“Listen, McCowboy.” Her finger poked into Cash’s gray T-shirt. “I’m absolutely helping with the tire. Don’t even think about going without me.”
McCowboy?
Cash shook his head, glancing at Olivia with amusement. “You did mention what a complex your sister has about accepting help.”
So it wasn’t just Graham she fought. Good to know.
Lucy squeaked. “That’s not true! I just accepted a ride to your house.” The woman beamed as if she should win a prize.
“Lucy’s car is near the big oak tree that got hit by lightning when we were in high school.” Graham’s lips twitched, and Lucy’s eyes started dancing with mischief. She certainly wasn’t embarrassed about her tree climb. He got the impression not much caused her to experience that particular emotion.
“So, Graham.” Olivia turned to him. “It’s actually perfect that you picked up my sister. I wanted the two of you to meet.”
A cold sweat snaked under his collar. Was Olivia trying to set him up with her flighty sister? Not going to happen. Graham had already had the love of his life. Now he had Mattie and absolutely no desire to remarry. Olivia would just have to take her matchmaking ideas elsewhere.
“Lulu, Graham’s office manager is out on maternity leave and he needs someone to fill in.”
What?
He hadn’t expected that. And this conversation sounded like trouble. Yes, the woman who ran Graham’s front office had gone on maternity leave unexpectedly early last week, leaving him completely strapped, but that didn’t mean Lucy Grayson was the right person for the position.
“I think it would be a perfect start for you, Lulu.” Olivia gave Graham a look he couldn’t quite decipher. Did she expect him to offer Lucy a job right here and now? Bend down on one knee and start begging?
Lucy studied him long enough to make him squirm, determination sparking in her eyes. “I do have a business degree. I don’t have experience in a medical office, but I could learn.”
How was he going to get out of this? Graham wanted someone for the position who could walk right in and know what they were doing. Someone with experience. Exactly the type of person he’d been looking for since well before Hollie went into early labor. Unfortunately, after three different temps had filled in last week, Graham was beginning to think that person didn’t exist.
Olivia was still talking about the possibility of Lucy working for him, how it would be a great fit, how it would be beneficial for both of them.
Graham could only stare. He felt as though he was sliding down a treacherous slope with little chance of rescue.
“Sorry, Red.” Cash looked far too amused and not nearly concerned enough. “I don’t think there’s any saving you from this one.”
“Seriously? You’re just going to leave me hanging? I am never prescribing anything for you ever again.”
Cash laughed. “I can’t imagine anyone going up against Liv and coming away with a win. Trust me, I know from experience.” His gaze slid to his wife, filled with enough admiration that a twinge of jealousy came over Graham.
Graham remembered that look, that feeling, well. He’d give anything to look at his wife like that again. But those days were gone, and he was healing. He was moving on. Just not into another relationship.
Unfortunately, at the moment, his friend was right. By the look on Olivia’s face, she was going to win this battle. Graham wanted to run for the door. Either that or rewind the evening and not stop at the sight of a stranded yellow Beetle.
“What do you think? Should we give it a try?” Lucy looked so hopeful that something in him tugged. She couldn’t be worse than the temps, could she? Maybe he was overreacting about the fact that he’d found her up a tree on the side of the road. Perhaps they could help each other out.
She’d have to be trained, but he’d figure out that part. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had any other choices lined up.
Graham would usually pray about a decision like this. Take his time. Wait on God’s guidance. But he was desperate. Desperate enough to hire a woman who looked like a model, smelled like sunshine and didn’t have a lick of experience.
Her words came back to him. A try, she’d said.
The tension in his body untangled. That was what he would do. He’d hire her on a trial basis. That way, when she couldn’t do the job, he’d have no issue letting her go.
On Tuesday morning, Lucy sat behind a wide receptionist desk in Graham’s medical office and stared at the blinking black beast in front of her. Some might call it a phone. Lucy deemed it an instrument of torture. It boasted a number on the small gray screen—one that kept growing as the number of people waiting for her to answer increased. When Graham’s nurse, Danielle, had trained Lucy on it early this morning, she’d called it the queue. Lucy didn’t have such a nice name for it.
It scared her more than spiders or spam.
On Sunday night, she and Graham had hammered out a few details. An agreement of sorts. They’d agreed to give working together a try. He’d put a lot of emphasis on that last word, and Lucy felt an underlying sense of tension that normally didn’t invade her life. Graham probably thought she was completely unqualified for the position. And he’d be right. Which meant she needed to prove herself today.
She knew her opportunity to work for Graham had everything to do with God and Olivia making it happen and very little to do with her office skills—which were nonexistent.
On Monday, when Lucy had moved into her above-garage apartment in town—the one her sister had lived in last year—she’d scanned the paper for any other job openings she might be qualified for, just in case working for Graham didn’t pan out.
There weren’t any.
Since her move to Texas had come up quickly, Lucy hadn’t had time to save. She didn’t have any reserves for covering an extended period of time without work. And since she absolutely refused to ask her parents or Olivia and Cash for money, she needed this job.
How hard could it be? she’d thought. Answer a phone. File some charts. But after a few of the calls she’d already fielded this morning, Lucy was afraid to touch the flashing beast in front of her. Since timidity wasn’t in her nature, she took a steadying breath and yanked the receiver up, pressing it to her ear.
“Dr. Redmond’s office. May I help you?”
“This is Walt Birl. Who’s this?”
Another favorite question of the morning. Who was she? What was she doing in town? And from two grandmothers—was she interested in meeting their grandsons?
“Lucy Grayson. I’m new to town. I’m running from some unsolved crimes in Colorado. What can I do for you, Mr. Birl?”
Stunned silence.
Lucy winced and looked at the phone as though she could see his reaction through the small black holes. Oops. Perhaps not her best move. Wasn’t she planning to be professional today? Prove to Graham he hadn’t made a mistake in hiring her?
When she put the phone back to her ear, loud cackling greeted her. “I like you. Listen, I have a rash I need to discuss with someone.”
Don’t pick me. Don’t pick me.
“It’s kind of round, though there’s a few spots—”
“Mr. Birl,