by Londyn Skye
Despite still feeling the strength of his unique connection to Lily, it was not enough to stop James from traumatizing her with the threat of being bred. She deserves this, James thought to himself as he rode along on his horse. For the fourteen years that Lily had spent on his mother’s piano, he was determined to see to it that her life remained forever changed. His plan drifted through his mind again, calculated and unwavering. A sinister grin then emerged on his face after picturing the moment they would arrive at his chosen destination. He could not wait to drown in a wave of contentment when Lily finally faced the consequences of her actions.
“She deserves this,” James reminded himself aloud this time, his sinister grin still in place. He then dug his heels into his horse’s side, prompting him to pick up the pace. The quicker he could retrieve the supplies on his list, the quicker he could experience the elation of his plan finally coming to fruition.
Before going to Albert’s General Store, though, James had another important stop to make. He dismounted his horse and tied it to a post outside of Dr. Gideon Whitfield’s medical practice. He removed his Stetson hat before entering the good doctor’s establishment. “Dr. Whitfield,” he called out, after seeing him in the corner of the front office.
Gideon turned toward him after taking a vial from a glass cabinet. “Well, well, well, James Adams. Oh, pardon me,” he said, clearing his throat. “I mean, Doctor Adams,” he emphasized, smiling as he approached to shake James’s hand. “Good to see you again.”
James shook his hand. “No need to be so formal,” he smiled. “James is just fine.”
“I concur. I think we can certainly dispense with the formalities at this point. Call me Gideon.”
“Well then, Gideon, I take it from the smile on your face that your son is doin’ much betta’?”
“Well, why don’t you see for yourself. He just so happens to be right back here with my wife. She brought ’em in for a follow-up exam.” Gideon guided him to an exam room in the back where his one-year-old son, Brandon, sat in his mother’s lap. He was wide-eyed, babbling, and shaking a rattle, a stark contrast from his condition nearly three weeks prior.
The first day James had arrived back in Fayetteville, he wanted to talk to Dr. Whitfield about the prospect of working with him occasionally to make some money and to continue gaining medical experience. When James stopped by his clinic that afternoon, though, he found that it was closed for the day, which was odd for the dedicated small-town doctor. James then decided to stop by Gideon’s house. He indeed found him there. James barely recognized him, though; Gideon had not aged well in the last six years. His wrinkles were much more prominent, he was thinner, and so was his hair, which had lost all its color. Gideon looked nothing like the strapping man who used to give James and his brothers yearly examinations. But the aging doctor looked hale in comparison to his one-year-old son, Brandon.
James had come to talk business, but quickly set that aside when Gideon explained that his son’s serious illness was the reason he was not at his clinic. Naturally, James took an interest in the boy’s plight, hoping his new training could help. Gideon rattled off his child’s symptoms with the most forlorn look on his face, as he slowly began to accept that his only child might die. He was further devastated by the irony that he was a doctor who was powerless to cure his son’s unusual illness.
After explaining Brandon’s ailments, Gideon took James upstairs where his son lay barely moving and unable to open his eyes. His mother sat nearby crying and holding his hand. From the list of symptoms, James already knew that Brandon’s condition was grave. The disheartening sight of the frail little boy further proved that he was knocking on death’s door.
All Brandon’s symptoms reminded James of a little girl he had once come across while working with another doctor. James explained to Gideon that he had treated her with an experimental new drug concoction that had saved her life. He then offered to buy, mix, and administer the same medication for Brandon. Under the dire circumstances, Gideon was willing to try anything to give his son a fighting chance. He, therefore, allowed James to move forward with treating him.
Before leaving town for his business trip, James had stopped by and saw that the medication was helping Brandon to slowly improve. Now, with the way the toddler was smiling in the back of Gideon’s medical practice, it was obvious that the treatment had been a success.
“Hey, little fella’,” James smiled, happy to see a lively little boy this time around. Brandon smiled at him and reached his arms out, almost as if he knew that he owed James a hug for helping to save his life. James lifted him high into the air, settled him onto his hip, and tickled his neck, getting a laugh out of him. “No more scarin’ your ma and pa like that, ya’ hear?” he teased.
“Carolyn, darlin’,” Gideon said, approaching his young wife. “Unda’ the circumstances the otha’ day, I don’t think I eva’ did get to formally introduce you to this young man.” Gideon offered a hand to help his wife stand. “Meet the young man whose fatha’s been boastin’ ’bout bein’ my successor for years now. He and his brotha’s used to keep me so busy as young’uns, tendin’ to their ailments, that I can make my way to his farm blindfolded,” he laughed. “This here is Dr. James Adams. The man I’m now foreva’ indebted to for savin’ our boy’s life.” He then turned toward James. “James, this is my wife, Carolyn.”
“Pleased to officially make your acquaintance, ma’am,” James replied. Without all the chaos of dealing with Brandon, it was the first time James had taken a good look at Carolyn. She looked to be at least thirty years Gideon’s junior.
James had not been home long, but he had already heard the whispers about the unusual couple. Their age difference had caused the conservative small town to shun them when they wed three years prior. Gideon had only lost his first wife a year before that, and so naturally gossip swirled, especially since Carolyn was such a young bride. Gideon and Carolyn did not let it damage their relationship, though, and went on to conceive a son together. The little boy was the first for the good doctor, since his previous wife was unable to bear children.
After the way the town had treated Carolyn and Gideon, the couple had been even more thankful, and rather surprised, at the lengths that James had gone through to help their son. It was with that in mind that Carolyn took James’s free hand into both of hers. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for helpin’ my little boy,” she said, running her hand through Brandon’s hair.
“And neitha’ can I,” Gideon added. “I tell you what, son.” He placed a hand on James’s shoulder. “If eva’ you need anything, anything at all, you come and see me, ya’ hear? I feel like I owe you the world for what ya’ done for my boy, and I’ll do anything I can to give it to ya’.” He was nearly in tears as he conveyed his gratitude.
“You have no debts with me, Gideon. Your boy’s alive, that’s all I could eva’ ask for.”
“Carolyn, do you mind if I speak to James alone for a moment?”
“Of course not.” She took her son from James. “I wanna get home and get Brandon down for a nap and get dinna’ started anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll see ya’ lata’ then … Oh, and take this with ya’,” Gideon said, handing Carolyn the vial of medication he had just retrieved from his cabinet. “Give ’em two drops ‘a this before you lay ’em down.”
“Will do.” Carolyn turned to James. “Bye, Dr. Adams, and thank you again.”
“You’re very welcome. Take care.”
Gideon walked his wife and son out to the carriage, kissed them both, loaded Brandon inside and then helped Carolyn up. “We’ll see ya’ back home, Giddy,” Carolyn said, smiling down at him before she snapped the reins.
Gideon went back into his clinic afterward and quietly watched his beautiful wife from the window until she was out of sight. “I truly love that woman,” he then said to James. “Just wish the rest ‘a this town did,” he sighed.
James stood there quietly, surprised by Gi
deon’s sudden candidness.
“People around here can’t seem to accept that I married Carolyn. I’m sure you can guess why,” Gideon added with a lighthearted laugh, certain that James had noticed their age difference. “I get that we don’t fit this town’s mold of the ideal married couple, but I don’t feel we deserve to be shunned because of it. If everyone just ignored us, I could live with that. But it kills me that people have treated Carolyn so poorly. She’s so kind, such a truly gentle soul. She doesn’t deserve to be mistreated,” he sighed, still staring out the window.
“Everyone’s treated both of us poorly, really,” Gideon continued. “I haven’t let it botha’ me on a personal level, but it does hurt that my business has suffered for it. Hell, if it wasn’t for the fact that folks truly needed my services from time to time, I doubt they’d come to me at all anymore. They only seem to call on me now when it’s an extreme emergency. Can’t hardly get folks to come in for routine examinations anymore.”
“Sorry to hear that, Doc. But I reckon you can’t expect much else from small town, small-minded folks. They don’t know any betta’.”
“I agree,” Gideon replied. He finally turned from the window and looked at James oddly. He had often used that same phrase in his head to help himself cope with the town’s behavior. “Look, I’m sorry to dump all ‘a my troubles on you. I’m just explainin’ ’cause it’s part ‘a the reason I wanted to talk to you. You see, despite how harsh everyone in this town has been on me, I’d neva’ walk away from helpin’ anybody here in Fayetteville. Not unless I’s certain I’d be passin’ ’em along to the right set ‘a hands to take good care of ’em.” He looked down at both of James’s hands. “And I just saw a pair ‘a hands that worked a miracle on my boy. I could use those hands around here James,” he said, wagging his finger at him. “And so could this town. That’s why I’s kind ‘a hopin’ there’s some truth to what your fatha’s been sayin’ all these years. I sure could use the help takin’ care of folks around here, ’specially from a man who’s a masta’ at savin’ lives. And hell, maybe a fresh face is what it’ll take to get folks rollin’ back through these doors.”
“That’s actually what I’d originally come to discuss with you the otha’ day when your boy was sick,” James replied. “I wanted the opportunity to work with ya’ from time to time, to get some more experience.”
“Actually, I’s hopin’ for more than just your occasional help. I ain’t gettin’ any younga’, as I’m sure is plain to see,” Gideon laughed. “I’d really love to turn this place ova’ to you in due time. I’m sure folks ’round here wouldn’t object … ’specially the ladies,” he teased. He had heard all the whispers around town from all the giddy young girls that were gossiping about James’s return.
“Well, thank you, but I didn’t originally plan on settlin’ here in Fayetteville.”
“I don’t blame you,” Gideon snickered.
“My hope was to be a travelin’ doctor, and I’s just wantin’ to work with you before I set out on the road.”
“I see,” Gideon replied, looking rather disappointed. “That’s certainly a noble unda’takin’.”
“Thanks. But if my fatha’ has it his way, that may not happen. So, right now I’m still tryna weigh my options. But I’m honored that you’d trust me to take ova’ your clinic.”
“Well, you let me know if you eva’ change your mind. Eitha’ way it goes, I’d be glad to have ya’ here. Hell, far as I’m concerned, you can start now if you’d like.”
“Well, unfortunately, right now I’ve got some much-needed business to take care of outta town that’s come up unexpectedly. So, I’ll have to postpone all ‘a this for a while. But I’ll certainly keep your offa’ in mind for the future.”
“You do that. Anytime you’re ready, son. I’m here to help ya’ in any way I can. You can count on that.”
“Thank you, Gideon. I’ll rememba’ that. I certainly do appreciate it.”
“No, son … Thank you. I won’t eva’ forget what ya’ done for my family.”
James nodded, shook Gideon’s hand, and headed out the door toward Albert’s General Store.
Dr. Gideon Whitfield’s words about the women in Fayetteville could not have been more accurate. James Adams’ return was undoubtedly the most popular gossip topic amongst many of them, especially after some had heard about him helping Brandon. Within days, James had become the talk of the town and, by far, Fayetteville’s most desirable man.
There had always been something unexplainable about James Adams that gave women a sudden case of moral amnesia. As James crossed the road, it seemed that several young ladies had suddenly been afflicted by the rare disorder. Their lustful gazes were clearly conveying the fact that naughty thoughts were easily trumping their morality. Their reaction to James was an odd phenomenon considering that the presence of all the other Adams men triggered the flight response in most women. The fact that J.R. and Jacob had managed a bride was a miracle. James was certainly fortunate to be an identical copy of his maternal grandfather. Much like his grandfather, he never failed to catch the wandering eyes of his female peers in his youth. With the way all estrogen-driven eyes were currently fixated on James, it was evident that his ability to attract women had not changed … but his body certainly had. During his six-year hiatus, James had gone from an adorable teenager to a strapping, well-built, virile man. Even through his coat, it was easy to see that his once slender teenage body was now wrapped in a layer of chiseled muscles. His shoulders were broader, he had grown to an unusually tall six-foot-two, and the fresh shadow of a dark beard now covered his once smooth baby face. He had cut his hair short as a teen, but it had since grown back into a long mane of dark, loose curls. His dark hair contrasted with his crystal blue eyes, causing them to stand out even more than they already did. James ran his hand through his thick mane of hair as he walked mindlessly across the dirt road to Albert’s General Store. He was lost in thought about the journey he was about to take with Lily, completely oblivious to the eyes that were glued on him … especially the eyes of one Mary Jo Parker.
Mary Jo was the only young lady that James’s father had approved of out of the many girls who had an interest in him during his teen years. Jesse wanted only the classiest woman as a wife for the son he was certain would go on to greater things in life. But Jesse’s approval of the beautiful, strawberry-blonde gem was mainly because he knew that a union between the two would be a great benefit to his bank account.
Mary Jo’s father, Joseph Parker, was by far the wealthiest man in Fayetteville. He had cotton and tobacco contracts with the Adams family long before James and Mary Jo were even born. So, in Jesse’s greedy mind, the merging of the two families would mean a definite increase in social status and his ticket to riches for generations to come. For that reason alone, Jesse was all but shoving James into Mary Jo’s face every chance he got. Even when James was an infant, Jesse had sat him next to Mary Jo in the crib during her visits to the farm. He had hoped to build a natural connection between them long before they could even walk. However, Jesse’s plan failed miserably. The more time James was forced to play with Mary Jo through the years, the more he disliked her.
As he got older, James recognized that the average man would probably consider Mary Jo pretty by traditional standards, but she was simply not his cup of tea. She was way too frilly for his taste, and she talked about things that rarely interested him. It did not help that she spoke in a high-pitched southern belle voice that was as pleasant to his ears as screeching nails on a chalkboard. He also could not stand her attention-seeking contrived ways. Even without those attributes, James simply was not physically attracted to Mary Jo’s beady green eyes, red hair, fake smile, skinny shapeless frame, or her ghostly complexion. To him, she was far paler than the average white person, so much so that he often jokingly wondered if she naturally repelled sunlight, or if her daddy had dipped her in porcelain to preserve his pasty little “pumpkin,” as he would call her. That
term of endearment further annoyed James; he felt that title should be reserved for little girls who were sweet, not ones who were snobbish with snotty attitudes.
Even Mary Jo’s name bothered James; he hated that her father had arrogantly named a little girl after himself. It got under his skin enough that he began calling her, MJ. He hoped that it would irritate her just as much as she irritated him. But unbeknownst to James, Mary Jo thought it was sweet, and that he had given her that nickname because she was special in his eyes. Mary Jo was clueless as to the truth behind the name change and to James’s true feelings about her as a whole.
Mary Jo’s misconceptions had everything to do with the fact that James was always kind to her. He never once revealed the slightest hint of his distaste for her. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He went above and beyond to be sweet to her just to please his father, understanding that it was important for business. Deep down, though, Mary Jo meant nothing to James. He secretly loathed every minute of catering to her needs while she was at the farm. After he had befriended Lily, however, she helped turn Mary Jo’s visits into a source of humor.
Whenever Mary Jo visited, Lily was notorious for peeking her head around corners and making “silly” or “kissy” faces at James that only he could see over MJ’s shoulder. James would fight hard to keep a straight face, but Lily would not stop until he burst into laughter. It never failed to be poorly timed laughter that seemed bizarre to Mary Jo. Lily found it amusing to listen to James struggle to come up with ridiculous excuses for his unexplained outbursts. James and Lily’s fun did not end there. Long after Mary Jo would leave for the evening, she continued to be a source of comedy for the duo. The mischievous pair would sometimes role play incidents that had happened that evening. Lily always did a spot-on impersonation of Mary Jo that had James laughing hysterically.