Driftwood Bay (Hope Harbor #5) - Irene Hannon Page 0,43
the three steps from the porch to the walk. “I’ll give you a call later.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
Because he was anxious to hear what Mariam had to say—or anxious to talk to her again?
It could be both.
And that was bad.
She did not want to attract attention or catch any man’s eye. That was one of the reasons she’d kept to herself for the past three years.
Without looking back, she hightailed it down the drive, toward the safety of her farm behind the tall hedge. Where she belonged.
Because once you started getting involved in other people’s lives, once you began to let yourself care, you opened yourself up to a world of heartache.
And that wasn’t a place she intended to visit ever again.
13
“Congrats on surviving your first week on the job.” Barb Meyers grinned as she flipped off the lights in the last treatment room of the urgent care center.
Logan slipped out of his white coat and hung it in the closet next to the reception desk while the nurse practitioner locked the supply room. “Thanks. It was busier than I expected.”
To say the least.
A broken arm, two cases of strep throat, a gash requiring ten stitches, and a possible concussion they’d referred to Coos Bay for follow-up had kept him hopping on this warm, sunny Friday.
And the rest of the week had been just as hectic.
On the plus side, he’d been able to leave every day at five o’clock and delegate Saturday and the two-nights-a-week evening duties to Barb or Ellen, the physician’s assistant—part of the deal he’d negotiated when he’d taken the job.
But it wouldn’t hurt to have another pair of hands on deck—a part-time nurse perhaps.
An observation he’d pass on to the management team after he’d logged a bit more experience here.
“Any weekend plans?” Barb slid the strap of her purse over her shoulder.
“Other than training my dog—no.”
“Toby sounds like a handful.”
“Yeah.” The staff had offered him plenty of sympathy and advice during the week as he’d shared some of the pup’s escapades—like Toby’s diligence in digging up the flags marking the electric fence boundary instead of learning to respect what they represented.
At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to power up the fence for weeks without fear of freaking out the beagle with an electric shock.
“Hang in there. Most dogs catch on eventually.”
“That’s what Chuck said.” Their office manager, who’d already left for the day, had been happy to share his experience with dogs in the occasional lull between patients. “See you Monday.”
He checked his watch as he hurried toward the door. He was a few minutes behind schedule, thanks to that broken arm, and Mariam would be waiting for him to drive her and Elisa home so she could prepare dinner for her family.
At least the first week of his new daycare arrangement had gone smoothly. Molly and Elisa had become BFFs, and Mariam seemed caring and conscientious.
He owed Jeannette a huge thank-you for suggesting the arrangement. It had been a literal godsend.
And he’d tell her that when their paths next crossed—which could be a while, given that he hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of her since their chat on his porch last Saturday.
He swung onto 101 for the six-minute, traffic-free drive home.
Bliss, after the San Francisco rush hour.
Elbow resting on the open window, he inhaled a lungful of the fresh salt air. Maybe after dinner he’d take Molly and Toby to the beach. A quiet sunset stroll past the sea stacks arrayed offshore would be a relaxing end to the work week.
Mouth flexing into a smile, Logan turned onto his street. It wouldn’t take long to run Mariam and Elisa home, and he and Molly could stop for dinner at the Myrtle Café. Within an hour, they could be at the beach and— Logan frowned.
Why was an older model Sentra parked in front of his house?
He inspected the unfamiliar car as he drove past it and swung into the driveway. Who could have come to call—and had Mariam let a stranger in the house?
A niggle of alarm rippled through him.
That had been one of the firm rules he’d laid down the first day, and with Susan interpreting, he had no doubt Mariam had understood—and she’d promised to abide by it.
So where was the driver?
Logan pulled into the detached garage, slid out of the car, and jogged toward the back door.
Laughter, music, and little-girl giggles greeted him as he approached.
Logan exhaled.
Didn’t sound as if a criminal had invaded his home after all.