“That’s why I’m trying to get that basement done as fast as I can. You heard Dok. She said she’d start our residency in full mode when there was space for us.”
A long pause. So long that Evie inched forward to better hear them.
“I suppose,” Wren said, “I could keep digging.” She let out a sigh. “And keep studying for the boards.” Her voice tightened. “They’re not far off, you know. You might try cracking open a book.”
“I will, I will. As soon as I get the basement finished.”
“Charlie, I know there’s another reason you want to stay here.”
Evie held very still.What?What could it be?
Charlie’s voice dropped to an indistinct murmur, and Eviecould only hear a scrap of a sentence. She edged closer to get a better listen.
“Oh yeah?” Wren said. “Try living with Merry Sunshine every day—”
Unfortunately, as she inched forward, Evie neglected to notice a bucket on the ground in front of her. When her foot kicked it, the clattering sound startled both Wren and Charlie. They spun around to see Evie right at the corner of the buggy shop.
Wren’s eyebrows knitted together. “Were you eavesdropping on us?”
“No! Absolutely not.”Busted.“Fern just sent me to let you know supper’s ready.”
Wren folded her arms, a skeptical look settling on her face. “And you just happened to end up on thesideof the buggy shop?”
“I was, uh, admiring Fern’s hydrangeas.”Brilliant.That sounded so convincing.
“Thanks, Evie,” Charlie said. “I’ll be right over.”
What was that expression on Charlie’s face? Kind of a forced smile. Was he embarrassed? Guilty? As Evie turned to walk back to the farmhouse, feeling as foolish and immature as she had sounded, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that continued to gnaw at her—there was definitely something going on between Wren and Charlie, far more than she’d realized.
A few days later, after the office had closed, Dok was wrapping up her usual end-of-day routine—planning for the next day’s appointments, reviewing patient histories, and ordering lab tests. It was a habit she’d picked up to make the next day run more smoothly, and it really paid off.
After her ADHD diagnosis, Dok had learned to rely on every organizational trick in the book to keep her days on track, and those tricks made a world of difference. She’d gotten betterat managing her ADHD, but it still had her by the heel. Juggling her own chaotic schedule was one thing—she thrived on the adrenaline—but structuring a plan for Charlie and Wren required a different kind of focus. And once again, she pushed it to another day.
Seated at her desk, she looked up when she heard a knock at her open door. “Charlie? You’re still here? I thought everyone had gone home.”
He had a funny look on his face, like he was trying to keep a grin at bay. “If you have a minute to spare, I’d like to show you something in the basement. Go out the front door and I’ll meet you there.”
Curious, but hoping this wouldn’t take long, Dok set her computer in sleep mode and went out the front door. The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the parking lot. It was later than she thought, and Matt had asked her to get home early tonight. He was making his world-famous lasagna. Famous in their world, anyway.
Charlie stood at the top of the cellar steps, a look of satisfaction plastered across his face. The once scruffy, overgrown path to the cellar now boasted a tidy path of decomposed granite leading from the parking lot to the steps. “Welcome to your new and improved office space,” he said, gesturing grandly as he descended the steps and swung open the door.
Dok followed him, her footsteps faltering as she reached the threshold. “Charlie!” Her eyes widened in amazement. What had once been a dark, damp cellar crammed with forgotten junk had been transformed into a bright, welcoming space.
“This is your new waiting room,” Charlie said, motioning to chairs arranged neatly against the wall. “Large enough for groups to meet. Credit Evie with that. I thought it was a pretty cool idea.”
Dok thought so too, though she knew of no groups thatwould want to meet in a doctor’s waiting room. It was large, though, bigger than she had envisioned. She strolled around the space, her expression a mix of astonishment and delight. “This is fantastic, Charlie. I never imagined it could look like this.” She took in the framed photographs on the walls and the fresh paint color. “The pictures on the walls, the paint—it’s absolutely perfect.”
“All Evie’s doing,” Charlie said, a hint of pride in his voice. “She picked out those photos in a local store. She chose the paint colors too.” He led her to another door, opening it to reveal a small windowless room painted a soft, buttery yellow. On one wall, a framed photograph of a field of sunflowers added a splash of cheer. “We thought this could be an exam room.”
Dok stepped inside, impressed. “This is a great setup.” No window was actually a plus for an exam room.
Charlie guided her to yet another door. “And here’s a usable bathroom,” he said, flinging open the door to reveal a clean tiled space. “With certifiably correct plumbing.” His grin grew even bigger.
Dok peeked into the small room, noting its compact but efficient design.
“And finally,” Charlie said, opening a door to reveal a rather large closet with a desk against the wall, “a small office in the back.”
“Calling it an office is generous, but I like using every inch of spare space,” Dok said. Walking back toward the waiting room, seeing everything for a second time, she felt almost overwhelmed with delight. He had turned her humble office into a full-fledged clinic. “You really outdid yourself. This place looks fantastic, Charlie.”
