you kidding?”
“No,” she said. She smiled again, and he noticed the little dimple in her left cheek. “Home is a little town that’s pretty much surrounded by swamp, and I can’t wait to get back there.”
“Homesick?”
“Yes, I am,” she admitted. “I’m a small-town girl at heart. It isn’t a very glamorous life, and that’s what I like about it.”
“You like living in the swamp.” It was a statement not a question, but she responded anyway.
“You sound shocked.”
“No, just surprised.”
“You’re from a big, sprawling city, so you’d probably hate it.”
“Why do you say that?”
She shrugged. “You seem too . . . sophisticated.”
He didn’t know if that was a compliment or a criticism. “Sometimes you can’t go home. I think I read that in a book once. Besides, you look like a New Orleans kind of woman to me.”
“I love New Orleans. It’s a wonderful place to come for dinner.”
“But it won’t ever be home.”
“No.”
“So, are you the town doctor?”
“One of several,” she said. “I’m opening a clinic there. It’s not very fancy, but there’s a real need. So many of the people don’t have the resources to get regular medical care.”
“Sounds like they’re very lucky to have you.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m the lucky one.” Then she laughed. “That sounded saintly, didn’t it? I am the lucky one, though. The people are wonderful — at least I think they are — and they give me far more than I can give them.” When she spoke, her whole face lit up. “You know what I’m going to like best?”
“What’s that?”
“No games. For the most part, they’re honest, ordinary people trying to scrape a living together. They don’t waste a lot of time on foolishness.”
“So, everyone loves everyone else?” He scoffed at the notion.
“No, of course not,” she replied. “But I’ll know my enemies. They won’t sneak up behind me and blindside me. It isn’t their style.” She smiled again. “They’ll get right in my face, and I’m going to like that. Like I said, no games. After the residency I just finished, that’s going to be a refreshing change.”
“You won’t miss the big beautiful office and all the trappings?”
“Not really. There are rewards other than money. Oh sure, it would be great to have all the supplies and equipment we need, but we’ll make do. I’ve spent a lot of years getting ready for this . . . besides, I made a promise.”
He kept asking her questions to keep her talking. He was interested in hearing about her town but not nearly as much as he was fascinated with her expressions. There was such passion and joy in her voice, and her eyes sparkled as she talked about her family and friends and the good she hoped she could do.
She reminded him of how he had felt about life when he had first started practicing the law, before he’d become so cynical. He, too, had wanted to change the world, to make it a better place. Rebecca had ended all that. Looking back, he realized he had failed miserably.
“I’ve worn you out, going on and on about my hometown. I’ll let you rest now,” she said.
“When can I get out of here?”
“That’s Dr. Cooper’s call, but if it were up to me, I’d keep you another night. You had quite a nasty infection. You need to take it easy for a couple of weeks, and don’t forget to take your antibiotics. Good luck, Theo.”
And then she was gone, and he’d lost the only chance he had to find out more about her. He didn’t even know where her home was. He fell asleep trying to figure out a way to see her again.
CHAPTER FIVE
T he room was filled with flowers when Theo woke up from his morning nap. He heard whispering in the hallway, opened his eyes, and saw a nurse talking to an older man. She was pointing to the box the aide had left.
The man looked like a retired linebacker, Theo thought. Or maybe a boxer. If he was Dr. Renard’s father, she’d gotten her good
“No,” she said. She smiled again, and he noticed the little dimple in her left cheek. “Home is a little town that’s pretty much surrounded by swamp, and I can’t wait to get back there.”
“Homesick?”
“Yes, I am,” she admitted. “I’m a small-town girl at heart. It isn’t a very glamorous life, and that’s what I like about it.”
“You like living in the swamp.” It was a statement not a question, but she responded anyway.
“You sound shocked.”
“No, just surprised.”
“You’re from a big, sprawling city, so you’d probably hate it.”
“Why do you say that?”
She shrugged. “You seem too . . . sophisticated.”
He didn’t know if that was a compliment or a criticism. “Sometimes you can’t go home. I think I read that in a book once. Besides, you look like a New Orleans kind of woman to me.”
“I love New Orleans. It’s a wonderful place to come for dinner.”
“But it won’t ever be home.”
“No.”
“So, are you the town doctor?”
“One of several,” she said. “I’m opening a clinic there. It’s not very fancy, but there’s a real need. So many of the people don’t have the resources to get regular medical care.”
“Sounds like they’re very lucky to have you.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m the lucky one.” Then she laughed. “That sounded saintly, didn’t it? I am the lucky one, though. The people are wonderful — at least I think they are — and they give me far more than I can give them.” When she spoke, her whole face lit up. “You know what I’m going to like best?”
“What’s that?”
“No games. For the most part, they’re honest, ordinary people trying to scrape a living together. They don’t waste a lot of time on foolishness.”
“So, everyone loves everyone else?” He scoffed at the notion.
“No, of course not,” she replied. “But I’ll know my enemies. They won’t sneak up behind me and blindside me. It isn’t their style.” She smiled again. “They’ll get right in my face, and I’m going to like that. Like I said, no games. After the residency I just finished, that’s going to be a refreshing change.”
“You won’t miss the big beautiful office and all the trappings?”
“Not really. There are rewards other than money. Oh sure, it would be great to have all the supplies and equipment we need, but we’ll make do. I’ve spent a lot of years getting ready for this . . . besides, I made a promise.”
He kept asking her questions to keep her talking. He was interested in hearing about her town but not nearly as much as he was fascinated with her expressions. There was such passion and joy in her voice, and her eyes sparkled as she talked about her family and friends and the good she hoped she could do.
She reminded him of how he had felt about life when he had first started practicing the law, before he’d become so cynical. He, too, had wanted to change the world, to make it a better place. Rebecca had ended all that. Looking back, he realized he had failed miserably.
“I’ve worn you out, going on and on about my hometown. I’ll let you rest now,” she said.
“When can I get out of here?”
“That’s Dr. Cooper’s call, but if it were up to me, I’d keep you another night. You had quite a nasty infection. You need to take it easy for a couple of weeks, and don’t forget to take your antibiotics. Good luck, Theo.”
And then she was gone, and he’d lost the only chance he had to find out more about her. He didn’t even know where her home was. He fell asleep trying to figure out a way to see her again.
CHAPTER FIVE
T he room was filled with flowers when Theo woke up from his morning nap. He heard whispering in the hallway, opened his eyes, and saw a nurse talking to an older man. She was pointing to the box the aide had left.
The man looked like a retired linebacker, Theo thought. Or maybe a boxer. If he was Dr. Renard’s father, she’d gotten her good
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