Perfectly Christmas Sneak Peek
Perfectly Christmas takes place in Strathaven, a small Northern Ontario town. Quinn Malone is the only doctor. When surgeon Madison Hayes arrives for a 2-year stint, the townsfolk are worried Quinn will fall in love and leave their beloved town. What to do? Never fear, they come up with a plan – Operation Put Out the Fire. 😀
Here’s a snippet:
Edna Alexander and Bea Mitchell stood at the window of the Senior’s Center and watched the new surgeon drive out of the parking lot.
“She’s very young, Bea.”
“And very pretty,” Bea agreed with a frown. She adjusted the tortoise shell glasses perched on her nose. “Didn’t we specify we wanted someone old, someone frumpy?”
“There wasn’t a tick off box for that.”
“Hmph. There should’ve been.”
They watched the car pull out onto the main street and hit the curb as it turned.
“She drives like us.”
“True. And look at the bright side, Edna. If we need surgery, it’d probably be better to have a young whipper-snapper doin’ it rather than some old fart like us.”
“I’m more worried about losing Doctor Quinn.”
Bea pursed her lips. “I know. But what are the chances of that happening?”
Edna gave her a grim sideways glance. “I’d have said low to none three weeks ago. But when Doctor Hoity-Toity Hecktare decided she’d had enough of us, and Doctor Quinn looked like he was going to go with her, I almost had a stroke. I would never have believed he’d abandon our beloved Strathaven for a girl.”
“Woman,” Bea corrected absently. “Do you think he truly loved her?”
Edna shook her head and her gray curls bounced. “No.” She bit her lip. “Yes. That’s what I’m worried about. What if he up and falls in love with this new surgeon and leaves us?”
“We’d have a town of five thousand with no doctor.”
“Exactly. We’d be right back where we were five years ago before Quinn returned home.”
“And have to go through another round of recruitments for a new doctor. I rue the day when someone from the Underserviced Area program figures out that we’re the Mitchell Alexander who’s been filling out all those forms.”
“A problem for another day.” Edna sighed. “Maybe she’ll stay. Dr. Madison Hayes. She seemed very friendly. Very small townish.”
Bea grunted. “Not likely. You read her application. I’ll bet my boots she’ll do her two years and move on.”
“And take Quinn with her.” Edna twisted the strap of her oversized purse. “We can’t control his heart.”
“No. But we can’t risk him falling in love, either.”
“So we’ll keep them apart.”
Bea’s eyebrows shot up and she paused, considering. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Of course, it’d be easier if he wasn’t also the only anesthetist for miles around. They’re going to have to work together.”
“Sure, but they’re professionals. I can’t see them getting into any hanky-panky at work. We’ll just make sure they’re never alone together outside of the clinic.”
Edna grinned widely. “Excellent plan. I’ll get on the blower, and before she unpacks, we’ll have a network of chaperones in place.”
“Email me the list.”
“Send me an email, and I’ll reply.”
Bea looked at her pointedly. “Edna, you gotta learn how to send an email.”
“I know how,” Edna said. “You hit reply, then type, then send.”
Bea laughed and threw her arm around Edna’s shoulders. “I think I’ll get you a computer lesson for Christmas.”
Edna’s eyes lit up. “A private one? With that hotty Albert Sparkle?”
Bea stepped back and started buttoning her coat. “Albert’s one hundred and two. And I think the name is Spartan. Does he even own a computer?”
“Yes, and he’s rigged himself up the perfect cup holder with this little drawer thingy that slides out at the top of the computer engine.” Edna pulled a crocheted cap over her curls.
Bea frowned. “You mean the CD tray on the tower?”
Edna smiled. “Maybe. Isn’t that brilliant?”
Bea laughed. “You two were made for each other. C’mon, let’s go and start Operation Put Out The Fire.”