by Elsie Davis
He pointed out a few areas explaining the significance, but other than that, they didn’t talk much. Small talk wasn’t Jake’s forte. Twenty-five minutes later, they turned onto a paved road, and not long after that, they crossed the state line and entered Tennessee. The Welcome to Hollow Creek sign alerted her they’d arrived at their destination.
Juliet looked around, appreciating the sidewalk-lined streets and people hustling from store to store. Most of the wood buildings sported fresh coats of paint, but some looked slightly worse for wear. The front windows and entryways were filled with displays that showed off the store’s wares, or signs to attract customers to step inside. A few people waved at Jake as they meandered down the road, townsfolk recognizing him and his vehicle.
Much to her surprise, Jake waved back. On second thought, she wasn’t surprised. All along, she’d suspected this side of Jake existed. He pulled up in front of one of the larger buildings, the sign announcing they’d arrived at the Hollow Creek Medical Center.
The white building was another one that had recently seen fresh paint. The front walkway and sidewalk, were lined with beautiful rose bushes, meticulously pruned. Several rocking chairs were on the front porch to welcome patients. Juliet couldn’t think of a better or more original waiting area for the warmer days.
“Here you go,” Jake said, reaching out to touch her arm as she pushed open the door. “Listen, I’m sorry if I wasn’t always as nice as I could have been. I won’t win any awards for being the perfect host, but I do want to thank you for taking care of me.”
Juliet covered his hand with hers. “You’re welcome. It wasn’t so bad. And it’s a mutual thank you.” She grinned. “Also, I appreciate the heads up about the job. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet again someday.”
“Maybe. I’ll leave it up to you.”
Juliet was confused by the comment, but Jake had already restarted the engine, and she took her cue to leave. She grabbed her backpack out of the bed of the truck and waved, watching as he pulled away. Walking up the sidewalk to the medical center, she pushed open the door and entered.
“Good afternoon and welcome to the Hollow Creek Medical Center.” A young woman with flaming red hair greeted Juliet, her voice filled with sunshine and happiness. “I haven’t seen you around here before. I’m sorry to have to tell you we don’t have a doctor on staff now. If you need medical assistance, the best I can tell you is to head to Gatlinburg. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive north of here.”
Tough break for the residents in town, but her information did coincide with Jake’s. “Good afternoon. Actually…I’m here to see about a job. I’m a nurse with my APRN certification at a city hospital in Memphis. I heard you might have an opening and I’m interested. At least temporarily, until you find a doctor, that is.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, but enough for Juliet to notice. “You heard?”
“Jake Kensington told me all about it. I ran into some trouble out on the Appalachian Trail, and he had to step in to help me. My friends and I stayed with him for a few days.”
The woman’s gaze sharpened. “Jake Kensington, huh? Did he say anything else?”
“I happened to mention I was looking for a change in my life, and he suggested I apply here. He said he got an email about the opening from someone.” Juliet shrugged, not sure where this conversation was headed.
“He did, did he? The woman was acting strange, but not in a bad way. Her smile was still firmly in place. “And you’re a nurse?”
“Yes.” Juliet nodded.
The woman’s smile brightened even more if it were possible. She jumped up from her chair. “My name is Olivia Livingston, and I’m the receptionist here. We have an online application system, and since you’re only visiting the area, you can use my computer to fill it out. Have a seat.” She pointed at her recently vacated chair.
“That sounds great.” It was a little unorthodox, but the suggestion made perfect sense.
The receptionist reached over her shoulder to pull up the website and a few clicks later, the application was on the screen. “There you go.”
“Thank you,” Juliet murmured, surprised at how fast this process was moving along.
“My pleasure, trust me.”
Juliet glanced at the woman, unsure what she meant, but remained quiet as she tried to navigate the application.
“So, you say you’ve been staying at Jake’s place for the past few days?” Olivia asked.
“Yes, I got sick. Then when my friends and I were ready to leave, Jake fell sick, and I stayed there to take care of him. Kind of one of those what goes around comes around, and this time, it was a virus that was going around,” Juliet said, grinning up at the woman.
“Interesting.” Olivia nodded, a little humming noise coming from her throat.
Juliet continued to fill out the form, trying to recall everything from memory. It’s not like she walked around with a resume in her purse. It might be better if she emailed one in when she got back home, just to cover the bases. “So, what happened to the doctor that was here? Jake mentioned he took a big city job in New York or something. If only he knew what he was heading into. Me, I personally like the slower pace and think this would be idyllic.”
“Hmphhh,” Olivia snorted. “I knew the guy was a short-termer when he got here, but we were desperate, so Dr. K hired him. He spent more time flying around the country for interviews than he did trying to get to know folks in town.”
“Dr. Kay?”
“Dr. K owns the medical center,” Olivia said, the expression on her face unreadable.
“Then why doesn’t this doctor work here? Is he older and retired now?” Juliet pressed for more information.
“Far from it. Such a sad story. Poor man lost his wife and has never really recovered. Quit practicing. Of course, the town keeps hoping he’ll come back one day. Now would be nice, considering we just lost the other doctor.”
The conversation about the doctor had taken a personal turn, but Juliet wanted to know what she was getting into. “But why would he close his practice or stop practicing after his wife died? You would think most people would turn to their work as an escape from their pain, not the other way around.”
“Well, I reckon it won’t hurt to let you in on things, just in case you get the job. Not that I’m a gossiper or anything. But Dr. K blames himself for his wife’s death and feels that as a medical professional, he should have been able to save her. He’s wrong, you know. Dr. K’s a nice guy, but he’s not God.” Olivia crossed the room and poured a cup of coffee, returning to her side. “Coffee?” she asked, holding it out to Juliet.
Coffee this late in the afternoon would keep her wide awake into the night. “No, thanks. And that sounds awful. What a terrible burden to bear. I feel sorry for him.”
“Most of us do that know the story. But you’ll have no more of it from me because like I said, I’m not a gossiper. Just need-to-know stuff.” Olivia took a sip of the coffee and leaned over Juliet’s shoulder to see what she was typing.
“So, is that how the office stays open? He simply keeps his license hanging here and hires medical professionals to fill the staff needs?”
“You catch on fast. Bonus points. I’ll be sure to tell Dr. K,” Olivia said, shooting her a wink. It was as if she was missing some important piece of information that Olivia didn’t seem prone to sharing.
“Thanks. I’m a nurse, but do you think that would work? Just temporarily until your Dr. Kay finds a doctor, though.”
“I reckon if you got hired, Dr. K would find a way to convince you to stay. Trust me on this.”
“That may be true, but I’ve not decided it’s a good permanent move for me yet. There,” she said, typing her name on the signature line at the bottom. “I’m finished. All that’s left is to hit send.”
“Then do it.” Olivia hovered close by, urging her to finish what she’d started.
“I just pray this is the right thing. I haven’t even spoke
n to my boss about the possibility, but then I reckon I have weeks to cross that bridge. I’m a little nervous pressing send.”
“Then here,” Olivia said, leaning over and pressing the send button for her. “Done.”
“Okay, then—I guess it is. I should get going. It was nice meeting and talking with you. Any idea how long it’ll take before I hear back? Or what the timeframe might be when they’d want someone to start?”
“I know Dr. K’s anxious to find somebody soon, because like I said, the town has no one right now. I’m certain if the right person applied, they’d hear back sooner rather than later.” The woman had an all-knowing gleam in her eyes, but then she probably understood how this office ran better than anyone.
“That sounds great. Thanks for all your help,” Juliet said, walking toward the door.
“Same to you. I’m almost positive this will work out, and I’ll be seeing you again soon. I look forward to it.” The woman’s warm and friendly smile had Juliet hoping she was right.
“Thanks.” She stepped out onto the front porch and glanced around. Juliet needed to plan how she would get home, but she also needed to stop and breathe, giving herself time to take in the magnitude of the steps she had just taken. Albeit with a little help from her new friend.
Juliet walked down the street, her stomach rumbling the alert it was time to eat, even though by most people’s standards, it was still early for dinner. She spotted a place called the Country Café and made her way inside. The sign on the front door indicated the early-bird specials, and Juliet was always more than happy to take advantage of the special offers to save a few dollars.
The server called out a friendly greeting, and Juliet took a seat at the counter. Glancing at the menu, Juliet decided what to order and pulled out her phone, hoping for a signal and a chance to check her messages for the first time in almost a week.
She played through all of them, but only three popped out as important. One, her mom calling to check on her. Two, Jennifer calling to find out if everything went okay and that she would still be home this afternoon. Her best friend was also her roommate, and she liked to have a finger on the pulse of everything going on around her.
The third call was the one she wanted to hear the most. Laura and Blaire had made it to the checkout point at Newfound Gap and were now safely back in Memphis. Of course, the maybe we can laugh about this someday comment made her laugh about the situation now. With the rest of her hiking team almost home, Juliet needed to call her parent’s and Jennifer to assure them she was fine but would be delayed.
Juliet ordered dinner and then sat back, glancing around the diner. The conversation with the receptionist replayed in her mind, and her heart went out to poor Dr. Kay. There was something about the whole thing that still bothered her, but she couldn’t quite figure it out. Taking a sip of her tea, she paused, her cup stopping midair.
Dr. Kay. Or was it, Dr. K?
Jake Kensington.
Was the K short for Kensington? He had a medical bag, and he knew what he was doing. He’d also lost his wife, and it didn’t appear he did much else besides helping the county sheriff on occasion. And take wildlife photos. A loner with good cause. All the signs pointed in one direction. Dr. K could be none other than Jake Kensington.
And it would also explain Olivia’s odd behavior. How many people would match that description? But why wouldn’t Jake just come right out and tell her the truth? Would she have still applied for the job? The thought of working for Jake made her heart beat faster, which she wasn’t positive was a good thing.
It was too late to take back the application. And if the doctor was Jake, did that mean she had a far better chance at getting the job than she first suspected? After all, he was the one who pressed her to apply. And if it was Jake and he offered her the job, she also knew without a doubt she’d say yes. It would give her more time to help him find a way to move forward with his life, and not just live in a painful past.
The idea to stick around town for a few days hit her and stuck. She needed to make sure this would be the right decision for her if the job offer did come through—Jake or no Jake.
Her roommate was used to Juliet’s spur of the moment decisions, but even this one would shock her friend. The only downside was bailing on her share of the rent if she left. Her friend owned the house, and Juliet rented a room from her. The loss of income might be a problem, and she wouldn’t want to do anything that put Jennifer in a bind.
But then, temporary might be short enough it didn’t matter, and Juliet could afford both places.
9
Juliet moved to one of the tables after letting the server know she was relocating. With her water in one hand and her phone in the other, she slid into a booth. She glanced at the time and dialed her father’s number, hoping he wasn’t busy with one of the parishioners.
“Hey, Daddy,” Juliet said when he answered. “Just calling to check in.”
“I’m so glad you did. Your mother was starting to worry when she didn’t hear back from you. We thought for sure you would call to let us know when you were out of the woods and on your way home. Is everything all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine. You and Mom can stop worrying—about that anyway.” She shook her head and laughed.
“What’s that mean? Do you need me to come and get you? Wire you money? Are you in some sort of trouble with the law?” The urgency in his voice reflected his level of worry all too clearly. She was Daddy’s little girl and worrying about her was his job. At least, that’s what he always told her when she was growing up.
“I’m fine, honestly. Relax. It’s just that I got sick while we were on the hike and had to stay a few days with someone who helped me get through it. Which is, in part, what I wanted to talk to you about if you have a few minutes?”
“Sure thing, Pumpkin. For you, I make time. What’s up?” he asked.
After filling him in with an expanded version of what happened and how it resulted in her taking care of Jake, she decided to plow into the crux of the call. “I applied for a job in Hollow Creek because they need someone at the medical clinic. They’re in a desperate situation after the last doctor recently walked out, and there’s no one here for the people in town to see if they need medical care. Not until they hire someone, anyway.”
“But why you? You have a job.” Juliet knew it was the first thing he’d ask, and it was the easier part to answer. The rest got a little more complicated.
“I know. I’ve been restless lately and thinking of shaking things up a bit. As a nurse, there’s no job shortage, and this opportunity would be a chance for a new adventure.”
“But that’s over five hours away. You’ve never lived far away, and your mother would hate not having you around.” She would be disappointed, but it was her dad that would hate it the most. Not being able to watch her every move. It’s not that he didn’t trust her; he did. It’s just that he liked to watch over his daughter, much the way God watched over his people.
She needed her father to trust that she could make the right decisions for her life. “It’s only temporary, and you can visit me anytime. You love the mountains.”
“What else is going on? This still isn’t like you. I mean, are you serious about it?”
Her father knew her well, but it was time they both realized she wanted to experience more of life than she had so far. Try new things. “I haven’t gotten the job yet, but yes, I’m serious. At first, it might have been considered a bit of a rash decision, but then the more I thought about it, the more it sounded right.” More so now that she suspected Dr. K was, in fact, Jake.
“What else is going on? I’ve known you for a long time.”
She needed to tell him the truth. He wouldn’t like it, but she’d tell him anyway. “It has a lot to do with the man I nursed back to health.”
“What about him?” her father asked, his voice dropping a notch.
“Nothing happened, so relax. You know me. The man’s wife
died three years ago, and he’s still in a lot of pain. I want to help him if I can. You taught me to help people when they are down and lost, and Jake is certainly lost. I have a sense God led me here to help him.” It was a valid point; one her father should respect, and she hoped it would go a long way to smooth things over with her parents.
“But you don’t quit a job and move away from your family and friends.” Her father was in his take-charge mode, but Juliet refused to back down.
“Why not?” She shrugged, knowing he couldn’t see her.
“Because…I don’t know. Because you’re my daughter and I like you close to home.” And just like that, she’d won the discussion. He had nothing solid with which to stop her from making the decision.
“I love you too, Daddy.” Juliet grinned, pleased with the way the conversation had gone. She liked to keep things on an even keel with her parents. “And since Jake isn’t the only reason I’m considering the move, it shouldn’t be a problem. Helping the people in this town through a difficult transition would make me feel useful, not to mention, it would give me a chance to check out other options in the medical field. Jake is just a side project.” And that’s all he could ever be.
God may be calling her to help him, but he certainly wasn’t pushing her and Jake together for anything else. The Bible and her parents were proof of that. The unequally yoked part still existed, and it wouldn’t change by the time she left town. Some things weren’t meant to be.
“Juliet, what do I tell your mother?” he asked, grasping at straws.
“First of all, I haven’t gotten the job yet. I applied. There’s no guarantee I’ll get it. I just wanted to let you know I’m considering it and that I’m okay. Jake’s a nice guy, Daddy. Don’t worry.”
“Humphhh.” He snorted. “Father’s prerogative.”
“I’m sure. Jake’s clearly still in love with his late wife. Not to mention, he’s not a Christian. And you know how I feel about that.” Juliet asked her father once about the equally yoked aspect of marriage and the biblical implications. He hadn’t exactly agreed with her, but he also told her that her walk with Jesus was her own unique journey and that she’d figure out the truth of hers as she got older. Whatever that meant.