Present day
Daxon Morrow took one last bite of his apple before tossing the core into a nearby trash receptacle. He was meeting with the chief of staff of The Island Clinic this morning about doing a one- to two-day-a-week rotation at the exclusive medical center. The rest of his week would be spent at Victoria Hospital in Williamtown.
He’d never set his sights on working on any island other than St. Lucia, but going back there now… Well, there were only ghosts. And a remembered anger that had burned down to embers years ago.
Shaking his head to erase those thoughts, he continued up the sidewalk, glancing to his right at the pristine beach that lay a short distance away. This would be a good place to get in some endurance swimming, something that had seen him through some pretty tough times. It was hard to think of anything else when you were plowing through currents that tried to sweep you off course.
And really, his swimming had kept him on track through his studies. Through his exams. Through the process of letting go.
But right now he needed to concentrate on what he was here to do. See if this was a good fit. And if it wasn’t? Well, he could certainly work at Victoria Hospital full-time—they’d already offered him a position—but he really wanted to hone his skills as a thoracic surgeon, something he’d never pictured himself doing when he started med school.
He passed a bronze statue of a child that stood on the clinic’s front lawn, just in front of a flower bed that boasted tropical blooms of every color imaginable. Funny about the sculpture. This wasn’t a children’s hospital, per se, but he guessed they couldn’t put a representative of every specialty out front.
The door opened even before he reached it, and when he went to smile a thank-you, he recognized the chief of staff before he even opened his mouth.
Dax had heard the man, an imposing figure with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, had opened this facility using his own money. That was part of what had drawn him to the place. It was one of the top medical centers on this chain of islands, coming into existence after Hurricane Regan had decimated the island’s infrastructure. Even with the gorgeous buildings and beautiful views, the Island Clinic hadn’t lost its heart. Its reputation for philanthropy had quickly made itself known.
“Dr. Morrow?”
He smiled. “Yes. But please call me Dax. And you must be Nate Edwards?”
“I am.” The man’s answering smile was immediate and genuine. “Nice to meet you, and call me Nate. You’ll find we’re a pretty informal bunch here at the Island Clinic.”
Dax liked the place already.
“Let’s go up to my office and talk particulars about which days Victoria clinic is willing to share you.”
“Are you saying I have the job?”
One of Nate’s brows went up. “Do you want the job?”
“Yes, of course, but—”
“You’ll find I trust my intuition.” A frown played across his face, and he glanced outside. “About most things, anyway.”
He sensed something behind those words, but that was okay. Dax had some areas that didn’t bear digging into, either. “Great. I’m due over at Victoria clinic after our meeting here.”
“It’s a great place. And they have a good surgical nurse over there who specializes in cardiac cases, so make sure you look her up—she can give you some tips on how things work over there. I’ve worked with her a time or two. Her name is Patty. Patty Cohen.”
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