Heartbeat Harmony: A Small-Town, Friends to Lovers, Workplace Romance
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Synopsis
A woman betrayed in the worst way by her husband. A man who has never fit in wherever he went. Together, they find a deep love which will heal and restore them ...
Autumn Sutherland, a dedicated nurse, catches her doctor husband cheating on her with a colleague. Heartbroken, she divorces him and returns to her hometown for a fresh start. Once in Hawthorne, she accepts a position as Director of Nursing at the soon to open Hogan Health Hospital—Triple H—hoping to find new purpose in both her professional and personal life.
Former ER physician and new medical director Eli Carson grew up in foster care. While a brilliant doctor, Eli is shy and socially awkward, having skipped several grades throughout his education. Despite his reserved nature, Eli is deeply compassionate and dedicated to his patients, earning the respect and admiration of everyone at the new medical center.
As Autumn and Eli work together, they form a strong bond built on their shared passion for helping others. Autumn is drawn to Eli's kindness and humility, while Eli admires Autumn's strength and determination. Despite their initial hesitation of becoming involved, as they spend more time together, their friendship blossoms into something deeper.
Will Autumn and Eli learn to open their hearts to one another, or will their pasts keep them from finding a lasting future together?
Find the answer in bestselling author Alexa Aston's Heartbeat Harmony, the second book in Hearts in Hawthorne. This romance contains no third-act breakup!
Release date: July 22, 2025
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
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Heartbeat Harmony: A Small-Town, Friends to Lovers, Workplace Romance
Alexa Aston
PROLOGUE
Houston, Texas—late February
Autumn Sutherland reached into her pocket and popped a few peanut M&Ms into her mouth. It seemed she lived on them, especially since she had just finished working another double shift at the hospital. Well, chocolate was supposed to be good for your health, as well as your soul. The peanuts were simply an added bonus.
She pushed open the door to the restroom and went inside, not recalling the last time she’d had a chance to empty her bladder. Or eat a real meal. Or even talk with her husband.
Flint told her it would all be worth it. He was in his second year of residency and had three more to go in his program. Sometimes, though, Autumn didn’t know if she could keep up the pace she’d maintained for several years. They had married after graduation, just before Flint’s first year in medical school. She was madly in love and found it hard to believe someone as handsome and charming as Flint Ferris loved her in return. Med school ate up two things, however. Money and time. Flint didn’t want to have massive debt when he finished his residency, so most of Autumn’s nursing salary had gone to pay for med school. That meant using what little was left over to live in a cramped apartment in the sketchy neighborhood surrounding the hospital. Driving a shared car that was eleven years old. Living like college students, subsisting on Ramen noodles and energy bars.
She could do all that. After all, it was an investment in their future. It was the time she didn’t have with Flint that was finally adding up. Now that he was a resident and earned a fairly decent salary, she had become a charge nurse for a short while. It was more money. More responsibility. And she thrived at it. Charge nurses, though, weren’t allowed to pull doubles at this particular hospital. Flint had finally asked Autumn to leave her new position and go back to regular staff nurse work so that she could work some double shifts each week, telling her now that they had finished paying off his med school loans, it was time to build their nest egg, putting away savings for a house. As usual, she did whatever Flint wanted.
And now found she was resentful.
Med school was behind him. So were the hellacious intern years. He was a respected resident, on track to complete his residency in general surgery. His hours were still long, but if she weren’t working so much, they could actually spend some time together. She couldn’t recall the last time they’d gone to a movie, much less watched one on streaming. They didn’t eat out because Flint said it was too expensive, and they needed to save their money for a house.
The only time he had made an effort to be with her was two weeks ago, when her brother’s team had played in the Super Bowl in New Orleans. West was a star player for the Dallas Cowboys and had wanted his family at the game. Even at that, Flint barely talked to her, spending most of his time on his phone, ignoring both her and her family.
At this point, she would call them little more than roommates. They were ships passing in the night, never sharing a meal or even a conversation.
Autumn was trusting. Patient. Always putting everyone ahead of herself. This time, though, she needed to be first. With Flint. With herself. He should be home when she got there, getting ready to report to the hospital. They would have maybe a forty-minute overlap, more if she walked home faster.
She intended to say a lot in those forty minutes. She would tell Flint she was going back to a charge nurse position. That would be easy to arrange since nurses were quitting left and right. Autumn had a proven track record. She would also ask Flint—no, demand—that they do something together. Even if it were just ordering takeout and watching something on TV. Though most of her days were filled with work, she still felt the gnawing pain of loneliness. She wanted her husband’s company and didn’t think that was too much to ask.
Most importantly, she wanted to schedule a time to make love. Flint would balk at that. He hated being told what to do and when to do it. The fact that he’d gotten this far in his residency with only being disciplined twice surprised her. But she wanted more of her husband than she was getting. It might be pushing the conversation, with the limited time they would have, to talk about a baby. Flint had put her off about that, saying she couldn’t be a great nurse and a great mother because she was working so many hours. If she went back to being a charge nurse, though, she could get pregnant. The hospital had a wonderful daycare facility for employees. It would allow her to pop in and see their baby during her brief breaks.
Determination filled her as she washed her hands and then splashed water on her face. Looking into the mirror, the reflection showed a pretty but tired woman of twenty-nine looking back at her. It was time to get some sleep. Have sex with her husband. Get pregnant. Have a true marriage.
She went to the locker room and claimed her purse and raincoat. It had been raining when she’d left the apartment yesterday. She’d walked the six blocks in the rain, arriving drenched. Flint had taken the car, and she never knew whether he had it or if he had left it because it wouldn’t start. The sedan needed a new transmission, but those were pricey. Maybe she’d work a few more doubles this month in order to pay for it. Or just trade it in. But that would mean a car payment.
Feeling overwhelmed, Autumn decided to think about it tomorrow.
Gathering the still damp clothes from her locker, she shoved them into a backpack and slung it over her shoulder, deciding it would be better to simply wear her scrubs home. She also grabbed a pack of peanut butter crackers from her stash and opened them, eating them as she rode the elevator downstairs.
She emerged from the employees’ entrance to a quiet morning. It was just after seven.
“Autumn!”
Turning, she saw Jeannie Barlett had pulled up to the curb. “Hey, Jeannie.”
“Want a lift?”
Relief swept through her. “You’re a lifesaver.”
She got into the car. Jeannie had given her a ride home before, so she didn’t bother with directions.
“I heard Gloria is leaving at the end of the week.”
“Seriously? I was thinking about talking to HR about a charge nurse position. If she’s leaving, that would be perfect timing for me.”
Jeannie smiled. “Well, go for it. You’re the best charge nurse I’ve ever seen. You know how to calm people. Patients, as well as staff. You’re fair when creating a schedule. And you stay on top of things. HR would be happy to have you back in that role.” Jeannie paused. “What does Dr. Ferris say about it?”
“I’m going to tell Dr. Ferris about the opening when I get home. We overlap for less than an hour this morning. It’ll be the first time I’ll have seen him in three days.”
Her friend’s mouth tightened. “I hope he’ll let you do it,” Jeannie said quietly.
“Let me? I make my own decisions,” she defended. “Yes, I run them by Flint, but—”
“You’re coming off another double, Autumn. You look really tired. It’s not as if your husband is in med school anymore. He’s pulling a decent salary as a resident, and yet you work yourself to the bone.”
“We’re saving for a house,” she said abruptly. Then regretting her tone, she sighed. “I’m sorry. I sound ungrateful. Here you are, giving me a ride, and I’m spoiling for a fight.”
“I just don’t want you to be taken advantage of,” Jeannie said. “You’re a terrific nurse. A wonderful person. Dr. Ferris needs to realize what a gem he has in you.”
They reached her apartment complex, and Jeannie turned in, winding around to her building near the rear. She stopped the car.
“Thanks for the ride.” Autumn leaned over and hugged her friend.
She got out and hurried up the stairs. With Jeannie giving her a ride, that had saved a good half-hour. Anticipation filled her. Maybe she and Flint could even sit and have a quick breakfast together as they talked.
Unlocking the door, she slipped off her backpack, setting it on the rickety coffee table before unzipping it and removing her clothes. She heard the shower going as she went to the kitchen, draping her clothes over a chair. She couldn’t wait for the day she had a washer and dryer instead of schlepping her laundry to a Laundromat or washing it in the sink by hand.
Autumn had a wild thought as she slipped out of her shoes and set her cell phone on the charger. She pulled her scrub shirt over her head, placing it on the table. The pink scrub pants went next, followed by her bra and underwear. Naked, she left the kitchen, ready to surprise her husband in the shower. Maybe a talk could wait. Instead, spontaneous sex sounded really good right now.
She stepped into the darkened bedroom. The bathroom door was open, and the light was on. As she crossed the threshold, Flint turned the water off. Disappointed, she was still ready to surprise him and slid the shower curtain back quietly. Dumbfounded, she stood there, her jaw dropping.
Her husband was kissing another woman. Another wet, naked woman.
He barely broke the kiss, his lips hovering above hers, both their eyes still closed.
“Gotta hurry. She’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”
Flint’s mouth returned to someone she now recognized. Gloria, the charge nurse who was leaving.
“She is already home.”
Autumn watched them spring apart, their heads whipping toward her voice. Panic filled Gloria’s eyes, and she started babbling.
“Get out of my shower and my apartment,” Autumn ordered, her voice tight.
Gloria stepped over the edge of the tub, squeezing past Autumn, who had planted her feet and didn’t intend to go anywhere. She glared silently at Flint, even as she heard Gloria still jabbering apologies, gathering her clothes.
For a full sixty seconds, she locked eyes with her cheating husband. Autumn knew how long because she counted the seconds off in her head. She heard footsteps. The apartment door opening and closing.
Then she slammed her fist into Flint’s nose.
Her knuckles hurt like hell, but the crunch she’d heard was very satisfying. Her brother would be very proud she had made contact with the punch.
“Autumn!” he shouted, his hands flying to his face, blood spurting.
While Flint was busy cradling his nose, she swung her foot back, bringing it up and kicking him hard in the balls.
His shriek was even more satisfying.
Turning, she left the tiny bathroom and returned to the kitchen, redressing in her work scrubs. She was shaking, but she didn’t want to give her husband the satisfaction of seeing it. Taking a seat at the kitchen table, a wedding gift from her parents, she crossed her arms and her legs.
And waited.
Less than five minutes later, Flint appeared. Instead of looking contrite, anger sparked in his eyes. He was dressed haphazardly, toilet paper stuffed up his nose.
“What the hell was that, Autumn?”
“That was me tired of being a doormat, Flint,” she said. “Finding out my husband is cheating on me seems to have shaken me out of the haze.”
A sudden calmness blanketed her. She took a deep breath and expelled it.
“I want an uncontested divorce,” she told her husband of seven years.
“Autumn, listen. I—”
“No! I have done all the listening I’m going to do. It’s your turn to pay attention to me for once. I want an uncontested divorce. I could ask for fault grounds, which means my spouse engaged in misconduct. Like banging a colleague of mine. I won’t do that and embarrass you or me. No-fault divorce means neither of us will accuse the other of wrongdoing.”
Flint looked as if he were about to speak, and she held her hand up to stop him.
“We have no children. No real estate to divide. I’ve played ATM for you for years, so we have no debt.” She shook her head. “I cannot believe I’ve wasted my entire twenties, living like a pauper, paying entirely for your medical school, doing everything for a man I rarely even saw.”
She shook her head. “You owe me, Flint. I will file for divorce today. You will accept the papers without objection. We’ll have to wait sixty days and then ask the court to schedule the divorce hearing.”
He looked at her, completely perplexed by the new Autumn she had suddenly become. “How do you know so much about all this?”
“Because a fellow nurse at work recently went through this,” she explained curtly. “When you come home after your shift, you will sign any document I have waiting for you. You will give me your key and then pack and go somewhere for those sixty days. I don’t care where. You will not talk about our divorce to anyone at work. If you do, I will drag this out and make you sorry.”
He looked at her, a stubborn look in her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Just try me.” Autumn stood. Not just physically, but she wanted him to know she was standing her ground. “I’ve been such a fool,” she said, an overwhelming sadness rushing through her, the sudden death of her marriage hitting her as her adrenaline wore off.
Flint snorted. “You certainly were. You were a way for me to get me through med school for free, Autumn. You’re a lousy lay. And you are so dumb. Blind to everything.”
She felt herself begin to crumble, digging her fingernails into her palms. “Obviously, Gloria wasn’t the first,” she stated, thinking back to all the times Flint had said he needed to work late. To stay by the side of a patient he was worried wouldn’t pull through or one who needed his support. Now, she knew those patients had been few. If they had existed at all.
He laughed easily and then winced. “You can have your divorce, Nancy Nightingale. Always swooping in to help everyone else. You should’ve looked after yourself. I was going to divorce you anyway. You’ve served your purpose. Just be glad I don’t file assault charges against you.”
Autumn glared at him until the cocky look left his face. “If you do, I’ll tell the medical director and the hospital’s board my side of the story,” she said crisply. “You still have the rest of your residency to get through. Hospital boards don’t like gossip. Or besmirched reputations. They want their surgeons to have a pristine reputation. Keep quiet, Flint, and I’ll do the same.”
He stormed from the kitchen. Seconds later, the door slammed.
Autumn sat again, numbness overwhelming her. She thought she might cry, but she supposed she was in shock. She didn’t want to live here anymore. Shower where Flint and Gloria had. Sleep in a bed where countless other women had lain. But she couldn’t afford to break the lease and pay for another apartment. She would tough it out. Fortunately, their lease was up in two months. If the court date went too far beyond that, she’d go to one of those residence hotels and stay. At least there, they had hot meals and happy hours.
She changed clothes and looked up no-fault, uncontested divorce in Texas. She found a website which had all the forms and simple directions. Within an hour, she had used the electronic filing system to send in the completed documents, saving her a trip to the Harris County’s district clerk’s office.
Still dry-eyed, she decided to get some sleep. She didn’t think she could eat. The idea of food made her nauseous.
Just before she closed her eyes, her cell rang. She picked it up from the charger and saw Summer’s name. Swallowing, she answered.
“Hey.”
“I know something’s wrong,” her twin said from Manhattan. “Tell me.”
Autumn let out a long wail. The tears which had not come now arrived like a monsoon. She held the cell to her ear, crying, listening as Summer spoke soothingly to her, telling her it was all right. That they could do anything together.
Finally, she managed to get herself under control and said, “I just asked Flint for a divorce. No, I didn’t ask. I told him I wanted one.”
“I thought that was going to be what you said.”
In times of trouble, no matter how far apart they were, she and Summer had some kind of sixth sense that the other one was hurting, even knowing what might be wrong before being told.
“I came home and caught him with another woman. A nurse I’m friendly with.”
“That sucks.”
“I know.”
They were quiet a few minutes, and then Summer asked, “Should I fly to Houston?”
“Not now. I just submitted the papers online. Did you know you can file for divorce in Texas on the internet?”
“No, but maybe I can use it in a book,” her sister joked. “When do you want me to come?”
“Give me some time. If Flint doesn’t contest it, we can ask for a court date in sixty days.” Autumn wiped away a tear. “That’s when I’ll need you. Stay in New York for now.”
“Will you keep your job at the hospital? It might be hard because he will still be there.”
“I know. I need to think about things. A lot of things,” she said quietly.
“I have an idea, Autumn. I was talking to Mom last night. Just about stuff. You know, she’s always wanting her ducklings to come home. Anyway, she mentioned a new community hospital and medical offices that are opening just outside Hawthorne. She didn’t say when, but I gathered it would be pretty soon. What do you think?”
Nodding to herself, Autumn said, “Yeah. She brought it up to me before. I brushed it off. Now? It’s a real possibility, Summer.”
Her twin cursed under her breath. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Dragon Lady is giving me the evil eye. Can I call you tonight? After work?”
“I’ll be here. I’m going to try and get some sleep now. I just finished working a double shift.”
“Love you.”
She sighed. “I love you, too.”
Autumn ended the connection and placed her phone back on the charger. She closed her eyes.
This chapter in her life was ending. Messy as hell, but it meant she had the opportunity to make a fresh start somewhere else.
And somewhere else just might be back home in Hawthorne.
CHAPTER 1
Hawthorne, Texas
Eli 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 if they had.
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.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. Peter Richards was the name of the man who was supposed to interview him. Eli had already done a phone interview, as well as one on Zoom. This third interview was for the finalists for the position.
“Thank you,” he said, following her inside.
“You’ll be in a conference room,” she told him as they walked through a large, empty room, an employee shelving books on the far side. “Can I get you some water? Coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’d probably knock it over onto Dr. Richards’ notes and be out of the running before the race even started.”
She laughed, and he wondered at the change in him. He was never funny. He never volunteered information, especially that he could be a real klutz if medicine wasn’t involved.
What was Hawthorne doing to him?
“It’s right in here. Have a seat. Dr. Richards must have stepped out for a moment.”
“Thank you.”
She left, and Eli took the chair opposite one where a laptop was, along with a pad and pen. He saw a few lines scrawled on the pad and looked away, not wanting to invade his interviewer’s privacy.
“Ah, good. You’re here. Peter Richards. VP of HR for Hogan Health.”
The doctor who entered offered his hand and shook Eli’s briskly before taking a seat. He opened the laptop and typed for a minute, obviously setting up for the interview. Eli swallowed, his mouth dry, wishing now he had taken Meg Sutherland up on the offer of water.
“Okay, we can get started.”
Eli felt himself sitting up a little straighter. He wanted this job. He could taste it.
“You’ve done very well in your previous two interviews, Dr. Carson. Tell me about yourself.”
He hadn’t expected such a casual question, which was actually a loaded one. How far back should he go? How detailed should he get? He decided to swing for the fences. Go big—or go home.
“I don’t have the background most medical doctors do. Yes, I graduated from Rice University and did my medical training at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Both, as you know, are exceptional places of learning. It was my path to them that varies from others.”
He paused, taking a calming breath, and told his story.
“I grew up in foster care. No known father. An addicted mother who lost custody of her two sons. My brother and I went into the system when I was five and he was three. We never saw one another again.”
He let that sit for a minute, seeing he had the VP’s attention now and that this was no run of the mill interview where accolades and degrees would be trotted out.
“Even at five, I was considered too old by most couples to adopt. That meant living in a series of foster care homes. They are every bit as terrible as books and movies say they are, filled with violence and a pecking order among the children who live there. While I did live with one family for two years who proved to be exceptional caregivers and had a heart for children, I found most foster parents took in kids for the extra money. They paid very little attention to those in their care, and they turned a blind eye for what went on behind closed doors.”
Dr. Richards straightened his tie. “You come from a seriously disadvantaged background, Dr. Carson.”
“Yes. I wanted to escape it and make something of myself. Help others—because no one at any of those houses ever helped me. Fortunately, I had several wonderful teachers who recognized my potential. They are the ones who deserve all the credit for challenging me. Encouraging me. Making me the physician I am today.”
Eli went on, elaborating on how he had skipped two grades in elementary school one year and jumped another a year later.
“I graduated high school at fourteen and college at seventeen. I completed med school by the time I was twenty. I was one of the few who finished my education with no debt. Because of my high IQ and perfect SAT score, one of my teachers hooked me up with a foundation which funds the education of disadvantaged students. Between the foundation’s help and the scholarships I earned, I had no loans to pay back.”
He met Dr. Richards’ eyes. “I feel I’m in a unique position, able to understand people on a different level than most of my peers. I’m only thirty-four and have seven years in the ER under my belt, two as an ER physician and five more as its head. I work at the largest ER in Houston, and I’ve seen everything from gunshot wounds to Ebola. I know how to manage budgets. Staff. Patients. I’m detail-oriented, yet I can make quick, life-saving decisions in a split second.
“I’m up for the challenge of opening a new hospital, Dr. Richards. I’ve studied other hospitals Hogan Health has opened in its system over the past five years. Hogan Health is the fastest-growing healthcare provider in the South and Southwest. I think I’d be a perfect fit for a Hogan Health facility. I’ve also spent a little time in Hawthorne, getting to know it. I had a wonderful conversation just this morning with the owner of Dizzy’s Diner. I know how eager this community is to have a care facility operating here.”
Eli paused, clearing his throat. “I want to help the residents of Hawthorne by providing them with cutting-edge, quality, affordable healthcare.”
He fell silent, worried that he had said too much, and his answer had been too radical. The medical community, for all its talk of bells and whistles and innovation, was still conservative in many of its approaches, and that included those hired in positions such as the one he hoped to obtain today.
Dr. Richards studied him for a long moment, then he seemed to come to some decision.
“Give me a moment.”
He fiddled with the laptop again, typing rapidly, and then took a moment to smooth his hair.
“Good morning, Herbert.”
“Peter. How are the interviews going this morning? You’re in Hawthorne, right?”
The physician smiled. “Yes, sir. I’d like you to meet Dr. Eli Carson.”
Richards spun the laptop around, and Eli saw a familiar man in his mid-fifties, with gold-framed glasses and a fatherly smile.
“Ah, Dr. Carson. Herbert Hogan here.”
Eli tried to relax and smiled. “I recognize you from your commercials and billboards, Mr. Hogan. You—and Hogan Health—seem to be everywhere.”
“We try, Dr. Carson. Hogan Health has been growing by leaps and bounds. Not too fast, though. We have the big picture in mind. We’re trying to move into communities now in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, ones which are smaller and need a local healthcare facility.”
“The citizens of Hawthorne are tired of driving for thirty minutes or longer to reach a hospital or see a healthcare specialist,” he replied. “I think locating one of your hospitals here will be a popular choice.”
“Only if we do it right, Dr. Carson,” Herbert Hogan said, smiling. “We need professionals who are organized. Efficient. Caring. That means from the medical director to the janitor.” Pausing, the CEO then asked, “Do you believe you’re a good fit for Hogan Health?”
“Absolutely,” Eli replied without hesitation.
“Then I would like to offer you a two-year contract as medical director. Peter will give you the specifics. Salary. Benefits. Responsibilities. You’ll be in charge of hiring the staff and overseeing the last bit of construction. How soon can you come onboard?”
“I can put in my two-week notice when we get off this call,” he said, tempering his enthusiasm. “I think I can talk the head of my hospital into letting me leave in a week, however.”
“Do whatever it takes, but I want you in Hawthorne as soon as possible,” Hogan said. “Let me see Peter now.”
Eli turned the laptop’s screen so that it faced Dr. Richards.
“Go over the works, Peter. The particulars in the contract. The signing bonus. Let Dr. Carson know that a company car and house are included in the package. Good work.”
“Thank you, Herbert.”
Richards tapped a few keys, ending the call, and closed the laptop. He reached for a briefcase, extracting several different documents, and took his time going over each with Eli. His head began to spin, seeing what his salary would be, as well as all the duties he would be assuming. It was frightening and thrilling at the same time.
When Richards finished, he asked, “Any more questions?”
“None. Where do I sign?”
Eli placed his signature several different places, with Richards assuring him that he would receive copies of everything.
“I think we should go over and see the facility now. It’s really coming together.”
“When will it open?” he asked.
“We’re aiming for June first. That gives us three months.”
They left the library, with Meg giving him a wave. When Richards stepped in front of Eli, he turned around and gave her a thumbs up to indicate he’d gotten the job. She returned it, beaming at him.
He rode with Richards, who asked that Eli call him Peter. They reached the construction site in a little over ten minutes and parked.
“The outside is completely finished,” Peter told him. “The inside is being worked on now, from painting to flooring to electricity, heating, and air. Once that’s all completed, equipment will be arriving. You’ll be supervising all that, as well as busy interviewing for numerous positions.”
They saw every inch of the facility, and Eli was impressed by the thought which had gone into each decision. They ended the tour at what would be his new office.
“You’ll get to pick out your own furnishings. A perk of the job. I’ll ask the construction manager for them to finish up in here so that you’ll have a place to work out of when you return to Hawthorne.”
Peter offered Eli his hand. “Glad to have you as a part of the Hogan Health team.”
He took it. “Glad to be a part of the system.”
When he reached his rental, he began the drive to Dallas-Fort Worth airport, where he had a six o’clock flight back to Houston. As the plane took off and he looked out the window, a calm settled over him.
Eli had a new job. It would be a fresh, new chapter in his life. The best one yet.
Because he had found a place where he felt he finally belonged.
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