“Doc?”
“Yes, Posy?” Doc asked, sticking his head back into the hallway.
“Do you want me to show them in one at a time?”
“More people to be healed?”
“Yes. Four, at least,” Posy replied from the doorway to the main room.
“That’s fine, Posy. Thank you.”
Posy beamed as she went through the door.
~*~*~
Doc exhaled heavily and sat back in his seat. “Damn… some of those were not simple.” Taking a deep pull from the mug Posy had brought him, Doc relaxed.
A knock on the door made him frown— he’d told Posy that he was done for the day. It opened a moment later to show Heather standing there, and Doc gave her a tired smile.
“Heather, did you need something?”
“I heard you finished healing people. I can see the tiredness in your eyes.”
Doc raised his mug to her. “It can take a toll on me if I do too much.”
“How about something to soothe the soul?” Heather asked with a smile.
Laughing, Doc set his mug down. “You want a duet?”
“I wouldn’t say no,” Heather grinned.
Doc noticed how the scar tugged at her eye when she did. Staring at her, he thought about healing gifts from Luck, and the list of what she offered appeared in front of him. A quick glance down the many items and he found the one he had debated earlier, using his faith to purchase it this time.
“Doc…? Why are you staring at me?” Heather asked, her smile gone as her self-consciousness kicked in.
“Heather, do you believe in Luck?” Doc asked.
Blinking at him, as the question came from nowhere, she nodded. “You’ve done enough to make me believe.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
“I might not answer, but go ahead.”
“If I could remove the scar, would you want that?”
Heather’s hand touched the old wound for a second, and her lips thinned. “It can’t be helped.”
“If it could, would you want it gone?” Doc pressed lightly.
Looking away from him, Heather shifted in place. “If it could? Yes.”
“Come here, please,” Doc said as he held out a hand to her. “Luck would like to give you a gift.” His hand began to glow as he said the words.
Heather stared at his hand for a long moment. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll be very upset,” she said, taking his hand.
Doc smiled when he found Heather in good health. Directing his remaining energy to her scar, he watched as the scar began to fade from her face. His single point of energy vanished, and his vitality took up the task of finishing the job.
When her scar was completely gone, Doc let the glow fade from his hand. “Flawless skin,” he said, even more tired than he had been.
Heather touched her face when he let go of her hand, and her eyes began to widen when her fingers traced over unblemished flesh. “Is it… is it really?”
“I don’t have a mirror, sorry,” Doc said, “but yes. You’re no longer scarred.”
Heather left the room with quick steps, and Doc wondered if she was going to be okay. Picking his mug back up, he drained what was left of it.
“Thank you…!” Heather said from the doorway, her voice thick with emotion.
Doc looked over to see her crying, and his heart clenched briefly. “You’re welcome, Heather. You’ve done a lot for me, and I wanted to repay you.”
Heather swallowed and wiped at her face. “I’ve done? No. It’s you. You’ve done so much… for Lia, Daf… all of us. And the songs…”
Doc got up and went to stand a few feet from her. “I cheat with those, so don’t give me too much credit for them.” He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “You bring them to life, better than I would ever be able to. Oh, I almost forgot.” Doc let go of her and went back over to the table, pulling out the sheet music he’d worked on between seeing people. “I have this for you.”
Heather accepted the paper with a shaky hand. “I’ll learn it as quickly as I can.”
“Take your time,” Doc said softly. “And if you still want, I’d like to come play with you.”
Heather’s hesitant smile lit up her unblemished face. “Please.”
~*~*~
Doc was still tired when he took his seat in the dining room again. “How did your day go?”
Ayla spoke up first. “I have everything in order for me to be gone for nearly a week. The only trouble might be if the next load of ore comes in before I get back. As it is, they’re still needing another special run from the capital for the last load. I think the capital bank will make sure they send more money down here regularly, now. The money for the shipment from last time should be here tomorrow.”
“I’ll deal with it, and you can double-check it when you get back,” Doc said.
“Very well.”
Lia motioned for Sophia to speak, and the bestial nodded. “I have the paperwork together for Rosa to be claimed by you. After you have her collared, you’ll need to present her to a soulsmith so they can verify that she is indeed chained. The paperwork will suffice until you can get her verified and get a license for her.”
“Thank you,” Doc said, a tired smile on his lips. “I’m sure she’ll be beside herself.”
“I also started on the paperwork to solidify your holdings. After speaking with Ayla, I’ve begun getting everything needed to put forth a plan to buy all the land between your mine and the town. It’ll be expensive, but Ayla says it can be done. I thought you’d prefer to own all that property so another couldn’t try to choke off your claim.”
“I hadn’t even considered it,” Doc chuckled. “We’ll need someone who can make sure things are set up right so the town grows and isn’t just a hodgepodge of stuff with no solid plan.”
“I might know someone,” Ayla said. “A friend of mine from school. She was focused on town planning.”
“Send her a message and ask if she wants the job?” Doc asked. “When you get back, of course.”
“Yes, Doc.”
“Now that they’re done,” Lia said when silence settled over them, “we have horses, a wagon, and supplies for tomorrow.”
“I have a driver for you,” Doc said. “Clyde Rossal. He used to work on the bank’s wagon teams.”
“How did you meet him?” Lia asked curiously.
“Healed an old injury he had. His leg was a mess.”
Lia nodded. “I know him now. Walked with a pronounced limp, complained a lot?”
“Sounds like him,” Doc chuckled. “He wasn’t complaining when he left today.”
“If he worked with the bank teams, he’ll be skilled,” Ayla said. “For driving and protection.”
“Let me know how he does,” Doc said.
“Considering asking to hire him for more than just this time?’ Lia asked.
“If he’s respectful and skilled,” Doc nodded. “Good help is hard to find.”
“I’ll let you know,” Lia replied.
“How about you two?” Doc asked Fiala and Sonya, who’d been sitting quietly.
“We learned a lot,” Fiala said.
“A great deal,” Sonya agreed. “Lia explained every purchase to us so we know the reasoning behind them.”
“They are adept pupils,” Lia smiled. “Oh, and Doc, did you heal Heather’s old wound?”
“Saw that, huh?” Doc asked.
“I always notice my friends, and she was smiling so brightly tonight.”
“I picked up a gift from Luck that lets me heal old scars. I will also no longer leave scars behind when healing people.”
“Oh, that’ll make some things easier,” Fiala said.
“Yes, it will,” Doc agreed. “I have some scars to heal up, as do you.”
The door opened, admitting Posy and Daf. “Dinner,” Daf smiled.
Chapter Forty-four
Doc exhaled a shaky breath as he relaxed. “Now that is a goodby
e.”
Fiala and Sonya giggled as they got out of bed. “Told you he’d love that as a sendoff,” Fiala said.
“I didn’t argue,” Sonya replied. “It’ll feel odd, though. I just got used to this arrangement, but now we won’t see him for four days?”
“We’ll just have to make up for it when we get back. Oh, and Doc?” Fiala asked, making sure he looked at them as they dressed. “Lotus and Jasmine are okay. Please, no one other than them?”
Doc gave her a soft smile. “I wouldn’t take anyone else to bed. Not even sure I’ll have fun with them.”
Fiala moved over to the bed, still topless. Sitting beside him, she touched his cheek. “Don’t reject them thinking you have to. Lotus misses being with you, and she’s my oldest friend. The choice is yours, but Sonya and I approve of them for fun.”
Sonya nodded. “Agreed, though, in honesty, I wouldn’t forbid you from anyone you wanted. Being with you is my only wish. I’d only be upset if you ignored me.”
Fiala’s lips creased, but she sighed. “Rosa and Sonya are both a bit more open-minded than I am. I’ll try to work on that.”
Doc cupped her cheek as he sat up. “No, you don’t have to change for me. I love you the way you are.”
Fiala smiled, kissing him softly. “Thank you, husband. Now, stop lying about. You have to see us all off.”
Doc chuckled as she got up and continued to dress. “I do, indeed. I was surprised by how quick Ayla and Sophia were to accept the idea of riding and shooting.”
Fiala and Sonya exchanged a glance as Doc dressed, both of them shaking their heads at his statement. Sonya was the one who spoke up after a second, “Doc, you do realize they’re both committed to helping you, right?”
“Yeah. I thought for sure Ayla was just going to complete her contract and leave, but she surprised me when she accepted coming on board for the long haul. Sophia was a shock, but it’s a boon to have her.”
“Ayla caught the bouquet at my wedding,” Sonya said.
“Oh, right,” Doc nodded. “You weren’t there to stop her that time,” Doc laughed. “The look on her face when it was Fiala’s being snatched away from you was…” Doc trailed off, finally putting the pieces together. “Oh…”
“Yes,” Fiala said. “She’s waiting for a sign from you, husband.”
Doc sat on the bed with a hard exhale. “Fucking hell. Her, too?”
“Is that so bad?” Sonya asked. “She’s dedicated, and knows what being with you would entail.”
“Didn’t expect it, is all,” Doc said. “She’s attractive, smart, and focused. You sure she’d be okay with us? Rosa, too?”
“We’ll find out,” Fiala said gently. “After all, there will be plenty of time for girl-talk while we’re out of town.”
Sonya was about to say more, but Fiala gave a small shake of her head, and Sonya nodded. Doc missed the byplay, fumbling with getting his socks on.
“Please find out? Both of you are okay with it?”
“I’ll have her take the same test as Sonya first,” Fiala said, “but if she’s honest and earnest, I would accept her.”
“I’ll accept any who will help you,” Sonya said. “Her personality is kind and she’s sweet, so she’d be a good addition.”
Doc got his boots on and looked up at them. “This is unusual, but I won’t say no. I’m trying to accept everything good that comes to me, but only if it doesn’t hurt those I love.”
Sonya and Fiala beamed as they moved over and sat on either side of him, leaning into him as they did. “Thank you,” Fiala said, echoed by Sonya.
Putting his arms around his two wives, Doc wondered again if Luck had all of this planned when she sent him to this world. If you did, Lilly, you have my deepest thanks. If not, still... thank you.
~*~*~
Ayla, Sophia, and Lia were already in the dining room when the three of them made it downstairs. Posy was right behind the trio with a cart filled with breakfast foods, which she promptly served to them.
“You’ll be safe and keep them safe, right, Lia?” Posy asked when she finished serving.
“I will, Posy,” Lia replied with a gentle smile. “Remember, Cassia and Doc are in charge while I’m away.”
“Yes,” Posy nodded before she left them to their meal.
“Cassia is the better choice for running this place,” Doc said.
“She’ll do the majority of it, but since you have part ownership of the Lily, you might need to step in from time to time.”
“For the truly stupid and unruly. Got it.”
“The money should be in today,” Ayla reminded Doc after a couple of minutes.
“I’ll check on it,” Doc said.
“If you think of other paperwork you need, please make a note of it for me,” Sophia told him. “I’ll make sure to get to it when we get back.”
“Will do.”
“Do you have any plans while we’re gone?” Ayla asked.
“I’ll probably have Sigmund stop by and check on him again, and I’ll heal anyone who comes by and asks. That’s about it. Our plans are still moving forward, right?”
“Yes, with the addition of purchasing the land between here and the mine. Ah, that reminds me,” Ayla turned to Lia. “I need to know how much of the cliff face is sacred to your clan.”
“Why?” Lia asked.
“If we build a pathway up the cliff, it’d cut down the time to get to the mine.”
“To better connect it to the town and make the expansion of the town more seamless,” Sophia added.
“Oh. The land where the dead lie is sacred. I’d ask you to give them some buffer.”
“That’s fine, then,” Ayla nodded. “We can build the path at the north end of the town. It’ll be a long back and forth path. I’ve already discussed the idea with the clan, Doc. They’ll do the job and at a decent cost.”
“After we get the property locked up?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll leave you to arrange it,” Doc said.
“I’ll also drop the letter to my old friend off at the general store when we leave.”
“Sophia,” Doc said as he finished his meal, “how’s your mother?”
Sophia gave Doc a smile. “She’s fine, Doc. Busy with me gone, but I have a distant cousin coming to take up my old position. She told me you checked with her about me.”
Doc shrugged. “I didn’t want her upset with us.”
“It was kind of you. Thank you. It soothed the small worries she had.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“Well, that was the best food we’ll be having for the next few days,” Fiala said, pushing her plate away.
“You’re not wrong,” Lia agreed, “but we’ll be having hot meals while we’re out. Everyone will learn the basics of setting camp on this trip, as well as the guns.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Sonya said as she pushed her plate away and stood up. “I need to retrieve the guns from our room. I’ll be back down shortly.”
“We should all get anything we still need,” Lia said, rising to her feet. “Meet me outside in a few minutes.”
Everyone got to their feet and headed for the door, except Doc and Lia. As the others left, Lia gave Doc a smile. “I’ll keep them safe, so don’t worry.”
“I know you will,” Doc said. “I’ll see you all when you return.”
“I hope you have a few quiet days,” Lia said as she started for the door. She paused at the doorway. “Sigmund, I believe Doc was going to see you later.”
“Came for help,” Sigmund said. “Doc busy. Need to see early if want help.”
“He’s making a name for himself,” Lia agreed. “How are your hats?”
Sigmund’s smile grew wide. “Good. Very good. Happy hats. Making one for you.”
Lia laughed lightly. “I’m not known for wearing hats, but if you make one, I will make an exception.”
“Good, good! It will be special!”
“I
’ll look forward to it. Doc is waiting for you, and I have to go. Be well, my friend.” Lia patted Sigmund’s shoulder before leaving him in the doorway.
“Sigmund,” Doc greeted the small man, “it’s good to see you. I’m glad you came by.”
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