Page 23 of A Hidden Hope

Dok followed him, her footsteps faltering as she reached the threshold. “Charlie!” Her eyes widened in amazement. What had once been a dark, damp cellar crammed with forgotten junk had been transformed into a bright, welcoming space.

“This is your new waiting room,” Charlie said, motioning to chairs arranged neatly against the wall. “Large enough for groups to meet. Credit Evie with that. I thought it was a pretty cool idea.”

Dok thought so too, though she knew of no groups that would want to meet in a doctor’s waiting room.

It was large, though, bigger than she had envisioned.

She strolled around the space, her expression a mix of astonishment and delight.

“This is fantastic, Charlie. I never imagined it could look like this.” She took in the framed photographs on the walls and the fresh paint color.

“The pictures on the walls, the paint—it’s absolutely perfect. ”

“All Evie’s doing,” Charlie said, a hint of pride in his voice.

“She picked out those photos in a local store. She chose the paint colors too.” He led her to another door, opening it to reveal a small windowless room painted a soft, buttery yellow.

On one wall, a framed photograph of a field of sunflowers added a splash of cheer.

“We thought this could be an exam room.”

Dok stepped inside, impressed. “This is a great setup.” No window was actually a plus for an exam room.

Charlie guided her to yet another door. “And here’s a usable bathroom,” he said, flinging open the door to reveal a clean tiled space. “With certifiably correct plumbing.” His grin grew even bigger.

Dok peeked into the small room, noting its compact but efficient design.

“And finally,” Charlie said, opening a door to reveal a rather large closet with a desk against the wall, “a small office in the back.”

“Calling it an office is generous, but I like using every inch of spare space,” Dok said.

Walking back toward the waiting room, seeing everything for a second time, she felt almost overwhelmed with delight.

He had turned her humble office into a full-fledged clinic.

“You really outdid yourself. This place looks fantastic, Charlie.”

“I still have some paint touch-ups to finish tonight.” Charlie shrugged modestly, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “But it’s been a fun project.”

Dok raised an eyebrow. “I heard from Fern that you’ve been helping her out around the farm. You’re pretty handy, aren’t you?”

“I like fixing things. Learned a lot from my dad.”

Dok tilted her head, curious. “Do you like fixing people as much as you like fixing things?”

“I think so.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Only time will tell ... and passing the boards.”

Not exactly a vote of confidence.

An hour later, Dok sat at the dinner table with Matt.

The table was set with a large casserole pan of steaming lasagna, a fresh garden salad, and a round loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread.

“You just won’t believe it when you see it,” she said, tearing off a piece of bread to dip into olive oil.

“Charlie did a fantastic job. Not only with carpentry skill but also with how he used the space. It’s so much bigger than it seemed.

To think I’ve been sitting on that basement all this time, never giving it a thought. I feel almost embarrassed by it.”

Matt nodded thoughtfully as he scooped a large serving of lasagna onto their plates. “I’ve been telling you to expand that building for years.”

Yeah , sure , but you never thought of using the basement. Dok held that thought back.

“Sounds like Charlie brought a lot to the project,” Matt said, passing the salad to her.

“He’s a very good guy,” Dok said, dipping another piece of bread in olive oil.

“But ...?” Matt said, sensing more to her thoughts.

Dok glanced at him. “No but. He’s a truly great guy.”

“What about as a doctor?”

She looked down at the pool of olive oil, noting that the color reminded her of the yellow paint in the new exam room. “Yet to be seen.”

“So, then, you’re ready to get started.”

Dok looked up. “What?”

“Now that the basement is finished, you can officially kick off the residency program. Isn’t that what you promised Charlie and Wren?”

Dok felt her stomach tighten. She had conveniently shoved that promise to the back of her mind, never thinking Charlie would finish so quickly. “I might have mentioned something along those lines...”

“Ruth, you’ve got a golden opportunity here. In fact, it seems to me like you’ve got your potential partner right under your nose, to train just the way you want him trained.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Charlie?”

“Yep. I have a good feeling about him.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. “It’s not that simple, Matt.”

Matt leaned back, eyeing her with curiosity. “Okay. Enlighten me.”

“Charlie’s a great guy—no doubt about it. But Wren ... she’s the one who shows real promise.”

Matt raised a bushy eyebrow. “How so?”

“She’s more knowledgeable, decisive, quick. She’s just ... super smart. And guess what? I found out the reason Wren didn’t match on Match Day was because she had wanted the most competitive surgical residencies in the entire country. She didn’t get chosen.”

“She told you that?”

“No. Charlie did. And he didn’t match because ... well, for just what I’d thought. Bottom of his graduating class.”

“Isn’t Wren the one who poisoned your patients with her coffee?”

“She didn’t know the water was bad,” Dok shot back, frowning.

It always amazed her how Matt could recall the most random details while forgetting half the things on the grocery list. “Lately, whenever I’m in the office, Wren’s been at my side like a shadow.

I don’t deny that she oversteps sometimes, but that’s only because she’s eager to put her knowledge into practice.

And I happen to know that she spends every spare minute prepping for her boards. ”

Matt frowned. “You need to give Charlie a chance. He’s been remodeling your basement for you.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for what he’s done down there. But he doesn’t seem overly concerned about treating patients, not like Wren. And he has boards coming up too. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t even begun to study for them.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because I’ve overheard Wren nagging him to make time to study. Honestly, I’m not sure how he’s going to pass.”

“You know, Ruth,” Matt said, setting down his fork and leaning in, “this reminds me of when I used to train new recruits. At first, I thought the best ones were always the smartest. But after a while, I learned to look for something else. I’d take someone teachable with passion over a know-it-all any day.

Those so-called geniuses often burn out fast.”

Dok lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “Wren’s got that brainy edge that could really make a difference, especially in a rural practice. She’s the one I’m eyeing for a partnership.” She couldn’t believe she said that out loud. She hadn’t even realized she’d been thinking it.

She felt an odd affinity for Wren, something she hadn’t quite put into words. Almost a conviction: that Wren Baker had been sent to her for a purpose.

“That’s only because she reminds you of you,” Matt said with a chuckle. “If you’d had a daughter, she’d be Wren.”

Dok opened her mouth to protest, but the words never came. Wren? Like a daughter? The remark was so unexpected, she couldn’t even process it. She blinked, caught off guard, her brow knitting as Matt’s words bounced around in her head. “If you’d had a daughter , she’d be Wren?”

Matt noticed her squirming and grinned. “It’s like looking in a mirror. The smart, headstrong doctor with something to prove. Sounds a whole lot like you. She’s a mini-you.”

Dok wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cringe. Wren ... a mini-me? The thought unsettled her, yes, but at the same time, it pleased her.

“And what,” she said at last, a smile tugging at her lips, “would be so bad about that?”

Fern had already gone to bed. Evie had been reading a book on the couch when she felt her pager vibrate and hurried outside to read Dok’s message: “Office @ 7:30 a.m. Bring Charlie and Wren.”

Hmm. Abrupt but significant. Evie wondered what Dok had in mind for Charlie and Wren, because, so far, they weren’t on Dok’s mind much at all. A horse nickered in the pasture, so she wandered over to pat it. She loved being here—the peace and quiet, the open spaces, the natural beauty.

“Velvet nose.”

Evie spun around. Charlie was about two yards away from her, holding on to the handles of a scooter. “Charlie! I thought you were still at Dok’s.”

“I was. Stayed late to finish things up.” He grinned. “It’s done.”

So that’s why he didn’t come to Fern’s for supper. “Done? You mean, the basement is completely done?”

He grinned. “Yeah. I showed it to Dok, and she seemed pretty pleased.”

“In less than a month?”

“It really wasn’t that complicated a project. Nothing load bearing was getting moved, so city planning green-lighted the permits. And then everything kind of fell into place.”

He was being modest. “I hope Dok expressed appreciation to you.”

“She did. And she liked your pictures and paint color. Liked ’em a lot.” He looked up at the sky. “Strawberry moon tonight.”

“What’s that?”

“The moon is full and low in the horizon, and the light gives off a reddish hue.”

“So it’s called a strawberry moon because it’s red?”

“I think Native Americans gave it that name because this is the time of year when strawberries are harvested.”

“Fern’s been making strawberry jam all day! The kitchen smells like a sweet bakery.”

He smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back. She noticed his eyes, how they crinkled at the corners. Those lashes! Why did guys always get the thick eyelashes?

“Evie,” he said, “I noticed that last Sunday you looked like you were heading out to church.”

He had noticed? She felt her cheeks grow warm. “I did. But I think I’ll try another one this Sunday.”

“Not the right fit?”

“I was the only person under one hundred years old and without an oxygen tank.”

He chuckled, then it grew into a full belly laugh. Soon, his body shook.

She heard the squeaky sound of a door opening. “Charlie?” Wren called out. “Is that you? I’ve been waiting for you. There’s something I want to show you.”

His laughter died down pretty fast. “I’d better go see what she wants.” He started walking his scooter toward the buggy shop.

“Charlie!”

He turned back to Evie.

“Dok wants to see all of us in her office at seven thirty in the morning.”

“Gotcha.” He tipped his head. “I was thinking that maybe, on Sunday, we could church shop. You know, together.”

Are you kidding? Yes , yes , yes! Is this a date? Close to a date? Could going to church be considered a date?

But what came out of her mouth was a nonchalant, “Sure. I guess so.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and headed off toward the buggy shop.

She was never going to sleep tonight.