“Indeed.” He cocked his head. “I take it things didn’t work out with your young man?”
I stared at him. “How did you know about that?”
“Well, with a bloody ton of people at your brother’s wedding, it was bound to get out that you were involved with one of his mates from the hockey team.”
I swallowed. “Oh. Right. Of course. And, no, it didn’t. I mean, he plays hockey in the U.S. and I’m here. We couldn’t find a way to make it work.” I got that same queasy feeling I got every time I thought about Dax, as if I’d made a terrible, terrible mistake in letting him go.
“May I be blunt with you, Isla?” He leaned against his desk.
“Of course.”
“You’ve always been very single-minded and focused on your studies and your research. Everything else, even teaching, has been an afterthought. Have you ever considered leaving academia and moving to just science?”
I smiled. “Of course I have, but it’s not like I’m a biologist. There aren’t many institutes that study black holes, so I’ve had to find a compromise this way. Although, I was hoping that as time went on I could teach less, not more.”
He nodded. “I heard that you’re unhappy with the extra class this semester.”
“I would be fine with it, because Sondra’s on maternity leave, but they also changed my usual schedule so that I’m here five days a week, the whole day, on and off. It felt very personal.”
“It probably was.” He gave me a wry smile. “Most of your colleagues are jealous of you, Isla, and you don’t play the bureaucratic games. You don’t attend the parties or kiss the right behinds, so when there’s some drudgery that can be assigned to you, they probably do.”
I scowled. “So that’s my reward for working hard?”
The teakettle started to whistle and he got up, pouring us each a cup. “As you know, life isn’t always fair, and academia is extremely competitive. But here’s the thing—” He paused to put my cup in front of me, followed by a sugar bowl. “—you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You’re brilliant, accomplished, and very well-respected in the scientific community, despite the jealousy by some of your colleagues. If it were me, and I’m giving you advice based on many years in academia, I would update my C.V. and start looking at competitors. Whether it be here in the U.K. or in the U.S., so you can be close to your young man. Your soul mate only comes around once, my dear.” He took a sip of his tea.
“You think I should leave?” I asked, completely shocked. My phone rang and I fumbled in my purse to turn it off, but saw it was my mother. “That’s odd,” I murmured. “She knows I’m in class during the day. Pardon me a moment; I’m sorry.” I lifted the phone to my ear. “Mum?”
“Oh, thank goodness. Isla, your grandfather is in the hospital.”
My mentor, Dr. MacMillan, graciously offered to teach my afternoon class for me and I hurriedly emailed him my notes before gathering my things and practically flying across town to the hospital. I met Mum in the hallway, reaching out to hug her.
“What happened?” I asked. “Is it his heart?”
She shook her head. “No. It looks like he was being treated for prostate cancer and the radiation made him anemic. He passed out at the office and his colleagues rushed him here. The doctor says he’s going to be fine, just needs to rest for a bit.”
“So he did have something wrong,” I whispered sadly. “I knew it. I had a feeling, but he was being so manipulative, I didn’t stop to think about what was going on. Dammit, we should have known.”
“He didn’t want to worry us.” Mum sank into a chair in the waiting room and I sat beside her. “He’s a stubborn old man and he remembers how difficult it was for us when your father had his heart attack. He probably didn’t want us to panic.”
“So he waited until he collapsed.” I shook my head. “Can we see him?”
“They’ve just gotten him settled and he’s sleeping. I thought you’d want to be here, though. Liam was out with a client but Lachlan is on his way. Mac had a big exam today, so I haven’t called him yet, and no need to worry Finn, all the way in London.”
I nodded. “Right.”
We sat in silence for a while and Mum reached for my hand.
“Dax and I broke up,” I said after a bit.
“Oh, darling, why didn’t you say anything?”
I shrugged. “Because I’m a bloody idiot.”
“Well, you might make some questionable decisions on occasion, but I’d never call you stupid.”
“I cannae understand why he wants to leave hockey!” I blurted out. “To be a bloody bodyguard. It makes no sense to me.” I told her everything.
“Not everyone is you,” she responded gently. “Not everyone is driven in one direction and that direction only. Some people have a wandering soul and perhaps that’s Dax. It could also be that he truly is drawn to something with greater meaning. Maybe he just needs a change. And perhaps this bodyguard thing is a stepping stone to the next thing, the thing that’s going to be exactly what he’s been looking for. But he knows that hockey is all-encompassing most of the year, so if he’s going to make a break, it has to be now and this is the opportunity that presented itself. Not everything is black and white, my love.”
I sighed and leaned back, resting my head against the wall behind us and letting my eyes fall shut. “Can I be with someone like that?”
“Only you can answer that question.”
“Mrs. Campbell?” A doctor
