by Ann McMan
Syd eyed the rapidly dwindling trays of food. Probably just as well. There wouldn’t be anything left for her to eat if she did stop by. She gave Tom a small smile. “I think I know what you mean.”
By five-thirty, the crowd had thinned considerably, and the branch was all but emptied of patrons. Most of the locals were headed home to their TVs and the six o’clock green flag that would herald the start of the NASCAR race in Talladega. Syd was at the back of the library, stacking empty appetizer platters and clearing away punch cups when she heard laughter and caught a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. She glanced toward the street entrance and was surprised to see Maddie—striking in bright blue scrubs and leaning against a low bookcase as she listened to an animated David Jenkins.
David was plainly in the middle of chastising Maddie about something. Syd could tell by the way he was waving his hands around that it had to do with her wearing her hospital garb. Maddie seemed unfazed as she calmly crossed her arms and tipped her head to the side while his monologue continued. Syd debated with herself for a moment, then decided to approach them.
As she drew close, she became aware of how much taller Maddie seemed in the scrubs. Her dark hair was loosely pulled back away from her face, and the cerulean-colored fabric gave her eyes an almost neon appearance.
David didn’t appear to be losing any steam.
“ . . . I’d just like to understand just what this whole retro, scullery-maid ensemble thing is supposed to be about.” He clucked his tongue. “I gather we all should just be grateful that you aren’t up to your shapely elbows in some kind of blood or gore?”
Maddie sighed. “Is your life really so lacking in drama that you have to seize every opportunity to create it?”
Syd stepped to just behind Maddie. “Well, I, for one, wouldn’t care if you were up to your elbows in blood. I’d still be happy to see you.” Maddie turned around with a startled expression. Syd smiled at her. “I’m glad you made it.”
Maddie answered her smile with a shy one of her own, and Syd realized that had spoken the truth. She was glad to see her. They stood there for a few moments without speaking.
Syd became aware that David was watching their silent interaction with unbridled interest. He rolled his eyes and turned to her. “Well, I suppose you could use the help cleaning up. I was gonna stick around, but now that Blue Boy is here, I can leave you in capable hands.”
“Got a hot date?” Maddie asked, with a raised eyebrow.
He gave her a condescending look. “Still trying to live vicariously, I see.” He pulled on his overcoat. “As it happens, this little shindig ain’t the only game in town tonight. We’ve got a full house at the Inn, and Michael will go ballistic if I’m not back by six.” He looked at Maddie and then at Syd. “I trust I can leave the two of you alone to fend for yourselves?”
Maddie nodded. “Oh, sure. I can fend. In fact, I’m terribly good at fending. I’ve been fending for years.”
Syd agreed. “It’s true. I’ve seen her fend. She’s checked out.”
He sighed. “You two deserve each other.” He kissed Syd on the cheek. “Nice job today, kiddo.” Then he turned and headed for the street door. He threw a backward wave over his shoulder. “Catch you later, Sawbones.”
Maddie watched him depart. “Why do I feel like my chaperone just left?”
“Do you think you need a chaperone?”
Maddie met her eyes. “You tell me.”
Syd stared back at her for a moment. She knew that her answer was important, but she wasn’t exactly certain why. “No. I think you need something to eat.”
Maddie laughed. “You got that right.” She seemed to relax, and her blue eyes were mirthful again. “Is there anything left?”
“You’re joking, right? You should have seen the food flying off those tables. Thirty minutes after I opened the doors, it looked like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had roared through here. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Maddie chuckled as they slowly walked toward the back of the building. “I should’ve warned you. People around here save up for these catered events. Sometimes, they show up with relatives they haven’t spoken to in decades—like they all decided that a big platter of crudités was enough of a reason to bury the hatchet. I sincerely believe that a couple of well-placed hors d’oeuvre tables could’ve shortened the Civil War by at least two years.”
Syd laughed as they approached the now-vacant buffet. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Tom Greene said you were filling in for him at the ER today.”
Maddie nodded. “I was. He offered to get Mike Lewis down from Roanoke so I could be free today, but Mike’s wife just had another baby, and I didn’t want to eat into their time at home together.” She looked at Syd. “I do apologize for showing up in these clothes. Normally, I’d have changed at the hospital, but I really didn’t think I’d get out of there in time to make it over here before six.” She shrugged. “It just ended up being a pretty slow day.” She picked up the last remaining roulade.
“A slow day in the ER means a good day for everyone.”
“Unless you’re the unhappy M.D. consigned to reworking the same Sudoko eighty-five times while trying not to stare at the wall clock.” She licked her fingertips as she chewed. “Damn, that was wonderful. Are you sure there aren’t any more of those hiding anyplace?” She poked around at the stack of trays.
“Sorry, Doctor. The best I can do on such short notice is a slice of indifferent pizza.”
Maddie brightened up. “You have a pizza? Where?” She craned her neck and looked past Syd into the processing area behind the food tables.
“Well, unless you’re in a real hurry, we could have one here in about thirty minutes. I confess that I didn’t get to eat anything either. I was too anxious and too busy playing hostess.”
“How’d it go?” Maddie quickly held up her palm. “And before you answer that question, yes, I’d love to share a pizza.”
Syd smiled, relieved that they seemed to be back on their easy footing with each other. She now realized that she probably had overreacted to their encounter on Friday night. Even if Maddie had noticed anything odd or unsettling about that evening, she seemed as eager as Syd was to move past it and to continue their relaxed camaraderie.
“Why don’t you go into my office and order us some food while I finish clearing these things away? Then we can go upstairs, and I’ll fill you in on all the details of the opening.”
“It’s a deal.”
“There’s a phone book on my desk,” Syd called out, as Maddie retreated toward the back of the building.
The library was empty now. Syd finished stacking the platters and punch cups in the large, plastic bins that Michael had provided. He told her that he would stop by on Monday morning to pick the items up. She was piling the bins against the rear wall when she heard the street door open and close. She dropped her shoulders at the prospect that another bevy of famished locals had decided to drop in. She glanced at her watch. Six-fifteen. I should’ve locked the damn street door.
With resignation, she headed toward the front of the building.
A tall, bearded man with wavy brown hair stood gazing up at the poster of Danica Patrick next to the door. He was slender, and dressed in dark slacks and a bright red Columbia jacket. Syd gasped when she saw him, and he turned around to face her.
“What are you doing here?” She was incredulous.
He flashed her a broad smile. “Can’t a husband stop in to see his wife?”
MADDIE HUNG UP the phone and sat back for a moment in Syd’s old, oak Bank of England chair, looking around the tiny office. Thank god that went better than I expected. She slowly shook her head. I must have overreacted. Again. She idly regarded the stacks of new books spread out across the top of the desk. Half of them were in Spanish. She smiled at that as she pushed the big rolling chair back and stood up to go out and rejoin Syd.
“I hope pepperoni is okay with you,” she began as sh
e exited the processing area. She stopped cold when she saw Syd standing near the front door, engaged in earnest conversation with a tall, good-looking man. There was something . . . familiar . . . about the way they stood there. She could tell immediately that, whoever he was, he wasn’t a stranger to Syd.
They both turned to regard her. The man looked surprised and slightly wary. Syd looked flustered.
“Maddie. This is my husband, Jeff Simon.” She glanced up at him. “He was on his way through the area and decided to make an impromptu visit. Jeff, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Maddie Stevenson. She’s our local physician.”
Jeff continued to stand there next to Syd so Maddie walked toward them and extended her hand in greeting. “Hello, Jeff. It’s nice to meet you.” As they shook hands, Maddie was aware of feeling irrationally pleased that, even in her flat-soled shoes, she and Jeff were the same height.
Jeff gave Maddie a curious look, but smiled as he released her hand. “Is it usual to have a physician on hand at these events?” He looked at Syd. “I didn’t realize that libraries were so dangerous.”
Maddie eyed him coolly. “You’d be surprised.”
“Maddie is here as a guest, and as an esteemed member of the county library board,” Syd quickly interjected. She smiled at Maddie. “But it never hurts to have all of your bases covered.”
“Well then, Doctor, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jeff turned to Syd. “I was hoping you’d be able to take a break and join me for dinner. I don’t have any fixed time that I have to be in Roanoke tonight.” He shifted his gaze to Maddie. “I’m meeting with the fish and game commission there tomorrow to talk about a watershed project on the Roanoke River.” He turned back to Syd. “Whattaya say? Wanna go grab something to eat and get caught up?”
Syd seemed to hesitate. Maddie looked from one to the other. Although her internal voice was clamoring for her to remain silent, she spoke up. “Look, Syd. Don’t worry about me. I’m famished enough to eat an entire pizza by myself. I’ll just run by there on my way home and pick it up.” She gave Syd an encouraging smile. “You do what you need to do. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
Syd shot her a worried look as she continued to deliberate. She turned back to Jeff, squared her shoulders, and shook her head. “I don’t think so, Jeff.” His disappointment was palpable. “I already have plans for dinner, and I don’t want to change them.” He appeared ready to argue with her, but she stopped him with a raised palm. “If you really want to talk with me, give me a call later in the week, and we’ll work something out. Impromptu visits like this really aren’t a good idea right now.”
He stood there, quietly chewing on his lower lip, plainly embarrassed by her dismissive response. “Right. I’ll call you, then.” He gave Maddie a brief nod, and then took a tentative step toward Syd before stopping himself and backing up. “It was good to see you—even for a minute. I’ve missed you.” He hesitated. “You look beautiful.”
Syd colored. “Thanks. It’s . . . it’s good to see you, too.” He smiled at that. “Good luck in Roanoke.”
He waved as he walked toward the door. “I’ll call you mid-week.” He pushed open the door and strode out of the library.
Syd stood there for a moment and then she dropped down onto one of the nearby oak study chairs. “Jesus.”
Maddie softly laid a hand on Syd’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Syd lifted her head and met Maddie’s concerned gaze. “How dare he just show up like that?” She shook her head. “It’s so typical. Just like him to waltz in here like nothing has changed. God. Incredible.”
Maddie knelt next to her. “I’m really sorry I was here. I know that made it more complicated for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Syd was emphatic. “I’m relieved you were here. It made it easier for me to get rid of him.”
Maddie blinked in surprise.
“Does that shock you?” Syd asked, searching her face.
“Maybe. I guess I thought you might feel . . . ambivalent . . . or curious about why he was here.” She removed her hand from Syd’s shoulder. “That’s why I offered to leave—so the two of you could talk.”
“Well, I meant what I said to him. If he wants to talk, he can call me first, and we can arrange something. It’s not okay with me to have him just show up like this.” She stood up. “Were you serious about picking up the pizza and taking it back to your place?”
Maddie got belatedly to her feet and tried to conceal her disappointment. “Sure. Of course you want to be by yourself. I completely understand that.”
“Be by myself?” Syd looked confused. “No. That’s not what I meant. I was wondering if we could eat out at your place?” She looked around them. “I feel like I’ve been cooped up in here for eons. Now that today is behind me, nothing sounds better than a change of scenery.”
Maddie knew she wore a stupid grin. “Grab your coat, and let’s get out of here.”
Syd locked the street door, and they walked to the rear entrance, turning off lights as they went. As they descended the steps, Maddie punched her key fob to unlock the doors of her Jeep. “Why don’t you just ride with me? I’ll bring you back after we eat.”
Syd gave her a sideways glance. “Okay. But only if we both promise to remember that tomorrow is a school day. That means no wine-induced sleepovers.” She paused. “No matter how appealing the idea is.”
Maddie crossed her heart as they walked across the parking lot. “I hear and obey.”
Syd looked at her. “Why do I think that’s a first?”
“Hey. I think you’re spending entirely too much time with David.”
Syd sighed. “Many hands make light work.”
“Oh, good lord. I knew I’d live to regret having the two of you meet.”
“Rethinking the idea of telling me all of your secrets?” Syd asked sweetly.
Maddie considered that. “No. Rethinking the idea of moving to another country.”
“Funny . . . I was having the same thoughts just the other night.”
“Were you?”
“I was.”
Maddie opened the passenger door for her and stood back while she climbed inside. “Hmmm. Too bad about tonight’s embargo on spirits.”
“Why’s that?”
“It seems like we’re both in the mood to be truthful.” She smiled. “In vino veritas.”
Syd met her eyes as she pulled on her seatbelt. “All the more reason to stay sober.”
Maddie stood there a moment longer before shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s side. She closed her eyes as she grabbed the door handle. This is so not helping. I should’ve just pulled a double shift at the hospital.
She climbed in and started the Jeep. She took her cell phone out of the center console and handed it to Syd. “I have every pizza joint in the county on speed-dial. Hit #9 and tell them we’ve decided to pick it up, instead of waiting on home delivery.”
Syd took the phone and dutifully punched in the number while Maddie drove them out of the parking lot and onto the road toward town.
Chapter 7
Jericho—Lunch with David
On Tuesday, David walked into the clinic, carrying a clear plastic bag that contained two Subway club sandwiches and two small bags of apple slices. Maddie was standing at the reception desk, going over a patient folder with Peggy Hawkes. The waiting room was empty except for a pregnant young Hispanic woman and her two small children. One of the children dozed with his head on his mother’s lap, while the other quietly worked a puzzle on the bare floor at her feet.
Maddie looked up. “Hello, there. I have one patient left to see, and then I can take a short break. Do you mind waiting in my office?”
David smiled at her. “Nope. That’s fine.” He turned to Peggy. “Hi ya, Nurse Ratched. You keeping this one in line?”
Peggy winked at him. “Barely. It’s a tall order.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” David looked Maddie up and down. �
�About six feet of one.”
The little boy raised his head from his mother’s lap as he was seized with a coughing fit. She tried to soothe him as she ran a hand back and forth across his narrow back.
“Está bien, cariño. La doctora hará que te sientas mejor.” The child raised his watery eyes to his mother’s and tried to stifle his cough.
Maddie stepped around the reception desk and went to the small family. She knelt in front of the little boy.
“Hola.” She pointed to herself. “Soy la doctora.” He looked up at her with luminous eyes. “¿Puedo ver tu garganta?” She smiled at him. “Prometo vas a sentirte sienta mejor.”
He looked at his mother, and then he nodded. Maddie held out her hand. “Vamos a ir a mi oficina.” She smiled at his mother as the child extended his hand. “We’ll be right back.”
As the two of them started down the hallway together, David heard Maddie ask, “¿Cómo te llamas?”
“Héctor,” a tiny voice answered.
David shook his head and looked at Peggy. “Another conquest, and it isn’t even noon.” He sighed. “Even the sick ones are not immune to that smile.”
Peggy clucked her tongue as she rifled through a stack of papers. “Well, she takes after her daddy where that’s concerned. Charmers—both of them.”
“Ella es un ángel,” the Hispanic woman said so quietly that David barely heard her.
Her soft words hung in the air like an anthem. David turned to her. “Yes. Yes, she is.”
He sat down next to her and set the bag containing the sandwiches on the seat between them. He leaned over and watched the other little boy work the puzzle. It was slowly taking shape.
“Is that a boat?” David asked. The little boy looked up at him quizzically.
“Barco,” his mother clarified.
“Sí,” the child replied.
David picked up a stray puzzle piece and waved it back and forth between them. “Can I help you?” The boy looked up at his mother again.