Page 5

LEXI

W hen I pulled up in front of Jen’s house, she emerged after about five minutes, looking like she had just awakened: bedhead hair pulled into a loose bun, rumpled clothes, strolling.

She yanked open the door, sank into the seat, and put out her hand.

I placed a coffee travel mug in it. “Don’t spill in my Beamer. ”

“Of course not, and don’t speak until I drink.”

I said, “I wouldn’t dare.” I pulled my car away from her house.

She drank and stared out the window, then smacked her lips. “It is a testament to how much I love you that I’m here. The only reason is because we’re practically sisters. We’ve been friends since like, when?—?”

I said, “Phew, an exhausting — two whole years.”

She joked, “Everyone knows it’s the new friends who are the real friends. The people you went to high school with are?—”

I said, “Buttheads and deserters.”

“Yep, they all ran off to college leaving you here, practically friendless, which is ridiculous because I’ve met all of them and you’re the best of the lot.

Look at you, beautiful, with your long golden hair, and bright blue eyes, you practically glow with sunshine, but here you were, friendless, and I took pity on you and we’ve been friends ever since. ”

“Yep, like we were meant to be.”

“And I introduced you to Cooper and here we all are, practically family.”

“That’s why I called, because you’re my bestie, practically family, you’re always there for me.”

“Damn right. I even got out of bed for you — better have a damn good reason. Where are we going again?”

“Hospital — there was a guy in my yard last night.”

Her eyes squinted. “In your yard? But like… you live on the outside of town. Was he a lumberjack or,” her eyes went wide, “axe- murderer?”

I shrugged and turned left at the light. “I have no idea. He didn’t look like either, not really, but he was injured, so I called an ambulance.”

She sipped from her coffee. “Kinda think you don’t need to visit an axe-murderer at the hospital.”

“He left something in my yard. I guess I think he wants it or needs it.” I gestured toward my big bright green handbag. “There, on top.”

She plucked up the object. “What is it?”

“I have no idea. The whole thing is so mysterious. What was he doing out in my woods during a storm — what is this thing he left behind? I spent a lot of time sitting beside him in the dark last night, waiting for the ambulance while he was unconscious. Watching over him. I’m invested .

That’s why I’m going to the hospital and why you’re coming with me. ”

“Fine, now I’m intrigued too, but we gotta get food on the way back. I’m already hungry.”

I said, “I brought you a snack, I know how you get.”

She reached into my oversized handbag again and pulled out a paper lunch sack. She unfolded the top and looked inside, “An egg sandwich, for me? ”

“Yep, I ate hours ago. I’ve been up since four.”

Jen took a big bite of her sandwich and asked, “How was Coop’s send-off?”

“Dramatic, I had a nightmare and woke him up, then there was a stranger in my yard. Woke him up, again.”

“Then he had to be ready to go at the crack of dawn.”

“Yep, it wasn’t optimal.”

She chewed and looked out the window. “But you guys are doing better?”

“We’re working on it. We love each other, you know, we just want different things.” I was quiet for a moment. “Really different things.”

“Yeah, he is hyper-focused on his project. But, you never bicker or fight, that’s good, right?”

“ Everyone bickers — we fight, sometimes.”

“You are very nice, you never tell him what’s bothering you.”

“True. We keep spending a lot of time just being like roommates. I keep thinking it will get better once this deal happens...”

She frowned. “But will it?”

I shrugged. “The important thing is we are working on our relationship, and once he finishes these meetings, secures the money, guess what he’s doing next weekend?”

“I have no idea.” She took a big bite and chewed.

“He’s got reservations for us at Falls Landing.”

She swallowed the bite and said, “Oh.” Then she said, “Oh! Maybe he’s going to pop the question?”

“I do not want to get ahead of myself, but… it would fit, right? We’re working on our relationship, in a good place, he’s about to start the business, and so… yeah… I think that’s why we’re going somewhere fancy.”

“You need a pretty dress.”

“Definitely.”

She wiped her hands, having finished the sandwich. “I’m glad you kids are doing well. When you are fighting, I get all ‘My Parents Are Getting a Divorce!’”

I laughed, “No divorce, I promise, though we would have to get married first.”

She smiled. “That’s happening any day now, I can feel it!”

“Yeah, me too.”

I directed our car across town to the county hospital.

We sidled up to the main desk. “I’m looking for someone who was brought in by ambulance last night. I have personal effects for him.”

The woman typed a whole bunch and asked, “Patient’s name, please, and how are you related?”

“Um, they… I don’t know his name. He was on my property when he got injured and so…”

She continued typing, I couldn’t tell if her typing was related to my request or just something else she was doing. “Trespassing? Do you have a police report?”

“No.”

Jen asked the receptionist, “Why on earth would she need a police report?”

The woman shrugged. “If he got injured on your property, you might want to get a police report in case you get sued. I would.”

I said, “Well, great, that sucks, um… no. No police report, but I need to give him something, is he still here?”

She continued typing and gestured with her head. “He’s back in the treatment room.”

Jen and I began walking that way.

I said, “Well, that’s a whole ‘nother reason to be here, I need to find out if he’s the kind of guy who would sue me — just great.”

She said, “Girlfriend, this is what you get for being way too nice.”

We came to the nurse’s station and I said, “We’re here to visit the guy, the one who um…”

“Which one, Mr Jones or…”

I said, “I have no idea. He was brought in last night by ambulance?”

The nurses gave each other a look. One picked up a clipboard. “So what’s his name, age, address?”

“I literally don’t know. He was just in my yard last night. That’s all I know?—”

Jen said, “Wait, he didn’t have an ID on him?”

The nurse said, “No, nothing, he’s a John Doe.”

I explained, “That’s unfortunate. Sorry, I don’t know him, but he dropped something in my yard, I think he’ll want it. I brought it for him.”

The nurse pointed. “He’s in that room, but I wouldn’t give him his valuables.” She gestured to a sword and a knife on the edge of her desk. “He’s got a lot of valuables and weapons on him. He’d be better off leaving them with you until he’s released.”

I shook my head. “I mean, I really don’t know him, I think I need to return this.”

“Fine.”

Jen asked, “When will he be released?”

“By the end of the day, if we can get a positive ID on him.”

Jen and I walked toward the wide open door on the treatment room. It was darker inside, with two beds and a curtain down the length of it.

Jen glanced at me, but I shook my head, the old man in the first bed was not the man I was there to see.

I gave him a weird wave and sort of bowed awkwardly while crossing the room. Then as I passed through the curtain to the second bed, I called in cheerily, “Hello!”

And there was the man from the middle of the night.

He was handsome, with a chiseled face almost like Superman except rougher, not quite so clean cut.

Like Superman if he also rode a motorcycle, or a horse, plus he smelled of hay and smoke and musk and incense.

He had brown hair and a beard, but everything seemed dark about him, like he was sooty, maybe, or his aura wasn’t lit up enough.

I glanced at Jen. Her eyes were wide, she mouthed: I call dibs.

He couldn’t see her, either of us, because his eyes were tightly closed. I said, “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you.”

His pale yellow linen shirt was pulled down one side, and across his well-formed, muscular chest he had a strap connected to a sling holding his left elbow. The bedsheets were pulled up to his waist.

He opened one eye and squinted, then he squeezed his eyes shut again. “Och nae, tis bright.”

Jen looked around. “Is it?”

I pressed closer to the bed, standing between him and the window. “Sorry to bother, but it was my lawn… last night… I’m the one who found you.”

Both his eyes opened. “Dost ye hae it?”

“What, the thing — the thing you dropped? Yes, I’ve got it.” I rummaged through my bag, asking, “What is it?”

Jen nudged me and whispered, “Rude! Why you so nosy?”

I passed it to him. “Don’t know why I just blurted that out. I’m curious...” I waited, but he didn’t explain.

Instead he placed it beside himself on the bed with his hand on it. “Thank ye for it, Mistress. Where am I — what is this place?”

I said, “Um… county hospital?—”

“I daena understand those words.”

“I’m so sorry, the county hospital, in…” I watched his face for recognition, “Transylvania County? North Carolina?”

Nothing.

I added, “You know where that is?”

His eyes were closed again, tightly . He shook his head.

He didn’t seem to recognize anything I said. He didn’t know where he was, apparently. And he wasn’t planning on explaining what that little object was. Great , mystery unsolved.

Jen said, “Boy, were you lucky you got injured on Lexi’s land. She is the nicest person and she called the ambulance. You definitely don’t want to sue her. Plus, at great trouble, she even brought you the… that thing you got there.”

He opened one eye again. It looked as if he were straining. “I am verra grateful for yer help and sorry the trouble caused, Mistress.”

Jen said to me, “Good, see, Lexi? Should we go?”

I ignored her and asked the man, “Are you from Scotland?”

“Aye, Alba.”

Jen pretended to leave, gesturing we ought to go.

But I was still curious and drawn to ask questions. “How did you end up in my yard?”