Chapter 26
JONAH
Ray reacted to the sight of me as predicted.
‘What are you doing here?’ he barked, frowning. ‘Given up on setting traps to become a nurse, have you? I knew you wouldn’t cut it out there.’
I didn’t take it personally. There was a friendly – for the most part – rivalry between the lobstermen and fishermen of Maine.
‘It’s nice to see you again too, Ray,’ I replied, leaning against the doorframe of the archway inside the Calderwoods’ lounge. Moira Calderwood, matriarch of the house and veritable saint for putting up with Ray as a houseguest, rolled her eyes and tutted.
‘Play nice,’ she told him. ‘They’ve come all this way out to see you, remember?’
‘I’m always nice. And my memory isn’t the problem.’ He shot me look. ‘Still sharp as a tack I’ll have you know.’
Moira smiled at Mae and I. ‘Would either of you like a hot drink? It’s cold out there today.’
‘It’s cold out there every day,’ Ray grumbled. ‘It’s called winter. Why are you offering them a drink? They’re not here for a social visit.’
‘They shouldn’t be here at all,’ Moira gently chided him. ‘I told you I’d made you an appointment with the GP.’
‘In three days’ time. I could be dead by then.’
‘Don’t go making promises you won’t keep,’ a woman’s voice drawled. I turned to see Taylor Calderwood standing in the open front doorway, shaking a light dusting of snow off her coat.
‘Shut the door,’ Ray snapped. ‘I’m not paying to heat the whole bloody island.’
‘The day you pay for anything is the day I die,’ Taylor retorted. ‘From shock.’
‘Where’s Jack?’ Moira asked her daughter.
‘Work,’ Taylor replied. ‘He was expecting a delivery so had to go in early. I saw the truck pull up in the drive so came to see if everything was OK.’
‘Came to be nosy, more like,’ Ray said.
‘I know it’s hard to believe, Ray, with your endlessly exciting daily schedule, but there are a million more things I could be doing that are of more interest and importance to me than worrying about you.
My hair needs washing, for one. The path needs shoveling again.
Oh, and there’s a documentary on Netflix about the life of pigeons that looks thrilling. ’
‘Stop it, you two,’ Moira said. ‘We have guests.’
Taylor stared at me thoughtfully. ‘I recognize you from somewhere.’
‘School,’ I told her. ‘You and Cal were a couple of years behind me.’
She clicked her fingers. ‘You’re Anna’s brother.’
‘Guilty.’
‘How is she? I haven’t seen her around since I’ve been back.’
‘She’s good. Married my friend Myles; I’m not sure if you remember him. They’ve got a baby girl, Isabelle.’
‘Cute. I’ll have to look her up, catch up for coffee or a drink.’
‘I’m sure she’d enjoy that. You’re with Jack now, right? The guy who bought The Cozy Catch?’
At the mention of his name she smiled. ‘I am.’
‘Poor guy,’ Ray said, and Taylor poked her tongue out at him. Then she turned to Mae, giving her a curious look. ‘I don’t remember you though, sorry.’
Mae smiled and held out her hand. ‘That’s because I’m new in town. I’m Mae. I’ve just started working for the Pine Harbor Nursing Association.’
I saw the moment the penny dropped on Taylor’s face. She groaned. ‘You’re here to see Ray, aren’t you? What’s he called you here for this time? Let me guess. He has a sore toe. No wait, his knee has started making a funny sound.’
We all looked at Ray, who squirmed.
‘For your information,’ he said, ‘it does make a funny sound. But that’s not why I called.’
We waited.
‘I feel uncomfortable discussing my health issues in front of an audience,’ he said.
Taylor snorted. ‘Since when? You tell anyone who’ll listen about your various aches and ailments, whether they want to hear about them or not. I took you to see Fred, the optometrist, last week and by the time we left he knew everything there was to know about your bowel habits.’
‘He asked.’
‘No, he didn’t.’
‘He did. He asked if I’d noticed any further decline in my eyesight, so I told him I can’t read the small print on the calendar on the back of the toilet door any more.’
‘That’s not all you told him.’
‘How would you know?’
‘Because he told me.’
Ray waved a hand. ‘What happened to patient–doctor confidentiality? They’ll give anyone a medical degree these days.’
‘He’s an OPTOMETRIST, Ray. He’s not qualified to comment on your…’ She shuddered. ‘Stool color.’
I laughed, quickly turning it into a cough when Ray glared at me.
‘Something funny, rich boy?’
‘Ray,’ Moira exclaimed. ‘Don’t be so rude.’
‘It’s not rude if it’s a fact,’ Ray said. ‘His family is richer than the Kennedys.’
‘I don’t think that’s true,’ I told him.
‘As good as. Beats me why you work out on the water. I would have thought you’d never have to work a day in your life thanks to your father’s money.’
I forced a smile, refusing to show him that he’d got to me. ‘I prefer to make my own way in life,’ I told him. ‘Now if you don’t mind, Mae and I have plans for the day, so if you could get to the point of why you called for a nurse, I’d appreciate it.’
He frowned and mumbled something.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,’ Mae told him.
‘No one did,’ Taylor remarked, plonking herself down on the couch. ‘And I know exactly why. It’ll be something ridiculous. It always is.’
He glared at her. ‘Do you have to be here?’
‘I live here.’
‘You live in the cabin. Go be annoying there.’
‘I’m not leaving,’ Taylor said. ‘So, you may as well just say it.’
‘Fine,’ he snapped. ‘My nose keeps running.’
I bit my lower lip to stop from laughing again.
Taylor rolled her eyes. ‘I told you it’d be something ridiculous.’
‘It’s not ridiculous,’ he protested. ‘It’s persistent. Something’s wrong – I know it.’
‘All that’s wrong, is that it’s winter,’ Taylor replied. ‘Everyone gets a runny nose in the winter. We don’t all call the doctor about it though, because we’re not stupid.’
‘It’s not the cold.’
‘Then what is it?’
‘That’s why she’s here,’ he said, pointing a gnarled, arthritic finger at Mae. ‘Obviously. To figure that out.’
‘You’re a hundred years old,’ Taylor said. ‘If a runny nose is the worst thing you have to worry about, I think you can relax.’
‘The worst thing I have to worry about is you living next door and coming in here to steal my food.’ His face darkened. ‘I know you stole my cookies.’
‘Prove it.’
‘Do you see what I have to put up with?’ Ray said to Mae. ‘It’s a miracle my blood pressure isn’t through the roof. It probably is, come to think of it. I feel a little faint.’
Mae smiled patiently at him. ‘How about we do a few checks and talk about it some more.’
‘See?’ He smiled at Taylor triumphantly. ‘At least she’s taking it seriously.’
‘She has to, it’s her job. Although I’m willing to bet she’s not paid nearly enough to have to deal with your dramatics.’
He drew himself up as straight as he could in his armchair. ‘Who are you calling dramatic?’
I pushed myself off the doorway and interjected.
The faster Mae could run her checks, the faster we could get out of here and back to the day I’d planned.
‘Actually, Mrs. Calderwood, I think I will have a hot drink if you don’t mind.
And Taylor, you own that art studio above the restaurant, don’t you? ’
‘I do. It’s an art and tattoo studio.’
‘I’d love to pick your brains. I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while but I haven’t been able to find the right design.’
The distraction worked, and the three of us ambled off to the kitchen, leaving Mae to work her magic with Ray.