Family Practice Read Online Free PDF Page A

coming early,” she repeated, sincerely remorseful. “If there’s a clean towel and hot water, I’ll be fine.”
    Ginger smiled and almost got it right. “Stop apologizing for wanting to come home a day early. Just pretend you’re the first person to take a shower after a hurricane blew through the bathroom, okay?”
    “I promise not to notice a thing.”
    “Have you eaten?” Ginger caressed her stomach absently as though soothing herself as well as the baby inside her.
    “No, and I’m starved,” Callie said, grinning. “I hope you aren’t sold out of the bluegill tonight.”
    “I’ll go down right now and have Mac set some aside.”
    “And a spinach salad,” Callie said, “oh, and a baked sweet potato. I’ve been craving one for a couple of weeks.”
    “Cravings have taken over my life,” Ginger said, seeming to relax a little.
    “You’re craving sweet potatoes? That’s a new one.”
    Ginger laughed. “Nothing so healthy, I’m afraid. Anything salty and crunchy and sweet.” She threw up her hands. “Every kind of junk food. It’s driving your dad crazy. Thank goodness we live above a restaurant. I can always raid the snack rack by the cash register, even in the middle of the night.”
    “She set off the alarm once.” Brandon snickered. “The fire department came and everything. You can ask Dad.”
    Ginger flushed an unbecoming red. “Oh, let’s not,” she said. “Go tell Mac that Callie will want dinner in, oh, about twenty minutes or so?”
    “Twenty minutes. Great.”
    “And I’ll remind her not to forget the cinnamon butter for your potato,” Brandon offered. “It’s my favorite.”
    “Mine, too.”
    “All right.” Brandon gave her a thumbs-up and took off at a trot.
    “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble for me to shower here? I could drive out to Mom’s farm.” She was embarrassed. Ginger must assume she was as unreliable and unprepared as her mother. She didn’t appreciate the comparison one bit.
    “That was going to be part of the surprise tomorrow,” Ginger said. “The elderly couple who always rent half the double cottage for six weeks had to cancel due to health issues. It’s small but so much nicer than the ‘mini suite’ at the Commodore Motel the committee picked out for you.” Her tone of voice when she said “mini suite” suggested the Commodore Motel wasn’t the nicest in town by a long shot. Callie was relieved she wouldn’t be staying there. “The cottage is all ready for you to move into as soon as you’ve cleaned up and eaten dinner. Peace and privacy. Well, a place of your own, anyway,” she added cryptically.
    “Thank you.” She couldn’t quite keep the relief out of her voice. She loved the tiny duplex cottage on the lakeshore. And it was within walking distance of the White Pine and only half a mile from the clinic. She could bicycle to work—if her old bike was still hanging from the rafters in the garage.
    “I’m glad you’re pleased. Your dad said you would be.” Ginger didn’t sound as convinced as J.R. apparently was. “The other side is rented, so it won’t be all that private, but it’s the only property not booked solid for the season.”
    “It is my favorite, and I’ll love it, neighbor or no neighbor.” But the duplex was income for her dad. She couldn’t just move in during peak tourist season. “I’ll make up your shortfall on the rent. I’m sure the Physician’s Committee bullied Dad into giving them the same rate they were getting from the manager at the Commodore.”
    “Settle that with your father over dinner,” Ginger said, waving off Callie’s suggestion.
    Dinner with Dad . Callie couldn’t believe how much she wanted just that. There would be no expansive emotional display from J.R. when she came into the bar. When he caught her eye, he would smile at her, jerk his head in a signal to meet him in the kitchen at the old Formica table with its eight well-worn chairs—the “Cook’s Corner,”