The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

Life just got in the way sometimes.

Anyhow, I’d never spent all night talking with a man about everything and nothing. It felt as though my finding those letters from Sarah had been kismet.

Bailey had led Anita up to my room, and within only a few moments I was wide awake . . . and my happy mood had taken a turn.

“I didn’t want to worry Archie because I knew it was probably nothing. I’m a bank teller and have been my whole life so I sit in that seat bent over a computer half the time,” Anita said.

She was a tall woman with tired brown eyes and a pale complexion. I could see from her high cheekbones and still-full lips that she’d once been a beauty.

“So you haven’t told Archie about the back pain?”

“No.” She scrunched up her face.

When I’d examined her neck I found her lymph nodes were swollen. And when I’d examined her lower back she cried out from the pain of my touch.

“Anita, have you experienced any other symptoms?”

She nodded cautiously. “Yeah . . . my legs feel funny sometimes. Kind of weak, even numb sometimes, but I’ve been fighting off this flu for a while so I’m guessing it’s just part of that . . .”

“Flu?” My unease increased by the bucketload, and I suddenly remembered Archie had mentioned it the night before.

“Yeah.”

“Your symptoms?”

She made a face. “The usual. I’ve been throwing up, got a fever, chills, and can’t eat much so I’ve lost some weight, which is a plus.” She gave me a shaky grin.

I hoped she’d take me absolutely seriously when I said, “Anita, I’d like you to visit your own doctor. And I’d like you to make that appointment today.”

Anita’s eyes held worry. “You don’t think I’ve got the flu?”

I didn’t want to scare her in case I was wrong. “I’m concerned that there is a chance something else other than a flu is going on here. I’d like you to make an appointment with your doctor so he can take a look.”

She nodded, seeming dazed. “Okay.”

“Anita?”

She looked up at me. “Yeah?”

“You will make the appointment?”

“Sure.” She didn’t meet my eyes.

Hmm. “Why not make it now while you’re here?”

“Seriously?”

I gave her my most serious face as an answer.

She huffed but opened her purse and pulled out her cell. Her eyes on me, she pressed a button and held it up to her ear. “Hey, Liv,” she said and had to clear her throat when her words came out in a croak. “It’s Anita. Has Doc Duggan got time to see me today? . . . Oh . . . No . . .”

I made a face.

She understood what that face meant. She took a deep breath. “It’s kind of important, Liv . . . I got . . . I got some symptoms that’re worrying the new doc . . . Yeah, that’s her . . . Yeah, I’m guessing that’s true . . . You can? Okay . . . No, I’ll be there right away . . . See you in ten.” She hung up. “She’s squeezing me in now.” Anita stood up and gave me a shaky smile. “Thanks for looking at me. Apparently your reputation precedes you. Liv knows who you are.”

“Liv is the receptionist?”

“Yeah, at Dr. Paul Duggan’s practice on Main Street.”

I nodded. I remembered Bailey had mentioned talking to Dr. Duggan about me. I guessed that was a good reminder that staying in a small town meant having to put up with people being in your business. I felt a moment of panic at the thought.

“Thanks again for looking at me. I don’t like the doctor’s office . . . I was hoping you’d tell me it was nothing so I didn’t have to go.” She laughed humorlessly.

“I just want a second opinion,” I assured her.

“Yeah.” She nodded, but her eyes filled with the fear I dreaded seeing in a patient’s eyes.

I walked her out of the inn and wished her well, knowing that Hartwell was a small enough place that if she didn’t keep me in the loop herself, I’d find out anyway.

“You look worried,” Bailey said as I stepped into the dining room, where she had breakfast waiting for me. Morning breakfast was in full swing and the room was noisy with guests.

Patient-doctor confidentiality stopped me from telling her just how worried I was that Anita’s symptoms were a sign of something serious. “It’s just . . . Anita might be my last patient for a while. Maybe ever.”

Bailey’s eyes widened. “Okay, after you eat, you explain.” Her expression told me I had no other choice and I chuckled to myself as she reluctantly moved away to see to one of the guests.

Breakfast helped wake me up a little, although it took me a while to eat because not only did I have that weird, nauseous, empty feeling you get when you haven’t slept much, but I also had pangs of concern for Anita and Archie.

Two hours later I was up in my room trying to figure out where to start first. I had my job to quit, my apartment to give up, a job to find here, and a new place to find to live.

Just as I heard a knock at the door I got a text.

From Cooper.

How are you feeling this morning, Doc?

I smiled and quickly texted back as I wandered over to open my door.

Tired. But last night was worth it.

“Explain,” Bailey said, striding into my room upon my opening the door.

My phone binged.

Glad you think so. I plan to give you more sleepless nights in the future. just got in the way sometimes.

Anyhow, I’d never spent all night talking with a man about everything and nothing. It felt as though my finding those letters from Sarah had been kismet.

Bailey had led Anita up to my room, and within only a few moments I was wide awake . . . and my happy mood had taken a turn.

“I didn’t want to worry Archie because I knew it was probably nothing. I’m a bank teller and have been my whole life so I sit in that seat bent over a computer half the time,” Anita said.

She was a tall woman with tired brown eyes and a pale complexion. I could see from her high cheekbones and still-full lips that she’d once been a beauty.

“So you haven’t told Archie about the back pain?”

“No.” She scrunched up her face.

When I’d examined her neck I found her lymph nodes were swollen. And when I’d examined her lower back she cried out from the pain of my touch.

“Anita, have you experienced any other symptoms?”

She nodded cautiously. “Yeah . . . my legs feel funny sometimes. Kind of weak, even numb sometimes, but I’ve been fighting off this flu for a while so I’m guessing it’s just part of that . . .”

“Flu?” My unease increased by the bucketload, and I suddenly remembered Archie had mentioned it the night before.

“Yeah.”

“Your symptoms?”

She made a face. “The usual. I’ve been throwing up, got a fever, chills, and can’t eat much so I’ve lost some weight, which is a plus.” She gave me a shaky grin.

I hoped she’d take me absolutely seriously when I said, “Anita, I’d like you to visit your own doctor. And I’d like you to make that appointment today.”

Anita’s eyes held worry. “You don’t think I’ve got the flu?”

I didn’t want to scare her in case I was wrong. “I’m concerned that there is a chance something else other than a flu is going on here. I’d like you to make an appointment with your doctor so he can take a look.”

She nodded, seeming dazed. “Okay.”

“Anita?”

She looked up at me. “Yeah?”

“You will make the appointment?”

“Sure.” She didn’t meet my eyes.

Hmm. “Why not make it now while you’re here?”

“Seriously?”

I gave her my most serious face as an answer.

She huffed but opened her purse and pulled out her cell. Her eyes on me, she pressed a button and held it up to her ear. “Hey, Liv,” she said and had to clear her throat when her words came out in a croak. “It’s Anita. Has Doc Duggan got time to see me today? . . . Oh . . . No . . .”

I made a face.

She understood what that face meant. She took a deep breath. “It’s kind of important, Liv . . . I got . . . I got some symptoms that’re worrying the new doc . . . Yeah, that’s her . . . Yeah, I’m guessing that’s true . . . You can? Okay . . . No, I’ll be there right away . . . See you in ten.” She hung up. “She’s squeezing me in now.” Anita stood up and gave me a shaky smile. “Thanks for looking at me. Apparently your reputation precedes you. Liv knows who you are.”

“Liv is the receptionist?”

“Yeah, at Dr. Paul Duggan’s practice on Main Street.”

I nodded. I remembered Bailey had mentioned talking to Dr. Duggan about me. I guessed that was a good reminder that staying in a small town meant having to put up with people being in your business. I felt a moment of panic at the thought.

“Thanks again for looking at me. I don’t like the doctor’s office . . . I was hoping you’d tell me it was nothing so I didn’t have to go.” She laughed humorlessly.

“I just want a second opinion,” I assured her.

“Yeah.” She nodded, but her eyes filled with the fear I dreaded seeing in a patient’s eyes.

I walked her out of the inn and wished her well, knowing that Hartwell was a small enough place that if she didn’t keep me in the loop herself, I’d find out anyway.

“You look worried,” Bailey said as I stepped into the dining room, where she had breakfast waiting for me. Morning breakfast was in full swing and the room was noisy with guests.

Patient-doctor confidentiality stopped me from telling her just how worried I was that Anita’s symptoms were a sign of something serious. “It’s just . . . Anita might be my last patient for a while. Maybe ever.”

Bailey’s eyes widened. “Okay, after you eat, you explain.” Her expression told me I had no other choice and I chuckled to myself as she reluctantly moved away to see to one of the guests.

Breakfast helped wake me up a little, although it took me a while to eat because not only did I have that weird, nauseous, empty feeling you get when you haven’t slept much, but I also had pangs of concern for Anita and Archie.

Two hours later I was up in my room trying to figure out where to start first. I had my job to quit, my apartment to give up, a job to find here, and a new place to find to live.

Just as I heard a knock at the door I got a text.

From Cooper.

How are you feeling this morning, Doc?

I smiled and quickly texted back as I wandered over to open my door.

Tired. But last night was worth it.

“Explain,” Bailey said, striding into my room upon my opening the door.

My phone binged.

Glad you think so. I plan to give you more sleepless nights in the future.