“I need to stay busy.” She wiped her damp hands on her scrubs.
“Before you worked at the women’s center, you worked in the ICU and the ER?” Hunt confirmed.
“Yeah, I guess I thrive on the adrenaline.” Her lips quirked up.
“I’m looking for an assistant. I saw you with Susie. I watched you rally after being shot. And today, I knew that woman said something that upset you by Zayne’s reaction. I’ve got staff who can handle this, though likely not at the rate you worked. Come, and we can talk in my office.”
Chapter 37
Hunt unlocked the door to his eighteenth-floor office. “Come on in.” He held the door.
“This is some office.” Harper wrapped her arms around herself and inspected his wall of medical books. “Wow, first editions.”
“Those were a gift from a friend. They’re special to me.” Hunt looked away.
“Someone you lost?” Harper asked. “I’m sorry, that’s not my business.”
“They were from my partner Pam. We met years ago in Bosnia. She was killed by a drunk driver. This job is a new beginning,” Hunt said.
“I’m sorry.” She sat in front of Hunt’s desk.
“Thank you. I appreciate the time we had together, and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received. How many people go through a loss and are helped through it by getting their dream job?” Hunt grabbed a bottle of iced tea from his refrigerator. “Want anything?”
“No thanks. Channy and I are our support system. And now The Bump.”
Hunt laughed. “The Bump?”
“We called the baby that.” Harper looked down. “I can’t name her.”
“She’s doing very well. You need to give Channy time.” Hunt sipped the tea. “Are your parents alive?”
“‘Alive’ is a good word. They aren’t human, or maybe ‘humane’ is a better word,” Harper huffed. “Ask…” She swiped at tears. “I was going to say, ask Kip about them. He took me out to dinner. I grew up in this town and had never been to that restaurant before. Pierre and Rosalind Rousselle and another couple were at a table near ours.”
Harper told Hunt the story. “Kip stood up, leaned down and kissed my cheek. Then he said: ‘She’s richer than either one of you will ever be.’
“Dad cracked, ‘Who are you to judge?’ Kip opened his wallet, placed a gray card in his hand, and said, ‘Give him a call. He’ll be happy to tell you who I am.’ I have no idea who the card belonged to.”
Hunt laughed. “Gray card. That’s Ian Chase’s card.”
Harper’s eyes widened. “We’d known each other for two days.”
“That was enough for Kip.” Hunt sighed. “I’m changing the subject: my assistant. I work long hours, and I’m, according to some, difficult to work with. I am right-handed. I round at zero-dark-thirty.” When Harper crunched her brows, he explained, “After dark.”
“As my assistant, I expect you to work with Kevin to coordinate my schedule. My patients come first. Their families count as patients too. I don’t drink a lot, and I don’t smoke. I hate staff who are stupid by choice, and I hate to lose.”
“If you want me, I’ll be happy to work with you.” Harper noticed Hunt used the word “with” instead of “for.” She wasn’t a piece of equipment to Hunt.
“Before I tell you the business end of the deal, I have one more question. Why did you stay working with the Sommerstones?” Hunt steepled his fingers.
“I guess it doesn’t matter much now. My parents hated me lowering myself to become a nurse—until they thought being a doctor’s nurse would be acceptable. The Sommerstones gave me my first job at the hospital. I started dating Jerrold about the same time he became an attending. A month in, I wanted to end it. He slammed me into the corner of an exam table, fracturing my nose, orbits and maxilla. I also had a brain bleed.” Harper told the rest of the story.
“When he came back to the office, he told me if I tried to quit, he’d tell people I was treating patients impaired. Then there’s the whole drug trial mess.”
“You faced some tough decisions. I’m sorry you felt so alone,” Hunt said. “I feel comfortable offering you the job.”
“I’ll take it.” She smiled.
“You don’t know what it pays or if you get a phone, an office, and car—which you get. And the starting salary is two hundred fifty.”
