Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

“Hey,” she offered, topping up her glass. “Busy day?”

“Not bad. You?”

“A fun case of poison ivy.” She grinned. “In a most unfortunate spot.” She hesitated, then felt they needed to clear the air. “Josh, about the atmosphere around here…”

She couldn’t read his expression. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who could put on a work face.

“I just … I don’t know. I appreciate the emphasis on keeping it professional, but it’s almost like…”

“Like it never happened?”

They kept their voices low. There were patients in the waiting room; Robin wasn’t far away, either.

“Well, yeah.”

Josh ran his fingers over his hair. “I thought you’d prefer it this way. To be honest, it’s been hellish. I really haven’t known what to say to you.”

She let out a relieved breath. “It got weird.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Lizzie looked toward the door again and then back to Josh. “Listen, your sister called and invited me to dinner tonight. If it’ll be too awkward for you, I can cancel. I’ll think of something.”

“Damn.” Josh closed his eyes for a minute. “That’s tonight. And Sarah told me to ask you and I forgot.”

“You forgot?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged. “I did, to be honest. I was on my way to Mom’s to take a look at her kitchen drain when she called, and then it went right out of my head.”

Lizzie wasn’t sure she believed him, but she could hardly accuse him of lying. “I’ll tell her I had a last-minute call or something. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t be silly. I should have cleared the air days ago. Of course you should come. Sarah will be offended if you don’t.”

Lizzie was just deliberating when Robin came rushing down the hall. “Josh? Lizzie? Luke Pratt just came in complaining of chest pain. He’s in the first exam room.”

The topic of dinner was quickly forgotten. Lizzie and Josh darted out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the first room on the left. Luke was sitting on the bed. His normally florid face was gray and clammy, and his lips looked pinched as he breathed, a bit too shallowly for Lizzie’s liking.

“Mr. Mayor,” Josh greeted him, his voice firm and reassuring. “Not feeling so great today?”

“I felt off all morning, but about fifteen minutes ago the pain started.” His breath shook. “Thought it was heartburn at first until it started going down my arm.”

“Robin, call an ambulance, please. I think we’d best get Luke to the hospital.” Josh turned to Luke and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. “I’m going to get you an aspirin, Luke. Dr. Howard’s going to have a listen and see what’s going on in there.”

She looked up at Josh, wondering why he was stepping back when Luke was clearly his patient. He shrugged. “You probably see more of this than I do these days.”

In seconds she’d unbuttoned Luke’s plaid shirt and was listening to his heart. The beat had slowed and she was worried he might pass out. Josh came back with the aspirin and told Luke to chew it, rather than swallow. The older man did as he was told while Lizzie rolled up his sleeve and took his blood pressure. It, too, was lower than she would have liked. “Mr. Pratt, I’m going to get you to lie down. The ambulance will be here soon.” She made him comfortable on the bed and put a pillow under his feet and then went for the portable oxygen they had on-site. “This will help you breath

e a little easier.” She checked her watch. With a heart attack, time meant muscle, and she wanted to ensure that Luke was looked after as soon as possible to decrease the permanent damage.

When Luke was resting quietly, Lizzie looked over at Josh. “How long does an ambulance take?”

“Not long. It’s only been five minutes, Lizzie.”

It was the first emergency situation she’d dealt with since May. Her adrenaline was pumping and she was frustrated that she couldn’t simply order the tests she wanted right now. If they were in Springfield …

But they weren’t. They were here, in Jewell Cove, where an ambulance had to come from the nearest emergency services station and patients had to be transported to another town for treatment. In Jewell Cove she could treat colds and asthma, give vaccines, and do routine physicals, but very little lifesaving was done.

She missed it. Acutely.