“I’m just trying to understand. Most people would kill for what you do have left.”
Glen had earned a deeper look into my life, so I leaned against the truck to stay grounded while I explained. “I wasn’t exactly raised mowing lawns, cleaning house, and cooking, and I can’t stand having an entire staff around giving me pity. So, shortly after the accident, I let the staff go, paid off the ones who deserved retirement, and have been dealing with things alone. I haven’t answered those calls because I’m afraid he’s either got more bad news, which I don’t want to deal with, or he’s trying to get me to come to work for the firm.”
“So you really are a lawyer?” His eyes widened, and he gave me a sideward glance as if tilting his head would put everything into perspective.
“Yes, but that’s the last thing my father and I disagreed on. He wanted me to come into the firm as defense, but I preferred prosecution. He didn’t get my argument, and so I was going to go into practice on my own, away from his firm. You can imagine how well that went over.” I remembered how angry my father had been. He’d never understood why I didn’t want to fall right into what he had made for me.
“Well, now is your chance to do your own thing. The only person holding you back is you. I’ll serve you beers any time you want, but this will always be here. You should really think about straightening up a bit and dealing with what you’ve been left with. It doesn’t have to be so bad.”
I knew he was right, but as the phone vibrated in my pocket, I decided to leave it and Glen where they were. “I’ll see you later, man. Keep that stool open.”
I got into the truck and drove out to the house to return the bike. As I passed by the place to get to the long drive, I got a good look at the grass and other overgrowth. A storm had knocked down one of the oaks, uprooting the mound of earth beneath it, but I hadn’t done anything about it.
Maybe it was time to do something more. I could hire a few people to help out. Get the home back in shape over the next month or so and then keep them around for general upkeep, but part of me felt guilty that I didn’t want the same staff as before.
Maybe a fresh start is what I needed, but I knew it wasn’t happening anytime soon. I had already made up my mind to go down to the gym and see how much it had changed. That was much easier than dealing with how much I had.
Chapter Four
Lexa
I walked into the back and stripped off my gloves. I couldn’t believe I’d not only knocked over one cart, but two. There was nothing more embarrassing than being asked to leave the room by the doctor, and I waited for him to come out any minute to tell me I needed to go home. I leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths as tears stung my eyes. I needed to calm down. Crying would only make it worse and embarrass me more.
Moments later, the doors opened and Dr. Robert Benson, who we all affectionately referred to as Dr. Rob, came out and stood in front of me.
“Is everything okay?” He seemed genuinely concerned, with a puzzled look on his face. “This is not like you, Lexa. You’re usually my rock in there, always in focus.”
“I know. I’m having an off day, I guess.” It was the worst thing someone in my line of work could admit. We had to stay sharp and on our toes.
“Want to talk about it? I’m a pretty good listener.” He leaned against the wall next to me, and when I looked up into his deep brown eyes, I saw the most sincere concern there.
Something about him put me at ease, and I was reminded of my brother. He had the same way about him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about the plane crash last year that killed the Walker family and their guest; it was all over the news at the time.”
He scratched his chin. “I do remember something about that. That wasn’t your family, was it?”
“My brother was on the flight with his girlfriend’s family. There were no survivors, and well, now my parents have decided to sue the family’s estate. I don’t feel right about it at all, and to be honest, it’s stirring up some feelings I thought I’d dealt with months ago.”
“Grief hits us all differently and at different times. Sometimes, just when you think you’re moving on is when it gets to you the worst. You know, I lost a brother, too, so I know what it’s like. You have that person with you for your entire life, and then one day, they are just gone. No one is ever prepared for that.”
“Imagine losing your entire family all at once.” I took a deep breath. In all my grief, I couldn’t help but wonder about the man on the other side of things. Dr. Rob’s brow twitched upward as if waiting for an explanation.
“The Walkers had a son they left behind. I’ve never met him, but every time I start to feel bad, I can’t help but think that his grief is so much more than mine. He lost everyone. And now, my parents are going to add salt to his wounds by suing him.”
“Well, you’re in the right business with that level of empathy. Some aren’t as understanding as you when it comes to things of that nature. They think there’s a way to make things even as if that will end their pain. But it won’t. Money is no substitute for love.”
“I’m sorry I made a mess in there. I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m usually not such a klutz.” I palmed my face and peeked up at him through my fingers.
A warm-hearted chuckle erupted from his chest as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “I hated to ask you to leave, but the only thing left to knock over was the patient.” He gave me a nudge.
“No, don’t worry about it, really. Things like that happen. We’re all human. But if you need to talk to someone, I’m here. Maybe, if you’re ever feeling up to it, I could take you out to dinner, and we can learn a bit more about each other. I’ll tell you about my brother. He was a nice guy; you’d have liked him.”
My face warmed, and I was sure it was stained with blush. I wiped my teary eyes and took a deep breath. He’d lost someone, too, so he knew what I was going through. “Sure, I’d like that.”
I couldn’t believe he’d asked me out, and even though I wasn’t sure I was interested, there was no way I’d say no. Every nurse in the hospital was itching for his attention, and he had a good reputation for being a gentleman. The fact that he was tall, dark, and handsome didn’t hurt, either.
“Perfect, I’ll catch you later.” With that, he was on his way down the hall, and I took another deep breath to calm my nerves. It was time for me to grab some lunch, which to anyone else would be a midnight snack.