Northern Rebel Daring in the Dark - By Jennifer Labrecque Page 0,3
expressed an interest in Alaska since I moved here, and now, suddenly it’s a possibility. It’s not that bad, you know...”
Delphi shivered simply thinking about it. “Yeah, but I don’t like the cold.”
Skye chuckled. “I know. We’ve covered that a couple of times. You’re the one who’s always talked about getting married in Jamaica.”
“Yep. Sun and sand is my idea of paradise.”
“We don’t have any sandy beaches but it’s sunny here and the days are going to get longer still. If you could help me out for three months, that should give us time to find a permanent replacement. It won’t be exactly balmy, but it will be warm and we have really long hours of daylight. I promise, you won’t see any snow while you’re here.”
A steady late-May rain drummed against the roof of Delphi’s loft as she absently looked out over Atlanta’s soggy skyline. “So, you’re saying the person you had lined up bailed at the last minute?” she asked. Even though Skye had told her that very thing, she was buying time as she turned the option over in her head. It wasn’t an option she’d ever considered, but maybe that was exactly what she needed. A real change.
“Unfortunately, yes. Nelson leaves in two weeks and that’s etched in stone. It took us months to find someone and now, well, we don’t have a prayer of lining up someone else on such short notice. And I didn’t mean to be presumptuous. I was just thinking that I need help and I’d love to see you and you need...” She drifted off awkwardly. “Well, I shouldn’t have assumed anything. Have you found something?”
The only thing she’d found was her savings down to triple digits and every medical job application a dead end. Her only experience had been in Zellers’s practice and he wasn’t giving her a good reference. And Macy Zellers had spread her version of the truth to all her cronies.
Few doctors in the city would hire Delphi and the ones who might were looking for more than a nurse. She had been thoroughly, undeniably blackballed.
“No, I haven’t found anything.” She leaned her forehead against the cool windowpane. She didn’t mention the waitressing job she’d started, because that wasn’t what Skye was talking about. “I know there are other people a whole lot worse off than me, but this has been incredibly demoralizing.” Not to mention a financial disaster. She refused to dip into her 401(k).
“Delphi, it just infuriates me that he’s been able to do this to you. It’s just so wrong.”
She’d mercifully gone from anger to a sanity-preserving numbness. “And they say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Men have just as much trouble hearing the word ‘no.’ And his vindictive wife has been just as bad. I keep clinging to the thought that karma is a bitch.”
“DeWitt can’t get away with this.”
“Well, it sure looks like he has.”
“So, why don’t you come here and take a break from the Atlanta scene. When you leave, you’ll have a glowing recommendation from your most recent job.” Skye named a figure that was substantially higher than what Delphi had been making. “We have to pay premium because we’re so remote. And we provide free housing.”
Delphi looked at Mr. Spock swimming in his glass bowl. She supposed her sister Cam would look after the blue-and-red betta and the houseplants. The best part of the whole thing, however, would be not being on the receiving end of those pitying looks from her family and scornful glances from the medical community. Not that she saw them often but she ran into more than she thought she would. Alaska wasn’t on her list of places she’d ever wanted to go but getting away for three months might be the best thing she could do. “A change of scenery, a fresh start...”
“Exactly.” Delphi hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud until Skye responded. “How soon could you get here? Next Friday is Nelson’s last day.”
Delphi did some quick calculations. It was late Tuesday now. “I could leave Thursday evening or Friday morning.”
“Yes, yes, yes! You are a godsend! I can’t wait to see you! Thank you so much, Delphi. I’ll let Merrilee—she’s the mayor and she runs the airstrip—know and she’ll make your flight arrangements. Should she email them to you?”
This was moving quickly. “Sure.”
“Great. Let me call her. She’ll get in touch with you directly.”