Why was Seth calling her? It couldn''t be for anything good.
Noreen let it ring until it went to voicemail. He didn''t call back.
A few minutester, however, a call came from Halley. Ron Archer had twisted his ankle ying golf. He asked if Noreen could contact a Dr. Wilder toe to the hotel and give Ron some acupuncture.
Noreen checked the time. Dr. Wilder''s clinic would be closed. He was a man of strict routine; once he was off the clock, his phone was off. But Noreen knew where he lived. She had gone to great lengths to find his address once before, to get medicine for a client''s wife.
She drove straight to Dr. Wilder''s home and persuaded him to make a house call at Ron''s hotel. When they arrived, she was surprised to find Seth there as well. His eyes met hers for a fleeting second before he looked away.
Noreen''s attention wasn''t on him. She was focused on Ron''s ankle, which was swollen to a frightening size. Dr. Wilder immediately began his examination. With his experienced hands, he could assess the severity of the injury without needing an X-ray.
"Fortunately, there are no broken bones," he concluded. "It''s a soft tissue injury. I''ll apply a coldpress to reduce the swelling and give you a couple of herbal sters. Once the acute phase passes, we''ll start acupuncture. You should be back on your feet in three to five days."
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Without being asked, Noreen had already requested ice and towels from room service.
Dr. Wilder had always appreciated Noreen''s quick thinking. While applying the ice pack, he asked casually, "I remember you broke up with your ex-boyfriend, didn''t you?"
The question,ing out of nowhere and in front of Seth, caught Noreenpletely off guard.
"Uh, yes," she stammered, feeling a flush of difort.<fn188b> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F?ndNovel</fn188b>
"Are you single now?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then let me introduce you to someone! The hospital just hired a brilliant medical doctor from overseas. He''s young, handsome, and I think you two would be a great match. Would you like to meet him?"
It seemed all elders enjoyed ying matchmaker.
"I''m very busy with work right now," Noreen said, trying to be polite. "I don''t have the energy for a rtionship, and I wouldn''t want to waste his time." She was preparing for Innocore''s IPQ and juggling several major projects she truly had no time for dating. Contént
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"Managing a rtionship is the man''s job," Dr. Wilder insisted, determined to make his match. "A woman''s only job is to be loved Don''t you worry about a thing. How about this? I''ll send you his WhatsApp You two can chat online first, and if you it off you can meet in person. That''s how the young people do it these days, right?"
"Dr. Wilder," Seth interjected abruptly, "when can he start the acupuncture?"
The doctor paused, thrown off track. "Usually after about thirty hours, if the swelling hasn''t gone down. At that point, we''ll consider it."
"And will he need toe to the hospital for that?" Seth''s questions were detailed, showing a deep concern for Ron''s well-being.
"Either is fine," Dr. Wilder replied. "I don''t normally make house calls, but since you''re friends of Noreen''s, I can make an exception."
"We would very much appreciate that."
"It''s no trouble." The doctor was good-natured about it. But Seth''s interruption had made him forget all about sending Noreen the contact information.
Noreen silently breathed a sigh of relief.
After the coldpress, Dr. Wilder prepared two herbal sters.
"I''ll see you out," Noreen offered.
"No need, can grab a cab easily from here. Don''t go to the trouble, he said handing the sters to Noreen. "You''ve used these before, so you know how to apply them
Can you show him?"
"Of course," Noreen said. As she took the sters, Dr. Wilder''s hand brushed
against hers. Her skin was cool to the touch.
"How has your health been?" he asked with genuine concern.