The Practice

by Grant C. Holland

  As he returned with fork and knife in hand, Aunt Mae asked, “Are you in the mood for a little Bette Davis this evening? Little Foxes is one of my favorites.

  “It’s your choice, Aunt Mae.” He stuffed a chunk of the chicken into his mouth and closed his eyes mumbling, “Mmmm.” There were few things better in the world than Aunt Mae’s cooking even if it was warmed over and she was doing it mostly on autopilot.

  The movie began and Aunt Mae said, “That really was a wonderful thing you did, Hadley, rescuing that dog. Your parents did a good job of raising you.”

  Hadley smiled as he let the gravy-soaked rice slide down his throat. “Thank you, Aunt Mae.”

  By the end of the movie, Hadley realized he drifted off briefly to sleep at least twice. Aunt Mae thoughtfully caught him up on the plot without making any judgments. By the time the end credits rolled, it was nearly 10:00 p.m.

  Hadley stretched his long arms above his head yawning and said, “I think it’s time I head home, Aunt Mae. Thank you for a great evening. If you need anything tomorrow, give me a call.”

  He watched her hands shake slightly when she gave him a hug at the door and a kiss on the cheek. They needed to have a discussion about health sometime soon. She said, “Goodnight Hadley, and drive home safely.”

  Before the unexpected visit to the animal hospital, Hadley was thinking of going out after visiting with Aunt Mae, but he was too exhausted now. Drinking with his buddies would have to wait until at least Saturday night.

  * * *

  Hadley slept in on Saturday morning until 9:00 a.m. He rolled out of bed struggling to open his eyes while he stumbled to the bathroom. After a quick use of the facilities, he stared at himself in the mirror. His sandy brown hair looked like it got caught in a windstorm over night. It stood up and bent at crazy angles like a forest after a hurricane.

  He sighed staring at himself. His body was strong, but he never thought his face was much more than ordinary. He thought that Hadley Rogers could easily be lost in a crowd, but he did like his blue eyes. They were naturally a deeper blue than most. Just two weeks ago he was asked at the bar if he wore contacts to enhance the color.

  After a quick shower and a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, Hadley found himself staring disapprovingly at the front lawn. He inherited the house when his parents passed away. It was the smallest house in the four block historic district on Sutherland Street. Most of the houses were grand Victorian structures. Hadley’s house was a simple bungalow likely constructed approximately thirty years after the rest of the houses in his neighborhood. He often wondered if it replaced a previous Victorian house that burnt down. Someday he was going to visit the public library and research the answer to his question.

  Hadley’s mother loved gardening, and she always kept flower beds in the front yard that were the envy of the neighborhood. She joined the Mason County Master Gardeners and was eventually elected President.

  Hadley tried to maintain the gardens the year after his parents’ tragic accident, but he ended up needing to hire additional help just to keep it all from turning into a weedy, ratty mess. Fortunately, one of the helpers was Graham Williams who gave Hadley advice on how to make the flower beds relatively low maintenance while keeping them attractive.

  Bulbs, shrubs, and easy-care perennials now dominated the yard. Still, it was sometimes a struggle even keeping the yard mown. That was the issue now. It was still early in the spring, but the grass greened up over the last two weeks and was beginning to grow at an alarming rate. Hadley kicked at the grass with his sneaker and decided it was time to give the riding mower a tune-up.

  Thinking about the mower and the need for fresh oil and a tank of gas made Hadley think about money and the veterinarian bills that loomed over the horizon. It wasn’t like he had any spare cash stuffed under the sofa cushions. He would need to consider opening his lawn care business again. The last two years were more relaxed with the summer weekends empty of lawn care appointments, but it was the easiest way to supplement his factory salary when needed.

  The sound of a door opening and closing drifted from across the street. Hadley looked up from his contemplation of the grass and blinked twice. It was the new veterinarian in town. He was leaving the carriage house on the grounds of Dr. Benton’s Victorian home.

  He was dressed in blue jeans and a coral-colored T-Shirt clinging tight to his body. Hadley could see from across the street that his body was firm and muscular beneath the shirt. Hadley sighed and tried to put thoughts about what might be underneath the shirt out of his mind. He also tried to block the thoughts about running his fingers through that coarse dark hair.

  Then the man waved and smiled. Hadley tried to remember the name as he gamely waved back. Lisa Oppenheimer called him Dr. Randall. That’s it. He remembered that it was a last name that sounded like a first name.

  There was another wave as Dr. Randall backed his car into the street. He turned, smiled, and waved to Hadley as he drove off.

  Hadley growled to himself thinking of his bad luck living across the street from a man like that. It had to be some sort of payback for a past misdeed. Maybe it was finally Rhonda Becker’s revenge for dumping her after three dates with not so much as a phone call. He just disappeared from her life, and he knew that was wrong.

  Turning back toward the house, Hadley stopped at one of the flower beds lining the edge of the front porch. It was filled with a sea of green tulip leaves popping out of the ground. Within a few weeks it would be a blazing bed of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows. It was the kind of display that would make Hadley’s mother proud.

  4

  Thomas

  Thomas thought it was a nearly impossible coincidence. Catlett’s Cove was a small town, but still, waking up to find out that you, the town’s veterinarian, live across the street from the stunningly handsome stranger who rescued an injured dog from bleeding to death? All that he could think of to do was wave at Hadley Rogers as he drove toward downtown looking for breakfast.

  The first two weeks back in Catlett’s Cove were filled with efforts to become familiar with the veterinary practice and staying extra hours in the evening to get to know his dedicated staff. By the time Thomas headed home at 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, he was too exhausted to consider doing anything more than eating and going to bed.

  Thomas’ mother was growing impatient about having him stop by for dinner. He was invited the weekend before, but he turned the offer down pleading for extra time to sleep and get his bearings residing in a small town once again. He had a long Skype conversation with Alexander explaining the culture shock.

  As Saturday dawned, Thomas felt well-rested for the first time in his two weeks in Catlett’s Cove. He had a busy plan for the day. He was finally joining his family for lunch. It was going to be a major family affair. Thomas’ two younger sisters were stopping by, too, with their husbands. Both were married the previous summer and both were expecting their first children in August.

  If he managed to escape the family gathering unscathed, Thomas planned to get together for a reunion of the Purple Pack at Blue Goose Bar later in the evening. He exchanged a few e-mails with his old friends, but Thomas still hadn’t seen any of them face to face.

  Maggie’s Diner was Thomas’ favorite place to eat in town when he was growing up. He remembered his dad being welcomed by name by both the servers and the customers when they stopped in for breakfast after an early morning fishing expedition on the northern end of the cove. Thomas ordered a big stack of pancakes with two little pitchers of maple syrup while his dad was satisfied with two eggs over easy and a big cup of black coffee.

  Thomas had a raucous breakfast at Maggie’s Diner with the Purple Pack the morning after high school graduation. Greasy bacon, eggs, and hash browns were the perfect conclusion to an all-night celebration.

  Tapping out the beat to the song on the radio on his steering wheel, Thomas turned the corner on to Poplar Street looking for a convenient parking space. The curb was empty
of cars. Thomas then saw the reason why. Maggie’s Diner was no longer in business.

  The building was empty and only the last three letters “NER” remained along the roofline of the front of the building. Thomas pulled to the side to parallel park. He hopped out of the truck and walked up to the front door. Cupping his hands so that he could peer inside, Thomas saw the familiar red vinyl booths and stools along the front counter. His stomach rumbled remembering the pancakes.

  Thomas didn’t know about any other great downtown breakfast options and soon found himself out by the highway ordering a mass-produced breakfast sandwich through the speaker at a fast-food drive-thru. At least the question about good places to eat downtown could be an ice-breaking conversation topic at his parents’ place.

  * * *

  It was only 11:00 a.m. when Thomas arrived at his parents’ comfortable ranch house on the edge of town. His mother greeted him at the door with a big hug. It didn’t last long before she turned back into the house saying, “Cherie, can you make sure those potatoes go in the oven? I want everything to be ready in about an hour. “

  Thomas let himself the rest of the way into the house. He was startled by the living room. It was decorated the same way for more than ten years, but it now looked like someone else’s living room. The design was tasteful and it showed more than a little influence from TV decorating shows, but it was entirely different. Even the color scheme changed from soft blues to earth tones.

  As he entered the kitchen, Thomas asked, “Mom, did you redecorate the living room?”

  She sipped from a spoon of barbecue sauce and smiled satisfied with the result. “Yes, isn’t it great. Angie and I did the design one weekend and the next we made all of the changes, paint and all. It was a challenge, but we got it done.”

  Angie and Cherie were Thomas’ sisters. They were both dressed in bright sun dresses to welcome spring and were bustling around the kitchen offering any assistance they could provide.

  Thomas’ mother offered, “Your father is out on the patio. Why don’t you join the men? Maybe you can get to know Gus and Benny a little better.”

  The only time Thomas met Gus and Benny, his sisters’ husbands, was at the weddings the summer before. They seemed nice enough. Both held management positions at the Mason County First Federal Bank and worked out of the headquarters in Mitchell. After the weddings, both couples settled in a subdivision on the opposite side of Catlett’s Cove from Thomas’ parents. However, if you didn’t know where you were, chances were the neighborhoods would look identical.

  “Do you have any sweet tea in the fridge, Mom?”

  She shook her head. “We only drink unsweetened now. I can get you a tall glass of that. We’re all trying to stay healthy now, Thomas. Surely, even as an animal doctor, you can see the value in that.”

  Thomas nodded and said, “Yes, that is a good thing.” He leaned over Angie’s shoulder and plucked a small chunk of cookie dough out of the bowl she was stirring.

  She slapped his hand. “Dessert, Tom! Keep your hands out!”

  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then turned to receive the glass of iced tea from his mother. Although he loved both of his sisters, Angie, the youngest, was still his favorite.

  Thomas’ father was standing next to a kettle grill with light puffs of smoke escaping from the lid. He held tongs in his hand and turned toward the house when the patio door slid open. He said, “Thomas, it’s about time we got to see you! You’ve been in town for two weeks now?”

  Thomas deftly avoided the tongs as he moved forward for a hug. “Two very long weeks. It’s a little bit of an ordeal taking over a one doctor practice as the guy in charge. Everything stops with me, and I’m the one on call with whatever walks through the door.”

  Gus and Benny turned toward Thomas away from the lawn that stretched far in the distance. Gus said, “Doctor…animal doctor, isn’t that right?”

  “Yes, I’m a veterinarian.”

  Thomas’ father said, “We were just discussing whether I should put in some trees and shrubs here on the back forty. I don’t think we’ve got many more years left without houses backing up to our property. I’d rather not have them all up in my business when they build.”

  Thomas thought about saying more about his practice, but it was clear the conversation was already moving back to other things. Benny said, “I say poplars along the back line. They grow fast, and they might not be a long-term solution, but, excuse the assumption, you are likely to be gone before they come down.”

  Gus shook his head. “Why not apples? If you’re going to grow a tree, you might as well make it a productive one. Angie and I would happily come over to spray and then pick the apples for you. She makes a mean apple pie.”

  Thomas’ father turned toward him and asked, “Would you go back in the house and ask your mother for the barbecue sauce, Thomas? We will need it soon.”

  * * *

  By the time lunch wrapped up with a slice of peach pie baked by Angie accompanied by a sugar cookie on the side, Thomas was happy that he stopped by, but he was reminded of how much life slipped by while he was out of town. His parents, sisters, and their husbands had a comfortable rapport that didn’t easily welcome newcomers. They all listened politely to Thomas’ conversation contributions, but then the subjects quickly changed.

  Thomas returned home mid-afternoon. Hadley Rogers was riding a mower in his front yard. A pale orange T-Shirt was clinging to his torso with a darker-colored sweat stain n the center of his back. Temptation nearly drove Thomas across the street to say hello, but he couldn’t figure out a reasonable follow-up comment and climbed the steps to his carriage house apartment instead.

  The evening was an improvement on the rest of the day. Thomas arrived at the Blue Goose shortly after 9:00 p.m. He was ambushed just inside the door by Yale wrapping him in a tight, breathtaking bear hug. Yale exclaimed, “Welcome home, buddy! We’ve waited years for you!”

  Thomas gasped, “I might not be here long…if you don’t let me breathe…”

  Yale laughed and released the hug. Emma and Jane hurried over and offered their own hugs. Thomas reached for Emma’s hand and examined the fingers. He asked, “Haven’t you two tied the knot yet? You know that you can do that legally now.”

  Jane giggled and said, “Emma hasn’t asked me yet.”

  Just as he was starting to have a conversation with the girls, Derek pushed a glass of beer with a nicely foamy head into his hand. He said, “It’s a local IPA. You’ll love it, Thomas.”

  Thomas said, “Thanks, Derek.” Then he glanced around saying, “We’re still missing one of the crowd?”

  Emma nodded toward the rear of the bar, “Aaron is back there engrossed in a game of darts.”

  Thomas asked, “With a potential date?”

  Yale laughed. “Not unless he’s a straight boy now.” Yale stepped around behind the girls and pointed toward the back of the bar. “He’s back there if you want to go and say hi.” Thomas watched Yale brush up against Derek’s shoulder. He wasn’t quite sure if it was deliberate or the product of early intoxication.

  Thomas said, “Why don’t we all head back there. We can cheer him on. Surely he can beat a girl.”

  Derek laughed, “You don’t know Caitlin. She’s to darts what a pool shark is to billiards. Aaron doesn’t have a chance.”

  The group sauntered toward the rear of the bar. Tall, slim Aaron was lining up his aim while his opponent leaned against a table with an air of confidence. She was saying, “I think I’m going to have my beers paid for the next six months by the time this evening is out.”

  Aaron protested, “I just needed to warm up.”

  Derek blurted out, “You need a group prayer, buddy.”

  Aaron turned when he heard the voice, and he said, “Aw shit, guys. I told you not to come back here. You know I can’t concentrate with you all around.”

  Emma said, ‘There’s someone who wanted to see you.”

  Aaron leaned to
the right and said, “Thomas! Is that really you? I heard rumors that you were back in town, but then you know how rumors are.” He laughed.

  Thomas stepped forward and gave Aaron a hug while Caitlin said, “Aww, sweet boy love.”

  “Jealous?” asked Derek.

  Caitlin nodded and grinned. “A bit, yeah. The best ones all turn gay and then just leave us in the lurch.”

  Derek said, “I don’t think I can argue with that, but then I’m biased.”

  Aaron said, “Watch out for the dart, Thomas. I would hate to send you to urgent care with a dart in the arm.”

  Caitlin asked, “Are you gonna finish up the match, Aaron? Or are you giving up? When you’re down four games to none in a best of nine series, giving up and cutting your losses might be a wise decision.”

  Thomas reached up and ruffled the spiky hair on the top of Aaron’s head. “Looks like she’s got you over a barrel, buddy.”

  Aaron sighed and said, “Yeah, guess I’ll have to thrown in the towel for tonight. I was just starting to turn the tide, but I can’t concentrate with these guys all around.”

  Yale tossed in, “Uh huh blame us, Aaron. We’re not the reason for your dart deficit.”

  Aaron said, “Why don’t you take my place, Yale? Surely you can do better than me?”

  Yale shook his head. “Uh uh, I’m smarter than that. Caitlin is the queen of the darts. I learned that long ago.”

  Thomas asked, “Hey, Caitlin, would you like to join us all for a drink? I’m celebrating my return home and I’m buying the first round.”

  Jane smiled, “Wow, animal doctors must be flush with cash.”

  Caitlin said, “I’m sorta the odd girl out in this group, but sure, I’m in. Could be fun.”

  Yale and Derek began shoving three small tables together along one side of the bar. Thomas said, “If you’re picky about what you’re drinking, let me know. Otherwise everybody gets the same beer.”