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come in and see what I’ve done?”
    “Helen’s waiting dinner, but for you, I guess I could find a few minutes.” He kept a poker face as he scanned her waiting room. Earlier, the freshly waxed wood floor had been obscured by a collection of old furniture and boxes. During the day, everything had miraculously found its proper place. Finally, he whistled in appreciation. “You whipped this place into shape in a hurry.”
    “Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?” She couldn’t keep the satisfaction out of her voice.
    The Bodewell clinic was her home base, her pride and joy. The other two towns would be only makeshift clinics, but Bodewell was the center of her practice. Hanging her bachelor’s and master’s degree diplomas had been an emotional moment. Once it was done, there was no turning back; she’d officially hung up her shingle, so to speak. She had stared at the framed parchments and her midwifery certification for a long time.
    She’d deliberately chosen to put them in the corner of the room above the round table she would use for counseling new patients. Around the rest of the room, wonderful illustrated posters and framed photos of the birthing process adorned the walls. The more graphic photos were in the examining room off to the left or tucked safely in her lesson notebook for the natural childbirth classes.
    “Looks pretty good,” Dr. Grenwald repeated, maneuvering his way through the maze of plastic cratesfilled with old toys. He passed over one of the three chairs grouped around the table in favor of the ratty sofa she’d disguised with a floral coverlet. “Different, but good.”
    Victoria hid a grin. Grenwald had a penchant for hospital-issue decor. If it wasn’t shiny or plastic, he wouldn’t have it. He liked his patients to know they were in a “professional” environment. She wanted her patients and their children to relax. One of the hardest challenges in rural areas was getting the women in for prenatal care.
    Changing the subject, she said, “This morning I decided the exam room was too crowded for that wide cabinet I found over at McNamara’s, so I stuck it in the cubbyhole that was going to be my office. Now it’s a room for supplies and file cabinets.”
    “And where are you going to do your charts?” he demanded, looking over the rim of the half-glasses that were always perched on his nose. “You’ve got to have someplace to make your notes, talk on the phone. You’ll wish you had that office.”
    “Aw, this table will be fine.” Victoria patted the Formica-topped table and then gestured to the wall pocket files behind her, all neatly labeled as to the action to be taken once patient folders were slipped inside them. “I’ll put a wall phone right here and get a long cord so I can go into the supply room if I absolutely have to have privacy. As for charts, I tend to scribble as I go—in the truck, in the exam room, wherever I have time.”
    Grenwald pulled at the short white hair along the back of his neck and heaved himself off the sofa. “Looks like you’ve thought of just about everything.”
    “Well, not quite. I haven’t worked out my schedule, and I still haven’t found a place to live.”
    He looked surprised. “I assumed you’d have that all settled by now. Joshua doesn’t like having people around, but I didn’t think he’d jack up the price to scare you off.”
    Used to the older man’s non sequiturs, Victoria didn’t bother asking for clarification. It was usually quicker to play along and figure it out for herself. “We didn’t discuss money.”
    Laughing, Grenwald nodded. “Bet that took the wind out of his sails. Good strategy. Don’t look too eager. That old cabin doesn’t look like much, but all it really needs is a roof patch. You get that fixed, and it’ll be just fine for the winter. I used to make house calls there when Joshua was only a little fellow, back before the family moved into Logan’s Hollow. You’re not going to be