by C J Murphy
“You’re not ready.”
“I am ready. Rhonda gave me no restrictions with my wrist. She released me to full duty. I’ve had no headaches in over ten days. No dizziness, nausea or anything else concussion related. You can’t continue to fight me on this.”
“Then you’ll need to find another doctor, because I refuse to send you to your death.”
Chance straightened to her full height. She knew Faith still cared, and if she’d taken a job that removed danger from her life, Faith would have never left. That had been one thing Chance couldn’t do. Faith moved on and was now married to someone else.
“If that’s what you want, then I’ll take your advice. Consider yourself relieved of any further responsibility for my health care. I’ll call in as to where you’ll need to send my records. As of now Faith, you are no longer my doctor. You stopped being in control of my life a long time ago, when you left and said I do to Theresa. You took an oath to do no harm. Trust me, you’re doing plenty of harm to this friendship. We fought over this subject entirely too much when we were a couple. I certainly am not going to stand for it now that we aren’t. Figure it out, Faith. We’re godparents to a kid who will want us both there on his special days. I’d like to be able to say we can be in the same state when those moments happen.” Chance pulled open the exam room door, startling Zeus, and strode quickly to the exit. She could hear Faith yelling at her to stop. She didn’t until she was at the door of her truck. When she pulled on it, a hand pushed it shut.
“Quit acting like a jackass, Chance Fitzsimmons. Get back in the clinic.”
Zeus growled when Chance removed Faith’s hand and pulled on the door. “It’s okay, Zeus.” She turned slightly to be able to look her ex in the eyes. “You might want to look in the mirror if you’re looking for a jackass. As of last week, I’m fifty-five years old. I’ve faced life and death for myself and been responsible for the death of others. I’ve been fortunate enough in this life to have been blessed with three mothers. I don’t have an ad out for a fourth. Your former position of lover has been taken. Doctor and friend seem to be beyond your capacity, although you have plenty of qualifications for both. You figure out what’s important to you and you get back to me, Faith. Until then, I’ve given you leave of responsibility to me for anything other than your vote. If you’d rather see Brad Waters in the job, then pick up a Republican ballot when you enter the polling place. I’ve got appointments I need to keep.” Chance pointed back at the building. “And you have patients.” She climbed in and started the truck, leaving a stunned Faith standing in the parking lot. Her patience was gone, and she needed to blow off steam. She knew exactly where to do it, too.
Chance dropped Zeus and her work slips at the sheriff’s office, before she drove to the shooting range and walked into the facility. Weston Long stood at the counter.
“Hey Wes, can you set me up on a lane?”
“Sure thing, Sheriff. How’s that arm?”
A sharp retort, laced with venom, was right on the tip of her tongue. He wasn’t the issue. Faith was. Wes was a friend and a fellow member of the rescue squad.
“Finally got the cast off today. Thought I’d give it a little work out, get back to fighting weight, so to speak.”
Wes shook his head. “Glad to hear it. We’ve missed you down at the squad. I’ll set you up on lane six.”
Chance waved at him and went to the locker she kept there. She’d had high hopes that Faith would be returning her to full duty today without protest. The harsh words that had passed between them filled her with regret. Her ex-lover’s overprotective streak was rubbing Chance like eighty-grit sandpaper on a fresh burn. Maybe it would be best if Faith wasn’t her doctor anyway. She was too close, and it felt like her judgment was based on something other than medical tests. Things had been fine until Jax came back.
She walked to the range and put her equipment down, before she donned her ear protection and pulled her Glock from the holster in the small of her back. Several calming breaths later, she stepped into her shooter’s stance and smoothly fired off several rounds into a human-shaped target. All kill shots. It felt good to hold her weapon and feel the slight recoil in her hand. She recognized a slight twinge in her wrist. Nothing that worried her or made her uncomfortable. Just need to rebuild my strength. She reloaded and switched hands. The shots weren’t as accurate, although they would still be deadly. She reloaded and adjusted her grip slightly before firing off several more shots. Chance removed her headgear and pushed a button to bring the target to her. She heard the door and turned before hanging another target, and recognized the woman walking to her.
“I’m fine, Sarah. The good doctor didn’t need to call in a babysitter or a therapist for me.”
“Faith didn’t call me. Maggie did.” Sarah stepped up to Chance’s right in lane five. She pulled her own pistol out of the case and sent a target down range.
They both emptied several magazines before they stopped. They had the range to themselves and could speak freely.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Chance stopped and cleared her weapon as Sarah did the same.
“Oh, you’re a mind reader now?”
Chance closed her eyes and composed herself. “From the moment we got together, she became overprotective.”
“But you’re not together now,” Sarah shrugged.
“No, we aren’t. That’s the point. We aren’t together, because I wouldn’t do what she asked and stop being who I am. I’ll admit I got hurt doing my job and made her nightmare come true. I’m healed up, and she’s still trying to manipulate my life in order to stop me from doing what she never wanted me to do in the first place.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“What I should have done after we broke up. Find another doctor so she doesn’t have that responsibility or concern.” Chance disassembled her weapon and began to clean it.
“Well, that certainly is one way to remove her control. It won’t do anything about her concern.”
Chance stopped and threw down her rag. “The point is that I’m not her concern anymore. We aren’t together, and I’m capable of returning to the duty I was elected to. When I got hurt, I relented and let her take care of me, because there was no one I trusted more. I trusted her judgment. Ever since Jax came back, her judgment seems more possessive and restrictive in nature than ever. She left, Sarah,” Chance pointed to her chest, “not me. She walked away. She moved on. For fuck’s sake, she’s married!” Chance stopped and put her back against the lane divider.
Sarah put her hands in her pockets. “Yes, she is. You know as well as I do that she never stopped loving or caring about you. When you were in that shootout, her greatest fear nearly came to pass. She was scared that you’d be gone from her life forever.” Sarah ran her hand through her hair. “I’m not here to argue her point, Chance. You’re my best friend, and she’s my sister. I’m closer to you than I’ve ever been to her. Hell, I’m her greatest disappointment. To you, I’ve always been good enough and damn good at what I do. I’m here for you right now, not her. She called Maggie in tears. Maggie called me to come and check on you.” She pointed to the ground. “The fact that I’m standing here tells you where my loyalty falls. I didn’t go to comfort her or come here to enforce her will. I came here because you and I are as close as two people can be without being lovers.”
Chance wrinkled up her face at that notion.
“Yeah, exactly. Did Rhonda say you were good to go?”
“She did.”
Sarah put her headgear back on. “Then I think you have all the release you need, Sheriff.” She loaded in a fresh magazine and fired off a final burst, before she pulled off her hearing protection again. “Go to work and don’t worry about Faith. She’s got some demons of her own to face down. Her little sprint out of the clinic has tongues wagging. She’ll have to explain it to Theresa, and I’m not sure claiming a physician’s concern for your welfare is going to hold water. Theresa th
inks the sun rises and sets in her ass. The one thing I do know is she won’t play second fiddle to anyone.” Sarah cleaned her weapon, then put it back in the case.
“So, we’re all good?” Chance raised her eyebrows in question.
“We always have been. Now, I also know that Maggie was calling Jax, who isn’t aware of your anger management hideaway like I am. Call her.”
Chance pulled Sarah into a one-arm hug. “Thanks for having my back, Sarah.”
“Always, Chance. Always.”
Once she was back in her truck, she checked her phone and saw a notification from Jax. “Sorry I missed your call. Where are you?”
“I’m back at my office. I signed the paperwork for the house, then an emergency showed up in the office that I rushed back for. I take it from Maggie’s call your meeting with Faith didn’t go well.”
“I’ll tell you about it when I pick you up. I’m about ten minutes out.”
“I love you. Drive safe. “
“Always.”
“The Chance I used to date wouldn’t.”
Chance laughed. “I don’t want to get a ticket. I hear the sheriff’s a bitch.”
Jax snorted. “I’ve heard that too. See you in five, Sheriff.”
“I love you too, Jax.”
On the way to the animal hospital, she took a side road to avoid a line of oversized vehicles carrying large pieces of a new windmill tower. The gravel road took her past the backside of the Kurst house. At least three newer model vehicles, all with Maryland license plates, were parked near a barn at the edge of the Kurst property.
“Way too much out-of-state traffic at that house.” She couldn’t make out the licenses with the naked eye. She pulled to the side of the road and removed her cell phone. Using the zoom feature, she snapped the license plates and drove away. Once she reached the Appalachian Highway, she pulled over and sent the pictures to Harley. Her phone rang a few minutes later, as she parked beside Jax’s vehicle.
“Hey, Harley.”
“I’m running those plates now. I really don’t like the amount of traffic that place is getting. Looks like Leland brought some friends home for a sleepover. I think we have a major problem. I’ve had troopers watching that place, and we’ve seen about a dozen different vehicles, both Maryland and West Virginia visitors. A few Virginia plates as well. The task force has Leland under surveillance.”
“He gave Jax the creeps the other day.”
“Jax?”
“Oh, come on, don’t play dumb, Harley. I know you and Taylor talk. I also have it on very good authority your future daughter-in-law is going to work for the Jax you don’t seem to know anything about.”
Harley’s deep laughter came over the phone. “You always have been good at tying it all together. Okay, yes, I know who Jax is. So, what happened?”
Chance looked up to see Jax waving to Marty as she made her way across the parking lot to Chance’s truck. She climbed in and kissed her on the cheek. Chance smiled and pointed to the dash to show her the active phone call. “I’ll let Jax tell you. She’s in the truck now.”
Jax furrowed her brow. “Tell who what?”
Chance again pointed to the dash display. “Jax St. Claire, meet Sergeant Harley Kincaid.”
Jax furrowed her brow. “Nice to meet you, uh, Harley. What can I help you with?”
Chance backed the truck out for their ride to Fairmont, as Harley and Jax conversed.
“I hope we’ll get to meet in person someday. First, let me thank you for hiring Lindsey. I know my daughter will be glad Lindsey isn’t driving back and forth in the winter. Secondly, tell me about your encounter with Leland Kurst the other day.”
“Oh, that guy gave me the creeps.”
Chance reached out and held her hand.
Jax slipped on a pair of sunglasses. “He just showed up at the office as I was leaving, wanted to talk about me seeing his dog. He made my skin crawl and kept trying to crowd me. Luckily, my own personal security system showed up. The guy turned white as a sheet. Eventually, he said he’d be in touch and left. I haven’t heard from him since.” Jax physically shivered.
Chance spoke up. “I did a little crowding of my own.”
Harley laughed. “I’ll just bet you did. I’ll have to keep an eye on the clinic. Meg will lose her shit if he shows up when Lindsey’s there. He was a pain in their ass when they were in high school.”
“Tell Meg not to worry. The Three River’s Animal Hospital officially has its own security professional.” Chance rubbed the back of Jax’s hand with her thumb. “I won’t let anything happen to either of them. We need to figure out what the hell is going on at the Kurst’s.”
“I’m on it. I’ll call the task force and give them the latest. Hey, are you back on the road yet?”
Chance looked at Jax. “I am as of tomorrow. Today, I’m taking Jax to pick up her new vehicle, then she’s taking me to dinner.”
“You two crazy kids have fun, while I’m slaving away protecting and serving. Okay, Chance. I’ll call you if I find anything out. I’ll fax copies of the license checks. Talk with you tomorrow.”
Chance reached up to disconnect the call. “Keep your head on a swivel, Harley.”
“Back atcha.”
Chance disconnected the call and squeezed Jax’s hand. “You look scrumptious. I like the little puppies and kittens on your scrub shirt. And your hair in that ponytail? All you need is my ball cap with those sunglasses.”
Jax released Chance’s hand and smacked her. “Sweet talker. Okay, tell me about your day.”
Chance blew out a breath and started. “Well, you know Dr. Alden released me and I went to see Faith. That meeting was just as confrontational as the one you went to with me, maybe worse.” She proceeded to tell Jax what had transpired. “I told her I wasn’t in need of another mother, and the job of lover was taken.” She grabbed Jax’s hand and kissed it.
Jax opened her mouth then shut it. “You’re kidding?”
Chance held up her hand as if she was testifying. “That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She called me a jackass, and I shot back with look who’s talking. The conversation didn’t end well. I left and went to the shooting range to practice a qualifying round. I know Taylor will want that bit of knowledge to feel comfortable with me returning to full duty. Sarah showed up after Faith called Maggie.”
“And Maggie called me. I don’t get it. I’m confused.”
“Sarah got a call from Maggie and figured out where I’d go, given that kind of a cluster fuck. She found me at the range. Let’s just say it’s a productive way for me to let off a little steam. Maggie’s call was out of concern for both of us. She figured Sarah could calm me down.”
“And did she?”
“To a certain extent. They put pop-off valves on propane tanks for a reason. Better to vent than to cause a BLEVE.”
“A what?
Chance laughed. “Sorry, firefighter acronym. Boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. BLEVE. Better to release the pressure than risk the explosion.”
“Ah.”
“Exactly. Faith’s got an issue. An overprotective issue and a possessiveness she doesn’t have a right to. I don’t need it. Faith is a great doctor, but she’s no longer my doctor in any sense of the word. I have clearance from Dr. Alden, and that’s good enough. I’ll take it easy for a while, but I’m going back to full duty and answering calls when needed.”
Jax held up her hands. “You’re a big girl. I think tonight we can work out some way to test that wrist strength. “
Chance glanced over at Jax and watched her lick her lips. “Oh God. Don’t do that while I’m driving. I’ll wreck and kill us both.”
Jax put her hands back in her lap. “Okay, I’ll be good for now. What are you going to do about Faith? You know, eventually, you’re going to have to talk to her. If you don’t, it will cause both of you more heartache. I won’t lie. I’m grateful she was in the ER the night you came in. No one would h
ave taken better care of you or given us greater access to you.”
Chance took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. She had no idea what she was going to do. She shrugged her shoulders and reached out to grab hold of Jax’s hand. “I really don’t know what to do. We share godparent responsibilities for Daniel, and my best friend is her sister. Those are the only two things we have in common anymore. For now, I go back to work and be cautious with this wrist for a while. I need you to know I wouldn’t put anyone in the public, my department, or myself in danger. I just got you back. I’m in no hurry to check out.”
“I’ll second that thought. Now let’s go get my new truck.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jax gazed at the small farms and towns they passed by, through the haze of the afternoon heat rising off the pavement. She had no doubts about the way Chance felt about her, but she was concerned with Faith’s lingering tentacles. When she’d arrived in town, she’d quickly been able to find out Chance’s relationship status. Between what Marty told her and a few simple inquiries, she knew bits and pieces of the former couple’s history. It would have crushed Jax to come back to Tucker County to discover a happily married Chance. She was more than grateful to have found her single.
“Where do you want to eat?” Jax pulled up a text from Marty telling her he was closing the clinic and taking calls from home to catch Judge Judy on TV.
“I’m thinking Chinese or Mexican. Those are two food choices that are lacking back in Tucker County. Which one we choose is up to you.”
“Back in California, I could take you to some amazing little hole-in-the-wall Mexican places. This one near my old office had the most amazing tamales. Is there a good place in Fairmont?”
“Actually, there’s a place over in Clarksburg that’s in an old laundromat. Not the typical chain restaurant fare. Unbelievable food on the menu and prepared by personal friends of mine. It’s a little farther out. Trust me, it’s worth the drive.”
“Then it’s settled. Since I won’t know where I’m going, I’ll follow you. Hey, by the way, how’s your new patrol vehicle coming?”
