“Please don’t give up on him, Natalie,” Heather said, her voice shaking a little.

“He loves you.

He just gets overprotective when he thinks the family’s falling apart.”

“I have to get back to the clinic for my four o’clock meeting,” I said.

I left twenty dollars on the table for my iced tea and walked out to my car.

When I got back to Oak Street Dental at three forty-five, Paige was standing by my desk in the manager’s office holding a stack of afternoon mail.

“Dr.