Page 12 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls (Ivy Falls #3)

FORD

Intimate Secrets

I’d forgotten how running during the peak of a Southern summer was like choking on a wet rag.

You couldn’t get more than a few paces before your face beaded with sweat.

Your clothes stuck as tight to your body as kudzu climbing a tree.

The heat of the sun, even at seven a.m., cooked your skin until it was a ripe pink.

I turned the corner past the Dairy Dip and headed toward the limestone fountain in the center of the square.

The signs in this town were wild. The marquee for the hardware store read, We’ll help you nail any project.

As I turned the corner, the sandwich board outside the music store said, We’ll make you pitch-perfect. No – not like the movie.

It was hard not to laugh as an opaque fog clouded my glasses.

I kept up my stride, the brick-paved sidewalks growing solid beneath my feet.

My body was finally in a normal circadian rhythm after a long bout of jet lag.

It always took a while to get used to living on the other side of the world.

For my internal clock not to think night was day and day was night.

I wish I could’ve blamed last night’s restless sleep on that issue, but when I closed my eyes all I saw were amber-brown eyes and a beautiful beauty mark that sat above luscious ruby-red lips.

Piper had asked me to keep my distance and I understood why.

No one wanted a constant reminder of their past. I, more than anyone, understood that reasoning.

It was why I’d decided I wanted to live as far away from my parents as possible.

But there was something about her that got under my skin.

Made my heart beat faster. I liked how Dex went calm when she looked at him.

How the timbre of her voice filled the room with a sweet melody.

I picked up my strides as I barreled toward the edge of town. It didn’t make sense to imagine anything between us. In three months I’d be back in Africa, but that didn’t ease the ache in my chest.

Pushing my pace, I swung my arms at my sides, my feet slamming against the ground.

I’d thought I could erase my feelings with a punishing run, but nothing could chase her from my mind.

How she traced that tattoo on her wrist. The way the sunlight filtering into the exam room made her hair the color of rich maple syrup.

I slowed down and walked in a circle, my hands resting on top of my head. When my heart rate returned to normal, I pulled in a few full breaths and headed back toward town. The scent of fried dough and sugar yanked me toward the Sugar Rush Café on the corner.

Donut make sense to come inside?

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sign as I followed a group of teenagers through the door. They crowded around the domed glass cases, picking out their choice of donuts and sugary coffee drinks. I swiped at my foggy glasses with the edge of my soaked T-shirt.

‘Can I help you, hon?’

A woman with bright burgundy hair gave me a broad smile. An intricate tattoo of a mermaid spanned most of her forearm.

‘What would you recommend?’ I asked.

‘You can’t go wrong with anything here. We make all our pastries and donuts fresh every morning.’

A blurry figure moved in the kitchen behind her. I slid on my glasses and a pleasant shock raced down my spine. She worked here too?

Piper wore a pink apron. Her dark hair was braided in a crown around her head. Every time I looked at her it was like I was teetering at the top of a high rollercoaster, my heart in my throat as I waited for the massive drop to come.

‘Uhh,’ I mumbled like a love-struck teenager.

The woman glanced over her shoulder and then back at me with a knowing look. I was sure I wasn’t the only guy who came in here and went speechless when they saw Piper.

‘How about a glazed donut and a coffee,’ I finally managed to say.

‘Take a seat. We’ll bring it to you.’ Her voice went stern as she took my money and glanced at the growing line behind me.

I stepped out of the way, trying not to be obvious about where my gaze went.

The noise in the café was subtle as people sat at the wrought-iron tables swapping conversation.

An older couple sitting near the back caught my eye.

The sweet way they leaned into each other, holding hands under the table, made me smile.

I found a spot near the door and pulled out my phone. More missed calls and texts from my mom. I’d been meaning to reach out, but every time I thought about how she’d ambushed me at the club, the way she refused to listen to what I wanted, I slid my phone back into my pocket.

A woman with warm brown skin and short curly hair approached my table. She set down my donut and coffee and paused. ‘You visiting Ivy Falls?’

‘No, I’m here for a while.’

She gave my sweaty running clothes a quick scan. ‘Business or pleasure?’

Was everyone this nosey around here?

‘I’m working over at the community clinic,’ I offered.

Her suspicious gaze morphed into surprise. ‘Are you the one filling in for Doc Sheridan?’

People at the tables around us turned and looked in my direction. ‘Yes, I’m Dr Crawford Foster. Everyone calls me Ford.’

She reached out and shook my hand excitedly. ‘It’s good to meet you. Janice has been telling us all about you.’

‘Only good things I hope.’ I said it as a joke but wasn’t sure, considering the clinic’s office manager was still a little irritated with me about not spending enough time with the patients. I was used to a quick pace and it was hard for me to slow down once I got going.

‘Well, of course!’ she gushed. ‘I’m Susan.’ She cocked her head to the woman at the register. ‘That’s my wife, Barb. We own this place.’

‘Good to meet you.’

Piper moved out of the kitchen and started to clear tables. It was impossible not to track her every move. I was the moth. She was the flame.

‘May I?’ Susan pointed to the open chair next to me.

I gave a slight nod as my stomach gurgled. After a five-mile run, my stomach needed food and the donut looked and smelled delicious.

She must have heard the grumble because she said, ‘Please go ahead.’

‘No, it’s all right.’ I paused as her gaze stayed fixed on me. ‘Did you have a question?’

‘Well,’ she hedged. ‘It’s not a question. More of a statement.’

I sat back, not expecting that response. Most of the time when people found out I was a physician, the next thing they wanted to do was ask about their headaches or back pain.

Her mouth thinned into a straight line. ‘I couldn’t help but notice you were looking at our Piper. And, while we hadn’t met yet, we did hear about you and…’ she stuttered. ‘The incident with young Dex at the clinic.’

Wow. Gossip is like a contact sport around here.

‘Piper’s been through a lot. Maybe more than most,’ she went on. ‘It’d be nice for her to have some peace for a while if you get my meaning.’

The people in this town seemed to know a lot, but they were missing out on one important fact: I already knew about her past.

‘Yes, we’ve had some interactions, and I can assure you I’m only being friendly.’

She twisted her hands in front of her. ‘Barb and I have been together a long time. We never had children, but we consider Piper to be one of our own. All I ask is that you tread lightly there. She’s got a tough exterior, but she’s, well…’ She bit the corner of her lip. ‘Still a touch fragile.’

I was quickly learning that while people could be meddlesome in this town, they also cared for one another very much. You only had to watch how kindly people talked to each other in the clinic’s waiting room to see that.

‘You don’t have to worry about a thing, ma’am. I’m only here to fill in for the doc like I promised.’

Piper strode out into the room again and stumbled to a stop when she saw me talking to Susan. She glowered in my direction and I gave a small shrug. I waited, hoping she’d come over to the table, but she turned on her heel and went back to the kitchen.

‘I heard you worked in Africa. That must’ve been interesting.’

‘Yes, I loved it. I’m going back there after Dr Sheridan returns.’

‘That’s good.’ The relief in her voice was clear. Her gaze veered to the growing crowd of customers near the register. ‘I should get back to it. It was nice to meet you.’

‘You too.’

She moved away from the table, and I bit into the donut that melted on my tongue.

Holy shit, that was good.

I started to chew, Susan’s voice filling my head. She was right about Piper. I should stay away from her. But there was something about her presence, an invisible string that drew me to her every single time she was near. I shook my head like I could somehow wipe her from my mind.

Focus, Ford. You’re here to do a job and then leave.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the latest headlines.

It was all a ploy to keep my gaze from following Piper as she moved around the room.

Customers flooded in and out of the front door.

The tables filled with people chatting and drinking their delicious coffee.

For such a small town, this place did a brisk business.

As I went through my email, a familiar subject line caught my eye.

I opened the file and read through the acceptance of my new contract for Humanity of the Seas .

I pictured the ship floating in the harbor.

The anticipation I felt every morning as patients lined the hallways, waiting for the medical care they desperately needed.

Some days it was providing life-saving vaccines.

Other times it was doing a general exam before prescribing medication or scheduling a surgery for a cleft palate or a poorly set bone.

My scrolling continued until I was interrupted by a panicked shout. The older man at the back table was on his feet. He patted the cheeks of the woman who was slumped in the chair. The man cried out again. Shook her shoulders.

Piper rushed to the table and squatted down in front of the woman. Not more than a second later, she turned and locked eyes with me. The desperation in her gaze forced me from my chair. I rushed toward her and cocked my head until she inched away, giving me some room.

‘Ma’am. Can you hear me?’ I bent down and clasped the woman’s hands.

‘Her name is Mrs Vanderpool,’ Piper said in a shaky voice.

‘Mrs Vanderpool.’ I squeezed her fingers but she didn’t react.

‘We were gabbing about the day. She said she felt light-headed and then—’

‘It’s okay, Silvio,’ Piper said. ‘This is the man filling in for Dr Sheridan. He’ll help her.’

Her eyes pleaded with me to act.

‘You said she felt light-headed? Does she have any medical conditions?’ I asked.

‘Uh…’ He scratched frantically at the white whiskers on his chin. ‘She has arthritis. Sometimes gets headaches.’

I stood and checked her pulse, which was irregular. Called her name again. Her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.

‘What’s happening?’ she asked on a shaky breath.

‘You fainted, Mrs Vanderpool,’ I said.

Her pinched gaze ran the length of me. ‘And who are you?’

‘He’s the new doc over at the clinic,’ Silvio said, patting her hand.

She took a thick gulp, her eyes still too unfocused for my liking.

‘Have some water.’ I pushed a glass on the table toward her. She took several swallows, color seeping back into her cheeks.

The crowd stayed quiet. She noticed the attention, especially Barb and Susan who hovered a few steps away.

‘Y’all get back to your breakfast. Just an old woman having a moment here. Nothin’ to gawk at.’

Prying eyes turned away and Mrs Vanderpool focused on me.

‘Heard quite a few things about you, young man.’

‘Have you?’ I chuckled. ‘Let’s put that aside for a minute and talk about you .’

‘Oh good,’ she cooed. ‘My favorite subject.’

That got a smile out of Silvio and Piper.

‘How is your health? Did you recently start taking any new medications?’

‘No siree. I’m nearing eighty-one and fit as a fiddle.’

‘Greta.’ Silvio made a face and her bravado fell.

‘Fine,’ she huffed. ‘I’ve been a bit tired lately.’

‘And your breathing at night,’ Silvio urged.

‘Don’t you go telling all our intimate secrets.’

Now Silvio was the one with pink cheeks.

‘How about we walk over to the clinic? Let me do a short exam to make sure things are all right?’ I said.

She waved me off. ‘Not necessary. I haven’t been sleeping well and it’s taking its toll.’

‘Honey,’ Silvio started. ‘Get your sweet behind out of that chair and get movin’. Can’t hurt to let the doc give you the once over.’

‘Since when did you get so bossy?’ she lovingly chided him.

‘Where’ve you been? I’ve been this saucy since ’round nineteen seventy.’

She huffed out a laugh. I gave a brief glance to Piper, who kept her worried gaze fixed on the ornery woman.

‘Young man, mind helping me?’ Silvio scooted around the chair and we each took a hand to help Mrs Vanderpool to her feet.

He walked her to the door and I grabbed my keys and wallet off the table. Barb and Susan quickly intercepted me. ‘Thank you, Dr Foster.’ Their solemn gazes flicked to Mrs Vanderpool. ‘Will she be all right?’

‘Not sure. I’ll know more after I check her over.’

I started to say my goodbyes when Susan reached for my hand. ‘You’re good people. Glad you’re in Ivy Falls.’

‘She’s right,’ Barb added. ‘Coffee and donuts on the house the next time you stop in.’

‘That’s not necessary.’

‘Just say yes,’ Susan huffed. ‘Once my sweetie sets her mind to something, there’s no changing it.’

‘All right then. See you next time.’

I waded through the crowd. Another tug in my chest had me glancing over my shoulder for one last look at Piper, but she’d already disappeared into the kitchen.

Outside, my lungs filled with another blast of wet air. I followed a few steps behind the older couple, their hands sweetly entwined again.

I tried not to jump to conclusions with a patient, but I’d seen her symptoms before and suspected she needed more specialized care than I could provide in Ivy Falls.