Why does it feel so much like I’m stealing right now?
“Good morning, Katie.” Dr. Sarah stands in the door behind me, her hands in the pockets of her white coat.
“Morning,” I reply, chipper as I’m able.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Picking up some things for Black Spruce Ranch…” When I turn to face her, Dr. Sarah’s lips are pulled into a thin line and her eyes are filled with regret. “Shit,” I say before I can catch myself. “Is everything okay?”
“Maybe we should step into my office for a second?”
My fingers go numb and I set the boxes of medicine down on a shelf so I don’t break anything.
“Why? What’s up?” My voice trembles and I have no idea what to do with my hands. Heaving a sigh, Dr. Sarah leans her shoulder against the door.
“Look, I really don’t want to have to do this…”
“I’m fired, aren’t I?”
Her face tightens, and my head gets light and fuzzy.
“It’s nothing you did,” Dr. Sarah says softly. “But David’s lawyers are coming on pretty strong. The clinic doesn’t have the resources for a court battle right now.”
The clinic doesn’t?I want to shout.What about me?Actually getting fired is going to be like blood in the water to David’s legal team.
“You have no idea how sorry I am, Katie.” Dr. Sarah’s voice sounds like it’s echoing down a long corridor, and I swim to grab hold of the words. “I feel sick about it, but there’s nothing we can do.” Somehow I manage to focus on her face, grateful to find genuine sympathy there. “We’re a small clinic in the grand scheme of things. But if we go down, the whole region is going to suffer. I hope you can understand.”
Understand?I guess I have to.
Instead of sobbing all over myself, a manic smile plasters across the bottom of my face.
“Fine. That’s fine.” Water stings the corners of my eyes. Doing everything I can to keep from falling apart on the spot, I ease past her and head for the front door, babbling the whole way. “I understand. It’s just the situation, right?” Words tumble out of me in an attempt to master myself.
I just have to get to my car. I can cry there.
Dr. Sarah says something behind me, but I can’t hear it. My ears are ringing too loud. It feels like years before I’m finally able to get back into my car. As soon as I turn the ignition the flood-gates open. Turning up the radio so I don’t have to listen to my own sobbing, I head directly for the ranch.
This changes everything.
With nowhere to turn to, it’s finally time for Wayne and I to have the come-to-Jesus meeting we’ve both been avoiding. Things can’t go on the way they have been. I’m pregnant, out of work, with a massive lawsuit looming over me.
I’mcalm by the time I get to the ranch. That changes fast. Rolling up the dirt path between the barn and the house, I see Everettleaning against a fence post talking to someone. When I realize who it is, my chest locks up and I start to hyperventilate.
Vicky. Crap.
All I’ve got in my purse is a crumpled tissue, but it’ll have to do. Wiping my eyes as fast as I can, I steal a glance in the mirror to see how bad I look after all the ugly crying I did before my arrival.
My eyes are a little bloodshot, but I’m just going to have to brave it out. Because they’re both looking right at me.
Everett waves, so I flash him a smile and get out of the car.
“Well, well,” Everett says genially. “Look who it is. Got some work to do?”
“Always,” I reply, casually as I can.
“Katie, do you know Vicky Haller? She swung by to see Wayne.”
“Of course we know each other,” Vicky answers too sweetly. “We were all in high school together.”
