Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
D r. Adam was the kind of handsome featured in stock photos encased by picture frames.
Real, but not someone you knew. His blond hair was floppy, and his nose was the ideal shape—large enough to be considered masculine but not large enough to be the focal point.
His looks weren’t the only reason Neighbors flocked to his clinic, though.
If Judd and I were the muscle of the island, Dr. Adam was its heart.
He treated people’s illnesses and injuries, yes, but he did it in a way that healed their insides as well as their outsides.
His bedside manner was the gold standard.
Despite Zachariah’s claim of a crush, the druid and I didn’t have many reasons to interact, although I still felt like I knew him thanks to the countless stories from Neighbors over the years. Like puppies, he was universally adored.
Dr. Puppy shut the file drawer and turned to face me. “Maya, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to the clinic?”
“Gary. ”
Concern overtook his friendly demeanor. “Is he hurt?”
“No, thankfully. He had an incident in the town square the day before yesterday. Did he tell you about it?”
“He didn’t.” The healer dragged a hand through his floppy hair, but there was no mussing that level of perfection.
“Did he ask you to approve his request for a companion?”
Dr. Adam glanced at the door behind me. “Let’s step into my private office. We can talk more freely in there.”
I followed him into a separate room and closed the door behind us. I hadn’t ventured into this part of his office before. Potted plants. A comfy sofa and chair with a knitted throw. A kitchenette. I sensed the doctor spent a lot of time in this room.
“Would you like anything to eat or drink? My kettle is always warm.”
“No thanks.” I made myself comfortable in the chair and pulled the blanket over me, despite the heat. I liked to cocoon whenever possible.
“What happened with Gary?”
I relayed the events involving Ed’s sign and the altercation that followed. “Gary is seriously depressed.”
“I’m aware, and I’m touched by your concern.”
“Will you make sure he gets a companion?”
“It’ll be the next thing I do, after we finish our conversation.”
I peeled off the blanket, preparing to leave. “This was the purpose of our conversation.”
“What about you, Maya?” he asked.
I paused, mid-rise. “What about me? I don’t need a companion.”
“I’m sorry about Judd. I know you two were close. ”
“I don’t know if I’d say that.”
Dr. Adam gave me a sympathetic look. “Maya, it’s okay to admit that his death has been hard on you.”
“His murder .”
“Yes. Murder is much worse, isn’t it?” Dr. Adam sat in the middle cushion of the sofa and faced me.
“We’re on an island designed for an aging population.
Death itself isn’t problematic, but Belinda and Judd were taken from us in horrific and brutal ways.
You’ve suffered a great loss, and now you’re expected to dust yourself off and solve a problem you didn’t create. ”
“It is my job, though.”
“No, it isn’t, Maya. You’re a security officer, not a homicide detective. I told Justine they should have professionals handling this.”
“She’s tried. That’s where I was yesterday, playing nice with the professionals.” If you could call Vale and his team that.
“But you want to be the one to find his killer.”
“I owe it to Judd.”
“What does it matter who solves the murder as long as it’s solved? Why does it need to be you?”
Dr. Adam wouldn’t understand without more context that I wouldn’t—couldn’t—provide.
When I didn’t answer, he pressed on. “It must be incredibly difficult, tackling all this on your own.”
“I have experience working solo.”
“What did you do before you came to the island?”
“I worked as a bounty hunter.” It was as close to the truth as I could muster without sharing too much.
He let loose a low whistle. “How did I not know that?”
“I don’t like to talk about it.”
“Seems like it would be a tough career. ”
“It was. I also started to have issues with the system. That’s when I decided to leave.”
He broke into a genuine smile. “A rebel. I should’ve known.” His eyes sparkled in the atmospheric light. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you left.”
“Because you, too, rage against the machine?”
“Because that fateful decision brought you here.”
Fateful. I hated that word. “Yes, I’m glad too.” The level of honesty was making me uncomfortable. Eager for a distraction, I glanced at the wall decor. Instead of framed diplomas, there were framed nature photos. Granted, they were beautiful and well composed, but not what I expected to see.
“Did you actually graduate from medical school?” I asked.
He snorted. “I’m sure I should be offended by the question. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.”
“How long ago?”
“Probably a few years before you graduated high school.”
It was sweet that he assumed I even attended a high school, let alone graduated from one. “So you’re here under the staff rule too.”
“I am. Did you think otherwise?”
“I wasn’t sure. It’s hard to tell with some of the Neighbors. Laurel’s an ancient druid much older than you and she looks seventy.”
“I come from a long line of healers,” Dr. Adam said.
“I don’t come from a long line of security directors.”
“What do your parents do?”
“Nothing. They’re both dead now.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. It makes sense, though. Those of us who would choose to sequester ourselves on Evermore—we’re not the family types, are we?”
“What happened to your parents?” I generally avoided asking personal questions for fear they’d be reciprocated, but Dr. Adam’s gentle style made me want to answer, to the extent that I could.
“My parents died in an accident when I was five,” he said.
“I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. Any siblings?”
“No, although my mother was pregnant when she died.”
How did someone who’d endured so much grief and loss manage to spread so much joy and hope? Dr. Adam was a gift from the heavens.
“Back on the mainland, whenever I heard a siren, I thought of how someone’s life was about to change, and not in a good way.”
He frowned. “It’s not always bad news, Maya. What if somebody’s delivering a baby? Or having a heart attack, but the ambulance arrives in time to save him?”
“Okay, but the guy still had a heart attack.”
He chuckled. “All right, then. There’s a lot to unpack with you, isn’t there?”
“I don’t know how you do your job. I couldn’t handle all the bad news day in and day out.”
“That’s just called living, Maya. You should try it sometime.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I might be able to help with that.”
“I’m not interested in any meds, but I appreciate the concern.”
“Not meds. I prescribe you a night out on the town. Order good food. Enjoy a conversation that doesn’t revolve around a murder investigation. You could invite a few friends.” He hesitated. “Or I could join you.”
I was reminded of Zachariah’s claim of a crush. “You mean a date,” I repeated.
“We don’t have to put a label on it. We can simply be two people spending a few hours together. Sweet Briar has the best comfort food on Evermore, if that speaks to you.”
Comfort food always spoke to me. “I do like a good hushpuppy.” Did I own a pair of business casual pants with a stretchy waistband? Why, yes. Several, in fact.
His smile was like the sun shining through the clouds. “I love their hushpuppies. They also have a watermelon margarita that will knock your socks off, literally.”
“I’ll be sure to wear sandals.”
“We can talk about anything you like, as long as it isn’t work,” he said, seeming to warm to the idea.
As fun as it was to plan, his idea was pure fantasy.
There was no point in a date with Dr. Adam.
He was a normal, decent, incredibly attractive man-shaped druid.
He deserved a woman who could match his inner and outer goodness.
No matter how I spent the remainder of my days, I would never be a suitable partner for him.
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d rather talk here. Your office is every bit as comfortable as Sweet Briar.” I launched into a question before he could tempt me with hushpuppies again. “What made you decide to take the job on the island?”
“In Tampa, I lived next door to an elderly Valkyrie named Tabitha.”
“Wow. You don’t meet many of those anymore.”
His head bobbed. “Tabitha was one of a kind. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she asked me to give her a funeral worthy of her stature. ”
“But you couldn’t exactly light her on fire and ship her out into Tampa Bay.”
His smile managed to be both wry and sad. “Exactly. I hated that I couldn’t honor her the way she wanted. The way she deserved. On Evermore, she would’ve had that funeral.”
“She must’ve hated dying of cancer.”
“She most certainly did. Resented it terribly. She was a fierce warrior who couldn’t defeat this nonentity that ravaged her insides.
” He gave a rueful shake of his head. “When the oncologists gave up hope, she asked for my help as a druid, but the old ways aren’t equipped for modern diseases.
In the end, I could only make her comfortable. ”
“I’m sure she appreciated everything you did for her.”
Dr. Adam stared at his hands. “Then I couldn’t give her the funeral she wanted either. When I was approached about the job here, I jumped at the chance.”
“You don’t need to feel guilty. Tabitha should’ve understood the constraints.”
His gaze drifted around the room. “She would’ve loved the Neighborhood. She was fiercely competitive.”
“A Valkyrie? Shocker.” Dr. Adam was an open book—any question I asked, he answered with honesty and vulnerability. He was the complete opposite of the locked-down diary that I was.
His phone burst to life. “Excuse me for one moment.” He clicked his screen. “Hello, this is Dr. Adam. What can I do for you?” He listened intently as the caller prattled on. Finally, he set the phone face down on the cushion beside him. “Sorry about that.”