Page 48 of Off Plan

Circa 1996.

Double doors straight ahead led to the auditorium and the elevator, but I had way too much energy to burn off, so I took the stairs on the left and followed the sound of voices to the second floor.

“Thought you were gonna make it better, Doc. Now it stings like a sumbitch!” Dale Jennings limped out of a room in the center of the hallway and stared forlornly down at his bandaged foot.

“I know, Dale,” Mason soothed, following behind him. “Remember what I said? Rest it. Elevate it. Use ice. Take Tylenol. And—”

“No ferrymones,” Dale recited sadly. “I know. Thanks, Doc.”

Mason patted Dale’s shoulder consolingly and gave him a little smile that didn’t quite reach his green eyes. That smile made me stop in my tracks in the shadow of the stairwell, suitcase in hand, and stare at him.

Something about him had changed in the past week, but I couldn’t figure out what.

“Come back to see me in a few days, okay? I had Taffy set up a time for you.” Mason gestured to Taffy Simmons, who was sitting at a makeshift desk out in the wide hallway.

Last I’d heard, Taffy was working as a waitress at Blue Smoke, a bar over on Cooter where us locals sometimes hung out for lack of anywhere else to go. The waitresses and the guests at the Smoke—both male and female—tended to favor heavy denim, skimpy leather, eyeliner, and fuck-off attitudes. But now Taffy was wearing a short-sleeved blouse, a low bun, and a bright smile, clearly pretty damn pleased with her new job if the way she jumped to attention when Loafers said her name was anything to go by.

“Right here, Doc Mason?” She held up a small card and handed it to Dale, who gave her a wink.

“Thanks, Taff. Say hi to Orry and the boy,” he said, shuffling toward the elevator at the other end of the hall. “See you next week, Doc.”

“Um, Doc Mason?” Taffy asked hesitantly. “Would it be alright if I took my lunch now? Only, I need to pick up Max from school over on the mainland, ’cause Kono got a last-minute client at the salon, so I’m not sure how soon I’ll be back? And do you mind if Max comes back with me?”

“You know I don’t mind, Taffy. We talked about that. But take the afternoon. We’ve worked hard all week.” Mason twisted his neck from one side to the other, stretching it. “I think I’ve seen every resident of the island, just about.”

“You’re a curiosity,” Taffy said with a sweet smile, grabbing her purse from her desk drawer. “It’ll die down soon.”

Mason nodded and rubbed his shoulder, and it struck me that he wastired. Seriouslytired, to the point of looking defeated. I wasn’t sure why that bugged me so much, but it did.

None of your business, Reardon.

I took a step forward, ready to hand him the suitcase without a single word and get the hell out of there.

“But for now…” Taffy bit her lip hesitantly. “You’ve got one more patient in the waiting room for a follow-up?”

I paused where I was. Maybe I could just drop the bag on Taffy’s desk while Mason was in his office, doing his thing, and no one needed to know I’d been here.

Mason dropped his hand and sighed. “Do I?”

“I can stay?” Taffy offered, clearly reluctant.

“Nah.” Mason waved a hand. “Go on. I’ve got it.”

Taffy grinned and headed for the elevator, herself. “Thanks, Doc Mason! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Aren’t I?” Mason said. He sighed again. “Who’s the patient?”

“It’s just—”

“Little old me!” Gerry Twomey rushed into the hall from some waiting room I couldn’t see, grinning from ear to ear. He stuck out his hand. “Gerry Twomey. Remember me from the other day, Mason? I told you to call me Gerry?”

Gerry lifted a hand to push back his thick, spiky brown hair, and his short-sleeved button-down shirt gaped nearly to his navel, displaying his tan chest.

My eyes narrowed. Gerry needed to back the fuck up. Why was every guy on the key falling on Mason like hyenas on a fresh kill? And why the fuck was Mason allowing itwhen he was straight?

“I remember. And I said you could call meDoctor.” Mason nodded as he shook Gerry’s hand with polite interest. “How can I help you?”

Gerry looked momentarily crestfallen, and I felt a vicious satisfaction at that, but he rallied quickly.