Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Iwoke up groggy, not from excess wine but from an emotional hangover.
I slithered out of my cotton cocoon to check the clock on my phone.
I wasn’t looking forward to Jinx’s appointment with Dr. Adam this morning.
For starters, I didn’t own a cat carrier, a mistake I’d have to rectify if Jinx was, in fact, a permanent addition to the cottage. Live and learn.
The sleep-induced haze cleared from my brain, allowing me to fully process the time.
No no no.
What happened to the alarm I’d set the night before? Knowing me, I’d turned it off and went straight back to sleep. Wouldn’t be the first time.
I changed clothes, washed my face, and brushed my teeth like the routine was part of a deadly trial. I called to Jinx as I rushed through the cottage. Sharing my sense of urgency was my first mistake. The black cat darted under the sofa, out of reach.
I took a moment to calm myself and change my intonation. “Good morning, Jinx,” I said, followed by the universally recognized sound for “here, kitty kitty.”
Jinx hissed and swatted at me as I peered under the sofa. I’d have to try an alternate method, or my face would end up resembling a patchwork quilt of bloody regret. With an oven mitt on each hand and an old fencing mask over my face, I returned to the sofa to try again.
Jinx crept backward. I moved the sofa, and she moved with it. Why did I choose the smartest cat on the island? To be fair, I’d argue that Jinx chose me, but now wasn’t the time to split hairs.
The minutes ticked by. At this rate, there was no way we’d make the appointment. I shook off the mitts, pulled off the mask, and called Dr. Adam.
“Hi. I hate to ask, but is there any chance I can persuade you to make a house call?”
“Jinx is reluctant to leave, I take it.”
“I’m fairly sure her claws are currently embedded in the underfabric of the sofa.”
“I’ll be there in about five minutes.”
I brushed off the pang of guilt. Dr. Adam made house calls all the time. “Over and above” was part of his personality and had nothing to do with his crush on me.
Accept the goodwill, Maya, I scolded myself. You won’t owe him anything.
True to his word, the druid arrived five minutes later.
“Thank you,” I said, ushering him inside. “I really appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble, really.” He set his medical kit on the coffee table. “Jinx is still under the sofa, I presume?”
“You got it. I tried to move it, but she moved right along with it.”
“This is where we work with her, rather than against her.” He produced a can of tuna from his jacket pocket and peeled back the lid. “Where’s her bowl?”
I grabbed the bowl from the kitchen and brought it to him. He dumped in a few chunks of tuna and set the bowl on the floor. Jinx crawled straight out from underneath the sofa and began to eat.
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
He smiled. “Honestly, I expected it to be harder.”
“She does love tuna.”
“Is your scale in the bathroom? I’d like to weigh Jinx.”
“I don’t own a scale, but from the weight of her on my chest, I’d say she’s ten pounds.”
“Seems about right.” Dr. Adam crouched beside Jinx. “Once you finish eating, you and I are going to get better acquainted.”
“Not to burst your bubble, but I don’t think she’s in the market for a relationship.”
“Sounds familiar,” he murmured.
“Do you need me to hold her or anything?” I asked.
Dr. Adam stroked the cat’s back as she licked the tuna juice from the bottom of the bowl. “Jinx and I will take it from here, won’t we, Jinx?”
The cat looked at him and meowed. They seemed to have reached an understanding.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. Dr. Adam handled every Neighbor on the island in whatever form they turned up—werewolf, meerkat, skunk, etc.
The healer was a doctor, veterinarian, and psychologist rolled into one appealing package.
A pity he didn’t appeal to me.
“Late night at Meemaw’s last night?” the multitalented druid asked. “I answered an emergency call in Magnolia and noticed your golf cart outside when I left.”
My antennae shot up. “What was the emergency?”
“Nothing, thankfully. Turned out to be a bad case of indigestion.”
That was a relief. I was worried the shadow or oni had made another appearance.
“Was it poker night?” Dr. Adam asked, as he expertly administered the vaccinations. To Jinx’s credit, she didn’t flinch.
“No cards,” I replied. “We played another game. I was trying to help build a bond between Bernice and Louise. The roommate situation was becoming untenable.”
His face flickered with affection. “That’s very kind of you.”
“I consider it an act of public service. Louise’s constant complaining was starting to grate on Meemaw.”
Dr. Adam laughed. “A threat to the entire Neighborhood, then.”
“Hopefully it won’t get to that point.”
He held open Jinx’s mouth to check her teeth. “Which games did you play? Good old-fashioned Scrabble?”
“No, this was a get-to-know-you game to help the players find common ground.”
“Sounds fun. Did you enjoy it?”
I gave him a hesitant look. “Yes and no. The topics were sometimes challenging. It brought up stuff for me that I didn’t expect.”
“Such as?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said quickly. Why had I answered honestly? I knew better than to open the personal door more than a crack.
“Of course it matters,” the druid said. “Games are meant to be fun. If your response is to slam the lid on your experience, then I think that’s worth exploring, don’t you?”
I dropped onto the sofa with such force that I bounced on the cushion. “We talked about our childhood and relationships.” I shook my head, remembering the exchanges with Joan. We should’ve called it trauma dump instead of game night.
“It can be difficult to open up to people when you’re out of practice. You need to exercise sharing like it’s a muscle. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the stronger you become.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” As strong as I was, I didn’t think weight training ever got easier, no matter how many years I’d been doing it. Gods forbid I took a break, like I did this week, then it was even harder to get back into a routine afterward.
“You can practice sharing with me,” Dr. Adam said. “People tell me I’m a good listener.”
He was. I already knew that from firsthand experience. “That might be part of the problem. I don’t think I want to be heard.” Or seen, for that matter.
“Well, I won’t push you, but if and when you’re ready, I’m here.”
“You’re an all-around druid, aren’t you?”
“The healing arts are wide and varied. I prefer to provide a balm for the inside as well as the outside.”
I stared at him in awe. “What were your parents like? Did they hug you every day and tell you they loved you?”
He blinked, seemingly stunned by the questions. “Naturally. They were my parents.”
“That explains it, then.”
“Jinx is all finished.” He booped her nose. “You were an excellent patient, Jinx. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The cat meowed, then ran to scratch at the door. I didn’t blame her for needing space. I crossed the room to let her out, just as the druid’s phone buzzed on the coffee table.
“Dr. Adam.” He listened intently to the caller, which gave me a chance to observe him unnoticed. I could tell how much he cared about his patients. About everyone with whom he interacted. He may have been born into druidhood, but he excelled in the field.
He also excelled as a person. Handsome, kind, patient, emotionally healthy.
A golden retriever in human form. Sadly, his wasn’t the face I conjured when I fell asleep at night.
I wished it was. Then I could finally settle into life on the island, truly integrate.
Maybe even hang a few framed photos. It was a nice dream, but it wasn’t to be.
I came to the island to hide, not play happy homemaker with a man who deserved better.
“That was Ronald’s caregiver,” Dr. Adam said, setting the phone on the table. “He isn’t waking up. I should check on him.”
“He hasn’t shown signs of improvement, then.”
“No. Quite the opposite. I’m troubled by his downward spiral. Nothing I do seems to make a difference.”
“Are you still convinced there’s an unnatural influence at work?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“In that case, would you mind if I come with you?”
“Not at all. I’d be thrilled if we could figure out a way to pull him out of this strange slumber. He can’t continue down this road, or he might not have the strength to recover.”
Dr. Adam had gone out of his way for me; the least I could do was take another look at Ronald.
Outside, I climbed into the passenger seat of Dr. Adam’s golf cart. As we passed a gaggle of Neighbors, I immediately regretted this decision. Tongues would be wagging that we were spotted sharing a cart—in the morning, no less. I’d have to stamp out the romance rumor at the first opportunity.
Ronald’s caregiver greeted us at the door wearing a set of pink scrubs. Glossy brown shoulder-length hair and curtain bangs framed a heart-shaped face. She looked thirty at most.
“He’s taken a turn,” the young woman said, appearing defeated. “I’ve tried everything to rouse him.”
He patted her on the shoulder. “You’ve done well, Kayla. I’ll take it from here.”
Kayla’s gaze flitted to me. “I can stay to assist you.”
“No need. Maya is here to help.”
Kayla’s hands curled into loose fists. “No offense, but Maya works security. What does she know about healing?”
“You’d be surprised.” He aimed a smile at me. “She’s a woman of many hidden talents.”
Kayla didn’t seem to appreciate his response.
She appeared one jerky motion shy of kicking me in the shins.
I wanted to assure her that I had no interest in the good doctor, but I couldn’t think of a way of sharing that information without making the moment more awkward than it already was.
For an intelligent druid, Dr. Adam seemed oblivious to the hostile undertones. Typical man.