Chapter 65: This Isn’t Your Boyfriend, Is He?
"A newcomer?"
"Yeah, Leah Sinclair from our department. I want to bring her onto the Southwood project."
Mr. Langdon had been considering this for some time, but he hadn’t found the right opportunity to mention it to Asher Keating. Since the topic came up today, he decided to speak his mind.
"Why?"
Asher Keating raised an eyebrow in surprise. It wasn’t that he doubted Leah Sinclair’s abilities—from what he’d observed recently, her technical knowledge was solid, but she lacked experience.
He had been debating whether to put her on this project or have her build up some experience by honing her skills on other assignments first.
"That kid is a hard worker. I’ve been mentoring her for the past few months. She’s capable and isn’t afraid of a challenge, and I’m confident she won’t let me down."
After saying this, Mr. Langdon continued, a bit sheepishly, "And I have a slightly selfish reason, too. She’s my apprentice, after all. Her university advisor and I go way back, and he mentioned before that her family’s... situation isn’t great. If she can join this project, her salary will be significantly higher, which would help improve her life."
That was a very practical point. Asher Keating knew Leah Sinclair liked earning money. With him around, she didn’t need to worry about her finances, but he recalled that the card he’d given her had never once been used. ’She must prefer to spend money she earns herself.’
Asher Keating smiled. "I’ll leave it to your discretion."
"Thank you, President Keating."
Mr. Langdon breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried Asher Keating would say no, especially since Leah Sinclair truly lacked experience and the Southwood project was so important. He was surprised, and relieved, that Asher had agreed. With that settled, he returned to his office.
Meanwhile, Leah Sinclair received a message from Chester Hale. He was heading to her hometown, Stonecreek, in a couple of days for a professional seminar and offered to take her grandmother for her follow-up appointment while he was there. That way, Grandma Sinclair wouldn’t have to travel all the way to Riverfall. He asked if Leah was free to make the trip with him.
She checked her schedule. Asher Keating was leaving for a business trip the next day, and the days after that were the weekend. She quickly replied to Chester Hale, "Thank you, Dr. Hale. I’m free."
"Okay. I’ll be driving, so we can leave right after you get off work on Friday. It’ll save you a train ride."
"Oh, that’s really too much trouble for you," Leah Sinclair said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"It’s no problem. It’s on my way. See you Friday, then."
"Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hale."
That evening, while helping Asher Keating pack for his trip, Leah Sinclair told him she was going back to her hometown to take her grandmother for a check-up.
After listening, Asher Keating nodded. "Have Sean Yates go with you. I’ll tell him not to accompany me tomorrow."
"There’s no need," Leah Sinclair said quickly. "I’m just taking my grandmother for her check-up. I’ll be back in two days."
"Alright, then. Just be careful."
On the day of the trip to Stonecreek, Chester Hale arrived early to pick Leah Sinclair up from work. When she came outside, he got out of his car and waved at her from beside the door.
"Whoa! Leah, don’t tell me that’s your boyfriend!" Zion Sawyer, who was leaving with her, exclaimed, her eyes wide. "That’s a G-Wagen!"
"What are you talking about? That’s my grandmother’s attending physician. He just happens to be traveling there on business. Anyway, I have to go," Leah Sinclair said, quickly wheeling her suitcase over to him.
Chester Hale helped put her suitcase in the car. "Let’s grab a bite to eat first. I checked the GPS, and we probably won’t get to Stonecreek until eleven."
"Okay. What would you like to eat, Dr. Hale? My treat."
"Whatever you’d like is fine. I’m not picky."
"Then let’s go to the intersection up ahead. There’s a noodle shop there that’s pretty good," Leah Sinclair said apologetically. "Things are a bit rushed today, but I’ll treat you to a proper meal when we get back." She knew he likely would have left much earlier if he hadn’t waited for her.
"Don’t worry about it. It’s on my way, so you don’t need to feel bad," Chester Hale said as he started the car and drove in the direction Leah had indicated.
Inside the noodle shop, Leah Sinclair ordered two bowls of noodles. While they waited for their food, she asked Chester Hale, "Dr. Hale, have you ever been to Stonecreek before?"
"No, I haven’t. The hospital there invited me to lead a seminar before, but I could never find the time. I just happen to have a bit of a break these next few days," Chester Hale replied while wiping the table.
Leah Sinclair smiled. "Well, if you have any free time, I can show you around. Our town may be small, but the scenery is quite nice. We also have authentic Stonecreek cuisine, which is a local specialty."
Chester Hale smiled back. "That sounds great. If you bring your grandmother for her check-up early tomorrow, I should be finished with my seminar by the morning of the day after. We could explore in the afternoon."
"Okay. Just let me know when you’re about to finish, and I’ll come find you."
As they spoke, their noodles arrived. This was a spot Leah and her colleagues sometimes visited when they didn’t eat at the office, and the food was decent. Leah had been a little worried that Chester Hale wouldn’t like it, but she was relieved to see him digging in with gusto.
On the drive, Leah Sinclair discovered that Chester Hale was actually quite the conversationalist, not at all like the cool and distant person she had always thought he was.
Chester Hale laughed when she voiced this thought. "What made you think I was distant?"
"Because every time I see you at the hospital, you’re so serious. At first, I was too intimidated to even speak to you. Once, when I was going to ask about my grandmother’s condition, you were yelling at someone. You were terrifying."
"I yelled at someone?" Chester Hale thought for a moment, unable to recall the incident.
"You were yelling at another doctor. You called him brainless and asked if he’d wasted his time in college. Something about a life being on the line, and you told him to get the hell out if he didn’t want the job," Leah Sinclair recalled.
"Oh, I remember now. That was one of my interns. The patient was allergic to penicillin, and he prescribed it anyway. Luckily, one of the nurses caught the mistake. Otherwise, a life could have truly been lost."
"Wow, that’s incredibly serious. You were right to yell at him!" Leah Sinclair gave him a thumbs-up.
Her reaction made him laugh. "In our line of work, that’s just how it is. There’s zero room for error. In other fields, you might get a chance to fix a mistake. We don’t have that luxury."
"Dr. Hale, why did you decide to become a doctor?" Leah Sinclair asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I wasn’t very healthy when I was a kid. I probably spent more than half of every year in a hospital. Back then, I just decided that when I grew up, I wanted to be a doctor and save people’s lives."
Chester Hale smiled, his eyes on the road. "What about you? How did a girl like you end up studying civil engineering?"
"Me? I want to build houses. Watching them rise from nothing, and then seeing people live in the homes I helped create... that just seems like a really wonderful feeling. It would be even better if my grandmother could live in a house I built someday."
Chester Hale glanced over at Leah Sinclair. In the dim light of the car, her profile was illuminated by a smile. She was different in this moment—so confident and determined. The corners of his own mouth turned up into an unconscious smile.
"You will. Your grandmother will definitely live in a house you build."
"Thank you, Dr. Hale. Houses in Riverfall are expensive, but I’ll work my hardest."
At one point, Asher Keating sent Leah Sinclair a text asking if she had made it home. When she replied that she was still on the road, his call came through almost immediately. "It’s that late? Why didn’t you just leave tomorrow?"