Page 15 of Heartbeat Harmony (Hearts in Hawthorne #2)

Both laughed, and Autumn said, “When I do read, I like the classics. Hawthorne. Hardy. Dickens. And Summer, my sister, turned me on to Jane Austen. I can never get enough Austen. Her dialogue is so witty. The people are so charming. Well, at least some of them are. I was very into Downton Abbey .”

Eli gave her a blank look.

“Another cultural touchpoint you missed. It’s the life in an English country house. Starts at the time the Titanic sank and moves forward over the next few decades. You get to see life above stairs, as well as glimpse life below stairs. That means the rich people versus the servants.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“I’ll put it on the list,” she said, taking out her phone and adding it to the growing list for him.

She would need to pare this down, else it would be overwhelming.

“You’ll love Downton Abbey . It may be about a different era, but it’s the story of people.

I think that’s what we see in a hospital, you especially with your ER experience.

You get a slice of someone’s life. A lot of times it’s a bad slice, and we have to do our best to help a patient and their family through the trauma and help the healing to begin.

At least, if that’s possible. I know not all outcomes are good ones. ”

“Enough talk about work,” Eli declared. “Let’s talk the virtues of a queen-sized versus a king-sized bed.”

Autumn giggled. “My parents started with a queen, but they upgraded quickly to a king. They had a dog and two cats sleeping with them, and they didn’t have room for all five of them in their bed.”

“They slept with their pets?” he asked, sounding perplexed.

“Lots of people do that. I guess you’ve never had a pet.”

“Nope. Foster care is not conducive to owning possessions, much less having pets.”

“Why? Did you have stuff taken?”

“All. The. Time. Kids who have nothing long to have something to call their own. Consequently, if you got something, you were the envy of everyone else in your home. Most places I stayed in were like a group home. They had five or six kids. Petty jealousy was the emotion of every day. That’s why I learned not to focus on material possessions because they were fleeting. I invested in myself instead.”

Hearing him talk about his experiences hurt her heart.

Though he had given her no details, she could imagine at one point he had some prized possession which had been stolen from him.

She wondered if he had ever celebrated a single Christmas or gotten a gift for his birthday and decided that those were things which were overlooked.

His life had been one of survival, not the little luxuries in life.

They arrived in Decatur, shopping at a couple of different furniture stores.

Eli sat on sofas and in chairs. He lay on top of mattresses, getting a feel for the bed.

She had him look at coffee tables and lamps.

In the end, they were able to find everything they needed in both stores.

Delivery was no problem in the first store, but the second balked, saying they needed an extra fee to deliver before next Saturday.

Autumn felt they were trying to take advantage of them.

“Maybe you should cancel that order right now,” she told the salesman.

“Dr. Carson needs these items in a hurry. He’s the new head of Hawthorne’s Hogan Hospital.

Did you know the hospital is bringing almost three hundred people to the area?

And that all those doctors and nurses and accountants and cafeteria workers and parking lot attendants are going to need furniture?

Why, Dr. Carson would gladly share where he’s buying his.

Then again, he may not be buying anything at all here if he can’t get it delivered in time. ”

She looked pointedly at the salesman, who blushed. “I think we can arrange a timely delivery for Dr. Carson, Mrs. Carson.”

Autumn didn’t bother correcting the salesman’s mistake. Instead, she asked, “When will we be receiving everything?”

He tapped a few keys on his computer. “Wednesday after four.”

“That works for us,” she said sweetly. “Thank you.” She glanced to Eli. “Darling, give them your credit card.”

He stifled a smile. “Of course, sweetheart,” he replied, handing it over.

Ten minutes later, they walked out, laughing.

“You’re good. Scary good,” he told her. “You had that salesman dancing to your tune.”

She shrugged. “He was just being difficult, trying to tack on extra fees. I knew he’d rather have the sale than lose it, so I pushed a little.”

“If I ever had any doubt you could manage the entire nursing staff, that has been dispelled.”

They reached his car and got inside. “We never took a break for lunch,” he said. “And that protein bar you gave me didn’t count.”

“But we got a lot done,” she protested. “Everything will be delivered by midweek. Now, you’ll need to shop for things such as bed linens. Sheets. A duvet or comforter.”

“Great. Another world I’m unfamiliar with,” he grumbled good-naturedly.

“Tell you what. You can trust me with that. I’ll handle the linens, including hand towels and soaps for your bathrooms. And toilet paper. You have to have rolls and rolls of toilet paper. That’s the sign of a prepared house.”

“Want to grab a very late lunch? Or should I call it an early dinner? It’s almost four.”

“I am hungry. Let’s eat here in town before heading back to Hawthorne.”

“We passed a steakhouse on our way here.”

“Steak is always good with me,” she happily agreed.

They entered the restaurant, and Autumn saw they were the only customers there. She supposed they were even earlier than the old people who liked to come for early bird specials.

The hostess seated them, and they both ordered Caesar salads, New York strips, and decided to share a few sides. Eli told her to choose, so she ordered mushrooms, lobster mac and cheese, and zucchini. They also ordered a glass of cabernet each.

The meal was pleasant. They weren’t rushed, and the food was delicious. They passed on dessert, though, both saying they were too full.

Inside the car, she felt blanketed by sadness suddenly, knowing this day was coming to an end. As they drove along the highway, she wanted to tell Eli how much she had enjoyed his company today but was afraid to do so.

“Autumn, I had a really nice time with you today,” he said as they drew close to the Hawthorne limits. “I’ve never really had a friend before. You’re a really good one.”

Her throat grew thick. Before she could reply, Eli suddenly swerved, and the car slid off the road into the gravel.

“What in the world?” she demanded, sounding like her grandmother.

“A dog. I swerved so I wouldn’t hit him,” Eli revealed.

He opened his door, and she did the same. That was when Autumn saw the pup limping along the side of the road.

“He’s hurt,” she said, and they both headed to the animal.

“Be careful,” Eli warned. “He might bite.”

They got about a dozen feet from the dog, and she dropped to her knees. “Hey, boy,” she said softly. “Hey. Want to come see me?”

The dog, which might have been a golden color except for the dried mud covering him, turned. She judged him to be about four months old and ached at how scrawny the pup was. She saw a mixture of fear and hope in his eyes.

“Come here, boy,” Eli encouraged. “That’s right. Come see us. This is Autumn. She’s a very nice lady. And I’m Eli.”

As the pup slowly limped toward them, Eli also knelt beside her. “I want to keep him. I don’t see a collar.”

The dog reached them, and they both held out their hands, letting him sniff them. Gradually, they began petting the animal, whose fur was matted. She had no idea what kind of dog he was.

Eli scooped up the pup, holding him close to his chest. “I see me in him. Lost. Lonely. Needing someone.” He grinned at her. “And I did go with the king-sized bed. There would be plenty of room. He’s got no collar. No tags.”

“He could have a chip,” she warned. “But I doubt it, with him being so young. I’m afraid this is a case of dumping him on the side of the road, hoping someone would drive by and pick him up.”

Eli’s big palm began petting the dog’s head. “You’ve got a home now. A home with me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Hearing that was when Autumn lost her heart to Dr. Eli Carson.