Well, except when she’d had to go out to the island and pronounce the last of the Petrie family dead. Lorna Petrie had been found dead in her small home, a week after her sons had been killed. The cause of death had been an opioid overdose. Lila had no idea where she’d gotten the pills. There was no record of her ever coming into the clinic. Doc Hamet certainly hadn’t written a prescription, but that was a mystery for another day. She wanted to settle into her new clinic and enjoy her life for a change.

“The phone lines work and I’ve got the schedule for our first week,” a chipper feminine voice said.

Lila looked up at the newest member of her staff. Carrie was standing behind the reception desk. Even though they weren’t open for business yet, she’d embraced scrubs as workwear. “How’s it looking?”

There was something confident in the younger woman, something peaceful that hadn’t existed before she’d made the decision to fight for herself. Lila rather thought being welcomed back in her hometown with open arms and apologies had done wonders for Carrie, too. She’d been surprised when Carrie had shown up on her doorstep asking for a job, but Carrie had told her this was her home and where she wanted to raise her baby.

“We’re going to have a full week,” Carrie replied. “Also I scheduled some extra time because Gene is due for a colonoscopy and you’re going to have to explain that.”

Lord. She would need a good argument for why the government didn’t need to probe his colon for information. “I’m going to give it some thought.”

“Or we could just sneak up on that old man, give him a nice dose of sleepytime drugs, and haul him in.” Mabel joined Carrie at the desk. The pair had become a formidable twosome. Mabel had taken the younger woman under her wing. Carrie’s baby wouldn’t lack for a grandmother. “When you think about it, it plays into all of Gene’s crazy conspiracy theories. It’s a gift to him.”

Gene wouldn’t see it that way. She would likely spend some time in that jail cell. Of course, then the sheriff would have to perform a search to make sure she didn’t have any weapons, and that might go really well for her.

“Hey, pretty lady.”

She hadn’t heard the doors open, but oh she knew that voice. For a big man, Armie moved so quietly. He could sneak up on her, but he was always a good surprise. She sighed and leaned back against her man, breathing him in. Armie wrapped her up and kissed her cheek. “Hey, babe,” she greeted him. “I’m ready to go. You said you wanted to take me somewhere.”