Page 27 of Lost on Ice
Carter laughs and claps me on the shoulder, his smile knowing and sympathetic. “All right. Let’s do it.”
Chapter Eleven
ABBIE
It’sthe official start of my first full week of work at the clinic. Lilah has also started day care — but just half-days at first, so she can spend time with Dad and Vivianne during the week. They insisted, assuring me it wouldn’t be any sort of inconvenience.
Weird as it still is to be back, it’s working. We’re falling into a routine and that’s good for both of us. I want Lilah to have as much stability as quickly as possible, and I want us to settle into our lives here in Ivy Glen.
I’ve been able to push my encounter with Jake this past weekend to the back of my mind and I’m not thinking about him every minute of the day, so that’s progress, I guess.
On top of everything else, today is the day that the new doctor starts, which means I’m that much closer to taking things over from Uncle Andrew. That’s a thought that both terrifies and excites me, but one step at a time—first, I need to help get the new doctor settled.
Sitting at Uncle Andrew’s desk in his office, I go through paperwork, preparing for the day ahead, though my curiosity about the new doctor is distracting me. I never followed up with Uncle Andrew on Friday about who this guy is because we got so busy with patients, and then I went away for the weekend with Sophie. I’ve also been unpacking and getting Lilah settled so it kind of slipped my mind.
I check my watch. It’s almost eight in the morning. Uncle Andrew and the new doctor should be arriving any time now.
Getting the paperwork all squared away, I stand up just as the back door opens and someone comes down the hall. I crane my neck around the corner. I can’t wait to see if it’s somebody I recognize — even if it’s just a face, but I don’t know their name, it’ll be fun. I wish I’d been able to get the name from Uncle Andrew but I’ve kept forgetting everytime I’m around him.
I hear chuckles coming down the hall. Uncle Andrew is one of the voices. Okay, so it probably is the new doctor. I fix my hair—I want to make a good first impression!—and move to stand in the middle of the room, ready to greet him, smoothing away nonexistent wrinkles in my scrubs. The footsteps come closer and closer and my breath catches in my throat… then releases when Uncle Andrew appears in the doorway. He’s dressed in a perfectly pressed blue button-up and black pants, and his glasses are perched on the bridge of his nose.
He grins when he sees me. “Oh! Good morning, Abbie. What, did you think somebody else was with me?
I chuckle and shrug. “I’m always happy to see you, Uncle Andrew, but I have to admit I thought it was the new doctor. I’m excited to meet him. Who were you talking to, then?”
That’s when my uncle laughs, and the new doctor steps out from around the corner and I gasp. Holy shit, Idoknow him.
“I believe we’ve met, Abbie.” Dr. Westbrook grins at me.
I stare in disbelief at the familiar figure with his thick blonde hair, glasses, and beanpole build.Westbrookis the new doctor? What the hell?
His grin widens. “It’s good to see you, Abbie. How are you? Surprised?”
“Uhhh… yeah. Dr. Westbrook, what are you doing here? Are you really the new MD?”
Why would a thirty-five year old doctor leave a well-paying position he’s been at for eight years in a major city hospital to come to a small town clinic like ours? To a town he hadn’t even heard of, I’d assume, before I mentioned it?
He chuckles. “Sure am. I know it’s a little random, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Ivy Glen after you left Harrisburg. I did some research and was really charmed by what I learned about this town. When I saw the job posting for the clinic, I applied. I hope that’s okay?”
Blinking, I shake away the worst of my shock and give him a bright smile.
“Yes, of course! Having a doctor of your skill here is a real privilege. I’m excited to work with you again.”
He’s really a great doctor with excellent bedside manner, and he was nice to work with in Harrisburg. When I first started at the hospital there, I was pregnant and alone, and he was always kind and supportive. He even helped me set up my OBGYN appointments and stopped in to visit after I gave birth, along with my other coworkers.
“It’ll be nice working together, even though I can’t say I saw this coming, either,” he laughs. “This will be such a huge change of pace.” He steps forward and offers me his hand to shake, and I do, relaxing as it fully sinks in that he’s going to be working here. That’s actually kind of great, truth be told. Since we’re familiar with how each other operates already, this transition will bemuch smoother, and I have full confidence that Uncle Andrew will be able to step back. The clinic will be in good hands.
By the end of the day, Dr. Westbrook has already worked himself into the flow of the office. He’s been shadowing Uncle Andrew, getting to know the patients, and they all love him so far. He always had a good bedside manner, and he’s so smart and quick-witted that he is able to put people at ease quickly when he’s examining them.
Uncle Andrew has already taken off, and I finish up a few pieces of paperwork before I grab my stuff to head out for the day. Dr. Westbrook is in one of the exam rooms, checking out some of the equipment. I pause in the doorway and smile.
“Do you mind locking up on your way out?” I ask, zipping up my coat. “It’s just the back door.”
Looking up, Dr. Westbrook grins. “No problem. Hey, thanks for such a great day. I think I’m really going to enjoy working here.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I tell him. “I think you’re going to be a really good fit here too. I’m looking forward to working together.”
“Me too.”
