and with a grace that rivaled Princess Kate’s, Dr. Charlotte Holden was the epitome of Southern belle. Her blond hair was pulled up into a complicated up-do as always, but her cool as a cucumber exterior was replaced with amusement. “Your Ken doll frequented my Barbie’s dream house in the third grade; I think that puts us on a first-name basis.”
Glory laughed. “Even back then you made me call you Dr. Holden.”
“Yes, well I’m not so uptight anymore,” Charlotte said with a smile and took a seat—and the last doughnut. Charlotte and Glory hadn’t run in the same circles as teens, but they’d played some as kids and that small connection had grown since Glory started at the hospital. “So what was it this time? One of his matchbox cars or a Tater Tot?”
“R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker,” Glory said, eyeing the doughnut while she swallowed her nutritious snack. “I guess someone at school told him he had bats in the cave so he thought Luke Skywalker and his light saber could help. He took one look at the syringe and sneezed, the droids were liberated, problem solved.”
“Until next week,” Charlotte said, breaking off a chunk of doughnut and popping it in her mouth, moaning in ecstasy as she licked icing off her fingers. Glory ate a huge spoonful of her yogurt and moaned just as loud.
“Now, you want to tell me why I signed a prescription for fishing?” Charlotte lifted a brow and in a teasing tone whispered, “I don’t remember them teaching that in medical school.”
“A little unorthodox, I know, but Mrs. Brass needs a little R&R and I figured the only way she’d get some was by doctor’s orders.”
“You figured right. I have been after her to slow down for years, but she is too stubborn to listen.” Charlotte broke off a piece of doughnut and offered it up. Glory admitted defeat and, caving like a cheap suitcase, snatched the iced goodness. “And here I thought you’d been avoiding me on account of yesterday’s arrest.”
The doughnut hit Glory’s stomach with a thud. “You know?”
“Honey, this is Sugar. News about your tussle with the Duncan family reached town before you even got off the tractor.” Charlotte’s expression went giddy as she leaned in and waggled a manicured brow. “Having a McGraw post bail, now that took it from teatime gossip to the topic on every lady’s agenda. It even had an honorable mention at Sugar Peach’s meeting.”
And wasn’t that just great. Glory knew it wouldn’t take long for people to start talking—especially since it involved her and the Duncan family. She’d just hadn’t anticipated Cal would have gotten caught up in the gossip.
“I was going to find you on my lunch break, so I could explain,” Glory began.
“Explain what?” Charlotte waved a dismissive hand. “That you threw cow pies at Jackson’s car and bruised his ever so delicate man-feelings?”
“Actually, I threw one at him,” Glory admitted, smiling when Charlotte laughed but quickly sobered when she remembered just how serious Jackson had been about pressing assault charges. “I think I screwed up this time. And I’m afraid of what the hospital’s board will think when they hear.”
She was more afraid of what they would do, which made what she was about say next so hard.
Charlotte had not only approved Glory’s proposal to head up a new teen volunteer program for the pediatric center, but believed in her idea so much she’d given it the Holden stamp of approval with the board—which went a long way since her family founded the hospital. Ever since then, chatting over doughnuts and coffee in the break room had become a habit, and as of late it had become the best part of Glory’s day. Charlotte was quickly becoming her biggest cheerleader and, more important, a good friend. And Glory didn’t want to mess that up.
“I would understand if you wanted to pull your support from my proposal and back one of the other candidates,” she said honestly,
Glory laughed. “Even back then you made me call you Dr. Holden.”
“Yes, well I’m not so uptight anymore,” Charlotte said with a smile and took a seat—and the last doughnut. Charlotte and Glory hadn’t run in the same circles as teens, but they’d played some as kids and that small connection had grown since Glory started at the hospital. “So what was it this time? One of his matchbox cars or a Tater Tot?”
“R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker,” Glory said, eyeing the doughnut while she swallowed her nutritious snack. “I guess someone at school told him he had bats in the cave so he thought Luke Skywalker and his light saber could help. He took one look at the syringe and sneezed, the droids were liberated, problem solved.”
“Until next week,” Charlotte said, breaking off a chunk of doughnut and popping it in her mouth, moaning in ecstasy as she licked icing off her fingers. Glory ate a huge spoonful of her yogurt and moaned just as loud.
“Now, you want to tell me why I signed a prescription for fishing?” Charlotte lifted a brow and in a teasing tone whispered, “I don’t remember them teaching that in medical school.”
“A little unorthodox, I know, but Mrs. Brass needs a little R&R and I figured the only way she’d get some was by doctor’s orders.”
“You figured right. I have been after her to slow down for years, but she is too stubborn to listen.” Charlotte broke off a piece of doughnut and offered it up. Glory admitted defeat and, caving like a cheap suitcase, snatched the iced goodness. “And here I thought you’d been avoiding me on account of yesterday’s arrest.”
The doughnut hit Glory’s stomach with a thud. “You know?”
“Honey, this is Sugar. News about your tussle with the Duncan family reached town before you even got off the tractor.” Charlotte’s expression went giddy as she leaned in and waggled a manicured brow. “Having a McGraw post bail, now that took it from teatime gossip to the topic on every lady’s agenda. It even had an honorable mention at Sugar Peach’s meeting.”
And wasn’t that just great. Glory knew it wouldn’t take long for people to start talking—especially since it involved her and the Duncan family. She’d just hadn’t anticipated Cal would have gotten caught up in the gossip.
“I was going to find you on my lunch break, so I could explain,” Glory began.
“Explain what?” Charlotte waved a dismissive hand. “That you threw cow pies at Jackson’s car and bruised his ever so delicate man-feelings?”
“Actually, I threw one at him,” Glory admitted, smiling when Charlotte laughed but quickly sobered when she remembered just how serious Jackson had been about pressing assault charges. “I think I screwed up this time. And I’m afraid of what the hospital’s board will think when they hear.”
She was more afraid of what they would do, which made what she was about say next so hard.
Charlotte had not only approved Glory’s proposal to head up a new teen volunteer program for the pediatric center, but believed in her idea so much she’d given it the Holden stamp of approval with the board—which went a long way since her family founded the hospital. Ever since then, chatting over doughnuts and coffee in the break room had become a habit, and as of late it had become the best part of Glory’s day. Charlotte was quickly becoming her biggest cheerleader and, more important, a good friend. And Glory didn’t want to mess that up.
“I would understand if you wanted to pull your support from my proposal and back one of the other candidates,” she said honestly,
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