about this later, Pop. It’s not something we need to decide today.” Truth be told, Cal had considered all the options and had decided on the best course of action.
If only he could get his parents on the same page. What they needed was a push in the right direction. He glanced at his phone. There had been a text earlier this week that might provide that push. Cal needed to take time to think this plan through.
Pop huffed. “Maybe you won’t be in such a rush to get me out of Yukon Valley if you had a good reason to want to stay here.”
Chapter Five
On Friday morning,Deirdre greeted the food services staff as she loaded up her morning coffee in the cafeteria, careful not to spill on her cream-colored blouse and khaki pants.
A familiar warm chuckle sent a frisson of excitement down her spine. She immediately squared her shoulders before turning around.
“I see we had the same idea this morning.” Calvin lifted his metal tumbler in a greeting.
Damn him, but he looked no worse for wear in his typical scrubs and vest, despite having finished his twenty-four-hour shift. In fact, the light stubble on his chin gave him a rugged appearance that woke her up faster than Yukon Valley hospital’s black coffee.
“Did you have a good shift?” she said.
Calvin scrubbed his lightly stubbled face, the rough sound popping on her nerve endings. “The medical part was no problem.” He shot her a wry grin.
Her toes curled, and she gripped the coffee carafe.
With a nod, he continued in a low voice, “The sheer amount of meddling in my personal life from Mom and Pop, who are in cahoots with every hospital employee, is exhausting.”
Dee paused mid-pour. “Wait. You, too?” She kept her voice low also.
The food services staff were nice, but they heardeverythingin the hospital.
“Damn it. If you’re fair game for the Yukon Valley matchmaking team, and you’re admin, then I’ve got no chance.”
“Are they being unprofessional?” This was a more casual work environment where most staff members knew each other outside of the hospital. However, if necessary, Deirdre would redirect the staff regarding boundaries and maintaining professionalism in the workplace.
“Mom and Pop? Always unprofessional.”
