“You’re welcome,” Nicole said with a smile as she slipped out of the room.
Lindsay returned Peepers to his carrier and walked lightly down the hall. Outside of exam room two, she heard Mary go after the doctor. “I’m Mrs. Mary Ellen Berthalot, Dr. Allen, and I expect—”
“No need to worship me, Mrs. Berthalot. I am but a humble veterinarian. Now let’s meet Nibbles, shall we?”
“Oh, Peepers, there’s no need to worry about the doctor,” Lindsay said with a giggle. “She’s going to be just fine.”
Chapter Four
Nicole opened one eye and frowned at the clock. The phone was ringing, and it wasn’t yet daylight. That it was Saturday morning added to the insult. “Dr. Allen’s office,” Nicole said groggily as she sat up and switched on the bedside lamp.
“Oh, but that does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“Good morning, Dad.” Nicole flopped back down and pulled the blanket beneath her chin. “I thought retiring meant sleeping in and taking it easy.”
“I’m retired, not dead. Just be glad I didn’t call when I awoke this morning at four thirty. I at least waited an hour before calling to hear all about your first week in St. Claire.”
“Gary was right, it’s an adjustment. I was prepared for a slower pace, but this week has been anything but.”
“Busy is good.”
“That’s true, but I think it’s temporary. After everyone in town gets a good look at me, it’ll taper off. That’s according to Deana, my assistant.”
Darrin Allen chuckled softly. “Are you regretting your decision not to partner with your brother?”
“Not in this lifetime. I love him, but there’s no way Brian and I could ever work together. We barely get along during the holidays.”
“He’s like your mother, knows absolutely everything about everything.”
“Speaking of, I don’t hear her in the background.”
“Up and gone already. She’s having breakfast with Carol, then she’s going shopping with the girls.”
“Is she still mad at us?”
“Furious with me, but you’re in the clear. She’s been spoiled all these years with her brood living close by and under her wing. I’ll take the tongue-lashing this holiday season since I’m the one who convinced you to take Gary’s practice, but after that, you’re on your own. Better start looking now for someone to cover for you next year or come up with some really clever excuses as to why you’re not coming home.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The conversation was light and to Nicole’s pleasure steered clear of her long-term plans for the clinic. Unlike her father and brother, she had no desire to expand the practice. Gary had been frank. The clinic sustained and at times was profitable, but in its current location, one doctor was sufficient. That’s exactly how Nicole wanted it. She wasn’t a business tycoon but a veterinarian who enjoyed caring for animals, not constantly worrying about the bottom line and the prospect of new clinics bearing her name. Though her father was a go-getter, he was able to understand her desire to keep it simple. That was why she and Brian could never work together.
“What are your plans for the day now that I’ve forced you to begin it early?” her father asked.
“According to Deana, I need to have breakfast at T-John’s. It’s the local hangout. If I don’t make a showing, I’ll be considered stuck-up.”
“Small-town policy?”
“Apparently so. I’ll have breakfast, give them all my most dazzling of smiles, then I’m going up to see the shut-in Gary told me about.”
“And this evening you’ll call your mother.”
Nicole grinned. “I might not.”
“Don’t do that to your old man. Last night, she put those two ice blocks she calls feet on the backs of my legs. Anything she can do to make me miserable, she’s doing it. I’ve eaten tuna casserole for dinner the last two nights. If she doesn’t hear from her baby soon, I’m afraid of what’s coming next.”
“All right, you’ve suffered enough. I’ll give her a call around seven.”
“Thanks, little one. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Dad. Bye.”
*******
“Can I have chocolate chips in my pancakes, Mom?”
“Of course, you can.” Rose leaned down and kissed her only granddaughter on the cheek.
Lindsay watched her mother and daughter rub noses. There was a time when she and Rose sat in that very diner and did the same. She felt as though she were looking back in time as she watched Alexis, a smaller version of herself. But like Lindsay, her mother had grown older, too, and that acknowledgment stabbed at her heart. Time marched on so quickly now that she was an adult, and there would soon come a day when her mother would no longer be a fixture in her life.
Lindsay bit her lip as she regarded Rose. Her dark red hair had thinned and was now a light shade of red, thanks to Revlon. The once fair, unblemished skin of her mother’s hands was now covered with age spots, and veins stood out starkly beneath the pale skin. The beauty regimen could no longer hide or lessen the deep lines that had formed on the face she remembered so well as near perfect. But Rose wasn’t one of those women who bowed to the aches and pains of an aging body; she fought tooth and nail. She still carried herself with the poise and grace of a woman ten years her junior.
“Grams, can I ask for double chips in my pancakes?”
“Say yes, and you can pull her down off the ceiling fan when all the sugar from breakfast kicks in.” Lindsay shot Alexis a look.
“She’ll burn it off in the mall today.” Rose grinned at Alexis when she beamed and rubbed her hands together. “You don’t mind if I kidnap her today, do you?”
“I suppose not.” Lindsay feigned disappointment, but inside, she was thrilled to have an afternoon to herself. An afternoon that included her favorite movie, the couch, and a blanket, maybe even popcorn.
“I need a new dress for Thanksgiving,” Rose said.
Lindsay fought the urge to grin at the look of disgust on Alexis’s face. “You already have a Thanksgiving outfit, no dress for you.” Lindsay looked at her mother. “And no toys, either. Santa’s coming soon.”
“But I get a pretzel, right?”
“You know it.” Rose held up her fist, and Alexis bumped it.
“Inga’s slow this morning,” Lindsay said under her breath as she watched one of three waitresses move between the tables with a coffeepot. “Bet the arthritis is acting up with this cool snap we’re having.”
“Poor darling, we’ll have to tip her good today.” Rose lifted her head when the bell on the door tinkled. “This must be the new doctor.”
Nicole smiled at a few folks who said good morning as she looked around for a place to sit. The only other table that had an empty seat was occupied by Mary Berthalot, and Lindsay couldn’t bear to subject Nicole to her mercy. “Join us, Dr. Allen,” she said with a wave.
Nicole approached awkwardly. “I don’t want to impose. I’ll come back later.”
“Oh, nonsense.” Rose pushed out the open chair with her foot. “You sit right here. I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Nicole, this is my mother, Rose, and my daughter, Alexis, the toothless,” Lindsay said with a smile. “This is Dr. Allen, who prefers to be called Nicole.”
“Pleasure to finally meet you, Nicole.” Rose’s eyes twinkled, and the muscles in Lindsay’s stomach tightened. Her mother loved people and had a way of extracting information that one might not ordinarily give up. Lindsay had often thought her mother would’ve made a brilliant attorney.
“I understand you’re from Montana,” Rose said. “I’ve only seen it in pictures, and it looks indescribably beautiful. How on earth did you find this sleepy little town?”
Nicole fell hopelessly under her charm. “I’m from Butte. It’s much like any other city, but the outlying areas are breathtaking.” She went on talking about “Big Sky” and getting used to the change in climate.
“…so when Dr. Gary told my father he was retiring, the wheels started turning in my dad’s mind, and here I am.” Nicole smiled up at Inga when she appeared at the table with pad in hand. “I’ve been running my mouth, and I haven’t even looked at the menu.”
“Get the chocolate chip pecan pancakes, they’re the best,” Alexis said with a grin. “That’s what I want, Ms. Inga, and bacon, too.”
“Chocolate chips, you say?” Nicole raised a brow, and Alexis grinned. “I’ll have the same with bacon, coffee, and water, please.”
Inga nodded as she jotted on her pad, then looked at Lindsay. “I’ll have the pecan pancakes, bacon, and a coffee.”
“Me too, Inga,” Rose said with a nod. “You feeling okay, hon?”
“Up all night with my back and Earl’s snoring.” Inga tucked a loose strand of hair into her graying bun. “Tonight, I’m duct-taping his mouth shut and taking a muscle relaxer.” She sauntered off before anyone else could comment.
“Momma said you saved Peepers.” Alexis beamed up at Nicole as though she were Wonder Woman.
“Not really. I just gave him a bath and got the paint off his fur. Your mom is really the one who saved him.”
“I bet you have lots of animals.” Alexis propped an arm on the table, mimicking Nicole’s pose.
“I used to have a cat, but he died last year.” Nicole shook her head sadly. “I had him for a long time, and I don’t think I’m ready for another one.”
Alexis’s expression turned solemn. “That’s very sad. You can come over and pet Peepers anytime you want to.”
“Thank you.” Nicole gave Alexis a fist bump.
“Nicole, tell me, are you a bachelorette like me and the girls here?”
Nicole smiled at Rose. “I am.”
“Then you’ll have to join us for dinner sometime. Lindsay and I rotate the cooking. There’s always something hot on the stove in the evenings.”
“I never turn down the offer of food.” Nicole winked at Alexis. “So you’re not married, either?”
Alexis giggled and shook her head. “All boys stink except for Justin Bieber.”
“We’re going to the mall in Houma this afternoon. Would you like to join us?” Rose asked.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m supposed to ride out to Mrs. Crantz’s place today.”
Inga, who had come to the table with a loaded tray, nearly dropped it. “You can’t go out there alone.” She began to distribute the plates. “That old woman will shoot you before you get both legs out of the car.”
“Mary Beth says she has a bazooka,” Alexis said, chiming in.
Rose patted Alexis’s hand. “That’s not true, honey.”
“She’s got a shotgun, though.” Inga shook her finger at Nicole when she finished unloading the tray. “And a good aim.”
Lindsay chewed her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the stunned expression on Nicole’s face.
Alexis shrugged. “She shot the UPS man last Christmas.”
“She did not shoot him, just his truck.” Lindsay smiled at Nicole. “It was just a misunderstanding.”
“Ruby Crantz is a widow who lives alone in a big old house out in the woods.” Rose sliced up Alexis’s pancakes. “And she’s discovered Internet shopping. Delivery drivers run late during the holidays, and one night, a UPS man tried to deliver a package after eight in the evening.”
“Ruby’s hard of hearing,” Lindsay added.
Rose nodded. “She thought someone was trying to break in.”
“Mary Beth said she only got him in the shoulder because one of Mrs. Crantz’s dogs attacked him first.”
“Honey, you can’t believe everything you hear at school,” Lindsay admonished. “She didn’t shoot him, not even in the shoulder.”
“Because the dog knocked him off the porch,” Rose said, “that part is true.”
Nicole stared down at her plate. “Oh, my God, thanks a lot, Gary ol’ pal.”
“You should go with her,” Rose said to Lindsay. “Ruby will feel better if she’s properly introduced by a local.” Lindsay bumped Rose’s leg with her knee when she mentally saw her afternoon alone disappear in a wisp of gun smoke. Rose jumped and feigned a cough but was undeterred. “Nicole, what kind of vehicle do you drive?”
Nicole looked up wide-eyed. “A Camaro that I paid a fortune for. I don’t want to see it sprayed with buckshot.”
Rose shook her head and looked at Lindsay. “She can’t get up the road to Ruby’s place in a car. You’re gonna have to take her, hon.”
“Sure,” Lindsay said with a forced smile. “We better eat up before the food gets cold.”
Nicole looked shaken and ate quietly. Rose knew she was in hot water with Lindsay and focused on her breakfast. Alexis was oblivious and smiled up at Nicole. “I sure hope Mrs. Crantz doesn’t kill you because I like you.”
Chapter Five
“I’m so sorry you have to play cab driver for me.” Nicole rested her elbow on the windowsill of Lindsay’s old truck and rubbed her temple. “This is probably the last thing you wanted to do on a Saturday, and frankly, I wouldn’t, either, but Gary made this appointment for me before he left.”
Lindsay’s smile was tight-lipped. “It’s no problem, really.”
“Is this your only day off?” Nicole asked miserably.
Lindsay pulled her sunglasses off the visor and put them on. “I’m off most weekends, and sometimes if we’re slow, I’ll take a day off in the middle of the week to catch up on things around the house.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“Mom and I own Strickland Hardware.”
“The big place in the middle of town?”
Lindsay nodded as she downshifted and made a turn onto the highway that would take them to the Crantz place. “My great-great-grandfather originally opened it around the turn of the century. It’s been in our family ever since. Having no sons, my dad passed it on to me. It’s like the hub of town. Everyone comes in and sits at the counter. I’ve often told Mom that we should charge for the coffee, and after a couple of years, we could retire.”
“Deana mentioned that it’s one of the hot spots other than T-John’s. I didn’t realize you were a Strickland.”
Lindsay nodded again. “I was, but I kept Juneau after the divorce, so Alexis and I would have the same name.”
Nicole shifted in her seat until she was facing Lindsay. “Would it be too personal to ask if you’re raising Alexis completely on your own?”
“No, it’s not.” Lindsay kept her gaze on the road. “Mom helps out a lot with her, and Mike works offshore for an oil company. He works twenty days and is off for ten. Alexis spends the second week with him and his fiancée after they’ve been reacquainted, so to speak. We all get along fine.”
“Wow, that’s rare. My oldest brother and his first wife have been divorced twelve years, and they still can’t be in the same room together. My niece and nephew are in their teens and seem to take it all in stride, but I know it has to weigh on them.”
“Our divorce was amicable, but even at its best, things are still hard. Alexis misses me when she’s with Mike and vice versa. The holidays are always rough because one of us has to spend them without her. I think that’s when I feel the guiltiest.”
Lindsay regretted the last part of her comment because Nicole didn’t comment. She sat quietly and waited for Lindsay
to elaborate. She accelerated and passed a slow-moving car. “The divorce was my fault. I was the one who wanted it. There were no affairs or drunken brawls, Mike is a good man. I just married too young because that’s what everyone else was doing. It’s what’s expected, but I wasn’t happy.”
“Happens all the time, doesn’t it?” Nicole looked out the windshield and squinted against the sun. “Two of my siblings did the same thing. My brother got a divorce, but my sister stayed for the children. She’s miserable and makes everyone else just as unhappy.”
Lindsay glanced at Nicole. “So being the youngest, you learned by their mistakes and didn’t fall into the marriage trap.”
Nicole shook her head. “Not really. I ignored advice and screwed up plenty of relationships, even though I didn’t have a ring on my finger.” She sighed. “I just had to see for myself.”
Lindsay slowed and turned off the paved highway onto a gravel road. “You may want to hang on to something, this road is very rough. Ruby has delivery trucks coming in and out of here all day long, and they’ve made deep ruts.” Even though she’d downshifted and was moving at a snail’s pace, the truck lurched back and forth. “Ruby Crantz is the wealthiest woman in St. Claire. She could afford to pave every road in town, including this one, but she doesn’t like company unless they’re bringing in something she ordered.” Lindsay shot Nicole a quick glance. “And even then, she’s not really happy to see them.”
“So much to look forward to,” Nicole said quickly before they descended into the next deep rut.
The road, thickly wooded on both sides, went on for a few miles until a clearing came into view. Lindsay pointed to rows of pecan trees that also seemed to go on for miles. “She has the best pecans, but she won’t let anyone get near her trees. The nuts rot or are carried off by squirrels. A few local teens sneaked out here once and tried to harvest a few. Ruby ran them off by shooting rock salt at them.”
“And she’s not in jail?” Nicole asked incredulously.
Lindsay grinned. “Before she became a Crantz, her name was St. Claire. Her family has basically owned this town from the beginning. The St. Claires financed our store way back when. Actually, they financed the entire town.” Lindsay pulled up onto the paved circle drive and parked the truck directly in front of a huge set of windows. She killed the engine and turned to Nicole. “Let me tell you something about Ruby, and for your sake, you need to pay attention. She’s often difficult and downright rude, but she also likes to give gifts. When she’s ready, she’s going to give you one, and no matter what it is, don’t argue. Accept it graciously, and you’ll be in her favor. Argue and you could be staring down the barrel of a shotgun filled with rock salt.”
Robin Alexander - The Secret of St. Claire Page 3