by Amy Vastine
“I feel like I’m going to miss out on a lot.”
She nodded. She needed to get used to this, to taking a back seat to the campaign. And to Kendall, to his family, work, neighbors, friends and the million other demands that were thrown at him on a daily basis. A combination of sympathy and frustration and affection followed because she didn’t think anyone else could manage it all as well as he did. Qualities to be appreciated and admired. Except, did she want to be in a relationship where she had to take a back seat? What choice did she have, though? This Tag was better than no Tag, at least for now.
She made a silent vow not to add herself to his growing column of negatives. If this was how it had to be, then she would learn to deal with it.
She slid a smile his way. “Yeah, and not to make it worse, but tonight you missed a great game. Lucky for you, you’ve got me to fill you in…”
* * *
“ALLY, THANK GOODNESS I found you. Can you tell me the natural way to treat a urinary tract infection?”
Ally looked up from her clam chowder and garlic bread to find Gareth’s friend Kyla standing in front of the table at the hospital cafeteria where she and Tag were having lunch. Ally had played basketball with her and some of Gareth’s friends. No makeup, long brown hair pulled back. Her unnaturally pale face held the tension lines of someone in pain. A tattered backpack hung from her shoulder. The fingers of one hand were fidgeting with a cuticle on the other.
“Kyla, hi.”
“Hi. Oh, wow. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. I was practicing all the way here from school, and then I saw you, and I was so relieved, it just came out.”
“It’s okay. You know Tag, right?”
“Yeah, hi, Tag. How are you?”
“Hey, Kyla,” Tag greeted her. “Better than you, sounds like.”
Ally asked, “Do you want to have a seat?”
“I’m totally interrupting your lunch.”
“Please, sit.” Ally gestured at the chair beside her.
Kyla nodded and shrugged off her pack. It hit the ground with a thud. She melted down into the chair beside it.
“Have you been diagnosed with a urinary tract infection by a doctor?”
Kyla shook her head. “No. But I’ve had one before. I’m sure that’s what it is. My friend Sydney told me that you can cure them with cranberry juice, and I’ve downed like a gallon in the last day, but it’s not working. Gareth showed me that article in the paper. He said that you helped his cousin.”
Ally had been pleased with the article. Laurel had done a wonderful job of describing her grandfather and his efforts, and of singing Ally’s praises, as well. She hoped it would help bolster her reputation in town. But even though Laurel had made it clear that Ally didn’t see patients, she feared it would increase the incidence of people coming to her for help. Apparently, she’d been right about that.
“You know what? I think I’ll go, uh…wash my hands?” Tag stood, and Ally loved him for the obviously contrived gesture.
“Listen, Kyla,” Ally said when Tag was out of earshot. “You need to see a doctor right away. Forget about the cranberry juice for now. You need an antibiotic. UTIs can be very serious if left untreated. Sometimes it can feel very similar to a kidney infection, so you need a test to be sure.”
“But I don’t…”
“It’s a simple urine test.”
“I know. It’s not that. I don’t want my parents to know.”
“Oh. How old are you?”
“Eighteen. I’m a senior.”
“Well, that’s easy. They don’t have to know.”
“But I still live with them. At least until I go to college this fall…”
“That doesn’t matter. By law, your medical care is private. You don’t even have to tell them you saw a doctor.”
“Right.” A frustrated scoff followed. “I don’t think I can see a doctor without my parents knowing. Not in this town. Maybe in Glacier City.”
“I have an idea. Wait here a sec, okay?”
Ally stood, walked into the hall and called Flynn, who she knew was working at his grandfather’s office that day. A brief explanation and he offered to see the teen as soon as she could get there.
Back at the table, she said, “Okay, you’re all set. Dr. Ramsey is going to see you.”
“Doc?” Kyla squeaked, eyes wide with panic. “But he knows my dad.”
“This is Doc Ramsey’s grandson, Dr. Flynn Ramsey. Same office, but Doc is retiring and the younger Dr. Ramsey is taking over.”
“I’m scared. What if he tells them?”
“Kyla, it’s against the law for any doctor to disclose your medical records to anyone without your permission. Neither Doc nor Dr. Ramsey would ever tell your parents without your consent.”
“Ohh…” Head shaking, she said, “Last time I had one, the doctor told my dad. This is super embarrassing… My dad went ballistic because he thought it meant my boyfriend and I were having sex. We weren’t. We’re not, I swear. But the doctor made it sound like it was probably why I got it. So now I’m afraid to say anything because of what my dad will think.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “But I’m in so much pain I can barely even breathe. I don’t know what to do…”
“Under the circumstances, your fear is perfectly valid,” Ally said calmly, even as a hot flash of anger bolted through her, directed at both the doctor and the dad. “There are a lot of reasons why women get them.”
“I know. I’ve googled it. But it was the way he said it. You know what I mean? He has this way of talking…” She trailed off with a shake of her head. “It was all my dad heard. I cannot wait to get out of this town.”
“And you were eighteen at the time of that appointment, too?”
“Yeah, I turned eighteen in January, and this was right before spring break.”
“Kyla, I promise you, Dr. Ramsey will keep this between you and him, okay? That’s what doctors are supposed to do. I’m sure you’ve heard the term doctor-patient confidentiality?”
Kyla nodded, looking scared and hopeful at the same time.
“That confidential part is the law. When you reach the age of eighteen, it is illegal for doctors to discuss your medical issues with anyone but you unless you give them consent. That doctor could get in huge trouble for what he did. Now get going. Dr. Ramsey the Younger is expecting you.”
Kyla stood and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you so much. Gareth is so…cool. He said you would help me. I’m sorry again to bother you in the middle of your lunch.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad you did. Make sure you tell Dr. Ramsey that you’re eighteen, okay? And that you don’t wish to disclose your records to your parents.” They quickly exchanged cell phone numbers before Kyla went on her way.
Tag returned to the table. “How did that go?”
She briefly outlined the conversation, but kept Kyla’s privacy intact. “She’s on her way to see Flynn.”
“Good. That’s good. What’s wrong? It sounds like you handled it well, but you look upset.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yep, you do. You have a tell.”
She responded with her best vacant stare.
He chuckled. “Sometimes you do. Mostly I see it when it involves someone else and not your own feelings, but I’m learning that’s kind of a tell, too.”
She grinned, liking that he’d figured this out and wondering if that should worry her.
“I’m right, aren’t I? You are upset.”
“Yes, you are. And it’s not about me. Something a doctor did…said.” She didn’t want to betray Kyla’s confidence. “So, I take it that the fact you left me alone to handle this means you weren’t worried I’d encourage her to dance naked on a bed of hot coals or something?”
He laughed. “Nope. I’ve got you all figured
out.” His exaggerated confidence made her laugh.
“You do not.”
“Maybe, though. I didn’t realize your grandfather was a real doctor until I read Laurel’s article.”
She frowned. “A real doctor?”
“Yes, a board-certified medical doctor as opposed to a…someone who’s not.”
“He has a medical degree, but his practice is still very unconventional by modern standards.”
“Yeah, well, I agree with his overall approach to health and disease prevention. I think preventative care is the future of medicine, or at least it should be. He’s right about modern medicine too often treating the symptoms and not the condition.”
“Working backward, he calls it. Creating a healthy vessel so disease doesn’t have a chance to grow.”
“But when it does, then what?”
“Just like the article says, he’s not opposed to using whatever means available to cure a patient. But even then, he relies on a mix of traditional and modern means. The relationship between the body and the mind is incredibly complex. The mind plays a huge role in healing the body and keeping the body healthy. There’s a strong connection, and we believe in drawing on it whenever and however possible.”
“I-think-I-can meets the placebo effect?”
She tried to smile. His voice held a teasing edge, but the question felt a little disparaging. This was her fundamental belief system, her identity and her life’s work, not to mention her grandfather’s. Their beliefs were unconventional; she knew that, and so she was used to people questioning them. Funny, the more she cared about Tag, the more she cared about what he thought.
“Tapping into the power of belief is a big part of it. Wellness is a balance of body and mind and science.”
“Hmm.”
Ally tried not to let his noncommittal response bother her. “I didn’t intend for this to happen, by the way, people coming to me with their medical problems. My plan was to lie low and settle into the community gradually. But fate had other plans. And I can’t turn people away who need help.”
* * *
JAMES FAMILY SUNDAY dinner was more than tradition, more than the fulfilling of duty or seeing to an obligation. The entire family looked forward to it all week. It was a time to regroup, recharge, rekindle, make plans and remember what they liked about each other—and maybe be reminded about what they didn’t, too. No matter what, there was always plenty of laughter, lots of teasing, the occasionally heated discussion, some cutthroat game playing, random tears and tons of delicious food.
Kendall had been the last woman Tag invited over to his parents’ house for the occasion. Once had been enough. He could tell almost immediately that his mom didn’t like Kendall, just like he could tell today that she did like Ally. It may have had something to do with the fact that Kendall never offered to help in the kitchen, brought a very expensive bottle of wine instead of the dessert she’d been assigned and shooed the cat away, declaring that her cashmere dress and cat hair “did not get along.” The experience had been something of an eye-opener for Tag. Nothing like meeting the family to gauge the health of a relationship.
Ally had already helped Iris set up the buffet table, fetched the plates and silverware, and mixed a huge carafe of lemonade. Together, Ally and his mom chopped the fruit for a salad, and then Ally had thrown together the ingredients for Mom’s poppy seed dressing while he’d helped Iris with the potatoes.
Tag had purposely arrived early with Ally, so Mom and Dad could get to know her a little before the rest of the James pack descended. Although he hadn’t quite anticipated this level of…acceptance. Now, kicked back on the love seat with Fanny the cat curled contentedly on her lap, Ally looked like part of the family. Gareth sprawled beside her, his dad sat in the adjacent recliner, and the three of them were talking basketball and fishing while his mom beamed in Ally’s general direction.
Tag headed to the kitchen to refill his coffee mug and wasn’t surprised when his mom, Margaret, followed.
“Tag, honey, I love Ally. She is just…enchanting. A keeper. You are keeping her, right? Please, tell me you’re keeping her.”
Pouring coffee into his mug, he said, “Well, Mom, I don’t know. She’s not a rescue cat.”
His mom huffed and threw him an exasperated look. “Don’t be a brat, Taggart.”
He chuckled. “It’s kind of just a casual thing.” Maybe if he kept saying the words, they would get easier to accept.
“Ha. Liar,” Iris scoffed, breezing into the kitchen and halting before the coffeepot. She nudged him out of the way with her elbow.
“Ouch, Iris. And don’t call Mom names.”
Margaret snickered.
“That’s cute.” Pulling a mug out of the cupboard, Iris dumped approximately half a carton of cream into it. “Stop deflecting.”
“Why don’t you add a splash of coffee to your cream there.”
Iris pivoted to face them, a smug grin on her face. “See, you’re doing it again. In all your many years of life and massive amount of dating, brother dear, do you realize—not including Ally—that you’ve only brought three women home to meet your family? Hannah and I were Skyping with Hazel in Mongolia last night, and we tallied it up. I mean, sure, some of us have met a few others here and there, but you’ve only made an effort to introduce us to three women.” Ticking them off her fingers, she went on, “Holly, Amanda and the witch attorney. And I’m not sure Holly even counts because she was your high school girlfriend, so everyone already knew her. And, by the way, the witch was only here one time.” She held the remaining finger aloft as if it were proof of something profound. “And no one liked her. Not even Mom. And she likes everyone.”
“Shay got along with her.”
“Why are you defending her?”
“I’m not.”
“Besides.” Iris flipped her hand dismissively through the air. “Shay just pretends to like her because of Jonah and their attorney club or whatever.”
Their mom looked thoughtful. “Your sister is right.”
“About what?” Tag heard his voice rise a couple of defensive octaves.
“You’re a smart man…” Iris let her head fall to one side and added “…most of the time.” With a grin, she lifted her cup for a sip. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“Hey, everyone!” Shay chirped as she and Jonah came through the back door. Her hands were gripping a huge plastic container, but it was the aurora borealis–like smile on her face that caught him off guard.
“What happened to you?” he asked.
“Shay, honey, you look lovely,” Margaret said at the same time.
Popping a hand over her mouth, Shay made a noise that sounded a lot like a giggle. She removed her hand, but the smile remained, so bright Tag wanted to flinch. And hug her. When was the last time he’d seen her looking this happy?
“Thanks, Mom. I feel lovely.” Shay headed to the fridge and opened it to stow her container.
A side glance at Iris and her wide-eyed, brow-raised expression told him she was thinking along the same shocked lines. “Did she just giggle?” Iris whispered.
“She feels lovely?” Tag answered with a disbelieving shrug.
Shay spun around to face them again and asked, “Is Ally here?”
What was this about? “Uh, yeah, she’s out in the living room with Dad and Gareth and Reagan.”
“Awesome. I’ll be back in a few minutes to help finish dinner, okay, Mom?”
“Sure, dear. But Iris and Tag already did the potatoes, Ally and I did the fruit salad, and the roast needs to cook for another half hour.”
But Shay was already gone in a haze of happy sauce. Margaret trailed after her. Tag looked at his brother-in-law standing off to one side and realized he looked rather pleased, as well. There seemed to be a dash of dazed in his expression, but Tag couldn’t blame
him under the circumstances. His sister was definitely acting strangely.
Iris flashed him another “what the heck?” look and followed Shay and Margaret into the living room. Jonah stepped toward the coffee maker.
“Jonah, what happened to your wife?”
Lifting a shoulder, he answered with a simple “I’m not… I can’t…” Words tapering away, he stared off into space. Finally, he focused on Tag. “But I will say one thing to you.”
“Okay?” Tag prompted when Jonah didn’t continue.
“Ally.”
Tag waited, but Jonah just stared, his dark blue eyes filled with far more emotion than made Tag comfortable.
“Uh, what about Ally? Jonah, what is wrong with you? And Shay?”
“What I’m trying to say is…Ally happened.” Another goofy grin split his face. “I am so grateful. I can’t express how…fond I am of her. Tag, if you have half a brain in your head, you will never let that woman get away.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TAG SPENT THE next few days preparing for the rally, going over details with Emily and Hannah, corresponding with Maura, brushing up on the influential people and donors who’d been invited, and getting a handle on pertinent issues that might concern voters. Hannah had written him a fantastic speech and insisted that he practice it in front of her and Emily. She kept texting him pointers and suggestions.
But through it all, Tag couldn’t stop thinking about Sunday’s dinner, and Shay in particular. Something had changed, something profound. And while he knew this notion should bring him joy, he couldn’t stop wondering about the cause.
Ally happened.
That’s what Jonah had said in the kitchen. Looking back, he saw that the seed was planted at that moment. He’d assumed Jonah was trying to change the subject, take the focus off whatever was going on with him and Shay. But another part of the conversation kept surfacing, bumping around in his thoughts. Because why would Jonah be grateful? He’d thought Jonah meant he was happy for Tag and that it had come out as grateful. But what if he’d meant it literally?