Charming Hannah (Big Sky #1)(39)

“I didn’t realize that being dedicated to my job was punishable,” I reply, feeling my whole body tighten defensively.

“I’m not punishing you, Hannah.” He sighs and watches me for a moment. “You’re a wonderful doctor, and having you on staff has only strengthened this clinic. I value your education and your knowledge. But you put in too many hours. One day, it won’t be safe. You’ll miss a step out of pure exhaustion, and I have to think about the welfare of you and our patients. I’m not telling you that you can’t work. I’m telling you that you can’t work on your days off.”

“Which is kind of the same thing,” I reply. “I love this job. This is who I am.”

“No. This is what you do.” He smiles kindly and leans back in his chair. “In fact, I’ve been looking back over your schedule, and it’s come to my attention that you haven’t taken vacation time in two years.”

“I was going to last summer, but Dr. Preston had her car accident and I had to fill in for her.”

“I remember.” He nods. “And it was appreciated. I want you to make up for it this year.”

“Okay.”

“Today.”

“Excuse me?”

“Beginning today, I want you to take that week’s vacation, paid. In addition to the other vacation time you have coming this year.”

I frown. “Jim, I have two patients ready to have babies in the next few weeks.”

“And if they go into labor, there are doctors here to do that, Hannah.”

“So, I have to take a week off of work.”

He laughs. “No, you get to take a week. Starting now.”

“I have a patient in a room.”

“Already been taken care of,” he says. “We help each other around here. We’re cool like that.”

“I’m sorry, are you sure I haven’t done something wrong?”

“No.” He shakes his head and holds my gaze with wise grey eyes. “You’re an excellent doctor, and I want you to be here for many years. The rest of your career, if I can manage it. And to do that, I need to protect you from burning yourself out.”

“What am I supposed to do with all of this time?” I ask.

“That’s up to you,” he says and laughs when I just stare at him, dumbfounded. “Hannah, this is a good thing. You’ll have more time to live your life.”

“Huh.” I narrow my eyes on him. “If you’re really trying to squeeze me out of here, I’ll put up a fight.”

“I hope so. Now, you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. Not until next Wednesday.”

“But it’s Tuesday.”

“Exactly. You’ll be off from this Tuesday until next Wednesday. A whole week.”

“I guess I could hike,” I reply, thinking out loud.

“Yes, that sounds great. Take a trip. Go hike. Go camping. Hell, go to Europe, I don’t care. Just don’t come here.”

“You’re going to miss me,” I promise him, and he rolls his eyes.

“It’s a week, Hannah.”

Might as well be a month.





Chapter Eleven


Hannah

“I’M SORRY TO BUG you at work,” Abby says on the phone twenty minutes later just as I walk in my house, “but I have a question.”

“I’m not at work.”

“What? Why?”

“What’s your question?”

“Right.” She clears her throat. “I have an extra pair of concert tickets to see Maroon5 next month, and I’m wondering if you’d like to go?”

“Is this really a question? Of course I want to go.”

“Cool. Now, why are you not at work?”

I sigh and pull a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Because I was sent home.” I sit and tell her everything that Jim just said. “I mean, what am I supposed to do for a whole week?”

“Are you kidding me?”

I frown at the phone. “No, I’m not kidding. A whole week? What the hell?”

“Hannah, you’re supposed to relax. Have fun. I’ve wanted you to do this for years. I can hear how tired you always are. I think it’s awesome that Jim wants you to have a normal life.”

“I’m a doctor,” I remind her. “We don’t have normal lives.”

“Well, now you can.”

“It’s a lot of time to fill. I don’t know what to do.”

“I can think of a dozen things. Go to the movies, a short road trip, get a massage. Get your nails done. Schedule happy hours with your friends. But first, I think you should go buy lunch for that sexy police chief of yours and take it to him. That would be fun.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” I turn the idea over in my head, and feel a grin spread over my face. “I’m actually kind of hungry.”

“See? You’ll find things to do. If you can’t think of anything, text me and I’ll help.”

“Okay.” I laugh, and grab my handbag. “Thanks for inviting me to the concert. Send me the details.”

“Will do. Now, go feed your cop, and then maybe have sexy time in his office.”