Trusting Love, page 13
“She contacted a local realtor—”
He cut her off with a slice of his hand. “I heard that. I’m working on deciphering it.” He dropped back into the chair. “Let me set you and the rest of Paradox Lake and Ticonderoga straight. I have nothing to do with my grandfather’s business. I try to have nothing to do with him at all.”
“Your grandfather owns JMH. Your father sits on the board. You’re telling me that you have no interest at all in the family corporation?” Autumn’s eyes flashed her challenge.
Jon’s heart pounded with anger. “I’m telling you exactly that. According to what I’ve been told repeatedly since I chose not to follow the family footprints and practice surgery, I’ve essentially been disinherited by both my grandfather and father.”
Autumn knitted her brow and tilted her head. “Seriously?”
He threw his hands up. “Who knows? That’s what they both told me when I chose an obstetrics residency and made it clear I wasn’t choosing it for the surgical opportunities. They could have almost accepted my choice if I’d gone into it for surgery.”
Autumn pushed back into the chair and crossed her legs at the ankles. She cocked her head and one side of her mouth twisted up.
“If you’re trying to figure out my crazy family, give up. I did a long time ago.”
“I had to ask.” Autumn’s voice was barely above a whisper. “The birthing center is my and a lot of other people’s livelihood. I’ve read what JMH does when it buys a facility, and a couple of the nurses at Samaritan had come from small Upstate hospitals that your grandfather had taken over. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, work in those conditions.”
But if that happened, Autumn’s family would be behind her, help her. Unlike his. He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. “Yes, I know what my illustrious grandfather does. He guts the heart of a facility and turns a profit on the backs of the staff and patients.”
He shouldn’t have, but he took satisfaction in Autumn’s stunned silence. His grandfather had better not have plans to buy the Ticonderoga Birthing Center. That could interfere with his plans to bolster his vitae by saving the center himself. Disgust filled him. That sounded like something his father would say. It had to be his anger. He never put business and his own gain ahead of giving the people he served the best medical care he could. He’d taken the director position to improve his ability to provide care. So he’d have the administrative know-how he’d need to follow his calling to Haiti next year.
“So you’re telling me that you don’t know anything about your grandfather staging a takeover?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Did he detect skepticism in her voice? No. From what he knew of Autumn, if she’d doubted his words, she’d say so. “I’ll see what I can find out from Nana.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t even get her to tell me how long she’s staying with me.”
Autumn stood. “I’d better get going or I’ll be late for dinner.
She had a dinner date? His stomach sank. He shouldn’t be surprised. It was Saturday night.
“Gram hates when anyone is late.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He couldn’t think of any reason she’d tell him that except to break the tension. “And I know how important it is to keep grandmothers happy.” Jon paused waiting for Autumn’s comeback. All he got was a nod and a “bye.” But Autumn always had been one woman he hadn’t been able to charm. Nana was another.
Jon stood at his door and watched Autumn walk to her side of the duplex. So, Autumn’s Saturday night dinner date was with her grandparents. If that was typical of her social life, it rivaled his. Not that he’d been making any real effort to have a social life beyond the trivia group since he’d arrived in Paradox Lake, nor did he plan to. So, why was he so pleased Autumn’s dinner date was with her grandparents?
He whistled Forever Wild’s latest song as he made his way through the kitchen and out the back door to track Nana down. She was right where he expected he’d find her, on the patio reading.
“Are your friends all gone?”
“Yes, Autumn was the last. She just left.”
“You didn’t ask her if she wanted to come over for dinner, did you? I want her to try out the lemon meringue pie. It’s a new recipe.”
“No, she said she had other plans. It is Saturday night and she’s an attractive woman.” Both statements were true and might help discourage Nana from her campaign to push them together. It was getting embarrassing and hard to resist.
“That’s too bad. I really enjoy Autumn’s company, don’t you?”
“Yes, as a colleague and friend.”
His grandmother smiled a knowing smile that he had to admit to himself wasn’t too far off target.
Let her think what she wanted. He had more important things than his nonexistent love life to discuss with her. “Could you come inside? I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Something unpleasant from the look on your face.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“That’s cryptic.” As they crossed the yard to the back door, his grandmother gestured toward the pines separating the duplex from the lake. “It really is beautiful here. Have you thought about buying some property, a house or land to build a house on?”
“No, although I hear you’ve been looking.” He opened the door and followed his grandmother in.
“I have,” she said, not elaborating. “Can I start dinner while we talk?”
“I’d rather have your full attention.”
“That serious.” She pulled out a chair and sat at the table.
He sat across from her, leaning on his elbows. “Is grandfather thinking about buying the Ticonderoga Birthing Center?”
Nana touched a finger to her cheek. “No, not that I’m aware. I haven’t talked with him in weeks, but the facilities he was looking at then were mid-state and down near Binghamton. Where did you get the idea he was interested in your center?”
Nana’s reference to the center as his bothered him. His work here was a stepping stone. He didn’t want to take virtual ownership, like Autumn and many of the hometown staff seemed to. It would be easier to leave when the time came if he didn’t. But he could still care about the center, care about keeping it open for Autumn and the others.
“Autumn asked. She said she’d heard that the Adirondack Medical Center might want to spin off the birthing center and insinuated that I might be part of a takeover plan instigated by Grandfather. Her points: my taking the directorship, your apparently unending stay, and the fact that you were shopping real estate here.”
“I take it Autumn didn’t like that idea.”
“What do you think?”
“I wouldn’t if I were her. So, I doubt she would, although a JMH takeover could keep the center open if it’s in danger of closing. Autumn seems attached to living here, not that I blame her.”
“Grandfather would destroy the center, like he destroys everything he touches.”
“Jonathan,” she admonished him. “He is your grandfather.”
“And your husband.” Jon crossed his arms across his chest. “Sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” Her eyes went soft. “You didn’t know him before when he was still practicing surgery. He was different.”
Jon’s chest tightened. He did remember loving to go to Nana and Grandfather’s house when he was small.
She cleared her throat. “You can tell Autumn that I don’t know anything about JMH taking over the birthing center.”
“I will.” Her words should have relieved the knot in his stomach, but they didn’t. Nana wouldn’t lie to him, but he had a niggling feeling she wasn’t telling him something.
His grandmother stood, went to the refrigerator, and took a package of meat out of the freezer. “I thought I’d make lamb chops.”
They were one of his favorites.
“With asparagus and baked potatoes.”
“And mint jelly?” he asked.
“You’ve got it.” She unwrapped the chops and put them in the microwave to defrost. “After dinner I’d like you to come with me to see the lake house I looked at yesterday. You can meet my realtor.”
Jon drummed his fingers on the table. She thought she’d bribe him into coming with her by making his favorite foods. He stopped and laid his hand flat on the table. Grandfather was the schemer, not Nana. She’d probably planned this dinner days ago.
“I’d like to get a second opinion before I buy it,” she said.
“You’re that serious.”
“I am. I might as well use the money my parents left me for something. I let your grandfather invest it and he tied it up in long-term investments to discourage me from spending it. He could take care of me just fine, thank you, is his way. My inheritance is where the money I sent you when you were in medical school came from.”
Nana had money from her parents? He’d had no idea. Even if it hadn’t been a lot to begin with, if it had been invested all of those years, it could be a nice amount now.
“If, and that’s a big if, your grandfather ever comes to his senses, it would make a great vacation home. And if he doesn’t, it’s completely winterized. I can’t go on living here with you forever, not that I’m not enjoying myself.”
“Sure, I’ll go with you.”
“I think you’ll like it, and I know I’ll like living near you, even if it turns out to be only during the summer. The house not only has a beautiful view, but it has an elaborate wooden jungle gym for kids to play on. Autumn said Paradox Lake was a great place to grow up.”
Only he wouldn’t be here past next year, and he certainly didn’t have any immediate plans to provide Nana with any great grandkids to play on the jungle gym.
Jon was still rehashing his conversation with Nana as he left his place for work the next morning.
“Good morning.” Autumn startled him. She usually left for the center later then him.
“’Morning.”
“Do you have a minute? I’d rather talk here than at work.”
“Sure.” There was no actual requirement that he had to be the first one in.
“I wondered if you had a chance to talk with your grandmother.”
“Yes.” He certainly had.
“And,” Autumn prompted him. “What did she say?”
Jon rubbed the back of his neck. “As far as Nana knows, Grandfather has no intention of buying the birthing center. But she did say they haven’t talked in several weeks.”
Autumn frowned.
He shrugged. “That’s all I got.” He hadn’t had to add the part about Nana and Grandfather not communicating, and he wasn’t going to share his unfounded feeling that Nana had held something back.
Autumn touched his arm as he started toward his bike. “I have something else to ask you. From what I heard the other day, Adirondack Medical Center is shopping the birthing center as a complete women’s health center, based partly on my branching out more into gynecology.”
He wasn’t following Autumn’s train of thought. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“Okay, but if it turns out to be right and there’s an opening on staff for an OB/GYN nurse practitioner, I might be interested. My contract with Kelly is up soon.”
Autumn wanted to join him on staff. The sun moved out from behind a cloud that had passed in front of it while they were talking with Kelly. So far, they’d worked well together, and he’d like having another practitioner on staff. “The minute I hear anything, I’ll let you know. Or are you asking me to request the position? I’m willing to research the need and propose it if the numbers indicate a gap in service.”
“Whoa, slow down. I’m just starting to consider alternatives to entering another contract with Kelly.”
He gritted his teeth. He had rather irrationally jumped right on that. But a staff position would mean Autumn could stay in Paradox Lake, something he was sure she wanted to do. And he’d like to help her. She was a definite asset to the center and the community.
“Let’s see how it goes working together with Kari. She said she scheduled her appointment with you.”
“Yes, she has an appointment this week.” He didn’t want to tell her an appointment this Tuesday at three-thirty because she wouldn’t believe he routinely remembered the dates and times of all his patients’ appointments. He didn’t. “I can let you know tomorrow when it is if you want to sit in.”
“No, why don’t you see her alone this time and we can talk afterwards. Having both of us there might make Kari nervous that we’re more concerned about her pregnancy than we, or at least I, am.”
“True. I wouldn’t want to alarm her.” Insights like that were one of the reasons he thought they’d work well together overall, not only with Kari.
“I’d better get going. I have an early appointment,” Autumn said.
Jon’s gaze traced the delicate lines of her profile as she walked to her car. Autumn might have some reservations, but right now he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than work with Autumn for as long as he was at the center.
CHAPTER 12
Sunday afternoon the sound of her cell phone drew Autumn away from the kitchen window where she’d been admiring Jon mowing the back lawn. He’d offered his services to her father, said he needed the exercise. One last look at his broad shoulders and trim waist belied that statement. But she welcomed not having to do the lawn herself, although considering all the dessert tasting Mrs. Hanlon had for her, she probably should volunteer to trade off with Jon.
She froze when she saw the birthing center contact service number on the caller ID. She wasn’t supposed to be on the on-call list anymore, not since she’d stopped presiding at births. “Hello,” she choked out.
“Autumn?”
“Yes.”
The service employee identified herself. “I’m trying to reach Dr. Hanlon. He’s not answering either one of his phones.”
Autumn relaxed and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“I thought since you live next door, you could see if he’s home and ask him to call me. If he’s not, let me know.”
“He’s here.” Autumn glanced out the window again. Jon was pushing the mower back toward the house. “He’s out mowing the lawn. Hang on, I’ll take the phone out to him.” This was one of the times when living in a close-knit community where everyone knew everyone else’s business was a good thing.
Jon reached the flowerbed next to Autumn’s back door at the same time she opened the door. She waved her phone at him, and he turned the mower off. “It’s your service.”
He stepped over and took the phone from her, turning away to take the call. He handed it back when he was done. “I have to go. I’ll finish the lawn during the week.”
“One of your mothers?”
“No, actually, it’s someone here on vacation. She’s…”
Autumn understood when he stopped. Confidential information. “Don’t worry about the grass. If I get ambitious, I’ll pick up where you left off.”
He sprinted over to his back door and went in. Her phone rang again. “Hi, Dad. What’s up?”
“I’m glad I got you. You need to get over to the birthing center.”
“What?”
“Christie Reynolds wants you there.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“Christie’s gone into labor early. She and her family are vacationing at the lake house her parents always rented when you were kids.”
That Autumn knew, and she felt guilty that she hadn’t gone over yet and visited with her. They’d been great friends the summers Christie’s family had vacationed at Paradox Lake. She started to say she couldn’t deliver Christie’s baby, especially if it was premature, when she realized Jon’s call must have been about Christie.
“Anne and I have her four-year-old with us. Your grandmother is driving her to the birthing center right now.”
“So what did you need me for?” Even if she were still birthing babies, she would have called Jon in for a premature birth.
“Christie’s husband isn’t here. He wasn’t coming to join them until Wednesday. Christie wants you there for moral support. She doesn’t know Jon. She’s pretty freaked.”
“Got it. I’ll let you know how things go. Bye.” Autumn heard Jon’s car start and hurried to the front door to see him speed off before she could get his attention.
Twenty minutes later, she entered the center. “Hi, Autumn,” the woman at the front desk said. “They’re waiting for you.”
She went back into the birthing suites.
“Autumn, I’m so glad you’re here.” Christie pushed herself up in the bed. “She’s coming too early.”
“What happened?” Autumn glanced past Christie to Jon. Her head was full of questions she wanted to ask. But she didn’t want to appear as if she were competing with him over Christie. He was the medical provider in charge.
Jon nodded, iPad in hand and his paper pad sticking out of his pants pocket. “We were just getting started.”
“I’ve been having twinges the past couple of days. I didn’t think they were contractions. I was going to call you yesterday, but I didn’t have your number. I tried your dad, but no one was home and I decided I was being overly concerned. It’s not my first baby. I thought they felt like the false labor I’d had with Connor. Then this morning my water broke. That’s when I called your dad and your grandmother drove me in.”
Autumn had been so focused on Christie that she hadn’t even noticed her grandmother in the suite.
“The pains I’m having now aren’t twinges.”
“How often?” Autumn and Jon said in unison.
“Not often. I had one on the ride here and one while I was checking in. None since.”
“When is your due date?” Autumn asked.
“Not for another four or five weeks. Connor came really fast. He surprised my doctor. Autumn, I’m scared.”
Autumn squeezed her hand. She was, too. The center wasn’t set up for high-risk babies. Christie’s eyes pleaded with her for more assurance. Her friend Suzy had looked at her the same way when the complications arose during her baby’s birth. At times like this, Autumn could see why some practitioners preferred not to treat people they were close to.
