Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Hutch’s firm grip on my arm stops me in my tracks, and not because he’s trying to keep me from leaving. It’s the steady feel of him, bringing up memories that are making my heart turn end over end.
Hutch loosens his grip. “Sorry. Stay, please.”
I glance over my shoulder. In the glow of the barn lights, the weariness in his gaze and the tension in his strong shoulders reminds me of the heavy, scary burden he’s carrying. He’s out of his element in so many ways. The last thing he needs is my petulance. We can find a way to coexist in this short timeframe. Then he’ll return to duty and I’ll get back to the life I’m building.
“Okay,” I tell him.
We work in silence feeding the rest of the horses, the strain between us like sandpaper on my chilled skin. I knew it was a risk coming over unannounced, but Louisa really does need my help.
“Any updates from your mom?” I ask as we leave the barn and walk toward the pig pen. The sun peeks over the snowy Bitterroots, brightening the fields and pasture .
“She’s not strong enough for the surgery they want to do,” he says.
I release a slow breath. This is not good news. “She’s been feeling sick for a while, hasn’t she?”
He kicks a loose pebble. “Yeah.”
“They kept it from you.”
“Downplayed it.”
“I’m sorry.” I want to tell him that I didn’t know, either, but it won’t help him feel better.
At the pig pen, a sow and her five piglets are snuggled together in their pile of clean hay. We get the feed ready in the neighboring shed, using the chart Louisa has on the wall. The babies get a starter diet of a grain mix and the sow gets a specialized blend to help her produce milk.
“Is there anything I can do?” I ask Hutch after the pigs are munching their breakfast, the babies grunting and wagging their little tails.
Hutch rests one foot on the lower fence rail, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance. “Tell me how to get her strong again.”
A knot sinks into my stomach. There’s frustration in his tone, helplessness.
I want to fix it for him, but I can’t.
From the driveway, twin beams from approaching headlights sweeps across the field behind us. With a frown, Hutch pushes off the fence and heads toward the driveway. When I see who it is, I follow.
“Something tells me you’re not here for barn chores,” Hutch says to our friend Zach Hayes, who has parked his Finn River Sheriff Deputy SUV next to my car.
When I step into the light, Zach arches an eyebrow, like he’s surprised to see me here. He’s quick to refocus on Hutch. “Is Beth home?”
Hutch curses. “What’d she do? ”
I glance from Zach to Hutch, trying to read him. Why would he assume Beth is in trouble?
Zach steps out of his rig. “Marin Lambert hasn’t been seen since yesterday morning. She was supposed to be with Beth and a few others last night. Any chance she’s here?”
The girl’s name pingpongs through my brain. It’s familiar, yet I can’t place it.
“I don’t think so.” Hutch replies. “You want to talk to Beth?”
“If it’s okay with you.”
“Of course,” Hutch replies, heading for the house.
This seems like a good time to leave, so I wait for Zach to follow Hutch then walk to my car.
Back home, I decide to treat myself to a bath, so add my favorite vanilla bath beads and get the water running while I pack a quick lunch. When I climb into the tub, I can practically feel the tightness in my muscles melting away. I settle in and close my eyes, my thoughts drifting like clouds in a summer sky. Why does the name Marin ring a bell? And why did Hutch seem immediately ready to blame Beth for Zach’s visit? Yesterday, Louisa said that Beth is angry. Has she been acting out?
After I pry myself from the water, I hurry to get dressed and make a final cup of coffee to take with me. I’m just loading up my things to carry out to my car when my phone lights up with a text from Jeremy.
Cutback is playing at the Limelight Friday. Want to go?
I stare at it, trying to formulate the right kind of reply. When I first moved home, Jeremy had recently moved back to Finn River too, and we went out a few times—just as friends. Or at least that’s where I was coming from. Then he tried to kiss me. It caught me off guard. Once I finally found my words, he apologized, but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s not done trying .
I pick up my phone to type a short reply when it rings. It’s Hutch.
My fingers hover over the screen, which is lit up by my favorite picture of him. I thought about changing it, but Hutch stopped calling, so I didn’t have to. Seeing it now brings so many memories flooding into my heart, awakening an acute, tight ache.
“Hey,” I say, lifting the phone to my ear.
“I hate to ask you this,” he says, his voice firm. “I’m going to help out with the search for Marin. Beth is working a double today. Would you be willing to check on Mom? They’re not releasing her until tomorrow.”
“Of course,” I reply. “I have an early lunch today, will that work?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I’ll let her know.”
“No problem.”
There’s a hint of a pause before he thanks me and hangs up. I shouldn’t be irritated, but it’s like my skin has grown prickles.
The sense that I’m missing something mixed with my pent-up frustrations haunts me throughout my morning. Finally, while I’m waiting in my office for a call back from a specialist, I check my database for Marin Lambert. To my surprise, she’s there, though she hasn’t been seen since I took over Dr. Boone’s practice. I stare at her file, stumped. Then I read the notes that she suffers from pollen-induced asthma, and the memory fires.
She was the girl that Hutch and I helped at Sofie and Zach’s wedding. For an instant, I’m back in that bridal cabin, coaching a scared girl to breathe. “Proud of you, Greely,” Hutch had said.
And now, that same girl is missing. A sense of unease spreads through my chest. Where could she be?
My last morning patient is Sofie’s older brother, Jesse, with his five-year-old daughter, Skye, for a checkup. When I step into the room, Skye glances up from where she’s sitting on Jesse’s lap with one of the picture books from the basket open in front of her.
“Hi guys,” I say, and set down my tablet .
“Hey doc,” Jesse says. He leans to the side so he can see his daughter’s face, while still balancing her on his lap and the book he’s holding. “Remember Ava from Sofie’s party?”
Skye’s curious blue eyes widen. “You’re a doctor?”
I smile. “I am. Lucky me I get to be your doctor.”
Jesse sets the book back in the basket. I set the height and weight chart Vivian printed out on the desk so he can see it. “Everything looks super,” I tell him.
Warmth fills his eyes. “That’s good to hear.”
We chat a little about the importance of eating vegetables, limiting screen time, and encouraging activity, and I like what I hear. Jesse is clearly a loving and responsible dad, and though I’m sure being a solo parent isn’t easy, he seems happy. Humble, but proud. And Skye is a content and confident little girl, which is all the proof I need that she’s well-adjusted despite her mom’s absence.
“Do you have any questions for me?” I ask while Skye sits on the ground to pull on her shoes, her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration as she ties the laces.
Jesse arches an eyebrow. “How do I get your nurse’s number?” he asks in a low tone.
I laugh. “Try asking her.”
He gives me a sheepish grin. “I did.”
Vivian doesn’t share much, but I overheard her tell Sepp she only has room for one man in her life—her son Mateo. There was something about her firm tone, like there’s a story behind that choice.
“Wish I could help you,” I say.
“Did it!” Skye crows, jumping to her feet.
“Nice going, squirt!” Jesse offers a high five and she smacks it.
While Skye and Vivian deliberate sticker choices, Jesse leans in to ask, “Did you hear about Marin Lambert?”
I frown. “Yeah. Any news?”
His eyes tense. “No.”
“Oof,” I say under my breath because I’m imagining her parents right now, worried out of their minds. “Hutch is helping search. ”
“I heard,” he replies easily, which makes sense. In a small town like Finn River, news like this carries fast. Plus, Jesse and Hutch have been friends almost as long as he and I have.
“They’ll find her,” I say.
He nods. “We should get the band back together before Hutch takes off again.”
“Sure,” I say, but it comes out like a croak.
Jesse’s look turns curious, but Skye slips her little hand into his and gives it a tug. “Froyo, Daddy, remember?”
Jesse scoops her to his side and rubs his nose to hers. “I remember.”
They disappear down the hallway negotiating the addition of sprinkles.
When I arrive at Louisa’s room, she’s frowning at a ball of yarn and two pointed sticks in her lap. There’s also a book open on her knees.
“Save me, Ava,” she says with a groan.
I set the bouquet of flowers I bought from the gift shop on her side table and give her heart monitor a quick glance. What little I see looks like an improvement from yesterday. “What seems to be the trouble?”
Louisa’s eyes are fixed on the flowers. “Those are so pretty.”
“Not as pretty as yours, but they’ll do.”
She brushes off my compliment with an arch of her eyebrow. “Which is exactly why I need to get out of here so I can get back to work.”
“No work for you, according to your care team.”
She lifts the tangled lump from her lap. “I’m not good at sitting around.”
I pull up a chair and scan the “Knitting for Dummies” step-by-step guide and the long, steely blue needles poking into the jumble of thick red yarn. “What are you knitting? ”
“You can’t tell?”
“Well, it’s round. A hat?”
“A scarf. This is why I don’t belong in a bed. I’m not cut out for the sedentary life.”
“So you’re not a knitter.” I pull the gift wrapped in brown paper from my purse. “Maybe this will help.”
Louisa’s eyes widen. “You didn’t.”
I push the gift across the bumpy cotton blanket. To my delight, Louisa rips back the paper and clutches the book to her chest. “A new Jennie Marts book! Have you read it?”
I bite my lip. “I finished it last night.”
“Good?”
I have to resist the urge to rub the cover of the hot cowboy in a skin-tight shirt and a pair of Wranglers that hang from his hips like a dream. “Crazy good. My favorite so far in the series.”
She laughs, but it’s more like a cackle, then gives the book a quick inspection. “You didn’t have to buy me a new copy. You could have loaned me yours.”
Typical Louisa, always thinking frugal. “It’s a gift.” And I’m not quite ready to let mine go. A girl never knows when she might need a hot cowboy whispering dirty praises in her ear. Paired with my powerful little Over The Moon vibrating party favor from Kirilee’s bachelorette weekend, and I am the queen of efficiency.
Louisa places a hand over her heart and smiles. “Thank you.”
“Enjoy.”
“What are you doing staying home reading when you could be out with a real cowboy?”
I roll my eyes. “Book boyfriends do it better, we both know that.”
She gives a wistful sigh. “Don’t I know it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. In fact, I may know someone.”
I wave my arms to put a stop to this immediately. “Don’t you dare.”
Her look turns steely. “Hear me out, okay? He’s thirty- five, works for the Department of Energy as a chemist, likes to fish and cross-country ski and loves music.”
“How do you know him?”
“He’s Tracy’s nephew.”
Tracy runs a floral business supplied mostly by Louisa and is one of her closest friends. “That’s pretty far away.” The Idaho National Laboratory is on the other side of the state.
Her eyes brighten. “He has a place in Finn River and spends his off time here.”
I cross my arms. “What’s the catch?”
She shakes her head. “He’s never been married. No kids. Even his student loans are paid off.”
I laugh because she knows me too well. “Did my mom put you up to this?”
She gives me a playful shrug. “Just meet him for coffee. Sixty-nine percent of couples meet because of a mutual friend.”
“You made that up.”
“Okay, but it’s a surprisingly high percentage.”
How did we end up talking about my dead-end love life? Speaking of which, I still haven’t replied to Jeremy’s text.
“Fine, give him my number. But tell him he’s under no obligation to call me. He might be secretly engaged. Or still getting over someone.”
The red line on Louisa’s heart monitor gives a flutter, but she flashes me a warm smile like she didn’t feel it. She’s never asked about what happened that night six years ago that put distance between me and Hutch, but she’s likely figured it out. I’m just glad it didn’t come between us, because Louisa’s like a second mom to me.
“Enough about me,” I say. “Tell me everything Dr. Shelby shared with you.”
When I finally leave the hospital after my debrief and checking in with my patient, I hurry through the steady drizzle to the parking garage, my footsteps echoing in the vast space. I’m halfway up the stairs when an unfamiliar scratching sound pricks the hairs on the back of my neck.
I pause to listen. I’m alone, right?
“Hello?” I call out. The stairway is poorly lit, but not so dark that I wouldn’t see someone heading down.
I slip my keys from my purse and grip them so my house key pokes between my knuckles. An old trick from my days riding the BART or leaving the campus anatomy lab late at night.
When I reach the landing, I steel myself for a surprise, but the only things here are a handful of parked cars. I scan, my senses on full alert.
Movement from a high corner catches my eye and a swallow flutters from a nest that blends seamlessly with the dark concrete. I release a startled laugh, then shake off my silly nerves.
On my way back to work, I make a stop at The Sweet Spot for one of their peanut butter banana protein smoothies because I don’t have time to eat the sandwich and apple slices waiting for me in my office. Thankfully, only two people are waiting in line.
“Hey, Ava.”
I whip around. It’s Jeremy, dressed in hiking clothes. He must have come in right after me.
“Hi, Jeremy.”
He joins me in line. “Snacking on the go, huh?”
“Yep, busy day. And I love their smoothies.”
He scans the menu board hanging above the order counter. “Which one’s your favorite?”
“The Chunky Monkey or the Vanilla Oasis.”
The clerk takes my order and I step aside. Jeremy orders the Vanilla Oasis, then joins me waiting at the pickup window.
“Have you talked to Hutch yet?” I ask.
He tilts his head, curious. “He’s in town?”
I give him the brief version of Louisa’s health issues. He rubs his chin. “I’m heading out on a search, I wonder?— ”
“Oh, right!” I say. That’s why he’s dressed for hiking instead of his mall security uniform. “He’ll be there.”
“I’ve got a Chunky Monkey for Ava!” the helper behind the counter calls out, sliding my smoothie across the pickup window.
“See you,” I say to Jeremy as I grab my smoothie and spin for the door.
“Oh hey, what about Cutback?” he calls out.
I clench my eyes shut for an instant, then plaster on a smile and turn back. “Sorry, I have plans. I hope it’s a great show.”
His gaze seems to linger on me for an instant, like he wants to say something more. When he doesn’t, I lift my smoothie in farewell and slip outside.
Five minutes later, back in my office, I’m still thinking about Jeremy and that crushed look on his face when my phone dings with a text.
It’s from the group chat Sofie named “Three Musketeers” that I share with her and Kirilee.
SOFIE:
Have you seen Hutch yet?
I take a series of deep breaths before typing my reply.
ME:
Yesterday and this morning.
KIRILEE:
How are you doing?
I’m tempted to lie to my friends, but Sofie’s the most perceptive person I know, so I won’t be able to hide my feelings for long. And Kirilee was there for me the morning after at the wedding, so she probably already knows how I feel.
ME:
It’s awkward, but we’re working through i t
Sofie gives my message a heart, and Kirilee sends a sweet GIF that makes me smile.
I’m about to tuck my phone away when it dings with another message.
SOFIE:
Think you can handle a cookout together at Hazel Creek this weekend?
Jesse mentioned a gathering, but I didn’t think it would happen this fast. A wave of nostalgia hits me so hard I have to sit down. Hazel Creek is where we used to go as kids with our families. I remember when I invited Hutch and his mom and sisters to join us. I taught Hutch how to catch frogs and he taught me how to whistle.
ME:
Of course. Sounds fun.
SOFIE:
Great! I’ll call you later
I give it a heart and force down a hard swallow. Because saying yes to this feel like walking into a trap.