Scars Of The Past || Jerrie

Thirty-Two

Perrie

I sewed one last suture, completing an uneventful neuter surgery on the six-month-old papillon puppy who was stretched out across the table. I handed the needle holder and scissors to Ellie, who took them to be sterilized. I gently picked up the puppy and carried him to the kennel where he would recover. "All done, little guy."

"Beautiful work, Dr. Edwards," Ellie said. We walked out of the recovery room together, stripping off our caps and masks. "You make it look so easy."

I chuckled. "Only after a lot of practice, I assure you."

"I'll bet." Ellie took off her surgical gloves and gestured for me to do the same. Throwing both pairs of gloves in the medical waste bin, she said, "You heading out to lunch now?"

"I was thinking about it. I'm sure Hatchi is dying to get out of my office for a bit."

Ellie gave me a sidelong glance. "Your friend isn't watching him for you anymore, huh?"

I tried to keep my smile painted on, but faltered. I hadn't spoken to Jade in over a week, not for my lack of trying. Though I was careful not to flood her with phone calls, I had definitely made enough overtures to let her know I didn't intend to cut off contact. Unfortunately, Jade's silence sent a strong signal that she didn't want anything to do with me at the moment.

"No." I tried to sound casual. "She's got a lot going on, so Hatchi gets to hang out here for a while."

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be nosy." Ellie stopped in front of the restroom door so I also paused. "Or bring up a sensitive topic."

"Not at all." I knew from Ellie's cautious tone that she had guessed the nature of my relationship with Jade. No matter how much I hated keeping it secret, I wanted to respect Jade's limits. "Nothing to be nosy about."

"Good." Ellie put her hand on the bathroom door. "I've got to make a quick stop, so have a nice lunch."

"Thanks. Talk to you later."

Dr. Coulson poked his head out of his office down the hall. "Dr. Edwards, did I hear that you're heading to lunch?"

"I sure am. Unless you need me to stick around?" I didn't mind. At lunch I had nothing to do but think about Jade. At least when I was working I could keep my thoughts focused on something other than my broken heart.

"Not for too long. But if you could spare a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you."

"Sure." I stepped into his office and shut the door behind us. I noted the ever-growing stacks of travel books on his desk with amusement. Now that the tallest pile leaned precariously to one side, it was probably silly not to say something about them. "Planning a vacation?"

Dr. Coulson grinned widely. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay." I read the spine of one of his books as I sat down. "I've heard Ireland is gorgeous. Have you been before?"

"I haven't." Dr. Coulson sat with a groan and a tired smile. "I've never been anywhere outside the country except Australia. A travesty I'm eager to put right."

I suspected where this conversation was going, and it sparked a heady mix of excitement and anticipation. "This will be a long trip, won't it?"

Dr. Coulson's smile became a toothy grin. "My wife has been begging me to retire for five years now. I've decided that she's probably smarter about these things than I am."

"Congratulations." I admired and respected him, and I would be lying if I said I wouldn't miss him. But this could be an incredible opportunity for me, if I hadn't misread his desire for me to take over. "You've had a long and successful career. You deserve to enjoy everything else the world has to offer."