Second Opinion

by Alexander, Hannah

  “I don’t like that lady,” Levi said. “She doesn’t tell good stories.”

  “What lady?”

  Archer looked over his shoulder and saw Levi point toward the door.

  “You mean Natalie?” Lauren asked. “Why don’t you like her?”

  “She told Mama she’s going to take us away and it made Mama cry. Is she going to take us away? I don’t want to go live with somebody else.”

  “Of course you don’t. Your mom will do everything she can to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Bless Lauren for her soothing voice.

  “Mama said if Natalie took us away she was going with us,” Levi said. “Mama says some people hit their kids and hurt them and the police have to take the kids away. Mama never does that.”

  “I’ll tell you what, honey. Before anybody tries to take you away you tell your mama to call me and I’ll bring my sleeping bag and come here and stay with you. Okay?”

  “Okay!”

  “Okay!” Cody echoed.

  ***

  “Dad, where are we going?” Brooke leaned forward until she was nearly in the front seat with him and Beau.

  “Do you have your seat belt on?”

  “It’s just a little loose.” In spite of her attempts to behave like the typically bored teenager, Brooke couldn’t conceal her interest in the quaint fixtures of the downtown shops. And she didn’t try to hide her interest when they passed a group of young men working in shirtless glory beside a backhoe on a side street. She straightened and smiled and automatically combed her fingers through her super-short dark hair.

  “Your radar’s out again,” Beau said.

  “In full working order,” she murmured.

  Grant chuckled and glanced at his daughter in the mirror. Her dark gray eyes, peering out from beneath extra-long dark bangs, were, as always, overly coated with dark makeup. Her skin was flawless. Ever since Brooke was twelve, well-meaning people had commented on her beauty. Like her brother, she had inherited the firm Sheldon chin. Though few people knew it, she also had her mother’s tender heart—something she attempted to disguise at every opportunity.

  “You still haven’t told us what we’re doing here, Dad,” she complained.

  “I want you guys to see a little more of Dogwood Springs. Starting with City Hall.”

  Accompanied by his daughter’s groans, Grant burst into a soliloquy of the popularity of the community puzzle and the possibility that the illness they were seeing in the emergency room could have been spread from City Hall.

  That got Beau’s attention. “Shouldn’t somebody do something about it? If it’s a dangerous virus and you’ve already lost a patient—”

  “And if people are coughing and sneezing all over each other and spreading it everywhere, who knows where it could spread to next?” Brooke finished for him.

  “Good question. I just hope the mayor listened to me. We’ll soon see.”

  “Who’ve you called?” Beau asked.

  “The staff called every town within an hour’s drive and if there isn’t an ER in the town they’re calling the clinics.”

  “Branson?” Beau asked.

  “Lauren called Branson for me. She called several area hospitals as well as some doctor friends from her hometown of Knolls. All of the towns have had a few cases of flu but nothing unexplainable like our situation.”

  “Good thing,” Beau said. “You know Branson gets visitors from all over the world. If this is some horrible plague it could spread everywhere. It could make this town notorious. The Dogwood Springs Killer.”

  “Oh thanks, Dr. Beau, for that encouraging word,” Brooke chided.

  He turned in his seat to look at his sister while Grant parked in the City Hall parking lot. “You’re going to have to be nice to me if you want me to help you get that car.”

  There was a long startled silence as Grant turned off the engine. He had just pulled the key from the ignition when there was a sudden rush from behind and Brooke tackled her brother from the backseat with a smothering hug, raining kisses all over his face.

  “Oh, Beau, I love you so much! You really are planning to help me earn the money for our car aren’t you?”

  Beau tried to pull away. Brooke giggled and held him closer. Beau’s mouth spread into a grimace—the closest to a smile he could manage—and he gave an amused chuckle. “Not if you leave slimy lip gloss on my face.”

  She gave him a final kiss on his cheek and wiped at his face with her fingers. “You’re fine.”

  “And you have to promise not to embarrass Dad or me in City Hall.”

  “Don’t push it,” she warned. “This will be your car too. Do you know kids still go cruising around here on Friday and Saturday nights and after school?”

  The three of them got out of the car and strolled toward the picturesque building with Virginia creeper etched in green across its block walls.

  “Just think,” she said. “Cruising. Like they did in that old movie Mom showed us once. Remember American Graffiti? They drive around town with their windows down and yell at each other and play Chinese fire drills and honk when they see somebody they know.”

  “They do that instead of dating?” Grant asked her.

  “How would I know? Who would ask me out on a date? Nobody knows me here.”

  “That’ll change soon enough,” he assured her. “Remember we’ve been invited to that fishing thing next week. We’ll probably meet some kids from Lauren’s church.”

  Brooke groaned again and the delicate but firm tilt of her chin grew a little firmer. “Fishing. What a thrill. I don’t want to ruin your fun but really—”

  “Try it. You want to meet guys. Besides, you’ll really like Lauren.”

  In the middle of another groan, Brooke’s footsteps faltered and her lips parted. Two young men probably in the upper range of their teens rode bicycles past them on the street. They were tan. They wore muscle shirts. They noticed her. One nearly collided with a car.

  While Grant and his son enjoyed the show, Beau ambled over to walk closer to Grant. “So Dad,” he said quietly, “Lauren’s a nurse you work with?”

  “That’s right. She helps out with the youth group at the Baptist church, among other things. That’s where I’d like to see you and Brooke attend. You’ll like the pastor too. He’s a good guy.”

  Brooke lost interest in the clumsy muscle-bound hunks and rejoined her brother and father. “They probably don’t have cars if they’re riding bikes,” she said.

  “Don’t be so shallow,” Beau said. “We don’t have cars.”

  “I’m being practical. If somebody does ask me out, I’m not riding to the movies with his mother.”

  “I’ll drive you, then.” Grant reached for the door and opened it and they stepped into the bustling noisy city hall. “Or you and Beau could hurry up and buy that car so you could drive him.”

  “I’m not driving a guy around on our first date.”

  They mingled with the crowd. Grant had wanted to talk to his kids about something for a few days. Now the subject had arisen. With Brooke he had learned to take his opportunities when they presented themselves.

  “Since we’re on the subject of dating, how would you feel if I decided to test the waters again?” Grant felt as if he’d chosen his timing wisely. Brooke was less likely to become upset if her attention was diverted by a busy—

  She stopped abruptly. “If you what?” The shock in her overly-darkened eyes and the crystal clarity of horror that threaded through her voice gave him a frisson of fear. “You’d go out on Mom?” Her voice grew louder. It seemed as if the hall grew quieter. Several people glanced their way.

  “I never would have gone out on your mother. You know that.” Grant kept his voice low in hopes that his irrepressible daughter would do the same. “It isn’t as if I have someone specifically in mind.”

  “I don’t know how you could even think about it. Beau and I aren’t testing the waters for a new mother are we? Why should you want a new wife?�
�� If she had grabbed a microphone and called for the attention of the crowd, she would not have done a better job of attracting it. Silence surrounded them like a hovering presence.

  “Brooke.” Beau stepped to her side and leaned close to her ear. “Shut up, okay? Let’s just check on this puzzle table and get off the stage if you don’t mind.” Without waiting for a reaction he took her by the arm and guided her forward.

  Grant led the way through their curious audience toward the spot where he had last seen the puzzle table. And that was where he saw the only people in the building who had their attention diverted elsewhere. Their focus was on a puzzle—on the table.

  There was one change. A small sign stood beside the table. It read, “At the request of medical personnel, please wash your hands before joining the table.”

  A snort sounded directly beside Grant. If he was lucky that sound had come from an angry bull. He looked. No, it had come from his daughter and it meant trouble. He reached out to take her arm before she could do further damage to his reputation and his career. She lunged out of his reach.

  “I don’t believe this day! I don’t believe this town!” She stomped to the sign and pointed to it. “This is the way our illustrious mayor intends to wipe out the disease that’s threatening our citizens? It’s a joke, right?”

  Grant and Beau looked at each other. Grant had learned to read the humor in his son’s eyes. He saw it now. “Beau, don’t you dare make light of this. Do you know what these small towns are like? I’ll never live this down if we don’t get her out of here.”

  “Head for the door, Dad. I’ll grab her as soon as I get a chance.”

  “No, we’re in this together.”

  Grant could talk to the mayor over the telephone tonight. Maybe she would listen better than his daughter did. He and Beau took Brooke by the arms and guided her out of City Hall. Just before they reached the doors, she caught sight of a map of the city and grabbed a free copy from the stand, still complaining loudly about the lack of civic responsibility she had witnessed today.

  Grant knew much of what she did was for dramatic effect. She had these little embarrassing spurts of outspokenness lately—not embarrassing for her, of course, because she did not embarrass easily. Her theatrics were only embarrassing for innocent family members who happened to be nearby.

  If Annette were here she would know how to react appropriately. It was a woman thing.

  “You know, Dad,” Beau said softly, as Brooke jerked away and marched ahead of them toward the car, “you might want to wait a couple of days before you broach the subject of dating again.”

  ***

  The sun had dropped behind the cloudy horizon in a blaze of fire opal by the time Archer and Lauren left Gina’s house. Lauren couldn’t stop watching the constantly changing beauty. But a nagging concern had begun to haunt her thoughts. It was stupid but she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

  “Archer, do you ever wonder if you’d make a better pastor if you’d been a rebel in your formative years?”

  He gave her a quick look. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because I’ve been wondering lately if I couldn’t identify better with people if I’d experienced more of the things other people do. I mean people who weren’t raised in a happy home. It’s obvious Gina’s had a painful past but I’ve never even been married, much less divorced, so why would she bother confiding in me? I don’t have children. How can I understand her pain?”

  “What you have is a caring heart. I think that reaches people faster than anything. You don’t have anything to worry about. Actually, though, it’s funny you should mention it.”

  “Funny?”

  “That same thought occurred to me the first night I took chaplain call at the hospital. I’ve wondered about it a few other times.”

  “Did you draw any conclusions?”

  “Only that sin never helped a thing. Maybe I could identify with people better but then maybe I couldn’t identify with God as well. I’m not saying I’m this pure and obedient Christian who never sins. I just don’t think we should be ashamed of our obedience.”

  “I’m not ashamed,” she said, “but sometimes I wonder if I might be a spiritual lightweight. I’ve never suffered a horrible loss. I don’t come from a dysfunctional family…well, not too dysfunctional.” They both knew Lauren’s youngest brother had been a handful for her parents for a few years.

  “But you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty or immerse yourself in someone else’s problems,” Archer said. “Look how you’re helping Gina. You don’t have to be a single mother with a mysterious medical problem in order to be there for her. You just have to let her know you care and I think she knows that.”

  Archer tapped the brake and waved at a pedestrian in jogging clothes alongside the road. It was one of the older church deacons, Mr. Netz. He slowed his steps when he saw them and gave a halfhearted salute.

  “I admire Gina’s independent spirit,” Lauren said.

  He smiled. “Takes one to know one. You’re pretty independent yourself.”

  “But she frustrates me. She won’t let down her guard long enough for anyone to help her.”

  “It sounds like she’s willing to let her guard down with you. Be her friend. I think you’re doing a great job.”

  “Thanks.” She wasn’t so sure.

  “Oh, and Lauren?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You are definitely not a spiritual lightweight.” He looked at her and she couldn’t look away, even when he turned back to concentrate on his driving. It didn’t take much attention from Archer Pierce to make her act like one of those giggling teenagers at church.

  His expression grew sober as he turned onto her street. “I know the drug tests on Gina have all showed negative results.”

  “That’s right. The printout we got on her the first night we saw her didn’t show anything except caffeine and benzodiazepine, which is in a sleeping pill she’s been taking for insomnia lately.”

  “Did the test show how much of the drug she had taken?”

  She looked at him. “No, the test was just qualitative but the sample was sent off for further testing. The lab found nothing outstanding. You can’t think her problem comes from drugs.”

  “I’m open to all suggestions right now.”

  “I think we can trust Gina.”

  “I’m glad. I feel she and her kids need protection from whatever is happening to her. But I know enough about drugs to realize that the tests can’t rule out everything. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Lauren hesitated. She understood but she didn’t want to. She liked Gina. But it was true that as a health professional who worked with children, she was a mandated reporter. So were Archer and Grant. Their first priority was to protect those children no matter what. She just hated to feel like a traitor to Gina.

  “Yes, Archer, I understand. I hope you’re wrong.”

  “So do I.”

  Chapter 17

  “She’s here,” came the intentionally bored tones of Brooke’s voice as she peered out the front window. “Oh, pu-leeze Dad, you didn’t tell me she was a hillbilly redneck. Would you look at that? She’s driving a truck. Oh hello, look at what she’s wearing. Overalls. And no makeup. No wonder she’s middle-aged and still not married. She doesn’t even try.”

  Grant grimaced as he spread chicken liver pâté on a split croissant. They’d lived in Dogwood Springs a little more than three weeks and Brooke was still complaining. “She isn’t even close to middle-aged and don’t you dare say anything to her about what she’s wearing. We’re going to do fishing not fashion.”

  He wrapped the sandwich and wiped his hands on a paper towel, then rushed from the kitchen toward the front door to make a quick interception. The last thing he wanted was for his occasionally overbearing kid to frighten off the nicest nurse he’d worked with in a long while.

  “A truck. I don’t believe it.” Brooke’s favorite class in high school so far had been dra
ma and she excelled in it. As far as Grant could see, that flair for the dramatic was the only thing Brooke and Lauren were going to have in common—that and the fact that they were both females. Pretty females.

  The feminine lines of Brooke’s face turned down in a good imitation of agony as her thick dark bangs fell into her overly made-up eyes. “Please tell me we won’t have to all squeeze into that thing. If we do I’m not going. I don’t care how many cute guys—”

  “Nobody’s forcing you to go,” Grant said, “and the only cute guy even close to your age other than Beau is only fifteen.” He resisted a smile. That would go over like a lead bubble. He peered out the curtained window of the front door. “Besides, it looks like her truck has a backseat. It’s one of them-there city-girl trucks.” His affected hillbilly accent failed to evoke a response from Brooke and he gave it up. His daughter was not his biggest fan since this move.

  Too late he saw Brooke’s eyes narrow with sudden threat. “What do you mean only one other teenager?” she demanded. “I thought we were supposed to be going with a group from somebody’s church.”

  “I guess all the kids your age have summer jobs. The pastor, Archer Pierce, is bringing Evan.”

  “What kind of a name is Archer?”

  “Don’t start. Lauren has gone out of her way to try to make us feel welcome.”

  “Want to know what I think?” Brooke’s dark gray eyes tightened into slits of suspicion.

  “Probably not.”

  “I think she’s setting you up. She’s going to haul us all out to the middle of the woods and murder Beau and me to get us out of the way and then she’s going to cage you like an animal so you can be her—”

  “Brooke that’s enough.”

  “I was just going to say she wants you for her—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.” And he certainly didn’t want Lauren to hear it. He hovered over his daughter with his most authoritarian glare. “Think of someone else’s feelings for once, Brooke. And don’t you dare accuse Lauren of manipulating a date with me. She isn’t interested. Believe me, I know.”

  She squared off with him shoulder-to-shoulder, undaunted by his size or his authority. “How do you know? What ditzy single desperate blonde wouldn’t be interested in snagging a rich doctor with two adorable kids?”