I noted the firefighter’s handbook spread open on Jay’s desk. “I can see you’re busy,” I said, trying to make my voice sound light and airy.
“Don’t rush off on my account,” Mandy said, even though she made no move to get up. “I’ve probably imposed on Jay’s good nature as it is. I guess you could say he’s sort of taken me under his wing.”
Jay gave her an odd look, and I sensed all was not as it appeared. I wished I hadn’t come. “We can’t stay,” I said quickly. “I have a patient due in shortly.” I looked at Mandy. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Same here, Karen,” she said.
“Kate,” I corrected.
Jay rounded the desk. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“No, no,” I said, wanting to get out of there as quickly as I could. “Some patients get antsy if I’m not waiting for them the minute they arrive.”
“Kate is right,” Mona said. “I’ll probably have to take their blood pressure.”
Mona obviously sensed my urgency to escape; she and I bumped into one another trying to squeeze through the door at the same time, which made me feel even more foolish. Finally, we cleared the doorway and left the building.
“Holy hell!” Mona said once we’d climbed into my car. “I wonder if she has to carry a separate insurance policy on those things.”
I pulled from the parking lot and headed north. “Do you think they’re real?” I asked.
“Are you kidding? Silicone doesn’t come in that size.”
“Which explains why Jay didn’t tell me about her,” I said.
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh yeah? Did you notice how uneasy he was?” I asked. “He treated me like I was a casual acquaintance. What does that tell you?”
“I don’t think it was us. I got the impression he felt uneasy with Mandy. Still, I’ve got a funny feeling about her.”
I braked at a red light. “What do you mean?”
“You know how some women don’t make friends with other women?” she said. “I’ll bet she doesn’t have one girlfriend. I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t trust either damn one of them,” I blurted, wondering if Jay had been thinking of Mandy as we’d made love the night before. I gritted my teeth and began doing multiplication tables in my head.
I tried to disguise my bad mood behind a fake smile as I greeted my next appointment, a couple I was seeing for marriage counseling. I seemed to be doing a lot of couple’s therapy these days, which was ironic since Jay and I were in counseling as well.
The couple had enjoyed twenty-five years of marriage until the wife found her husband’s stash of dirty pictures in the bathroom, tucked between the pages of his hunting and fishing magazine. She had taken it personally. She was angry and hurt and all of the above. She’d even moved out of the bedroom. Finally, she had admitted they’d gotten into a rut, both in their relationship and sex life.
I had given them homework. They’d each made a list of what had attracted them to each other in the beginning. Their lists were long; just thinking about what it had felt like falling in love so many years ago had put a glow on both of their faces. They were now setting up a real date for the end of the week.
I felt confident it wouldn’t be long before they were sharing the same bed again. I didn’t feel so confident about Jay and me.
I was getting ready to leave for the day when Edith Wright called with more complaints about Marie.
“She told the other patients we were trying to poison them with medication. I’m telling you, the woman is so manic she’s almost bouncing off the wall. If she refuses to take her Vistaril tonight, I’m going to slap her silly.”
I knew Edith was just venting. “I don’t think that’s allowed,” I said.
“I’ll try not to leave any marks.”
“How about I ask Dr. Glazer to speak with her,” I said.
“That might work, what with his silver tongue. Lord knows it works on the nurses.”
chapter 6
I made it to Jeff’s office shortly before closing time.
The technician called me back, and I found Jeff standing beside the stainless steel exam table petting Mike. He smiled, but it did little to erase my pissy mood or the exhaustion on his face. He wasted no time with the usual pleasantries.
“I drew some blood, and other than being a little anemic, Mike is fine,” he said. “I’m putting her on a regimen of B-12 vitamins. I also gave her an injection to jump-start the process. If you don’t notice an improvement in a week to ten days, I want to see her again. What are you feeding her, by the way?”
“Dog food.”
He laughed. “What
kind
of dog food?”
“Whatever is on sale when I go to the store,” I confessed.
“I’ve got something out front that meets the daily vitamin requirements and promotes a healthy immune system. I’ll sell it to you at cost.”
“I can’t let you do that, Jeff.”
“Yes, you can. I’m not in the dog food business.”
“Okay, I’ll agree to be your charity case,” I said, “but only if you promise to get some rest. Mike and I need you. Plus, you’re the only one who knows I can eat an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s in one sitting.”
Out front, I paid the bill, noting that Jeff had cut me some slack on that as well. As I waited for my receipt to print out, the receptionist answered the phone. She immediately motioned for the technician.
“Mel Giddings’s German shepherd was just hit by a car. He’s on his way over with Max now.”
“Oh no!” the tech said. “Did he say how badly Max was injured?”
“He was so upset I could barely understand him.”
“I’ll tell Dr. Henry and get the OR ready in case we have to do surgery.” She hurried away.
“It doesn’t look like your boss is going to catch up on his rest anytime soon,” I said, feeling as bad for Jeff as I did for the poor dog.
She shook her head sadly as she handed me my receipt. “I don’t know how the man does it,” she said, “but sooner or later it’s going to catch up with him.”
I led Mike to the car and helped her inside. Instead of driving home, I stopped by a fast-food restaurant and ordered chicken fingers and fries for myself and a plain burger for Mike. I drove to the park near my house. I hoped the fresh air would improve my mood. I was probably overreacting about Mandy, but a small voice in my head told me it would explain why Jay had become standoffish the past few weeks. I tried to ignore the voice.
I found a bench, and once Mike was situated beside me, I offered her the burger. She turned her nose up at it. I tried to get her interested in a chicken finger; she ignored it as well.
“That stuff will kill your dog,” a woman’s voice said.
I turned and found an elderly lady sitting on a bench nearby holding a tiny Yorkie on her lap. The woman had cotton white hair and wore a starched sky blue dress. “It’s just chicken,” I said.
“Yes, but you don’t know what kind of oil it was fried in,” she said. “You eat that, and you’ll need a plunger to get the clogs out of your arteries.”
I looked at the chicken. Surely it would have come with a warning label if it was as dangerous as the woman claimed. I suddenly remembered the bag of healthy food I’d purchased for Mike and made a solemn promise to start her on it as soon as I got home.
“I should probably mind my own business,” the woman said, “but your dog doesn’t look well to begin with.”
“She had puppies a couple of months ago,” I said. “Her vet said she’s anemic. He’s got her on special vitamins.”
“Oh, what do they know?” she said. “I prefer a holistic approach. She’s probably suffering from post-partum depression. I have a friend who is really good at helping mama dogs through that sort of thing.”
“Really?”
“And if you want her to live a long life you have to feed her wholesome foods. I am very particular about what I feed my Prissy.” She suddenly smiled. “I’ll bet your pooch would love to have one of Lila’s love treats,” she said.
“She doesn’t have much of an appetite these days,” I told her.
The woman put her Yorkie on the bench beside her. “Now, Prissy, I want you to sit still so Mama can take a look at this nice lady’s poor, sick animal.” She pulled a plastic bag from her purse and glanced at me. “What is your dog’s name?”
“Mike.”
“You gave her a boy’s name? What a cute idea!” She walked over to Mike and smiled. “Hello, there, young lady. My name is Lila Higginbothom. Would you like to try one of my special treats?” She held out a small biscuit.
Mike gave a dainty sniff before snatching it between her teeth and wolfing it down.
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “She ate it!”
“Dogs love Lila’s love treats.”
I looked more closely at the woman. Her face was webbed with soft wrinkles. She had kindly blue eyes. I stuffed my snack pack inside the sack and stood. “You’ll have to tell me where I can buy them,” I said.
She waved off the comment. “Oh, I make them myself. I use only organic products, and I always add virgin coconut oil because you can’t go wrong with coconut oil. It has so many healthy benefits, you see. I can give you all the treats you want.”
Mike wagged her tail frantically, eyeing Lila’s plastic bag. “I’ll be more than happy to pay for them,” I said, relieved that Mike had finally eaten something.
“Oh, I wouldn’t think of charging you,” she said. “It’s my pleasure.”
I laughed. “I think she wants another one.”
“Well, of course she does,” Lila said, giving Mike a second biscuit. Again, Mike ate as though she couldn’t get enough.
“Here, take the bag,” Lila said, offering it to me. “And write down my phone number for when you need more. I make a fresh batch once a week.”
“I’d love to have your recipe,” I said, although I had no idea if the oven worked at my place. If food didn’t go into a microwave, I didn’t buy it.
“Oh, it’s a secret,” Lila said, almost whispering the words.
She waited until I had written down her phone number. “Does Mike have toys?” she asked.
“She has a couple, but she hasn’t felt much like playing. And I buy her rawhide bones.”
Lila shuddered. “Oh, some of those bones are so nasty you may as well feed her tire rubber. I suggest you buy her only those bones that remove tartar buildup; otherwise, you’re going to spend a fortune having her teeth cleaned.”
“I didn’t know dogs actually had their teeth cleaned,” I said.
“I brush Prissy’s teeth with beef-flavored toothpaste.” She studied Mike closely. “I think you should arrange playdates for her.”
“Playdates?”
“Dogs are very social animals. She needs to be able to interact with other dogs. I try to set up playdates for Prissy a couple of times a week.”
“Gee, I had no idea having a pet was so involved. I wasn’t allowed to have a dog while I was growing up because my mother is afraid of them. I guess I have a lot to learn.”
“I have an excellent idea!” Lila said. “You could bring Mike over tomorrow to play with Prissy. We would love to have her, wouldn’t we, Prissy?” The Yorkie wagged her tail from the other bench as though she knew exactly what Lila was saying. “Where do you live, dear?” she asked me.
I wasn’t keen on giving strangers my address, even though Lila seemed harmless enough. I told her the general area.
“Why, you’re only a few miles from me,” she said. “Why don’t you drop Mike off in the morning? She can spend the day with Prissy. We’ll have a grand old time!”
Lila didn’t hesitate to give me her address. I felt silly for holding back my own. I suppose it had to do with my line of work, and the fact that, as Jay had reminded me more than once, I seemed to draw odd people like a magnet.
“That’s very kind of you to invite Mike,” I said.
She waved off the remark. “I’m a sucker for animals. Once your little pooch spends the day playing with Prissy, you’ll see a big improvement.”
Mike seemed in better spirits as I drove home. She was sticking her head out the window and catching the breeze, which had turned cold. I shivered but left the window down since it was the first time in days I’d seen Mike interested in anything but sleeping.
I, on the other hand, was feeling overwhelmed. Instead of counting red lights, I counted dollar signs. When had pets become so expensive? I pulled into the driveway and helped Mike from the car. She followed me as I dumped the burger and chicken snack in the trash and filled her bowl with the food I’d purchased at Jeff Henry’s office. I was surprised when she began to eat hungrily.
“Wow,” I said. “Your mood sure has improved.” She wagged her tail and gave a huge yawn, then went to her bed and lay on her back in a most unladylike fashion.
“I need to run out and pick up those special bones so you don’t have tartar buildup,” I told her. “Next thing I know you’ll need braces.” But Mike was already snoring.
I arrived at the Walmart Supercenter with a list in my head. At the pet department, I read the ingredients on the packaged bones and chose several that promised to promote good dental health.
I hurried across the store to the food section, where the smell of whole roasted chickens beckoned me. I grabbed a bag of premixed salad greens and several tomatoes from the produce section before making my way to the dairy section and finally, to the frozen food case. I passed by the high-calorie, high-fat frozen dinners and chose several healthy ones instead. I tried to ignore the pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream crying out to me, and I would have been less tempted had Walmart not been running a sale. I bought six pints of Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I can be weak like that.
I’d arrived back home and put away the few groceries I’d purchased when the doorbell rang. I found Jeff Henry standing on the threshold.
“I forgot to give you Mike’s vitamins,” he said, holding up the plastic container.
“You didn’t have to drive over,” I said. “I would have picked them up.” I frowned. “Are you okay?” He didn’t look okay; he looked ready to drop.