Fools (Licking Thicket 3)

No matter how many times we’d all tried to explain to her that arterial stents didn’t work that way, she still didn’t buy it. But that wasn’t the part that bothered me. “Wait. What date? I didn’t set Tucker up with a date this weekend. He told me not to.”

Mom sounded awfully nonchalant about it. “Oh, you didn’t? Hm. Guess it’s with someone else, then.”

“Who? Who would it be with?” I scrambled my brain up and down the list of single guys in the Thicket. It had better not be Kort Blanchard or I was going to have to intervene. That guy was shifty as hell, what with all his… classic cars and stuff. Who needed that many cars? No one, that’s who.

Mom’s voice sounded distracted. “Honey, there’s someone at the door. See you when you get here. And thanks a bunch.”

I growled as I pulled the phone down to text Tucker.

Me: Who you going out with this weekend?

There was no response, so I tried again.

Me: I just want to cross them off the list so I don’t double-book you. That’s all.

Still nothing. I tried calling him. No answer.

“Fuck,” I muttered, trying the office line.

“Thicket Med, how may I help you?” As soon as I heard Jenn’s familiar voice, I both ducked and threw the phone away from me at the same time.

As if she was here on the farm, watching me.

“Shit,” I hissed. “Stupid, stupid.”

I duckwalked over to the debris pile and began to pick through it in search of my phone. I tried not to notice Bernadette’s judgmental stare. Or the one from my young farmhand, Luisa, who always seemed to be lurking around judging me even more than the pig.

“Mind your business,” I muttered. I picked up the dirty phone, grateful for the military-grade case I had on it. Ever since I’d run over my phone with a tractor a couple of years ago, Tucker had made sure the case I had was indestructible.

“Dunn, is that you?” Jenn’s voice sounded tinny and far away. I hit the speakerphone button so I didn’t have to put the dirty phone to my ear.

“Oh. Yeah, uh. Hey. Sorry. Dropped the phone.”

Her voice went weird. “Heeey.”

Hadn’t we already covered that part? “Hey. Yeah, uh… Tuck there?”

There was silence for a few beats which was a little weird since Jenn had never met a silence she couldn’t fill. “We going out Saturday night?” she asked.

Hellfire and hay bales. “Uh, sure? Yeah.” I thought of Tucker’s date. “Yeah. That’s a good idea actually. I’ll pick the place.” I just needed to find out where he was going and it’d be all set. And this time I wouldn’t let him see me. I’d just be there in case of emergencies.

“Oh good. Hang on for Doc Wright. Bye, cutie.”

It seemed to take forever before Tucker came on the line. “Dr. Wright speaking.”

“Hey, it’s me. Listen, Mom said—”

“Dunn? Jesus. I’m working here.”

Bernadette rolled her eyes, and I nodded in agreement. “You can’t take a break to answer one text?”

“It was two texts and a phone call—now two phone calls—and I already told you. No more dates.”

“Okay, but—”

“Dunn, I mean it. Stop this.” He sounded harried, but I figured he was probably just having a busy day. It happened to the best of us. Hell, I’d already been up since before dawn dealing with two heifers who were in a mood.

“Okay, but—”

He cut me off again. “No. No okay buts. I’m done with the dates. Done. Besides, this weekend’s thing isn’t even a date-date. I’m going out with Carter Rogers, your dad’s temporary cardiologist. He called me the other night ’cause I guess your mom gave him my number, and we’re going out to have a meal and, ah…” He took a breath. “Catch up. As former… you know… colleagues. Not a date. Got it?”

I let out a breath and let my shoulders drop. “Okay. Phew. That’s… good. That’s good.” I wasn’t sure why it was good, but the words just came out anyway.

Bernadette made a snorting noise of relief too.

“That Bernie?” Tuck’s voice sounded softer. “Give her scritches for me.”

I reached out and ran my fingers behind Bernadette’s ear. She closed her eyes and leaned into my touch. “Nah. She’s in the pen with the rest of the hogs,” I said, clearing my throat.

“Mm-hm. Sure. Hey. Maybe drop by your mom and dad’s place. She said she had some work that needed doing, and I can’t help her this weekend.”

I sighed and stood back up, kicking some mud off my boots and heading for the house. I ignored the dirty look Luisa shot me. Teenagers were pains in the butt. If she wasn’t so darned good at farm work, I’d have tossed her out on her ass by now.

Well, not really. But I would have given her a stern look or two.