Healing Touch (3 page)

“I’m thirty-two. Not that much younger than
you.”

“Back to me again. And yes, seven years
younger is too young… never mind. We were talking about
Cherryville.” I pushed back the curtain further and looked down the
road. I didn’t hear Jeremy approach behind me but knew he was there
when his hand brushed mine. He took over holding the fabric and I
shoved my hands in my pockets to keep them from doing anything
foolish.

“Yes, tell me what I need to know.”

Focus, Tracy and for God sake, whatever you
do, don’t lean back!

“Well, first of all, get used to being called
‘the new doctor’ because it won’t matter how many years you
practice here, you’ll always be the new guy. Right up until Dr.
John moved to Florida some people were still referring to him as
the man who took over for Dr. Ottman.”

The sound of Jeremy’s voice was closer than I
would have liked. “I’ll remember that. What else?”

“The key is to find your place in town. Where
do you fit? What’s your piece of the puzzle?”

“I don’t understand.”

“See that woman walking the hideous black
poodle? She’s Mrs. Jeffrey, Chuck Jeffrey’s wife. You must know
him, he’s the pharmacist. She’s also mother of Steve Jeffrey, the
best quarterback this town has ever seen. Everyone in town is
connected. They are somebody’s mom, cousin, co-worker, or sibling.
We all fit together like a puzzle.”

“How about you? How do you fit?”

“Well, I’m Leah Birch’s younger sister. Leah
was Cherryville’s homecoming queen in 1987. I’m Joe’s daughter,
Dorothy youngest. Get it?”

“You were also Mark’s wife.”

“Oh no. He wasn’t from town. He was Tracy’s
Birch’s husband, from Ottumwa.”

“Sounds complicated. Is there anyway for an
outsider to become a part of the puzzle?”

“Marrying one of us doesn’t guarantee
acceptance but it helps.” I regretted the words the minute they
left my mouth.

“I’ll remember that.” His words sounded very
thoughtful, as if he was taking my advice to heart.

“Another important rule is always donate to
The Ladies Auxiliary Fund.”

“And if I don’t?”

I shook my head and in a grave voice said,
“Kiss of death.”

We chuckled and I turned to look back at him.
He was very close. My hands stayed firmly in my pockets.

“I really appreciate this information. Thank
you.” His voice was sincere and to my shock, accompanied by his
fingers gently straightening out my pony tail. A few wayward pieces
had caught on my shoulder as I turned to look at him. My body must
have tensed because he quickly dropped the curtain and sat in his
chair.

“You’re welcome. Anything else? I need to get
going.” I grabbed my purse and tried to make my escape.

“Two more questions and then I’ll let you
loose.”

“You’re not charging me a co pay for this are
you?” That would be odd and wrong for so many reasons. The near
snuggle session we just shared being at the top of the list.

“I’ll tell Connie to erase you off the
books.”

“That would be great. Even fifteen bucks
these days can be hard to come by. What’re your questions?”

“Would you like to have dinner with me one
night soon?”

I paused, a bit stunned. “Ah, you mean to
hear more about Cherryville?”

“Well, yes that and to just have dinner with
each other.”

I had to put a stop to this. People would get
the wrong idea. “Actually, I don’t think that is such a good idea.
Isn’t that against some medical oath or something? You can’t hang
out socially with your patients.”

“Just as friends, I promise. I can have
friends, can’t I? You think about it. I hear the Cattle Call has
great steaks.”

“They do.” My head spun as I tried to process
this whole encounter. I stood in the office doorway. “What’s your
other question?”

He leaned on the door and held it for me. The
movement brought us dangerously close to each other. “Do you ever
think you’ll let another guy into your life?”

“I, um…”

“Is there a chance you’ll fall in love
again?”

“I’m pretty sure I won’t.”

“Pretty sure, but there’s still a glimmer of
maybe in there somewhere? If you found the right guy.”

I felt my face blush. The word escaped my
mouth before I could stop it. “Maybe.”

“That’s good to know. I’ll call you later in
the week to check on dinner. Thanks for coming in, Tracy.”

“Yeah, ah, bye doc.”

“Please, call me Jeremy.”

****

Cody’s face and shirt were covered with
sticky white icing. He and I loved to spend Saturday mornings at
the bakery eating gooey treats. The weather was so nice, the owners
of the shop left the tables out on the sidewalk and we were taking
full advantage.

Mrs. Jeffries’ ugly poodle tried to lick the
donut frosting off my son’s face as it passed by. I scooped my boy
out of its path in the nick of time. On mornings like these, I got
more than my fair share of calories by getting sugary kisses from
Cody. I didn’t mind.

My painting class was about nine hours away.
I jotted down a few ideas for topics and double checked my supply
list. Luckily the senior center had most of what I needed to teach
a basic watercolor class. I would supply the brushes and each
student would chip in what they could for the special paper I
bought.

Cody would be spending the evening with
Maggie and Gracie. We had it all arranged. Earlier that week I had
to ask her to call me only from her cell phone. I was trying to
avoid Dr. Nelson and anytime my caller ID read Cherryville Clinic I
let it go to voicemail.

I turned down Jeremy’s initial dinner offer
and suggested he have lunch with Mrs. Larson instead. If he wanted
to learn about Cherryville, she could talk from sun up until sun
down. Of course not all of her information was true, but he’d
figure it out.

After not hearing back from me he decided to
pay me a visit at my work. In very a calm and flat tone I told him
I would sell him a car part of his choice but I didn’t want to go
out with him. He purchased a pine scented air freshener and left
quietly.

The date was just a trick to hold me hostage
until I agreed to the biopsy. He had to be crazy to think I’d
believe he actually wanted to go out with me. There were plenty of
younger women in town willing to date the handsome doctor. Most had
fewer problems than I did.

The lump on my throat seemed to be about the
same size, maybe only a little bigger. I told myself the vitamins
were helping.

“Mommy, can I have another donut?”

“Not today, buddy. You can’t be all sugared
up for your play date tonight at Johannes’s. Aren’t you excited to
go?” I gave him a big squeeze and simultaneously covered myself in
goo.

“Can’t wait! I need to bring cars and trucks
for Frank to play with.” I lifted one arm then the other and tried
to wipe off the sugar. He was becoming a shiny mess.

“Wow kiddo. I think we better head home and
get you in the tub.”

“Hi Tracy.”

I looked up to see Mrs. Iverson walking our
way. “Hi. I was just looking over my list for the class tonight. I
think I’m all set.”

“Oh good. I hope you don’t mind but I let in
one more student.”

Mrs. Iverson was the official registrar for
community education. I think she kept a notebook on her kitchen
table right next to the phone. Whatever her method, she was very
thorough.

“That’s fine. I’ll just find a few more
brushes and see if I have enough paper.”

“Normally I wouldn’t dream of letting someone
in the day of the class but he was very insistent. He even offered
to pay double!”

Paying double would bring the fee to twenty
dollars. “Wow big spender. Wait, you said he. Who is this new
student?”

“Dr. Jeremy Nelson. He’s the new doctor at
the clinic who took over for Dr. John. Have you met him?”

I shook my head which confused Mrs. Iverson
when I said, “Yes, we’ve met.”

****

“Is everyone all set to give this a try? Just
go with the flow and don’t worry too much about being exact.
Watercolors are unpredictable, fluid. It’s a part of their
charm.”

The class was made of up seven students. I
had spent the first twenty minutes going over the tools and
demonstrating some basic techniques. Each student was asked to
bring in a few photos or clippings from magazines as
inspiration.

“Ms. Campbell, I need your help.”

I hoped this wasn’t a trend for the night.
“What do you need Dr. Nelson?”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to bring in a
picture so I’m not sure what to paint.”

A few of the older ladies in the room tried
to hand him one of theirs but his eyes were locked on mine.

Mrs. Busch had a few extra at her table. I
picked a bright one from the top of her pile. “Here is a lovely
picture of some flowers. Why don’t you see what you can do with
this?” I turned away before he could respond and spoke to the whole
room. “Remember to just use the pictures as a general guide. Don’t
try to copy it. Perhaps look at it for a minute then flip it over.
Use your mind to create the art.”

I strolled around the room to check on
everyone.

“How’s this Tracy?”

“Very nice Mr. Stevens. I really like the way
the colors are blending. If you want, let this first application
dry then come back with a smaller brush and more intense color to
capture the center of the flower.”

“I have to wait until it dries?”

“Yes, or the colors will run together.” I
patted him on the back. “But then again, you could just try it now.
It’ll probably turn out beautifully. Sometimes wonderful things
happen when they are least expected.”

I turned to find Jeremy staring at me from
across the room. My cheeks turned about four shades of red. He had
heard what I said wouldn’t look away. The sound of my heart beating
flooded my ears. I wasn’t interested to him. Why did I react this
way?

“Is something wrong Jer… Dr. Nelson?” A few
of the ladies tried to interrupt our exchange.

“No, In fact everything is pretty darn
good.”

****

The rest of the class went well. The students
had lots of fun and encouraged me to offer another session. I was
surprised at their caliber of work. Those people showed great
talent. All except Jeremy. His painting was hideous. I tried to
fake enthusiasm but everyone saw through it. Mrs. Busch took it
from him and promised to tape it to her fridge.

I lifted my small box of supplies and gave
the room one last look. I’d hear it from Mrs. Iverson if I left the
place in disarray.

“Can I help you with that?”

The box flew out of my hands at Jeremy’s
surprise appearance.

“Are you trying to give me a heart
attack?”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to scare you.” He
bent to pick up the scattered supplies. “I was pulling out of the
parking lot and didn’t notice your car. Do you need a ride
home?”

“How do you know what kind of car I drive?” I
took the box from him and turned out the lights.

“Well, I don’t but considering there aren’t
any cars in the lot I figured you might need a ride.”

We exited the building together and I locked
up with the key Mrs. Iverson gave me. The sun had set and the night
sky was filled with stars. Even the street lights couldn’t dim
them.

“I walked. I don’t live far from here.”

Jeremy grabbed the box back. “Great. I’ll
carry this. Which direction are you?”

A quick glance told me no spying eyes were
watching. “This way.”

We walked on in silence for about a block.
Jeremy shifted the box of supplies to his left arm. His now
unoccupied hand swung dangerously close to mine. I felt as if I
were back in middle school. My hormones seemed to feel the
same.

A cool breeze picked up and I pulled my
sweater tight around me. Someone had barbequed steaks nearby and
the aroma reminded me I missed dinner.

“Tracy, can I ask you a personal
question?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

He ignored my response and continued. “I know
most small towns have a lot of gossip but you seem overly sensitive
to it. Why is that?”

I stopped at the corner under a street light.
This is as far as his escort home would go. “Let’s just say that
every once in a while something happens in this small town that is
so juicy, so scandalous that the town folk but can’t help but talk
about it for months.”

“And you were part of one such incident?”

The box was once again returned to me. “Why
do I get the feeling you already know about all this?”

“I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Well, it’s true. Shortly after our
separation, Mark, my ex was caught having sex in the school parking
lot with one of the teachers.”

“Caught?”

I took off in a direction opposite of my
house. “Good night Dr. Nelson.”

“Tracy.”

“Yes, caught. Caught on camera by one of her
students. Google it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the footage as much as
my divorce lawyer did.”

****

Cooler October air brought small patches of
color to the trees of Cherryville. I sat near a row of bushes at
the edge of the playground and watched Cody repeatedly fill up his
small pail and dump the sand outside the sandbox. I’d help him
scoop it back in after he finished playing. He was busy and content
with his current activity. A little sand outside the lines wouldn’t
hurt anyone.

Not too many people were at the park today.
The kids were back in school and the inhabitants of this small town
were off conducting their normal Friday activities. I lucked out
with the weather. The forecast called for 73⁰ and sunny.

My boss gladly gave me the last minute
vacation day. I had been making mistakes all week. Wednesday I
tried to charge someone $55,750 for a used tire. I needed a day
off. I was so tired.