Page 74 of Off Plan

Taffy grinned. “Sure. Just this once.”

Max ran off without another word, and Taffy bit her lip.

“It’s been so hard for him.” She shook her head once. “I mean, first-world problems, right? But all his friends are off-Key and we only have the one car, and he’s getting to an age where he’s starting to feel like he’s missing out on things?” She sighed. “He wants me to leave him with his grandmother, Orry’s mom, on the mainland during the week, but I… I’d miss him, you know? So it’s nice that there’ll be things for him to do here?”

I swallowed. “Taffy, you’re a great mom. And Max will appreciate that when he’s older.”

“You think?” She looked deeply skeptical, but pleased nevertheless. “Just how old?”

“Eh. By thirty-five, for sure.”

She laughed and smacked me lightly on the upper arm as she went to join Max. “You’re welcome to join us, if video games are your thing.”

“Oh, I…” I noticed that theMary Annawas docked at the pier and Fenn’s Charger was parked in a spot over by Goodmen Outfitters.Shit. “Rain check, Taffy! And if anyone asks, you haven’t seen me.”

“Um.” Taffy frowned. “Okay, I guess? See you Monday?”

I didn’t return the goodbye. I ran across the street as fast as I could and threw open the door to the Concha.

“Doc Mason!” Juju called out when I stepped into the blessedly cold air. “How are ya?”

I really wished she’d kept her voice down.

Lety’s place was tiny and homey. But this meant every time Juju greeted someone—which she did literally every time the door opened—the entire restaurant turned and greeted them, too.

“Dr. Mason!” Lety wiped her hands on the plain apron covering her brightly patterned dress and gave me a smile as I slid onto a stool in front of the counter. “You come for me to decide what you need for lunch?”

I grinned back, feeling some of my anxiety slip away. If you’d asked me, a month ago, whether I could fall in love with a restaurant so tiny it didn’t even have a menu, I’d have said it was impossible. But I’d lived on Whispering Key for a week and a bit now, and already this had become routine. I walked into Lety’s place every afternoon, she’d look me up and down like she was making a diagnosis, and then she’d prescribe me exactly what I needed. “I think thepuliquetoday,” she’d say. Or, “Ahhh, today is forchile rellenos.”

It was mostly for show, really, because I knew she only had a couple of items cooking on any given day, but it felt nice to have someone looking out for me. And every single time, the food wasamazing. Some of the best I’d ever eaten. Complex and richly flavored, not nearly as spicy as I’d expected, just… comforting.

“Today I made you something extra special,” she told me. “I woke up this morning and my shoulder wasperfect. Must be the medicine you gave me. I’m like a young lady again! So I said, I need to makecaldo degallinafor Doc Mason. And I made it with extra love in there for you. Okay?”

“Caldo de gallina,” I repeated carefully. “Soup of… something.”

“Hen.” She nodded. “You’re getting better,mijo. Nothing better for a hot day than hot soup. And this is a lucky soup, too.Justo lo que se necesita para dar la vuelta a la tortilla.Okay?”

I nodded sagely. I didn’t understand a word she’d said, except the part about tortillas, and I was 97 percent sure whatever she’d said had nothing to do withactualtortillas. But Lety never translated her wise words to me, and I never asked either. Sometimes it was enough to know that someone cared enough to offer life advice, without expecting you to actually take it.

“That sounds delicious. But, um.” I eyed the door. “Maybe could I take it to go?”

Lety pursed her lips and studied me again. One side of her mouth twisted up in a smile. “Sure,mijo. Two minutes.”

Gloria Frye got up from her table and tottered over to slide onto the stool beside mine, wobbly as a newborn foal in her high heels.

“Doc Mason,” she said. “How are you?”

“I’m doing okay. Gloria, we talked about those shoes.”

“I know,” she said. “I know we did.” She bit her lip. “They’re just so darnpretty. And they makemefeel pretty. I’m weak that way.”

I shook my head but laughed, too. I mean, not that I knew a damn thing about enjoying something that was bad for you, right?

“How’ve you been feeling?” I asked.

“Oh, alright! Just the heat takes it out of me, same as ever. Might be alright if I lost a few more pounds, too.” She winked. “Think I’m on the right track, though. Down another pound and a half this week.”

I blinked, my attention completely diverted. “Gloria, maybe you should come see me again. I’d like to run a couple more tests.”