Lucan frowned as he glanced around. “The only thing I can think of is that this area is a bit dark because it’s in the shade of the big tree right next to us. Would it be possible to create an extra window in here?”
“Sure. It would have to be on that side”—Jawon pointed at the wall in the waiting area—“but that would definitely give you some extra natural light in here.”
“That would be perfect. Thank you.”
“It’s not only a fun, challenging project for us but also an honor to build. We know what good Enar will do here, and that makes it worth every drop of sweat we put into this.”
Lucan slapped his shoulder. “And a few drops of blood, from what I hear.”
Jawon winced. “Yeah, Servas will be more careful with the hammer next time. That was the nastiest-looking thing I’ve ever seen.”
The front door opened, and Enar stepped inside, followed by an alpha Lucan had never seen before. He was tall, his skin a gorgeous tanned color, his eyes and hair dark. Enar’s face lit up when he spotted Lucan.
“Lucan, perfect timing. I’d like you to meet Maz Ahadi. He’s a fourth-year ob/gyn resident who’s considering pitching in here for a few hours a week. Maz, this is Lucan Whitefield, who will be basically running the clinic.”
Lucan was flustered by Enar’s words as he took the hand Maz extended to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucan,” Maz said, his voice pleasantly low. “But Doc here is lying.”
Lucan let go of his hand and frowned. What did he mean? “Sorry?”
“I’m not considering pitching in. I’ve already told him I’ll be working here two days a week.” Maz slapped Enar on his back. “Try and keep me out, Doc.”
Enar sent Lucan a look of fake exasperation, but his eyes were laughing. “Can you give Maz a tour and tell him a bit about our plans? I would do it, but Vieno needs a nap, and apparently, he needs me for that.”
“As if you mind snuggling with your sweet omega,” Maz teased. Lucan already liked him for the affectionate way he treated Enar.
Enar shrugged, his eyes still sparkling. “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.” Then his face grew serious. “Thanks, Maz. For real.”
The two men hugged. “I wouldn’t let you do this without me, Doc. Now, go cuddle with your omega. I’m sure Lucan can answer all my questions.”
Enar walked out, leaving Lucan with the tall alpha, who shot him an apologetic smile. “Sorry for being dumped into your lap.”
Probably not the best impression if he said he didn’t mind having that man in his lap, right? “No problem. Want me to give you the tour Enar promised?”
“Please. I’m curious to see what you’re building here and what your plans are. On the walk over here, Enar told me a bit about it, and it sounds amazing.”
Lucan nodded. “We’re hoping to provide free health care for at-risk omegas, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds or those who are in situations of neglect and abuse. That has always been Enar’s dream, and now we’re realizing it here. This area where we’re standing now will be the reception area.”
He walked Maz through the clinic, showing him where the patient rooms would be, the two sterile rooms for minor procedures, the offices, and everything else. Maz kept asking good questions, even offering a suggestion or two Lucan made a mental note of to discuss with Jawon. The alpha had a pleasant attitude, not dominant at all but respectful of Lucan and valuing his explanations and answers rather than challenging him just because he was a beta. This wasn’t unusual on the ranch, but out in the real world, Lucan had experienced it very differently.
They were making their way back to the entrance when the front door opened. “Lucan?”
Lucan quickly checked his watch. Oh dammit, he’d lost track of time and hadn’t picked up Sando for lunch. “Be careful, Sando, of the—”
A tumbling noise sounded, followed by an outcry of pain. Maz was even faster than Lucan, sprinting into the reception area, where Sando lay facedown on the ground. Maz kneeled right next to him with his nice pants in the dust. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“My guess is he tripped over the power cord,” Lucan said with a sigh. Places like this were a hazard for the accident-prone omega. If he could stumble over something, he would. Lucan had never met a person clumsier than Sando, though it made him endearing at the same time.
“I’m okay,” Sando said and sat up with little help from Maz. Then he winced, rubbing his knees. “Fell on my knees.”
“May I?” Maz asked, pointing at Sando’s pants.
“He’s a doctor,” Lucan explained at Sando’s slightly frightened expression. “He’ll be working here with Enar.”
Maz smiled at Sando. “Yes, sorry. I should’ve told you that before springing into action. As doctors, we tend to do that when an accident happens, but it’s bad manners. I’m Maz.”
“Sando,” the omega said. “And you can look at my knees.”
He bit his lip as Maz gently pulled his pants up, revealing two scraped knees, both bleeding a bit from a small cut. Lucan’s heart went mushy at the sight of Sando’s trembling lip, and he crouched down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Does it hurt?”
Sando lifted his head, his eyes watery. “A little, but mostly my pride.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Lucan kept his hand on Sando’s shoulder.
At Maz’s prompting, Sando bent and stretched his knees, wincing again. “Can I see your hands?” Maz asked, and Sando obediently held out his hands, which were only scuffed and not bleeding.
“Scrapes and bruises,” Maz said gently. “Looks like that’s the extent of the damage. If you have a first aid kit, I’d be happy to patch him up, Lucan.”
Lucan’s stomach did a funny swirl at the way Maz said his name. “Jawon has one. The guy who leads the construction crew. I’ll go get it.”
He let go of Sando and got up, then hurried out the door. Luckily, he knew exactly where Jawon kept his first aid kit: in the front of his truck.
“Everything okay?” Jawon called out when Lucan dashed past him, first aid kit in hand.
“Sando tripped over a cord,” Lucan shouted back, and even from that distance, he saw Jawon roll his eyes. Sando’s clumsiness was well known by now.
When he rushed back in, he found Maz and Sando exactly as he’d left them, with Sando looking up at Maz with big eyes. Lucan couldn’t blame him. The alpha had that effect on him as well. “Here.” He handed Maz the kit.
A few minutes later, Maz had cleaned Sando’s hands and knees and had put a protective bandage on both knees. He carefully pulled Sando’s pants back down, then took off his gloves. “There, all done. It may bruise later on, but keep walking on it to prevent it from swelling too bad.”
Sando sighed. “I know.”
Lucan suppressed a smile. “He’s a repeat offender.”
The corner of Maz’s mouth curled up. “We gotta do something about that, Sando. This clinic isn’t being built to take care of scraped knees.” He winked at Sando, and Sando’s cheeks turned bright red.