Chapter 4 #2
Since he’d not put the phone on speaker, she let the hum of voices and the smell of cornbread lull her into a near-food coma.
Although they still had hours to drive, she felt content and full.
But that sensation didn’t just come from the food.
It helped that they were sitting in the most beautiful valley she’d ever seen, like something out of a movie.
A white, battered farmhouse stood on a small hill.
A green lawn spread out in all directions, with half of the space devoted to stainless steel outdoor cookers and tents that covered picnic tables filled with guests.
Beyond the lawn was a meadow covered in white and yellow wildflowers that swayed with the wind.
And far in the distance, the mountains towered over them all like a sentinel protecting the entire valley and foothills.
She had no idea what Milltown looked like. She had no idea about its traditions, its history. While she’d prepped for the move to Virginia, she’d done little research on its people. But, if Milltown was as lovely as this random BBQ place, maybe she’d love it.
Luke’s easy grin faded. “Wait. What are you talking about? Who the hell is Edmund and why did he shut off Holly’s phone?”
She leaned forward and whispered, “What about my phone?”
His eyes flicked to her, brows furrowing. “Thanks, bro. See you soon.”
“What did Edmund do to my phone?”
“Edmund is annoyed and had to shut your phone off.” Luke picked up his iced tea and took another drink.
“Apparently, even in the safe, he could hear it ringing and pinging. You’ve been getting calls and texts from the Human Resources department at Milltown Hospital as well as messages from a Dr. Dolan in Boston.
” Luke dug into his coleslaw. “Who is Dr. Paul Dolan?”
She tightened her fingers around her iced tea glass. “Someone I used to know.”
He didn’t press the issue, but his expression had changed. Not suspicion exactly. Maybe curiosity and concern.
Just as she reached for her napkin, a high-pitched wail cut through the tent.
A little girl at the next table was sobbing and clutching her arm.
Her father was trying to soothe her, but the girl was squirming and screaming.
Red blotches began to cover her face, almost matching the red poppies on her white sundress.
“Bee,” someone muttered nearby.
A woman stood and cried out, “My daughter! She’s allergic.”
Holly grabbed her purse and maneuvered through a growing group of onlookers. Gently, she pushed the mother away and crouched next to the little girl. Her breathing sounded harsh and erratic, and now hives were popping up on her arms.
“Hi there.” Holly brushed the child’s long braid off her shoulder to check her neck. “Mind if I take a quick look?”
The girl’s eyes were wide, and her breaths were shortening, both from the anaphylaxis and the fear and pain from the bee sting. Red hives now covered her cheek, neck, and arms.
“Can you help her,” The girl’s father said in a low, trembling voice.
“Yes. I’m a doctor.” She held the girl’s hand, not liking how fast the hives were coming up, and glanced at the mother. “Do you have an EpiPen?”
Holly kept her voice low and steady. She had antihistamines in her kit, but if the mother didn’t have an epi-pen, things were going to move quickly into emergency territory.
The mother, who was frantically searching through her purse, finally pulled out an EpiPen and handed it to Holly.
It had the familiar thick, pen-like injector with a blue safety cap on one end and an orange tip on the other.
It looked deceptively simple but the adrenaline inside could save a life in seconds.
She flicked off the blue safety cap and pressed the orange tip firmly against the girl’s outer thigh—right through the fabric of her sundress. With a soft click, the injector fired. The girl jolted, then gasped, but Holly kept the pen steady for a slow count of three before pulling it back.
“You’re okay, sweetheart,” she murmured, brushing stray hairs back from the girl’s damp forehead. “Medicine’s in. You’re going to feel better real soon. But I need to pull out the stinger.”
The dad sat next to his daughter and held her close.
Meanwhile, Holly found her small med kit from her purse and flipped it open.
A few quick, calm moments later, she’d sterilized her tweezers and located the stinger embedded in the child’s upper arm.
Then she dabbed ointment from a single-use pack onto the bright red mark, and the girl’s sobs had faded to sniffles.
She cleaned up her medical equipment quickly and spoke with a low, soft tone to the parents.
“The hives are going down, and her pulse is better. Keep a close eye on her for the next half hour. But if you see any change at all in her breathing, her skin color, or any more hives, get her to an ER as soon as you can.”
“Thank you,” the father said, eyes too wide and shiny.
“And call her pediatrician tomorrow to let them know what happened. They may want to check her out and do more allergy testing. As kids grow, their reactions can both diminish to some allergens and get worse with others.” She stood, brushed her hands on her jeans, and turned just as the mother took her hand.
“I can’t thank you enough.” The mother, with her brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, and her denim shorts hitting her knees, had tear-streaked cheeks.
“It’s okay now.” Holly tapped her arm to reassure her. “Just make sure to renew your prescription for another EpiPen and don’t leave home without it. Your being prepared is what saved her, not my being here.”
Before the mother could respond, Holly returned to the table where Luke was watching her with that same unreadable expression. That’s when she noticed that the entire tent had gone quiet.
She sat down, then glanced back at the girl who was now being comforted with cornbread and a generous helping of mac and cheese.
“So,” Luke’s lilt in his voice sent shivers down her spine. “Do you always save people at barbecues?”
“Just showing off.” She kept her voice wry, but it sounded tight because her pulse hadn’t slowed yet.
Luke watched her carefully. “Holly Wythe, who gets phone calls from hospitals and doctors, is a doctor herself.”
She blew out a long breath. She wasn’t sure why she’d not admitted that until now, but now that he knew she was glad the truth was out.
“Yes.” She paused and pointed to his phone on the table.
“I recently left my hospital in Boston and, come next week, will be joining the staff of Milltown’s hospital.
And I’m meeting the realtor tonight to get the keys to my new apartment. ”
“Have you ever been to Milltown?”
“No. I just know my grandpa used to live nearby.”
“Well, it’s certainly different from Boston.” He didn’t push further, but she could feel the question about Dr. Paul Dolan hanging between them. Like vines, curling in.
“Would you mind if we stayed for dessert?” she asked casually, though she felt her pulse flutter. Probably from the adrenaline letdown. “Just long enough to keep an eye on that little girl, make sure there’s no more reaction.”
Luke’s brows lifted. Then he smiled, and the bands around her heart loosened. “Banana pudding okay?”
“I’ve never had banana pudding, but it sounds wonderful.”
They ate in silence for a few more minutes while they finished their lunch. Or at least he did. She mostly played with her cornbread, her thoughts flickering from Paul Dolan to Luke’s comment about Milltown to the weight of his gaze.
Kev, a tall, muscular man in a T-shirt and jeans, and also the owner of the BBQ restaurant, came by with a pitcher of iced tea “I just heard about your woman’s quick thinking with that EpiPen. I was in the kitchen when that happened.”
“Kev?” Luke nodded toward Holly. “Meet Dr. Holly Wythe. Soon to be Milltown’s newest doctor.”
Kev placed the pitcher on the table, wiped his hands on a towel draped over one shoulder, and held out his hand. “Welcome to the mountains, Doc.”
She took his hand and shook, hating that her cheeks felt flushed from the “your woman” comment. “Actually, I’m an OB/GYN.”
Both Luke and Kev stared at her.
“A doctor for mothers and unborn babies.”
Luke nodded, as if he knew all about such things.
“Got it.” Kev began pouring them both more iced tea. “I’m sure Milltown is happy to have you. They don’t have a great retention record when it comes to doctors and nurses. You two ready for dessert?”
She coughed on her iced tea.
“Any banana pudding back there?” Luke asked, oblivious to her distress.
What had Kev meant by that comment?
Her heart revved up again and sweat beaded her forehead. She’d done her homework. She knew what she was in for. A rural hospital was exactly what she needed to heal from burnout and a broken heart.
She’d sold/given away/thrown out everything in her life to make this move. Her plan had to work out. She had no backup options. She’d metaphorically burned the bridge behind her with the help of thrift shops, eBay, and the local trash dump.
“We always have pudding,” Kev said. “But if you’re trying to stall so you can miss that tux fitting, you’ll need more than pudding.”
Luke shot Kev an annoyed look, but the other man just grinned and walked away whistling.
“Tux fitting?” Holly asked, trying to sound light. “Is this for Hawk’s wedding?”
She remembered Mac and Charlie talking about it earlier at the convenience store.
Luke shrugged. “My cousin Hawk is getting married on Sunday. For some reason, I and all of my brothers have to wear tuxedos even though we’re not in the wedding party.”
“You don’t know the reason?”
“I mean…” he sighed. “Caleb—”
“Your grandfather?”