by Elsie Davis
“You’re incorrigible, but right.” Diane shook her head, loving her husband’s teasing. “We’ve been married forty-six years.”
“Forty-six long years,” Bill said, pulling his wife close and shooting Juliet a wink.
“Wow. How wonderful. My parents have been married thirty-two, and I love it when I see more happy marriages.” Although Bill’s answer hadn’t been what she expected at all.
“What about you, dear? Are you married?” Diane asked, her gaze dropping to Juliet’s left hand.
“No. No husband. No boyfriend. No prospects. I think God has other plans for my life.” The more she said it, the more she was prone to believe she was on the right track—and Jake was simply more proof.
“Nonsense,” Bill scoffed. “You’re young still. Plenty of time. Maybe someone right here in Hollow Creek will catch your eye.”
“I don’t know. I stopped looking after the last one relationship.” Juliet shrugged.
“That’s when you usually find the right one. What do you think of Dr. K? He’s the town’s most eligible bachelor. A little rusty, but a good man who needs a good woman. Maybe that’s you,” Diane offered, smiling.
“Doubtful. We work together, and I’m only here temporarily.” She and Jake weren’t on the same spiritual walk in life, but Juliet wasn’t comfortable discussing the issue with Diane and her husband. Jake was one of them, and she was an outsider.
“You never know. Hey, I’ve got an idea. We need someone to help with the children at the annual outdoor Shakespeare festival. The volunteer oversees entertaining the kids with games and crafts during the outdoor play. Weekend after next. Any chance you’d be willing to help?” Diane asked.
“I’d love to. I’ve got lots of free time on the weekends, and it would give me a chance to get to know more people.”
“Yes, it will. And maybe meet someone,” Bill added with a wink. The man was incorrigible.
“Enough, you two.” She shook her head. “Not everyone finds their happily-ever-after soulmate the way you two have. Time to mingle.” Juliet said, waving as she wandered off.
They were wrong about Jake—the part where they were trying to link the two of them together. It wouldn’t work.
Secretly, however, it didn’t stop Juliet from wishing it would.
14
Juliet arrived at the clinic Monday morning early, eager to see what the day held. More specifically, to see if Jake returned to the clinic. She couldn’t wait to update him on Johnny’s progress. The kid was doing great and in high spirits when she spoke to him at the picnic and he was even talking about fishing again. Something mostly due to Jake’s encouragement.
The overhead doorbell buzzed, and Juliet headed to the front room. “Good morning, Olivia,” she said when she spotted the receptionist.
“Good morning. You’re here early. What’s up?” Olivia moved to sit at her desk and fired up the computer.
“Just trying to get a jump on things. Straighten up a bit. Restock the rooms,” Juliet said in a rush.
Olivia stopped and looked up at her, her brow furrowing slightly. “All stuff you can do during the day. What’s really going on?”
She shrugged. “Fine. I’m anxious to see if Dr. K returns today.” Olivia wouldn’t let the matter drop until she admitted the truth, so it was easier to get it over with.
“Why would you think that? I got the impression it was a one-time thing,”
“It was just something he said.” More like something he did and said—not that she’d be telling anyone, especially not Olivia.
“Don’t hold your breath. I was shocked you got him here in the first place. I’m sure that took some arm twisting. Or charm,” Olivia added with a grin.
Juliet shook her head. “Definitely the first.” Not wanting to continue the discussion, she headed through the door that led to the patient rooms.
By the time lunch rolled around, she’d seen four appointments and two drop-in patients. Unfortunately, there was no so sign of Jake, and she was forced to acknowledge Olivia had been right—he wasn’t coming.
Juliet left the clinic, making a beeline for the bank to finish setting up her account. Once that was done, she headed for Platter’s to pick up her lunch, having decided to take it back to the office. The rest of the day was surprisingly busy with back-to-back appointments, which helped keep her mind off Jake and the disappointment in his choice not return, at bay.
When Olivia volunteered to lock up since Juliet had opened, it was a no-brainer to accept. At lunch she’d come up with a plan for her next move with Jake. The man was a no-show, and as Johnny’s doctor, he deserved an update on the kid’s condition. It was the perfect excuse for a visit.
Juliet turned onto the gravel road just outside of town. She slowed down, the bumps and ruts jostling her. Not to mention, she didn’t want to damage the car Olivia had lent her. She’d planned on getting her own car last weekend, but with Olivia’s mother away visiting her sister, the car was just sitting in her driveway. It had been a most welcome option to aid Juliet in getting around town.
She was relieved when she located the turnoff that would take her to Jake’s cabin. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind an unexpected visitor, but she knew better than to call and ask permission. That would most assuredly have been a distinct no.
Pulling up next to the barn, she hopped out of the car and glanced around, happy to see Jake’s truck parked on the side of the cabin. Taking a deep breath, she headed for the porch, awed by the beauty of the countryside views he got to experience every day. Some things about the way he lived seemed ultra-simple and ultra-peaceful, others, like the outhouse—not so much.
All Jake needed to do was learn to combine the two worlds.
Juliet knocked on the rickety screen door. There was no answer or sounds coming from within. She glanced around but didn’t see any sign of him.
“Jake,” she called out, pressing her face to the screen. Still no answer. She headed for the barn to check it out just in case he was working on the four-wheeler. Or, for that matter, gone on his four-wheeler—something she hadn’t considered.
She rounded the bend and entered the bay where he kept the ATV. The hood on the machine was up as if he’d been working on it. “Jake,” she called again.
Juliet headed back for the house, determined to wait for him. She took the liberty of going inside to get a drink of water while she waited, knowing he never locked the cabin.
Returning to the front room, she walked around, taking in the details of his life. The bookshelf in the corner caught her attention. If she found something of interest to read, it would keep her occupied until he returned.
Juliet scanned the titles, surprised to see several best-selling novels. She hadn’t pegged him as an avid reader, but his collection was noteworthy. Drawing her fingers across each row of books, she tried to settle on a title. Down on the bottom shelf, there was a stack of albums wedged in tight.
She felt a little guilty as she started to pull one out, but they were in plain sight, and her curiosity was piqued. She glanced up at the door, but there was no sign of Jake. Just a quick peek, she promised herself. She gave the album a tug to loosen it. When it came free, an old Bible came with it, falling to the ground. Juliet picked the Bible up reverently, totally shocked Jake owned one. Hoping it would give her insight into the man Jake once was, she opened the front cover and read the dedication.
Sophia Kensington. Where had she heard that name? His mother? His wife? Juliet sucked in a deep breath. It had to be his wife’s judging by the date and the inscription. It was also the last thing she needed to be caught with if Jake came back. Juliet squatted, intent on shoving both items back where they belonged.
A picture and a card fell out on the floor. Juliet glanced at the snapshot, recognizing the woman as the one in the photo in Jake’s room. Sophia was a young, beautiful woman, her long dark hair framing her laughing face as she looked up into Jake’s eyes as he held her in his arms. The picture had cap
tured the full essence of a smiling man gazing down at the woman he loved, not caring who noticed.
Lucky woman. The thought came out of nowhere. She shoved it aside, glancing down at the wedding invite she held. The invitation was dated almost three years ago. True love cut short. It was such a tragic story.
A scuffle on the front porch alerted her Jake had returned. She shoved the objects back into place, but it was a tight fit, and she didn’t want to damage the precious piece of history.
“Give me those,” Jake’s voice boomed from the doorway. “What are you doing here?” he added, crossing the room in only a couple of strides, and snatching the books from her hands, barely concealed anger written on his face.
Caught red-handed, there was no excuse good enough. “I…I…I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“It’s past time you left.”
She’d never seen Jake this angry. “Listen, I really wasn’t trying to pry. It’s not exactly hidden, and I was just looking to find something to read while I waited for you to return.”
“I didn’t ask for you to visit. Say what you wanted to say and leave.” She noticed Jake was clutching both books to his chest as if forming a barrier between himself and her.
Juliet took a step toward him instead of retreating. “I said I was sorry. I came by to give you news about Johnny.” She had to find a way to connect with him and slow down his line of thought.
His eyes flared when he heard the boy’s name. “How is he?” Jake asked, just as she’d known he would. A doctor can’t resist status updates on their patients.
“He’s doing great.” She smiled. “He was hoping to see you at the church picnic on Sunday, but since you weren’t there, he told me to tell you thanks. And that he was looking forward to his next fishing trip.”
“Yeah, you know I don’t do social stuff anymore. But that’s great about Johnny.” He nodded.
“There’s more to his message.”
“More?” he asked, a questioning look in his eyes.
It was the part she couldn’t wait to share, if only to see his reaction. “He’s hoping you’ll go with him on the next fishing trip since it was you who talked him into not giving it up.” Not that she expected him to accept, but coming from Johnny, it was worth a shot.
“I can’t,” Jake said flatly.
“Says who? I’m sure you have a fishing pole. It’s just a couple of hours of your time. Surely, you can do it for Johnny, if not for yourself. You need to get out more. Seriously.” Juliet was taking him to task, hoping to shake him up a bit.
“Are you done, preacher woman?” His tone had grown softer, the corners of his mouth relaxing from the fierce set of his jaw of only moments ago.
“Not preaching. I’ll leave that to the pastor—and my father. It was just a friendly suggestion,” she said, smiling to emphasize her point.
“Duly noted. Does that mean you had one of those preachy fathers?” he asked.
“No.” Juliet grinned. Her intentions in coming here hadn’t been to ruin all her efforts to help him, so she was grateful for the ease in tension between them. “It was mostly good. Higher expectations, yes, but a tremendous amount of love.” It was the truth, although as a child, her answer might have been slightly different. Time had a way to change one’s perspective.
“I see. In other words, spoiled. Is that why you don’t take no for an answer?” he asked, hands on hips.
“Maybe. But also, because I like you, Jake Kensington. As a friend,” she rushed to add, thinking it sounded more like she was pouring her heart out to him—which she wasn’t.
He shook his head. “I don’t know why.”
“Because you’ve got a big heart, you’re talented, mostly smart, eager to help others—”
Jake frowned. “Mostly smart? What’s that supposed to mean? I’ll have you know I graduated with honors in my class.”
“Mostly because you left the practice and didn’t return. It’s time to move forward with your life. I’m really sorry about your wife, but you can’t run away from who you are forever.” She knew when to press forward and when to retreat, and he’d given her a golden press-forward moment.
“You don’t understand,” he said, moving to set the books on the table and out of his sight, turning away from them.
“Maybe I don’t because everyone’s journey is different. But I do know that hiding out here won’t bring her back. You were in your element on Friday—I watched you. You can’t deny there was a spark of life in you that hadn’t been there until you picked up the scalpel and went to work. I almost got the impression you wanted to come back. What changed your mind?” It was the question she’d asked herself all weekend, but one only Jake could answer.
“It was all from the rush of a successful procedure. There’s a high of knowing you helped someone. That’s all it was, a temporary sense of satisfaction knowing I’d helped Johnny, but it was just one moment. Not the future.” Jake ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck.
“And the kiss?” Juliet decided to go for the jugular.
Jake winced. “Was a result of the joy. That’s all.” The tone of his voice was more than enough to make her a believer he was telling the truth. He was doing her a favor by putting an end to any fanciful notions she might have had to the contrary.
“Good. I was worried that might be what was keeping you from coming back to the clinic. You have nothing to worry about from me, so I’m glad we agree. It’s just that you left without saying anything, so I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.” It was her that had gotten the wrong idea, but she wasn’t sharing that part.
“That’s good to know, but why do you say it like that? It’s not very flattering.” He gazed at her, a frown deepening on his face.
“I didn’t realize you needed flattery,” Juliet said with a chuckle.
“I don’t. Forget I asked. Since you’re not going to let it go, I’ll tell you why I didn’t go back. Maybe then you’ll leave me alone.” He moved to the couch to sit down and she followed.
“Fat chance but try me,” she teased.
“I fell in love with my wife in high school. Sophia was my everything. She stuck by me through all my medical schooling and waited out my dream to become a doctor. We were married shortly after I finished my residency. She even gave up her roots here in Hollow Creek to move to the city with me. When the time was right, we moved back, and I opened a practice here. But then she got sick.”
Juliet’s smile disappeared, realizing the dark cloud hanging above Jake’s head was about to show its true colors. “I’m sorry. What happened?” Asking about Sophia was hard, but she wanted to help.
“It was influenza. She kept saying it was just a cold. But then she got worse. I came home from work one day, and she had a high fever and was shaking. I took her to the hospital in Gatlinburg, but we didn’t get there in time for them to be able to save her. Her lungs and heart simply gave out under the strain.”
Juliet took his hand. “Jake, it’s heartbreaking to lose someone you love, but it’s not enough reason to walk away from medicine. Sophia wouldn’t have wanted you to give up your dreams because of her death.”
He yanked his hand away. “But what of her dreams? I put off having a family because of medical school, always waiting for the right time. I denied her of her dream.”
“But it wasn’t your fault.”
“That’s where you're wrong. It was my fault. I should have recognized the signs. Paid better attention. She had undetected heart disease and needed antiviral drugs, not antibiotics. If she had gotten to the hospital sooner, she wouldn’t have died. It was too much strain on her heart, and the influenza had caused pneumonia and then respiratory failure. She died in my arms.” His eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he spoke.
“You’re a doctor, not God. You can’t know or control everything. God called her home to a better place. She wouldn’t have wanted this for you,” she said, pointing around the cabin. “Living
like a recluse and ignoring your God-given talents. Sophia supported you every step of the way. The real tragedy is you walking away from what you both worked hard to achieve.” Juliet had to reach him. So much was at stake, and they come this far. There was no turning back now.
“You don’t pull any punches, do you? Here’s the kicker you don’t know, Miss-Fix-It; I may have been the one who brought the virus home,” Jake said, his head and shoulders dropping forward in defeat.
He truly felt responsible for her death, just as Olivia had warned her. It was a great burden to carry. “Honestly, it wouldn’t change anything. But what if you didn’t? Quit beating yourself up for something you had no control over. This is the reason you overreacted when I was sick, isn’t it?” She slapped herself up against the side of her head. “This totally explains why you were so overbearing and hard to deal with. It’s not that you’re a hard-hearted recluse, it’s that you have a loving heart that’s been deeply hurt. The rest is just a cover.” Knowing the truth didn’t make it any easier.
“Don’t get carried away. It doesn’t change anything. I can’t go back to the clinic, even if I wanted to.” He looked away from her.
“Why?” she pressed.
“You ask too many questions. I bared my soul to you; can’t you leave it alone. Please?” he begged, raw pain in his voice.
“Fine. For now,” she said, patting him on the arm. “If I see Johnny, I’ll tell him you’re looking forward to fishing with him.” She wasn’t letting him off the hook, just giving him a momentary pass to regroup.
He shook his head. “Juliet, I didn’t say that.”
“No, but if you want me to leave…”
Jake let out a deep sigh. “Fine. For your information, I do like to fish. Or I did. I haven’t done any fishing since long before medical school.”
“It sounds like this is the perfect time to do it again. Maybe you’ll find exactly what you’ve been missing.” Juliet stood to leave. “Talk to you later, Jake. Maybe you could join me at church on Sunday?”
