Patt Marr - Promise Of Forever

“Yep,” he agreed, though he wasn’t that sure. In the two years Noah had worked as Keith Crabtree’s office nurse, the man had rarely shown enthusiasm or genuine interest in others. It was his reputation for thoroughness, not his personality, that kept his patient roster full.

“Is Dr. Brennan pretty, Daddy?”

“Does that matter?”

“Nope, but is she?”

“I only met her once, and it was a long time ago.” A year and a half was a long time, measured by Kendi’s standards. They’d buried her mother six months before that.

He remembered Beth Brennan better than he admitted, though. When she was introduced as Dr. Crabtree’s replacement, she’d been radiant, happy and so attractive that he’d wondered what it was going to be like working in the close quarters of their office.

Later, when he’d walked with her to her grandfather’s office, and, later still, to her car, he hadn’t been thinking how she looked, just how she must feel. Ragged emotion showed on her face, and he’d wished he could help.

“Does Dr. Brennan like little girls?”

“Sure. And little boys, too.”

“Is Dr. Brennan married?”

“I don’t know.” She hadn’t been when she’d first planned to take Crabtree’s place, but she could be now.

“Well, if she’s not, maybe Dr. Brennan could be your girlfriend.”

Whoa! Where did that come from? He hadn’t had a girlfriend since he’d met Kendi’s mother, and he didn’t want one now. “No, Kendra, Dr. Brennan can’t be my girlfriend.”

“You called me Kendra.”

“That’s your name.”

“Yeah, but you never call me Kendra unless you’re kind of mad at me.”

Did he really do that? “But I love your name. Mommy gave it to you.”

“Why can’t Dr. Brennan be your girlfriend?”

“Because she’s my boss.”

“Why can’t she be your girlfriend and your boss?”

“It’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Okay, he was thirty; she was seven. He should be able to end a conversation. Before Merrilee died, he could have. As the only one left to love Kendi, it was difficult to be hard on her, even a little bit.

He leaned across the counter and tweaked her nose playfully. “Remember when Justin was your boyfriend?”

“Dad-dee! William is my boyfriend!”

“I know. Was Justin mad when you started liking William?”

Kendi giggled. “Yep. He wouldn’t talk to me for a whole day.”

“That’s the way it is with grown-ups, too. If Dr. Beth was my girlfriend, and I got a new girlfriend, she might get mad, and I would have to find a new job.”

“I like new jobs.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t always like new jobs when you’re a grown-up.”

“Why?” Her big blue-violet eyes were glued to his.

Usually, he tried to break things down so she could understand, but this lesson could wait. He knew just the thing to make those eyes glaze with indifference.

“Kendi, when you have to find a new job, you lose your seniority, your retirement benefits, the relationship you’ve developed with colleagues and the opportunity to continue working in an environment you initially chose. You have to begin the job search all over again—networking with former coworkers about openings, interviewing potential employers, assessing whether this work is a good fit for your skills and temperament. You might never find a position you like as well.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Kendra?”

“Can we have hot dogs for dinner?”

Beverly Hills, California—October, one month later

There it was, the ultimate trophy: a parking space of her own. The flat piece of metal read Dr. E. Brennan, which meant the sign maker didn’t know she was Beth, not Elizabeth, but that didn’t matter—not when she’d spent a year and a half depending on the New York subway system, taxis and her own two feet to get around.

Beth wheeled her new yellow Beetle convertible into the space between two luxury cars. Grandpa had been right. Compared to the other vehicles in the BMC physicians’ parking area, her VW stood out like a happy child at a convention of bankers. It didn’t fit in any more than she did, but they were both here to stay.

It had been humbling to see how willingly Grandpa had agreed to the changes she’d wanted in her office, and he hadn’t been exaggerating about Keith Crabtree wanting to leave without fanfare.

She’d met with Keith after hours in his office and worked out the transition, but she hadn’t greeted the staff she would inherit. The receptionist—a young woman in her early twenties—was new to her. One of Keith’s nurses had been there when Beth was a child and a patient herself. Her other nurse was a widower who’d begun working at BMC when he’d needed better hours to raise his daughter alone.

When Keith mentioned his name, Noah McKnight, Beth couldn’t put a face with the name, but she sincerely hoped the man had a good sense of humor. She hadn’t realized there was anyone named Noah on her staff when she chose the theme of her new office decor. It was such an odd coincidence that she’d considered changing the theme, but it was exactly what she wanted, and her decorator had already placed custom orders.

Grandpa said if Noah had a problem with it, they would transfer him to another doctor’s office. Beth hoped it didn’t come to that. No one should lose his job or have his life rearranged because she was here.

High overhead, huge palm fronds swished in the warm fall breeze. The sky was California-blue without a cloud in sight. Beth raised her face to the sun and told herself this was the beginning of a great new life.

The people inside that classy glass-and-stucco building might scoff at the latest Brennan grandchild coming aboard, but she was well-trained, hard-working, resourceful and unafraid. Nothing could ruffle her composure. Nothing could make her doubt herself.

Or could it?

She must be more nervous than she wanted to admit, but was it any wonder? The Brennan family reputation was a heavy load to bear. There were people inside who would love to see her fall on her face, and that was not just paranoia talking.

She tossed her car keys into her tote bag and slung the tote over her shoulder. From the car’s back seat, she gathered up a floral arrangement, two big gift bags and a smaller one. Arriving this early, she hoped to have her gifts on the desks of her staff when they arrived.

Stepping briskly, she headed toward the front entrance, as nervous as an intern on her first day. Today she would be working without a net, with no attending physician to consult and no colleague close by. In her office, she was on her own as never before.

On her own? That was old Beth thinking. She knew better than that. She could pray anytime.

Lord, I need you today.

It wasn’t much of a prayer, but a flood of confidence swept over her, surprising her with its immediacy and power. Before she was a Christian, she might have called it mind over matter or something equally indefinable, but she knew better now. The effect of faith on the human body was real.

Noah McKnight jogged from the employee parking lot toward the BMC staff entrance and took the back stairs, two at a time, hurrying to reach the office and get his daughter’s sign pinned to the bulletin board before Beth Brennan arrived. This time his daughter’s artwork would get the appreciation it deserved.

He rounded the landing and started up the next flight, grateful for this chance to stretch his legs. He’d been a nurse before Kendi was born, but he’d only been a health nut since Merrilee had died and he’d realized he was all Kendi had. If something happened to him, what would become of her?

When he thought of his baby being raised in a foster home, it felt like there was a giant claw in his stomach. He knew there were good people who raised kids for the state, and he’d known some, but he’d taken off on his own as soon as he could. Merrilee’s foster situation hadn’t been much better.