Hurrying toward the open door of the stable, he was as annoyed as he was puzzled. He could clearly hear her voice and a low-pitched male’s, so he didn’t hesitate to approach them, scarcely noticing the stalls or their occupants as he went to the far end of the building.
“What on earth?” The scene in front of him sucked away his breath, and he hardly knew how to react.
A man in dirty jeans and a faded plaid shirt was stooped over beside a fidgeting brown horse while Amy held the animal’s bridle and stroked its head.
“Dr. Granger sent me,” Dan said to explain his presence, not able to take his eyes off the pharmacist.
The horse breeder stood and wiped his fingers on a rag he pulled from his pocket. “You’re a little late,” the man said without introducing himself.
“Gil, this is Dr. Prince,” Amy said, still focused on the horse.
“I have instructions from the vet. He thought you needed some help,” Dan said, only acknowledging her with a nod.
“I’m obliged to you for coming,” the lean, weathered older man said, “but Amy brought me some of Bert’s special liniment. I think Briny will be okay now.”
Dan’s shoulders slumped, and he was too dumbfounded to speak. Not only did the town’s pharmacists recommend over-the-counter cures for adults, they dabbled in veterinary medicine. He gave Amy a look that was meant to be withering, but she didn’t even notice.
“It’s Bert’s secret formula,” she explained without sounding the least bit intimidated by his stare.
The horse stood quietly, maybe reacting to the quiet hum of her voice, but Dan grew more annoyed as the man gave full attention to his animal.
“I have the supplies you need to treat your horse and instructions on how to use them,” Dan said, not willing to leave until he’d fulfilled his promise to the vet.
“As I said,” the man said without standing, “I have Bert Warner’s liniment. It’s worked in the past, and I see no reason why it won’t do the job now, seeing as Granger is off goofing around in Vegas.”
“Everyone needs a vacation.” Dan had no idea why he was defending a vet he scarcely knew, but the farmer’s attitude was off-putting.
“Don’t want to tell you your business, but a storm is coming. Might even kick up a few tornadoes. You might want to get back to town before it hits,” Gil Brown said. “You too, Amy.”
“I’ll leave this stuff here,” Dan said, hoping he didn’t sound as petulant as he felt. He was willing to do favors, but he didn’t like being dismissed like an errand boy.
As he hurried out to his van, he was aware of Amy following close behind him.
“I’m not the one who concocted the liniment,” she said defensively. “Anyway, people here have to be self-reliant. We can’t depend on outsiders to come in and provide services.”
“Is that how you think of me, as an outsider?” he asked, spinning around to confront her.
“No — well, yes, in some ways. You don’t want to be here. You’ll leave as soon as you can. How else should I think of you?”
“I guess it really doesn’t matter.” This was the dumbest quarrel he’d ever had. He’d wasted his time coming here, and nothing she could say would change that.
Her hair was blowing in her face, and her starched jacket billowed around her in the wind. Fine sand and debris pelted his face as he stepped into it. The horse breeder was right about one thing: It was time to head back to civilization, or what passed for it in Heart City. At least there were tornado shelters there. He didn’t want to experience his first one out in open farmland.
“We’d better get moving. If you do spot a funnel cloud, leave the van and take cover in a ditch. Don’t try to shelter in the underpass on the county road. A tornado will suck you out of there in a heartbeat.” Amy opened the door of her little car, and the wind grabbed it out of her hand and nearly slammed it shut.
“Maybe you should ride with me,” he said urgently. “My van has more weight.”
“Didn’t you see the news report on the tornado that tossed around semi-trailers? Chances are we won’t get hit, but it’s time to get going,” she said in a no-nonsense voice, forcing open her car door and climbing in.
She was the first to pull away, but he followed close behind. It was easier to follow her than to try reading the vet’s directions in reverse, and Dan was edgy about the roaring wind and threat of worse to come.
Finding a clear station on the cheap radio in his van was harder than keeping his eye on Amy’s car as she drove much too fast for his comfort. Either she was overly confident on the narrow roads, or she was really worried about a tornado. Either way, he was frightened by her speed and frustrated because he didn’t know what to do to keep her safe if a storm did hit.
It was the longest ride of his life, much worse than rush hour traffic in Santa Barbara. Ahead of him, Amy took a curve like a NASCAR driver, and his heart was in his throat as he agonized over her safety. The only good thing was the lack of traffic. Apparently, all the sensible people in the area had hunkered down in safe places.
Finally, she pulled into town and headed toward her apartment building. He followed without giving it any thought, still concerned for her safety. When she parked, he pulled up beside her.
“You didn’t need to follow me home,” she said, getting out of her car and stepping up to the open window on the driver’s side of the van.
“I just wanted to be sure you got here okay,” he said, getting out of his vehicle.
“Well, as you can see, I did.” Her tone was dismissive.
Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled too close for his comfort.
“We’d better get inside. Come on.” She grabbed his hand and pulled with more force than he could’ve imagined coming from such a small woman. “There’s a tornado warning. I heard it on my car radio.”
Once inside the main entrance, she turned left and led him to a closed door, opening it and leading him down steep stairs lit by flickering lights.
“Darn, the landlord promised to install a generator — sometime in this century,” she said, warning him to hold onto the railing if the power went out.
The murmur of voices told him they weren’t the only ones seeking shelter in the basement. She led the way to a surprisingly pleasant recreation area with a ping pong table and a scattering of couches and chairs. A small group was gathered around a TV, watching the weather for their area.
“Amy, glad you made it,” an older woman with thick glasses and yellowish hair said. “We’re under a tornado warning.”
As soon as she spoke, the power went out, plunging the room into utter and complete darkness. Dan reached for Amy’s hand, and again she led him, this time to an unoccupied couch near where they stood. He sat down beside her, still clutching her hand.
“Guess we’ll have to wait it out in the dark,” an elderly man’s voice said.
“I told you to grab the flashlight,” a woman said.
“No, you told me to move my sorry behind if I didn’t want it hanging from the top of the water tower,” he retorted.
The older couple’s argument would’ve been funny to Dan if he hadn’t been sitting in pitch dark wondering if a tornado was going to demolish the town.
“How do you put up with the threat of tornados?” he asked, realizing his hand was interlocked with Amy’s.
“How do people in California cope with the threat of earthquakes?” she asked, sounding peeved but not pulling her hand away.
“Good point,” he had to admit, giving her hand what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze.
The room was silent, people intent on hearing the storm, although the sounds from outside were muffled.
“How much longer do you think?” the same elderly male voice asked.
“The weather said it should pass by four thirt
y. What time do you think it is?”
Remembering the watch on his wrist, Dan turned it so he could see the luminous numerals. “I have seventeen minutes after four.”
“Did I remember to turn off the oven?” another voice asked. “I’d hate to have my pie ruined.”
“How can it burn if the power is off?” a reedy voice asked.
Dan wasn’t sure how many people were waiting out the storm in the cellar of the apartment building, but he hoped the whole town had taken shelter. He couldn’t even imagine the number of injuries if a tornado caught people unaware. It was one thing to see a tragedy like that on TV, but another thing entirely when he was the only doctor in town.
“Do you think everyone made it to a shelter?” he quietly asked Amy.
“Yes, I’m sure they heard the siren in plenty of time,” she assured him.
“Was that the siren I heard last week?”
“Yes, they test it every Thursday around supper time during the season. Nobody would ignore it any other time.”
“That’s good to know.” He concentrated on reviewing his crisis management training in his head. No doctor could graduate these days without a crash course in emergency procedures. He felt bowled over by the possibility of being the only physician on the scene right after a disaster. It took the practice of medicine far beyond sore throats and sniffles.
“Can I have my hand back?” she whispered close to his ear.
“Sorry.” He released it immediately, embarrassed by the way he’d clutched it.
“You know, I’m not the one who has a secret formula for horse liniment,” she said after long moments of silence, keeping her voice low. “I was just the delivery girl.”
“Sorry if I overreacted,” he said contritely. “I’d never heard of a pharmacist who treats horses.”
“Bert doesn’t diagnose them. Gil Brown knows as much about horses as a vet. He loves them and treats them like his children. Years ago, he had a situation, and Bert concocted a salve that seemed to help. As far as I know, Gil is the only one who’s ever used it — or even knows about it.”
“I see.” Actually, he did understand why a small community had to be inventive about solving problems. He just hoped neither of the pharmacists was suggesting medicines to people who needed to see a physician.
The lights came on, with sighs of relief all around the room. Now that he could see, he only had eyes for Amy. She was snuggled in the corner of the old flowery couch, her legs tucked up and her arms across her chest looking younger and more vulnerable than he knew her to be.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine.” She was focused on the TV where the area weather station gave an all clear for Heart City and the surrounding area.
“I guess we can go,” Dan said, finding he wasn’t all that eager to leave her.
“Yes, we can.” She was the first to move toward the stairs.
“Thanks,” he said.
Turning to look back at him, she asked, “What for?”
“Bringing me down here.” He shrugged, wishing she’d ask him up to her apartment, although there was no good reason to spend more time with her.
She hurried up the stairs to her second floor apartment without another word.
With no other choice, he dashed out to the van through the downpour battering the town. Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to treat disaster victims, but he was still disturbed by one fear: He might not be up to the responsibility of taking care of a town full of badly injured people. What would Heart City do if a tornado did strike and no physician was on the scene to give emergency care? It was a sobering thought, one he was sure would haunt his dreams.
CHAPTER 8
When she reached her apartment, Amy was still shaky, although it wasn’t like her to be frightened by a tornado warning. Was it waiting out the threat in the dark basement or something entirely different that left her shivering like a wet cat?
Peeling off her damp clothes, she stepped into a warm shower, letting water cascade over her until she started to feel calm. By the time she was wrapped up in her thick terrycloth robe, nestled on the couch with a cup of tea, she was ready to admit the real cause of her agitation: Dan.
For someone who didn’t want to be in Heart City, he was much too prickly about the way folks did things in her town. He’d glared at her because Gil Brown was using Bert’s liniment, and she’d only made the delivery. What did a people-doctor know about taking care of horses? He was nothing but Dr. Granger’s delivery boy himself.
When the phone rang, she had a moment of illogical hope, wondering if the doctor was calling to apologize for his judgmental attitude at the farm. Fat chance! It was her mother calling to be sure she’d gotten home all right.
“Did you have to go into the basement at the store?” she asked, knowing Amy didn’t like the creepy old cellar.
Not that she was afraid, exactly, but a series of former owners over the last hundred years had left shelves crammed with outdated medicines, store displays, and oddities in the dungeon-like space. The ceiling was low with bare rafters festooned with cobwebs, and the two bare light bulbs at either end of the long space hardly gave enough light to walk through the rows. At the far end was an antiquated machine that had baled scrap paper a century before recycling became a buzz word. It reminded Amy of a guillotine. If she ever owned the store, she was going to have a junk dealer strip the cellar bare, but that was a long time in the future.
“No, I sat it out in the basement of my building. Bert had me make a delivery, then let me come home early. What about you?”
“Judge Barnum adjourned court at noon, but a bunch of us had to take cover in the basement of the courthouse.”
“That’s not so bad then,” Amy said, a little disappointed in herself because she hadn’t called to check on her mother. The high wind could’ve caused damage in town even without a funnel cloud.
At least her mother, a court clerk, worked in the most secure building in town, the Georgian-style county courthouse with massive pillars in front and thick walls.
“I’ve been thinking,” her mother said in a solemn voice. “It’s really a shame we haven’t done anything to welcome the new doctor. I went to see him Friday … ”
“As a patient?” Amy was quick to ask.
“Yes, of course, not that I’m sick or anything. I just had a quick appointment during my lunch break. I needed him to renew my allergy medicine before hay fever season.”
“Which is at least a month away,” Amy pointed out. “I thought the non-prescription pills were working fine.”
“Yes, if the pollen count doesn’t get too high. It never hurts to have something stronger in the house.” Did her mother sound a little guilty?
“Did he prescribe what you wanted?” Amy asked, not hiding her skepticism. Her mother’s hay fever was mild, especially since she spent most of her summer days in air conditioning.
“Not exactly. He suggested the pills I’m already using.”
“You paid for an appointment to find out what I’d already told you?”
“It’s good to establish a doctor-patient relationship before something goes seriously wrong,” her mother said, a weak excuse if Amy had ever heard one.
“Why did you really see him?”
“I told you.”
“You’re trying to play matchmaker again. It’s not fair.” Amy played the daughter card, knowing her mother hated to be accused of being unfair to either of her daughters.
“There’s a difference between trying to promote a good relationship with a stranger and meddling in my daughter’s love life — or lack thereof.” She sniffed indignantly, but it didn’t fool Amy.
“Please tell me you didn’t invite him to a family dinner,” she said with a sinking feeling.
“I did not. All I did was
suggest maybe he could have dinner with you and me some evening. He seemed to like the idea.”
“You didn’t!”
Amy’s dread grew as her mother refused to answer. “When are you planning to spring the trap?”
“I’m not planning any such thing. In fact, I’ve thought of an alternative. Maybe we should discuss this when you’re in a more reasonable mood.”
“Mom!”
“All I have is a casual suggestion. You can tell him I’m such a lousy cook, you’re going to have mercy on him and fix dinner yourself at your apartment.”
“That’s totally bogus. You’re a great cook, and I’d rather mop floors.”
“Give it some thought, dear. After all, he took you out to dinner once. You owe him a return invitation.”
Amy fumed, but there was no point explaining to her mother that wasn’t the way dating worked. For one thing, it had been more than thirty years since her parents had met and fallen in love at first sight — well, after a few good looks anyway. And her father had never planned to skip off to California in two years.
“I’m thinking about it right now, and it’s a terrible idea. Please, Mom, give it a rest. I have a full schedule with work and … ”
And what? The truth was her social life was pretty lame at the moment, the one downside in having a great job in a small town she loved.
“Yes, I know. I’m interfering. Forgive me for wanting a happy future for my daughter.” Now her mother’s feelings were hurt.
“I love you, Mom. Maybe someday I’ll meet Hannah’s Prince Charming, but I don’t think he’ll be Dan Prince.”
Her mother chatted about other things for a few minutes, but it was obvious her heart wasn’t in the conversation. It was a relief when she hung up.
• • •
Dan wasn’t surprised to get a call from his mother shortly after he got home. She was still at work in California, but someone had told her about the tornado warning in Iowa.
“It looked so dangerous there,” she said, not reassured by his voice on the phone.
“I had to take cover in a basement, but so did everyone else in town,” he explained. “Anyway, often tornados touch down in the countryside with very little damage. It’s only a precaution.”
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