“At least I’ll survive until I can work out the utility hook-ups.” I stood up and rolled my shoulders. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Let’s break out those sandwiches, okay?”
“Sure.”
While I arranged the subs we’d picked up and opened some bags of chips, Jenny spread a pretty vintage cloth over my antique table. That was how I was choosing to describe our purchases, anyway; it sounded better than pre-owned or used.
“You sure you got the right sandwiches?” She made a face. “I don’t want any of your pseudo-chicken salad. I’m all about my Buffalo chicken and bleu cheese.”
“Hey, don’t hate on the vegan.” I peeked at the sub rolls to make sure I’d put the proper sub on her plate. “It’s part of the naturopath creed. We don’t harm anything with a face.”
Sitting down across from me, Jenny frowned. “Is that for real?”
I laughed. “Nope, I’m totally bullshitting you. Being vegan is a personal choice. It works for me, but I don’t force it on anyone. I know lots of NDs who are carnivores.”
“You’re the first naturopath I’ve ever met, so I’m going to believe pretty much everything you tell me.” Jenny bit into her sandwich. “I’ll admit, I’ve been excited to meet you. I love the idea of bringing a new dimension of treatment to our patients, you know? Not just the typical meds and surgery . . . there’s got to be more.”
“Exactly.” I crunched on a chip. “When we cut out the old natural methods of helping the body to heal, we’re ignoring an entire world of possibilities. It’s like looking at just the tip of the iceberg and pretending the huge bulk of matter under the water doesn’t exist.”
“That’s one reason I wanted to come work here. The job was presented to me as a new setting for a new way to serve our oncology patients. When I heard on my first day that the naturopath they’d hired had backed out—” Jenny broke off abruptly. “I’m sorry. That probably wasn’t common knowledge.”
I smiled ruefully. “If I hadn’t realized it before today—and I did, no worries—Mrs. Hoskins let me know in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t her first choice. She intimated that Dr. Girard had preferred another ND as well.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “Tact is not Mira’s strong suit. Try not to let it bother you.”
“It was just not the first day I’d been envisioning, I guess.” I’d filled in Jenny on my trip south as we’d driven to Lakeland—the detour, Boomer in Burton and my early morning arrival in Harper Springs. “And the way she talked about Dr. Girard—like he’s the saint of . . .” I tossed up my hands. “Of everything. Like he’s perfect. As if he’s God or something.”
I expected Jenny to laugh along with me, but she only offered me a half-smile. “Well . . .” she began. “I’m not saying Dr. Girard is perfect. I mean, he’s a man. But he is kind of amazing. He’s just so dedicated, and he’s kind, and he’s an unbelievable doctor.” Her cheeks colored. “And he’s pretty easy on the eyes, too.”
I feigned shock. “Jenny, do you have a crush on Dr. Girard?”
“No!” She gave me wide eyes. “No, absolutely not. Believe me, I don’t have room in my life for another case of unrequited—uh, lust.”
“Ahhhhh.” I nodded knowingly. “Well, that sounds like a story I need to hear. But I’ve got to tell you, I find it hard to believe that Dr. Girard is such a paragon of virtue.”
“Well, I don’t know about virtue. But he’s hot.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Want to know something funny about him? Before we opened, Dr. Girard was signing some last-minute papers, and I had to witness them. He had to print his full name—and his middle name is Fox. Stephanie—did you meet her today? She’s a nurse on our floor. She said some of the locals who knew him growing up around here used to call him Foxy because of that—so now his nickname in the hospital is Dr. Foxy. It fits.”
“Dr. Foxy,” I snorted. “Sounds like something you’d hear on a television show about doctors.”
“Maybe.” Jenny shrugged. “I didn’t get a chance to know him very well before he left on this mission of his, but what I knew, I liked. He’s a decent guy, Emma. I think that’s why Mira is so protective of him—he inspires loyalty. Even Nico said—” She broke off. “Uh, someone I know said that Dr. Girard has some kind of charisma. It draws people to him.”
“Hmmmm.” My eyes narrowed. “Interesting to know. So, Jenny, who’s Nico?”
“No one important.” She answered too quickly and shoved her hand into the chip bag. “These are good, aren’t they?”
“Stop trying to deflect, girlfriend.” I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. “C’mon. I told you my sob story, and I took advantage of your good will today. The least I can do is offer a listening ear about . . . Nico, who I’m going to guess is the object of your unrequited lust.”
“Arrrrghhh.” Jenny’s head fell back over her chair. “It’s such a fucking mess. I feel like an idiot telling anyone. Especially someone I just met. You’re going to think I’m an immature idiot. Or crazy.”
“I promise, I won’t,” I replied, laughing. “Pinky promise. Tell me. Really. I need a distraction.”
“Okay, okay.” She settled in her chair, folding her legs up beneath her. “Nico is my brother Kyle’s best friend.1I’ve known him as long as I can remember. And when I was sixteen or so, I started to realize that Nico was everything I wanted in a man. He was always sweet to me. He was funny. He treated me like I was more than just a little girl. And . . .” She sighed, her eyes closing. “He’s the most beautiful man in the world. Maybe in the entire history of creation. He’s built like a god. Seriously.”
“Okay, I get it.” I grinned. “Do you happen to have a picture of this paragon of manhood?”
She flashed me a look. “Of course, I do. Hold on.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled, then turned it toward me. “Here. St. Agnes hosted a ball just before the opening of the oncology wing, and Nico and I went together. He’s got a shirt on here, but it’s still a good picture.”
Jenny hadn’t been lying. The man who stood alongside her, one arm draped over her shoulders, was tall, with wide shoulders and a movie-star vibe. I couldn’t help noticing how well they fit together as a couple.
“So clearly Nico returns your feelings. I thought you said something about unrequited lust.”
