Page 3 of Heartbeat Harmony (Hearts in Hawthorne #2)

Chapter

One

HAWTHORNE, TEXAS

E li awoke with a start, fearing he’d overslept for the most important interview of his life. He grabbed his phone, seeing it was only five-thirty. He fell back against the pillow, cell in hand, his heart racing. Taking a few slow, deep breaths, he regained his equilibrium.

He wanted this job. More importantly, he needed this job.

After seven years in the ER, he knew if he didn’t change things up soon, he was headed for an early grave.

That was a sad thought, seeing as how he was only thirty-four.

Not that he was afraid of hard work. He had been an overachiever his entire life, putting in more hours than anyone around him.

Heading up an emergency room, though, was tough on the man or woman who did so.

Eli never did anything halfway. Because of it, he was facing a serious case of burnout.

The position at the newest Hogan Health facility was a light at the end of his very dark tunnel.

His heart rate back to normal now, he rose and dressed quickly in a T-shirt and sweatpants, going through some stretches before grabbing his room key and heading out the door.

As he jogged through the streets of Hawthorne, he got a feel for the town.

It had a population of just under thirty thousand and a mix of Mom-and-Pop stores, with a few franchise places thrown in.

He ran through downtown, passing a few eating establishments and shops.

A bank. Post office. Real estate office.

Dentist and orthodontist. Dry cleaners. Donut shop.

Two gas stations. Seeing the map of the town in his mind, he continued, passing residential streets, until he arrived at the high school.

He had read everything he could about Hawthorne, wanting to familiarize himself with the small town, and that included stories about the Hawthorne Hawks.

The high school had quite the football program, led by its coach of several decades.

One of the current Dallas Cowboys had played here before winning a scholarship to Texas A&M University.

He knew the Cowboys had recently won the Super Bowl only because people at work talked about it.

Eli rarely had time to listen to the news and had never watched a single game of any sport.

He had run cross country in high school, though, and continued to run as an adult, believing it was the best exercise to keep him in shape for long days on his feet in the ER.

It would be nice to watch a game on TV. Even go to a sporting event in person.

Eli had zero hobbies, other than his morning run.

His life had been work, work, work. And then more work.

But if he landed the job as medical director of Hogan Health’s new Hawthorne Community Hospital, he would have time for a life. Hobbies.

And hopefully a family.

Not that he’d ever had a serious relationship.

He’d only gone on a handful of dates over the years.

His life trajectory had thrown him a lot of curves, and dating hadn’t been in the picture, considering that he had graduated from high school at fourteen.

He had barely been shaving by then and didn’t even have a driver’s license.

Girls hadn’t given him a second glance back then.

If they did now, he was too swamped with work to notice and too socially awkward to pick up on any cues anyway.

Eli returned to the small inn where he had spent the night, showering and shaving, then dressing in the only suit he owned.

He lived in his scrubs and only had a handful of street clothes, including this suit and its accompanying dress shirt and tie.

He’d actually stopped at Target on his way to Hawthorne to buy a belt and pair of dress shoes since he owned neither.

His belly yowled, letting him know he better fuel up or be embarrassed during his interview. He had seen a diner on his run and drove there now, parking on the square and entering. It was a little past seven on a weekday, and the diner was about three-quarters full.

A spry-looking man with abundant white hair and merry blue eyes greeted him.

“You look hungry, young man. Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’m Dizzy Baker. Welcome to Dizzy’s Diner, my place for the last fifty years. Let me show you to a booth.”

Eli followed, thinking Dizzy was an unusual nickname.

“Here you go,” Dizzy said, indicating a booth and handing Eli a menu once he slid into it. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

“Passing through town?”

He was taken aback by the question but decided the old man didn’t mean any harm by it. His gut told him small towns were different from the large cities he’d lived in.

“I have a job interview today.”

Before he could say more, the owner said, “Must be something to do with Hogan Health. Boy, are we glad to be getting a hospital here in Hawthorne. It’s a good half-hour or more drive to the nearest hospital now.

We have a couple of doctors in town, but any specialist, you gotta drive.

I’ve had cataract surgery. Had to drive.

Knee replacement. Had to drive. Thank goodness I haven’t had something serious like a heart attack or stroke.

I’d probably be DOA.” Dizzy laughed at his own joke. “Be right back with the coffee, son.”

For a moment, Eli’s throat tightened. He hadn’t been anyone’s son in a long time. Because of his mom’s drug addiction, her parental rights had been terminated, and he had gone into foster care when he was five. He could barely recall what she had even looked like. No dad had been in the picture.

Who he did remember was his little brother, who liked playing with trucks and kicking a ball.

Eli had taken care of them both because his mom never seemed to be able to do so.

He could remember making them peanut butter sandwiches.

Washing his brother’s face with a washcloth. Playing with him and teasing him.

But he couldn’t for the life of him recall his brother’s name.

When the case worker came and took Eli away, he remembered crying, asking for his baby brother to come with them.

She had patiently told him that his brother would be going somewhere else.

He had watched another adult take his brother’s hand and pull him in the opposite direction.

Both brothers had started shouting, crying out for one another, as they were escorted to different cars.

All his life, Eli had been lonely, wondering what had happened to his little brother. If he had been adopted. Where he was now. He promised himself that if he got this job in Hawthorne, he would hire a private investigator and try to locate what felt like his missing half.

Dizzy returned with the coffee and placed it on the table. “What can I get for you?”

He hadn’t even looked at the menu and glanced down quickly, asking for the number two, which had both eggs and pancakes and came with a choice of meat and biscuits and gravy.

“Eggs over easy. Bacon crisp.”

Dizzy waved, catching the eye of the short order cook. “A two for here.” Then he slid into the booth opposite Eli.

“I was named after Dizzy Dean, the famous baseball player. My daddy was a baseball fan. Had two girls before me. Ruth was named after Babe Ruth and Mary Lou for Lou Gehrig. I’m actually Delbert. Mama insisted I have a proper name, but everyone’s always called me Dizzy.”

Dizzy told Eli about Hawthorne during the five minutes it took for his order to be ready. He enjoyed hearing the old man’s stories and knew he would be a regular at the diner. Or hoped he would be.

“I’ll leave you to eat. Good luck with your interview. What’s it for?”

“Medical Director for the hospital.”

“Oh, you’re a fancy doctor.” Dizzy thrust out a hand. “Never did get your name.”

“Eli. Dr. Eli Carson.”

“Well, I hope it goes well for you, Dr. Carson.”

He smiled shyly. “We’re old friends now, Dizzy. Make it Eli.”

Dizzy grinned. “Eli, it is.”

He ate his meal in silence after that, watching people at other tables wondering if he would get to know any of them. Dizzy never brought him his check, so he went to the front where the old man stood by the cash register.

“I need to pay my bill and get going,” he explained.

“No charge today, Eli.”

He started to protest, but the owner cut him off. “My place. My rules.”

“Then thank you for a delicious breakfast. The bacon was perfect, and I haven’t had gravy that good in a long time.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you get the job.”

“Will do.”

Eli left the diner, feeling good about himself.

He had always been withdrawn, not speaking to others unless spoken to.

As an adult, most of his conversations were one-sided, giving orders to other doctors, residents, or nurses regarding a patient’s care.

He had never had the luxury of having friends.

And yet he’d found it incredibly easy to converse with the friendly Dizzy, who seemed to have never met a stranger.

Maybe small-town life would be conducive to making friends and finding someone to marry.

He stopped by the inn again, wanting to brush his teeth and use the restroom before his interview.

He also checked out, placing his suitcase in the trunk of the car he’d rented to make the drive from Houston to Hawthorne.

The interview would take place at the public library, which he had also passed on his run.

Eli parked and ran his fingers through his hair before exiting the car and heading toward the building.

Unfortunately, the door was locked. Panic swept through him, and he questioned if he had the right day. The right place and time.

Then an attractive, older woman of about sixty unlocked the door. She had unique turquoise eyes and auburn hair.

“You must be Dr. Carson,” she said, giving him a friendly smile. “I’m Meg Sutherland, the head librarian. Come on in. We’re not open to the public just yet, but Dr. Richards is expecting you.”