Timber Creek (Sierra Falls 2)

Helen snickered at the unexpected comment, and boy, how she appreciated a topic other than medical bills and wayward husbands. She stole a peek, too, and had to agree—Scott sure did fill out his uniform nicely. “Can’t argue there. ” They shared a laugh, and it felt so good to have a nice, normal, easy exchange with another woman for once. “I guess Eddie must’ve called him and told him what happened. ”

“Eddie called everyone,” Laura said. “Doctor Mark was first on the list, though. He prescribed clear fluids, fresh air, and lots of Nickelodeon. ”

“Too bad Rob’s cure isn’t so easy. ” Helen bit her tongue, unsure she should’ve divulged so much.

Laura hesitated, then asked, “Did Mark talk to you about it? He said he called you, but wouldn’t elaborate. Patient confidentiality and all that. ”

It felt good to be confiding in someone, even if that person was Laura Bailey. “Yeah,” she admitted, “we talked. ”

“And?”

Helen let herself have a moment of gallows humor. “I asked if he could prescribe my husband a pill that’d make him less of a jackass. ”

Laura smirked. “No luck, I take it?”

She shook her head. “He said compulsive gambling is an addiction like any other. Sorry to say, there are no magic pills for my husband. ”

“I looked around on the Web late last night,” Laura said, and with a rueful smile, added, “You can imagine I was pretty amped when we got home. Anyway, I read that the biggest challenge is getting the person to admit he has a problem. But if he recognizes it and takes it day by day…” She tapered off. “Does Rob get that his gambling is a problem?”

“If he doesn’t, he will when I’m through with him. ” She sighed heavily. The line would’ve sounded funnier and felt better if it weren’t just so damned sad. “He says he’s sorry. I don’t know…maybe the scare was big enough to shock some sense into him. ” She shrugged. “He said he thought he was helping us. As if he might’ve actually hit some jackpot. ” She forced a smirk, because if she didn’t, she’d cry.

“I say make him grovel. ” Laura had noted Helen’s attempts at levity and was trying to play along.

But she felt her smile fall from her face. “I don’t know if I can ever forgive him. ”

There was nothing to say to that, and the women grew silent. Gradually, she tuned back into the sound of Scott, flipping through his ranger cards.

“Here’s a black bear,” he was saying, explaining each animal to Ellie. “We’ve got lots of those around here, and that’s why we lock up our trash. We all have to live together, though, don’t we? Hey, here’s a chipmunk. And a gray fox. Ooh, you’ve got a mountain lion, too—don’t run into many of those, thankfully. Oh, and these guys are special. A spotted owl. You don’t see many of them anymore. ”

“One sec,” Laura muttered, and left her with the ketchup bottles. “Can I see?”

“He has polka-dots,” Ellie said.

“Oh, I’ve seen owls like that,” Laura said. “Near Timber Creek. ”

“You sure?” Scott asked. “They’re pretty rare. ”

“Is it endangered?”

Helen wiped her hands and joined them, wondering at the woman’s sudden nature curiosity.

“Technically, it’s just a threatened species,” Scott said, “but a lot of people are fighting to get it on the endangered list. I’d be surprised if they had a nesting ground near the creek. Usually stuf

f like logging and construction is limited around critical habitat areas. ”

There was a clattering in the kitchen, and Hope burst through the door, a plate in hand. “I made Ellie…” Her eyes snagged on Scott, and her cheeks flamed bright red. “I made cinnamon toast. For Ellie. I thought she’d like toast. With cinnamon. ” She glanced again at Scott. “Hi,” she said awkwardly.

Scott’s eyes widened. “Hi. ”

Laura and Helen shared a quick, loaded look, and the Bailey girl said, “You two don’t know each other? Scott Jessup, Hope Fitzpatrick, our new employee. ”

“Hi,” he repeated lamely.

The look she and Laura shared was longer this time, and they didn’t have to say anything, because the meaning was clear: a speechless Jessup was rarer than any owl.

Thirty-two

Laura stood behind the bar, going through the motions…wiping down the counter, checking stock, cutting limes, refilling the glass tray. But mostly she was thinking.