by Lexi Blake
“Yes, and bending the rules could go a long way to me losing my license. I understand. The doctor was a beloved member of this community and I’m an outsider.”
“The doctor is an ass most of the time, but the people around here know him and they trust him.”
“I don’t know why.” Her mouth firmed to a stubborn line. “I shouldn’t have trusted him at all. He told me the clinic made money.”
“I don’t know about that, but they do a whole lot of bake sales. What are you going to do about Gene?” He wasn’t sure why the woman fascinated him, but it had been so long since he’d wanted anything for himself that he wasn’t going to question it. He was going to follow his gut, and his every instinct told him Lila was worth the trouble. “I know he’s obnoxious, but he really won’t come back into the clinic. And he won’t go anywhere else. He’ll go without.”
She seemed to think about the problem for a moment. “I can give him an extra month. But I can’t risk my license and I can’t not follow the rules. There are reasons for the rules. I’ll write up the prescription and have Mabel take it to him. But you have to work on him. If he doesn’t want me to draw the blood, Mabel can.”
She was bending and that was all he could ask her to do. “Thank you, Lila.”
He wanted to reach out and take her hand in his, but they weren’t there yet. The way her eyes held his gave him hope. She stared at him and the ghost of a smile crossed her lips and then she broke the moment, retreating to her previous businesslike demeanor.
“I’m actually here because of one of those rules we were talking about. I need to inform you that I have reason to suspect a woman named Carrie Petrie is being physically abused by her husband.”
Well, he hadn’t expected that. “Bobby? He’s never been in any trouble before. I won’t say the man is a joy to be around, but what makes you think he’s hurting Carrie?”
“Her medical records. Did you know she’s been in five times in the last four years for broken bones or sprained ankles?”
He didn’t like the sound of that, but the Petrie family was a bit of a mystery to him and always had been. “She lives out on the island. They do a lot of manual labor out there. It’s not an easy life. How many times has Bobby come in?”
That seemed to make her stop. “I didn’t check.”
He would bet Bobby had a few broken bones in his file, too. He had to take a cautious approach to any kind of accusation like this one. “What does Carrie say?”
“She says what they all say. She says she fell.”
He knew why she was doing this. Her friend had gone through this, had lost her life because of a bad relationship, and now she saw it everywhere. It was a normal reaction to have. “Then maybe she fell. Like I said, it’s a hard life out there. They’re off the grid. They don’t have city services. They’re on their own and isolated. They can’t even get into town without a boat.”
Lila nodded. “Yes, she told me. That was why she slept on a broken arm last night. He wouldn’t even bring her into town until this afternoon. He couldn’t be bothered.”
“You don’t know that. There could be a hundred reasons he didn’t bring her in.” He sat back because it was obvious she was getting irritated with him, but he couldn’t open a case without some proof. “What do you want me to do? I can go out and talk to her.”
“She’ll lie. She’s too scared to say anything. Look, I have some experience with this. I can explain to you why I know this is abuse. I can show you the medical records. HIPAA doesn’t apply if I believe my patient is in danger.”
“Lila, it’s your first day here.” He needed to be gentle with her. She was doing this for the right reasons. “Shouldn’t you settle in and get a lay of the land? I’ll tell you what, I will go out there and check things out, but I can’t accuse Bobby of anything without proof.”
“Medical records are proof,” she insisted.
“Not when the alleged victim is telling a different story.” It was always the fine line he had to walk. Yes, his job was law enforcement, but he was in a small town, in charge of an entire parish, and that meant he was police officer, mediator, shrink at times. He wasn’t merely their authority figure. He had to be an advocate, too, and he couldn’t do that if no one trusted him. A situation like the one Lila had brought up was so pitted with land mines, it could be difficult to find his way through.
“She’s afraid.”
He’d never heard even a hint of gossip about Bobby Petrie being violent. “Like I said, I’ll see if I can talk to her.”
She sat back. “You won’t do anything at all.”
He wasn’t sure what to tell her and that made his gut churn. He didn’t want to be on opposite sides from her. “I’ll do all I can do, but you need to understand the way things work around here.”
“Apparently things work to protect men. It’s a whole lot like the rest of the world.” She stood up.
He followed her as she started out of the office. “Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. I’ll do what I can, but you know as well as I do that if I can’t get her to admit what’s happening or actively see it happening, my hands are tied. I know this must have brought back bad memories for you, but we have to deal with what’s happening in the here and now.”
She kept walking, not turning back his way. “It will continue. She’s already had one miscarriage from falling down the stairs.”
He hadn’t heard anything about her having a miscarriage. “I’ll ask her about it.”
“And she’ll lie. And then one day she won’t survive whatever fall she takes. Her clumsiness will lead to something she can’t come back from. Who do I need to talk to in order to make a formal notification of my suspicions?” She’d stopped at the reception desk, turning on her heels, her jaw set in a stubborn line.
“I told you, I hear you and I’ll look into it.” He didn’t want to be on the other side, but he also couldn’t change the way he did things to please her. And honestly, she wasn’t listening to a word he said.
“I want it in writing. I want it on paper that you knew on this date.”
It would normally set him on edge, but he’d done an Internet search the night before. What she’d been through would have broken most people. He was willing to give her an enormous amount of leeway. “Lila, this is not what happened to you. I will do everything I can to make you feel safe, but you have to understand that I also have to follow protocol.”
Her eyes flared slightly. “What happened to me?”
“I understand the impulse to see your friend in this,” he admitted. “You went through something terrible and it hasn’t been long.” The door swung open and he could see Noelle wheeling in, her backpack in her lap. “Let’s go back to my office and talk about this. I’m not discounting your expertise.”
She chuckled but there was zero amusement in the sound. “That’s exactly what you’re doing. Who told you? Does everyone know about the sad-sack victim?”
He wished Noelle hadn’t been so quick coming back from the library. He didn’t want to have this conversation in front of her. “Zep mentioned something happened to you in Dallas. I looked it up. You’re not some sad sack. What the hell were you supposed to do? I wasn’t saying something bad about you.”
“I don’t care what you think of me. I care that you do your job, but that appears to be writing tickets to innocent tourists.”
“He’s good at enforcing the dog-doo laws, too.” Noelle shoved her glasses up her nose as she looked at the newcomer. “I’m his daughter, Noelle LaVigne. I have an appointment tomorrow.”
Oh, he might have found a way out of Lila Daley’s trap. If she turned that tart mouth on his daughter, he could ignore his attraction to her for all of time. He kind of wanted it to happen. It was obvious Lila was a difficult woman, to say the least. If she was mean, too, he could shove her out of his brain and go on about his life.
>
Lila dropped to one knee, obviously not giving a damn about her probably designer clothes. She put that manicured hand on the desk next to Noelle’s wheelchair and her whole attitude had softened. “I’m glad to meet you, Noelle. How is that bump healing up? I read in your file that you took a fall a week ago.”
“Banged up my knee pretty bad, but then, it wasn’t like I could feel it,” Noelle said. “It’s okay. You can look at it if you like, but I would still prefer to keep my appointment. I have lady things to ask about. If my dad gives you trouble, you should talk about your period. It freaks him out.”
“Noelle.” He didn’t need his own daughter giving him hell in front of the smart, sexy doctor. Almost doctor.
His daughter gave him an impish grin. “You told me I should be nice to the new people in town. After all, we were all new once.”
She could be a whole lot of trouble.
Lila wasn’t at all cold now. She smiled at Noelle, an expression that transformed her face from pretty but remote to gorgeous. There was a warm, caring woman under her frosty demeanor. “This looks good. I saw the X-rays. Your patella was bruised, but there weren’t any fractures. You’ve taken good care of this wound.”
“My dad did it,” Noelle admitted. “I forget about my legs since they’re useless. I don’t think about it. Dad made me change the bandages twice a day. He’s obnoxious.”
Lila looked back at him and for once she didn’t look annoyed. “You did a good job. Often wounds like this can get bad if you don’t stay on top of them. This is healing nicely. And I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Noelle. You’ll probably be my only patient.”
She managed to get to her feet with the grace of a woman who was used to standing in those heels all day. She looked like she had far more to say to him, but she merely nodded Noelle’s way and strode out the front doors of the station house.
Noelle whistled. “Damn, Dad. She was pissed and not at me. Did she find out how much that ticket cost?”
“Language.” He stared out the glass doors as Lila walked down Main Street. She strode right past Dixie’s, not even turning to look inside. It was probably a good thing since everyone in the diner had been looking at her. “She wasn’t mad at me about the ticket. She was upset about something else. Hey, have you heard anything about Carrie Petrie?”
Noelle was plugged into the town’s gossip center. She ate most of her meals at Dixie’s, which ran on grease and gossip. “Besides the fact that Gene is fairly certain they’re actually running drugs out of that shack they live in, no. Why?”
He didn’t want to spark more gossip. “Just let me know if you hear anything. I need to go talk to some folks.”
“You’re not going to tell me what she’s mad about?”
It appeared that Lila didn’t want everyone in Papillon to know about what had happened to her. He was going to have to have a discussion with Zep about talking about Lila’s past to anyone who asked. If she didn’t want people to know, then that should be her right. “It’s between me and her.”
“It’s going to be the only thing between you and her if you’re not careful.” Noelle wheeled around to the desk she used.
Wasn’t that the truth. Contrary to what Gene thought, it wasn’t the town or Doc in danger from Lila Daley, but he was starting to worry the town might be a danger to her.
She might have some big-city ways, but it was obvious she cared about her patients. If the tender way she’d dealt with Noelle was any indication, she could be good for Papillon.
She could be good for him.
He wanted a shot at figuring out if he might be good for her, too. “So how do we save our nurse from the town?”
Noelle’s face lit up. “I was thinking about that very thing.”
He leaned against the desk and let Noelle talk.
chapter four
“What’s the least spicy thing?” Lila stared down at the laminated menu at Guidry’s. The front was a complete listing of everything the restaurant served, but the back contained the story of how the family restaurant had come into being. It talked about the love between Remy’s grandparents and their adoration for their town. While waiting for her sister, she’d sat and stared at the two photos, one of a large family standing in front of the restaurant as it had been back in the early eighties. There was a newer photo where Remy had his arm around Lisa. They were surrounded by his family and the men and women who worked at Guidry’s. Her sister was a Guidry. Not a Daley. Lisa had a new family and they adored her. Her sister practically glowed in that photo.
Damn but she was jealous of her sister. Not because she wanted Remy. She didn’t understand her brother-in-law, but she wanted to feel that way about a man. About anything, really. She wanted to understand why Lisa lit up when Remy walked into a room, why there was a smile on her sister’s face, like she had a secret no one else knew.
“Try the jambalaya. I’ll make sure they give you the one they make at the tourist heat level. They make two big pots fresh every morning. One is for the locals. You do not want that one. It can clear your sinuses just by walking by that sucker,” her sister replied, sitting back in her chair. Lisa’s dark hair was up in a bun and she wore her uniform of jeans, sneakers, and a Guidry’s T-shirt. “You’re looking at me like you do when you don’t understand what I’m doing with my life.”
She winced. When Lisa had first gotten involved with Remy, she hadn’t been so sure it would work out. “I wasn’t thinking that. Not exactly.” She set the menu down. She’d had a salad for lunch and she’d skipped breakfast. This was her little sister’s restaurant. It was time to let her lead the way. “I was thinking about this place and how I never thought you would end up here. I never thought I would end up here. But you look happy and I was wondering how you got so happy.”
It wasn’t a question she would have asked before. Not even to herself.
Lisa leaned forward and reached for her hand. “Oh, sweetie, was it a rough day?”
“It wasn’t what I thought it would be. I managed to treat two elderly gentlemen who used the foulest language I’ve ever heard. Not at me. At each other.”
Lisa nodded. “I heard the great lawn mower battle happened this afternoon. Sheriff won’t let them drive cars anymore. Jimmy’s eyesight is very poor and he’s had enough accidents that no insurance will cover him, and Abe has both road rage and a deep need to rage at the machine by not paying his tickets. Now they go all over town on their lawn mowers. They can move surprisingly fast. Don’t mistake them for the scooter brigade. They’re trying to form their own MC. I don’t think they understand what an MC is. Abe and Jimmy gave you trouble?”
She’d seen the outcome of their speed. “They seemed to hate each other, but after I patched them up and was certain no one had a concussion, they were going to get a beer together. I told them they shouldn’t have a beer after I gave them anti-inflammatory meds, but they said something in French about bon temps and went to a bar anyway.”
“Laissez les bons temps rouler,” Lisa said with a smile. “Let the good times roll.”
“The good times could have drug interactions,” Lila pointed out. They hadn’t been interested in hearing about how alcohol could intensify the drugs’ effects on the central nervous system.
But they’d paid in cash. There was that.
“I don’t think Abe and Jimmy care much about that. Are they giving you a hard time? Not Abe and Jimmy. The rest of the town. Remy was surprised when Doc decided to go fishing this morning. He thought Doc was going to stay and oversee the first couple of weeks at least.”
“I don’t think he’s big into the protocols we’re supposed to follow.” It made her nervous. She followed the rules. Always. She’d played it safe.
Lisa waved the concern off. “I’m not worried about that. We’re a tiny town with one healthcare provider. We can skirt the rules a bit. No, I was worried th
at the townsfolk can be a little nervous around strangers.”
“Almost everyone canceled when they figured out Doc Hamet wasn’t there.” She hated admitting to her sister that she was failing. “I had a couple of minor emergencies, but all of my scheduled appointments canceled. I was supposed to have four appointments tomorrow, but we’ve got two cancellations, and I’m sure number three will do the same. Although Noelle LaVigne assures me she’s coming in.”
Her heart had nearly broken at the sight of that young woman in her wheelchair. She’d read the report about how she’d injured her spine. It had been a car accident, one in which she’d lost her mother and her ability to walk.
How hard had it been for the sheriff to make the transition to single dad? How difficult had it been for Noelle to go from normal teen to wheelchair bound in a heartbeat?
I would still prefer to keep my appointment. I have lady things to ask about.
How hard had it been to raise a teenage daughter for the manly sheriff? He was kind of a jerk, but she’d seen how much he loved his daughter.
Lisa smiled at the sound of the girl’s name. “Noelle is a sweetheart. I’m glad she’s coming in. She’s not going to be your problem child. I can think of several others, though.”
“Why?” This was what confused her. The sheriff had mentioned it. Lisa had been worried about it. “Why won’t they give me a chance? They gave you a chance.”
“Who won’t give you a chance?” Zep Guidry stood at their table, a notepad in his hand and a roguish look on his ridiculously handsome face. “Because whoever won’t is an idiot. I’ll give you a chance, chère.”
Chère, she’d learned, sounded more like sha. And she was sure Zep would give her the same chance he seemed to give everyone, according to her sister. Well, everyone with breasts. “I think I’ll pass. Why don’t you give me the chance to drink? Bring me a New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Nothing too pineappley, though.”