Chapter Forty-Three
Twenty minutes later, I pull into Fitz and Jamie’s driveway. After two knocks on the door, Jamie answers. She has a little baby belly and a huge smile.
“Oh my gosh!” She throws herself into my arms. “William,” she says with a long sigh.
“Surprise,” I say, releasing her and sliding off my jacket while I step inside and remove my boots.
“You’re the best surprise. How have you been? Fitz just ran to the grocery store, but he’ll be back soon. Sit. We have so much catching up to do.”
She takes the cream-colored rocking chair that looks new, and I sit on the sofa.
“You look amazing. Dare I say glowing?”
Jamie blushes. “I’ve never been happier.” Her smile fades a bit. “I’d like to see my friend, William Landry, find this kind of happiness.”
“I’m afraid I can’t get pregnant, so I’ll have to settle for something less glowing.”
Jamie strokes her chin. “The beard is new.”
I nod. “It’s a little unkempt from spending so much time in the wilderness. I’ve never grown a beard before now. Firefighters can only have mustaches.”
“Well, it’s ruggedly handsome on you.”
“Aw, thanks, Jaymes. You’re the best.” My gaze drops to her hand rubbing her belly. I couldn’t be happier for my friends.
“How are you?” she asks, drawing my attention back to her face as she curls her dark hair behind one ear. Her head cants to the side. It’s more than a courteous question to spark idle conversation. I can tell from the little creases in her forehead that she’s concerned.
“I’m good. Genuinely.”
“Genuinely good sounds . . .”
“Good?”
She chuckles and nods. “Yeah. Maybe you found yourself, this new, hairier version of yourself”—she winks—“in the process of getting a little lost in the woods. I once overheard Everleigh telling a patient’s parents that what might look like a step backward, a slight regression, is actually necessary to move forward.
She told the dad to stand tall and, without bending his knees, jump.
Of course, he couldn’t. Her point being that he had to go down before he could go up. ”
I hum and nod. “Speaking of Everleigh, have you heard from her?”
“Yeah, like two months ago. She was taking a trip. But I haven’t heard from her since. You?”
“She’s in Key West.”
Jamie’s eyes widen. “On vacation again?”
“She’s living there for the next year. Well, the next ten months.”
“She didn’t take the job at Hopkins?”
“Apparently not.”
“Huh. Is she working at a hospital or clinic? How did you find this out? Did you talk to her?”
“I was just at her place. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see how far she made it on her barndominium. But someone is living in her Airstream. A young woman from Key West who Everleigh swapped houses with for the next year.”
“Wow. That’s unexpected. I can’t imagine what job she would have taken that’s better than Hopkins.”
“Funny you should say that because the woman staying in her Airstream said Everleigh is working the counter at a café that sells key lime pies. Award-winning pies.”
Jamie wrinkles her nose. “What?”
Pressing my lips together, I nod slowly.
“That makes no sense.”
“My thoughts too.”
“How do we know this person staying in her camper is legit? What if she’s a squatter?”
I hadn’t thought of that. That’s weird, but not entirely impossible. After all, she seemed confused when I mentioned Everleigh being a doctor.
“You should call her,” I say.
“Why don’t you call her?” Jamie reaches for her phone on the coffee table.
“I’ve tried calling and texting. She won’t reply to me.”
Jamie puts her phone on speaker as it rings.
“This voicemail has reached its limit and cannot accept new messages.”
We frown while listening to the recording.
“I’ll text her,” Jamie says, thumbs tapping the screen. “Someone is staying in your Airstream. Is that okay? Are you in Key West?” She mumbles the words while typing them, then she sends it and sets the phone on the arm of her rocking chair. “It says delivered. Have you tried calling her mom?”
“I don’t have her number.”
She corkscrews her lips for a second. “Who’s her emergency contact on your rental agreement? You asked for one when I rented from you. I assume Everleigh had to list one. Since her father is in India, I’m sure she put her mom.”
I pull my phone from my pocket. “I think Maren emailed it to me after I found out who she rented the shed to.” When I shoot Jamie a scowl, she grins.
“Elizabeth Reichart,” I say, reading Everleigh’s emergency contact. I call the number on the application and put it on speakerphone.
“This is Liz.”
“Liz, it’s Will Landry. Everleigh’s . . .” I have a moment. I’m not her landlord anymore. Friend?
“Yes, Will, I remember you. I was sorry to hear about your father.”
“Thank you. I’ve been trying to reach Everleigh, but she’s—”
“Taking a break,” Liz says.
A break. I look at Jamie. I’m not sure passing up a position at Johns Hopkins to work at a café in Key West is a break. Jamie gestures toward the phone, silently egging me on.
“I’m sure it’s none of my business, but I’m here with Jamie, and we’re just concerned because there’s a woman living in Everleigh’s Airstream that says she and Everleigh have swapped places for a year. She claims Everleigh is living in Key West.”
“What? Swapped houses? That can’t be. She said she needed a little time and space and Johns Hopkins gave her an extension on her start date, but not for a year.”
Jamie cringes.
“Do you know if she’s working at a café that sells key lime pies?”
Liz nervously chuckles. “What are you talking about?”
“The woman living in her Airstream said as much. Do you think you should check on this before we call the police and report the woman on her property?”
Liz blows out a long sigh. “I hope this isn’t related to your father dying. She said it wasn’t, but now I’m not so sure.”
“You mean because she was there when he died?” I ask.
“What? You’re not serious.”
Jamie and I exchange confused looks.
“Yes. I believe she was the only one with him. By the time my mom and I got there, she was gone. Honestly, I have no idea why she was there. Why she didn’t tell me she was going to see him.”
“Shit,” Liz whispers.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I was concerned about her being there with your father so close to dying. I expressed my concerns, but she dismissed them. But I knew it could trigger her.”
“Trigger what?”
“Her emotional issues with the death of her father. Which is a little odd because she never met her father.”
“Wait.” I shake my head. “What are you talking about? He’s a doctor in Delhi. She spent years living three months with him in India and three months with you in New York.”
“Uh . . . when did she tell you that?” Liz asks.
“When we met in California, and she’s mentioned her father on many occasions since then.
He’s the one who wanted her to be a doctor.
She learned to play the violin for him and took dance for you.
He sent her kites. We flew one of them, and I crashed it.
She said you met him when he was in New York City for a conference.
A group of doctors went to a gallery exhibition, and that’s where he met you.
” I feel breathless after spewing those words—the story Liz should know.
After a few seconds, she whispers, “I like that story.”
“What do you mean you like that story? It’s not true?” I drag a hand through my hair. What is happening?
“No,” she says. “Since she was a young girl, Everleigh has made up stories about her father. She wanted her friends to think she had a father too. I guess it wasn’t popular to tell people her mom had sex with a guy who was down on his luck the night we met at a bar.
Who wants to tell people their father was mentally ill and committed suicide before their mother even knew she was pregnant? ”
Jamie covers her mouth as tears fill her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Will. I thought she had accepted it. After all, she’s a psychiatrist. I had no idea she was still telling white lies.”
White lies? Is she implying Everleigh’s mental issues are trivial?
“Is she getting help?” Jamie blurts out.
Liz laughs. “I’d say no if it’s true that she’s working at a café in Key West. I’ll be damned.”
Jamie’s nose scrunches, and I return a shrug. Nothing makes sense.
“It was a lot of pressure being that gifted,” Liz says.
“When she was seven, I took her to Key West. And she said that when she grew up, she wanted to work in Key West. She’s done all the things there are to do.
She’s brilliant. Wealthy. Accomplished. Now she’s taking a moment to follow her childhood dream.
She’s taking a step back. I have to believe it’s all for a reason. ”
“Liz, she turned down a job at Johns Hopkins,” I say.
“She said it was an extension.”
I shake my head and close my eyes. “You can’t believe that.”
Liz doesn’t reply.
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes,” she murmurs. “I heard you. And I don’t like that she’s struggling, but I trust her. She must really need this time. I’m doing a job for a client next week. After that, I’ll go down there to check on her.”
After next week? I open my mouth, but Jamie shakes her head.
“Can you call her to see if the woman living in her Airstream is supposed to be there?” I ask.
“Yeah. Sure. I’ll text you when I hear back.”
“Thanks.” I end the call and toss my phone aside before dropping my face into my hands. “Fuck . . . what is going on?” I mumble. When I look up, it’s written all over Jamie’s somber face. “She needs help,” I whisper.
Jamie frowns before offering a slow nod.
“Jaymes,” I stare at the ceiling for a second, “Everleigh talked about her father a lot. Not like once or twice. She never tried to steer the conversation away from him. It’s like she wanted to talk about him.
It wasn’t me asking her a million questions.
I didn’t back her into a corner, forcing her to tell a white lie because she didn’t want to be the only one in the room without a father. ”
“My heart is broken for her,” she says.
I don’t know what my heart is. Everything’s still spinning in my head. I’m replaying every conversation I’ve ever had with Everleigh about her father.
She’s. A. Psychiatrist.
“You should go see her. I would, but I’m not flying this far along in my pregnancy.”
The back door opens, and Fitz grins, kicking off his boots before depositing grocery bags on the counter. “Where the hell did you come from?”
I stand and force a smile while hugging him. “Finally made it out of the woods,” I say.
“I’m glad you did.” He releases me. “Are you back to stay?” He gestures to his own stubbly face, but I know he’s referencing my beard.
I stroke it while smirking, but my smile doesn’t last long. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“He’s going to Key West,” Jamie says as Fitz holds out his hand to help her from the chair, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head.
“Never took you for a beach guy,” Fitz says.
“Everleigh got lost on her way to Baltimore, so Will is going to go get her back on track.” Jamie keeps her arms around Fitz like he’s a big teddy bear while eyeing me with a look that dares me to say otherwise.
“How does one end up in Key West on their way to Baltimore?” Fitz narrows his eyes.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. We need to get Will booked on a flight.” Jamie pulls away from Fitz and grabs her phone.
He eyes me, waiting for something, anything from me. But I’ve got nothing.
“Women are messy,” I say.
Fitz knows better than to agree, but I don’t miss his tiny smirk.
“There’s a 6:20 flight in the morning,” Jamie says. “It’s not a quick trip to get there. Two connecting flights. Ugh, this sucks. But it has to be done.”
“Are you staying here, or did Lola sweet-talk you into staying at their house?” Fitz asks, ignoring Jamie.
“What about a rental car? Do you want one? Or are you grabbing an Uber?” Jamie is relentless.
“Booked,” she says. “You can Venmo me the money. I don’t think you need a rental car.
The sheets in the guest room are clean. There’s food in the fridge.
Fitz will drop you off at the airport in the morning.
She’s unwell, so tread lightly. Now, we have to get to our childbirth class.
Then Fitz is taking me for a late dinner.
” Jamie lifts onto her toes and kisses me on the cheek.
Fitz offers a tight grin. “Nice seeing ya for all of ten seconds.”
“I’ll be back,” I say.
“Or you’ll be house hunting and looking for a job in Baltimore,” Jamie calls from the entry, pulling on her boots. “One sec, babe, I left my purse in the bedroom.” She jogs up the stairs.
Fitz watches her like she’s his whole world, and then he looks at me, and his smile dies. “Just because Jamie thinks you should go, doesn’t mean you have to.”
I scratch my scruffy jaw. “Yeah, I know. But the problem with not going is that I fucking love her so much I feel lost and worthless without her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she burned down her house just so I’d get my head out of my ass.”
Fitz slowly raises his eyebrows. “Damn. Now I feel bad for calling her the”—he lowers his voice—“c-word.”
I grin and shake my head. “Yeah, don’t do it again, or I’ll lay you flat on your ass.”
“Oh, she’s that girl, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s that girl.”
Jamie heads down the stairs, and Fitz steps past me, but he stops for a second and squeezes my shoulder. “I’m happy for you, man.”