Brett gave her a knowing grin. “Amanda tells me you’re interested in Jack.”
“Maybe. He was unavailable for so long, attached to Faith Barton, I never expected a chance at him.”
“You’re sure a slow mover. Faith took off for Kansas a month ago.”
Ivy fingered her short black hair as a fly buzzed ’round. “I didn’t want to be his rebound chick. Or part of the flock standing in line at his back door with a casserole.”
“Probably because you can’t make a casserole,” Amanda teased.
“And Charlotte’s needed time to settle down, too. She’s been buzzing around him like our pesky fly here,” Ivy said, swatting at the swooping pest. “Making sure no woman has the chance to upset him.”
Brett nodded in understanding. “Charlotte’s better. She’s on to hoping for just the right donor for great-grandchildren.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “I can hear his wedding vows now. ‘Do you, Jack Graham, take this woman to be the mother of Charlotte’s great-grandkids?’
The threesome erupted in laughter loud enough to turn heads.
Amanda looked around. “I don’t see Jack here this morning.”
Brett shrugged. “He’s on call today, so he’s liable to be distracted.” He looked at his watch and took Amanda’s arm in his. “It’s time to pick up Tess at the Cordays’. Hope she wasn’t too rambunctious.”
Ivy brightened. “I noticed that little friendship taking shape. They’re a nice couple, Erin and Christopher. You’ll like them, Mandy.”
Within minutes Brett was pulling onto a blacktop driveway on a quiet residential street some blocks away from the Scherer boarding house, in a newer section of town. The Corday home was a more modern split-level style and their yard boasted trees and shrubs that hadn’t had time for much of a growing spurt.
Amanda fleetingly wondered what it would be like to live on this street, sprinkling her own grass, leaning over the neighbor’s fence to chat. What did people here talk about? Their flowers? Their children? The weather? Amanda’s jet-set lifestyle allowed her so much freedom worldwide, access to just about anyone. And what entertainment it was to consort with the planet’s hottest celebrities. There was always something going on, something to arouse excitement.
But did any of it hold true meaning in the long run? Or was it as surface as it seemed, a whirlwind of faux relationships like she had had with Trevor? Those hot celebrities generally had selfish motives in mind, courting her to either encourage a story or to kill one. She was beginning to wonder who, if anyone, truly liked her for herself. If she’d have a friend left if she broke off from her father for good, leaving behind his mantle of power and riches.
She’d have friends here in Fairlane, she suspected. And that might not be half bad. Ivy had done it, made the switch from the fast track to the slow lane. Was it right for Amanda? Would she get bored with this more limited routine?
A good-looking couple of Amanda’s age emerged from behind the house, looking cheery and content, dressed in shorts and T-shirts. She couldn’t help envisioning Brett and herself in their place. And wondering…
Introductions were made. Amanda played the good sport as they gave her an inspection and asked her some leading questions.
“Come into the house for some lemonade,” Erin invited. “The girls are having some now.”
They entered the house from the backyard’s redwood deck. Christopher opened the sliding-glass door and little-girl chatter rose in the air.
One look at Brett had Tess bouncing off her kitchen chair. “Daddy!” She charged into his arms and gave him a huge squeeze around the middle. “We had the best time!”
He ruffled her dark hair. “Did you miss me at all?”
“Nope. Too busy.”
The girls went back to their snack. Erin took hold of the plastic pitcher on the counter and poured four more glasses of lemonade.
“Did you see the swing set, Daddy?” Tess asked over the rim of her plastic mug. “It is super awesome. Maybe Frank and Della will want one.”
Brett shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t think so, honey.”
“Well, you can make them!”
“No, the Scherers own the house. They make the rules.”
“Then maybe we should have our own house!” With a solid nod, Tess turned her attention back to Hailey.
Brett’s jaw dropped at the bold and ruthless assessment, but he said nothing.
Christopher gave them a tour of the house while they sipped their drinks. There was a spare third bedroom in shambles, with wallpapering equipment stacked in the center.
“This is to be our nursery,” Erin explained. She pinkened then, holding up a hand. “Not that I’m pregnant yet. Don’t want that rumor to get started. But we’re trying to conceive and want the baby’s room to be ready, perfect. When Hailey was born we were stuck in one of those old apartments near the highway. Night and day, all you heard was the roar of traffic, but no one had tolerance for our crying child. We were constantly having to keep her quiet in that single bedroom. Having this space for our family as it grows is especially important to us.”
Amanda nodded. She’d wondered what made people happy along this street and she’d pretty much gotten her answer. Making children, raising children, decorating personal space big enough to shout in, apparently brought untold happiness to young intelligent people who, like herself, only wanted to love and be loved. Miracle of miracles, she was beginning to believe she could figure out this love business yet. Identify the real thing and take advantage of it.
Brett and Amanda left some fifteen minutes later, without the child they’d come for. The Cordays were planning a picnic with Christopher’s folks and welcomed a playmate for Hailey.
“Have you ever thought of owning your own home?” Amanda asked him as they rolled down the street in the Vette.
Brett braked as a dog loped in front of the car, followed by a frazzled owner. “Sure. It was my original plan. The stop at the Scherers was only meant to be temporary, until I could get settled in the family practice. But weeks there stretched into months somehow.”
“Della made it clear to Rochelle, on my first day here, that you were best off under her roof.”
Brett smiled. “She and Frank have been like parents to me, though they’re only in their forties. Guess what it came down to was the fact that I would always need a live-in housekeeper to care for Tess. As much as I miss owning my own domain, I know that no one could tend to Tess’s needs better than the Scherers and the other boarders.” His voice took on a husky edge. “It’s just all worked out so well for us. I’m so grateful to all of them.”
Amanda rarely felt shy or at a loss for words, but she hesitated before replying. “Maybe in the right circumstances, you might consider, well, buying a backyard for that swing set.”
He glanced at her in sharp surprise, as if he had misheard. “The situation would have to be perfect. Everybody involved would have to be absolutely certain that was the only kind of swinging they cared to do. Ever again.”
Amanda stared out the window with a sigh. His message clearly registered on the side of caution. But this was understandable. He was putting Tess first, as a good father should. She also sensed that he had at least a sketchy picture of her background. If not the players’ names, certainly the names of the playgrounds.
But none of this would deter her from pushing deeper into their affair with the highest hopes. The idea of being entwined in true love and loyalty gave her a quiver of excitement that no frolic could ever match, on any playground.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte Evenson’s gray eyes glittered like diamond chips as they surveyed Amanda from her bandage-free ankle to her new, more stylish uniform. She spoke with a knowing smirk. “So you’ve done it. Earned a seat of honor here in the hub.”
They were standing together behind the clinic’s check-in counter on Monday morning. Amanda took a moment to gaze back at the file room where she’d been trapped all o
f last week. “Hardly seems that momentous a journey, rolling my stool from in there to out here.”
“Don’t underestimate the trip, my girl,” Charlotte bellowed. “By crossing that threshold, you have entered phase two of your training. Understand that coming in direct contact with our patients is no small matter. Clerks seated in the hub have a huge responsibility. We are the clinic’s official greeters, the first call for help, the Mother Earth of Medicine.”
Amanda was startled by the daunting job description. “Medical training isn’t required, is it?”
“Not officially. Though after years in the game, I do see myself as an unsung member of the team. Competent without any sort of recognized license.”
Never especially good with even a small cut or bruise, Amanda felt her usual bravado failing her. “Maybe I don’t have what it takes after all.”
“Well, the docs say you do. They’ve made it abundantly clear.” She heaved a tremendous sigh. “I got you through phase one, so there’s nothing for it but for me to pull you through phase two, as well.”
“Where does phase two begin exactly?”
Charlotte patted her stiff yellow hair cloud. She seemed genuinely bewildered. “Not sure. Never had to carry on past phase one before. Always managed to crack my novices during the first week with a variety of grunt work. Sometimes it took a day or two. Three at the most. Guess the Pearson girl hung on a whole week. But in the end she found a higher-paying, less-demanding position at Ludlum Attorneys-At-Law.” Her aged face pinched craftily. “Don’t know how those lawyers got hold of her glowing résumé so fast.”
“Gee, I wonder.” Amanda regarded Charlotte with the dubiety she deserved.
“But none of those tricks are up my sleeve now. Jack vowed to fire me if I didn’t slow down a bit, get my blood pressure back under control. And I can tell he means it this time.”
The phone rang then. With a practiced motion Charlotte whirled to scoop up the receiver and punched the blinking button on the console. “Fairlane Clinic. Hello, Tracy. Doc Graham? What do you wish to speak to him about? I figured it was the baby, but what about her? Crying all the time? It’s probably out of pain, yes. Painful gas. You know nursing is a big responsibility. You drinking caffeine after Doc told you not to? How about eating tacos? Don’t try and lie to me, young lady. You were seen at the Skyline Café shoveling in all sorts of junk. Never mind how I know. In any case, Doc can’t come to the phone right now, he’s with a patient. Take my word on Suzy’s condition. I can hear the crying in the background and it sounds like gas pains. Sure, there’s different kinds of cries. Short sharp screams mean, ‘Gas, my mommy’s eating junk.’ Yes, rest assured I will tell him you called.”
Amanda gasped as Charlotte hung up the phone. “That’s how you handle things?”
Charlotte snapped her fingers. “Nothin’ to it.”
“How do you know so much about babies’ cries?”
“Read an article about it last year in Family Circle magazine. But it doesn’t matter where or when I got the scoop. All that matters is that I know the right thing at the right time.”
“Wow. Never in my life have I heard a receptionist do more than direct calls, take messages, make appointments.”
“That’s impersonal big-city procedure to a tee.”
“Well, yes. But is there that much difference here in a small town?”
“Sure there is! It would be ridiculous to stand on ceremony around here, where there’s only so much time for so many needs. If I allowed all calls to go through to the docs, they’d fall behind in their appointments. It’s my duty and pleasure to assist callers like Tracy.”
Amanda knew her jaw was hanging open.
“You will have to work hard if you want to live up to that new jazzy uniform of yours. The docs have no concept of what I do for them each and every day. They see me as nothing more than an overworked clerk.” She held up a fat palm as Amanda began to speak. “Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the job is impossible to learn. I’m just saying that it takes time and dedication. That you will have to study my moves extra hard.”
“I happen to be reasonably intelligent and friendly,” Amanda said.
“Even you gotta admit you didn’t catch on to my filing system right off. But I agree that you do have a winning personality, which will take you a long way. And you make Doc Hanson so happy. He was grinning at me like some kind of dope last Monday all the while he and Jack were chewing me out for stashing you in the file room. I was smiling myself, all the while I was yelling back about the crummy job you were doing. But all of that is water under the bridge.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’ll be fine. Throw yourself into the job heart and soul.”
“Watch and learn?”
“Precisely.”
The front door opened and a balding middle-aged man in a garage mechanic’s uniform ambled in and over to the counter. “Afternoon, ladies.”
“Hello, Timothy.”
His voice dropped a notch. “I’m picking up something. From Doc Graham.”
Charlotte shuffled to a wide wooden cupboard, opened it and pawed through a plastic basket of brown envelopes. She pulled one out, broke the envelope’s seal, appeared to verify its contents, then brought it to the counter. “So you decided to try Viagra. I suppose this means that Vicki won’t be available for the bowling league on Thursday nights anymore. I mean—” she intimated in a stage-like hush “—I recall that Thursday night was always your night for nookie. Before you hit the rough spot.”
Timothy gritted his teeth. “I’m sure that’s our own business.”
“I’d agree if we hadn’t changed our bowling schedule from Tuesdays to Thursdays in the first place so you two could take dance lessons of the Latin rhythm flavor to rekindle the dying flames of your marriage. All I’m saying is, I suppose now you’ll still be dancing on Tuesdays and having a bit of the nookie again on Thursdays, clogging up two whole nights.”
“I’ll tell Vicki about your concerns,” he said tightly. “I’m sure something can be worked out with your bowling league.”
“Would appreciate it. We’re playing the Portland Roundabouts next week. They’re especially tough and nobody picks up a spare like Vicki.”
Looking lost for words, Timothy snatched the envelope, turned on his heel and marched out.
“There walks another healing soul on my watch,” Charlotte declared with wistful modesty. “Vicki confided to the team about Timothy’s performance problems. And who but I would be in a position to tell her that the clinic gives out samples of Viagra? ‘Why not give it a test drive?’ I said. ‘All he needs is Jack’s okay.’ And mind you, I did all of this knowing it would most likely screw up bowling something awful.”
Amanda gaped. “Amazing again.”
“Thank you.” The words suggested a brisk dismissal as Charlotte turned her back on her to sift through phone messages.
“So what, exactly, do you want me to do here?” Amanda pressed.
Charlotte looked around and scratched her cheek. “We could use some fresh coffee in the break room. The urn could actually do with a scrub.”
“Charlotte…” Brett’s deep voice rumbled behind them. As he appeared around the corner of the hallway, it was highly likely that he had been eavesdropping for at least a moment or two.
Amanda’s heart skipped a beat as it always did at the sight of Brett in cool physician mode, with a crisp white lab coat over a white shirt and dark slacks, stethoscope hanging casually around his neck, black hair clipped short, handsome face arranged in supreme confidence.
“Oh! Morning, Doc.” Charlotte suddenly looked like a child with her hand stuck in the cookie jar.
“Just thought I’d pop out to see how things are going.”
Charlotte shrugged. “Well, I have to admit, Mandy’s uniform is very nice. Maybe I’ve been an old fogey about hanging on to these old nylon numbers. Any chance of outfitting all of us the same way?”
With
ill-concealed impatience, Brett cut to the chase. “Are you going to give Mandy responsibilities or not?”
“Of course I am. Just know,” she muttered, “how important the coffee is to everyone.”
“I washed the urn myself this morning.”
“Oh.”
“I will speak to Jack about more new uniforms, when I tell him how smoothly this transition is going out here.”
“Fair enough.”
“So what is Mandy’s first order of business?”
“Well…”
“What do you do when you arrive?” Brett pressed.
“First thing, I go over the appointment book and jot down the names of the patients scheduled to come in.”
“Then?” Brett prodded.
“I go and collect those files out of the file room.”
Brett handed their protégé a pen and pad of paper. Amanda dutifully moved to the open book lying on the counter and began to jot down the names.
“You can’t take forever doing this task,” Charlotte warned. “The patients will be streaming in soon.”
“Not a problem.” Amanda smiled sweetly. “I know the files very well now.”
“Then what happens?” Brett asked.
Charlotte sighed loudly. “She brings the files out here and arranges them in order of appointment.”
“Do I separate them by doctor?”
“Hells bells, this isn’t ER. Sometimes the patients don’t even have a choice of doctor if something comes up.” As Brett opened his mouth to speak again, Charlotte went on, standing beside her trainee. “So the files get stacked in this basket. When a patient arrives, you take their file, open it, check to see if their insurance information is up-to-date, ask for any co-pay listed.” Charlotte walked over to a file rack hanging on the wall near the corridor leading to the exam rooms. “A nurse will come out and check the rack and lead the patient back to a room.”
“And when the telephone rings…”
Charlotte glared at Brett. “She isn’t going near that telephone until I think she’s ready. Now for the sake of time, I suggest you get your girlfriend sashaying back for those files!”
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