“Around six this morning,” Lance said. “We caught tons of good fish though.”
“Yeah?”
Lance yawned. “I took some home to my mom, but she ain’t feeling good, as I said.”
“Does she need me to come out and see her?”
“Nah. She says it’s just a cold so far, but if there’s a bad bug going around, I may bring her in tomorrow. We’ll see.”
May stepped farther into Exam Room Two, checking the supply drawer out of habit. “You didn’t have to come in this morning. You need sleep, Lance.”
“I’m good. I slept in the plane on the ride back, and I’m young. I’ll head home and take a nap after Ivy gets here,” Lance said.
Ah, to be young again. “I’m sorry you got stuck with Kyle.”
“I can’t believe you dated him, Bruh,” Lance said, shaking his head. “I mean, Ace, I get for sure.”
“Oh yeah?” May asked. “Why’s that?”
Lance’s gaze drifted toward the photograph of Dalika River she had framed and hung on the far wall. “He’s cool.”
May rested her hip against the counter, pretending she wasn’t interested in the answer. “Yeah?”
“I mean, yeah, he’s had trouble getting back up in a plane, but we all know he will at some point. For now, he helps out around town, and I don’t know.” Lance pursed his lips, obviously giving it some thought. “It seems like he gets in fights a lot, but not really.”
“What do you mean, not really?” she asked, curious.
Lance grinned. “People mess with him, and he usually takes them down pretty quick without hurting anybody. On purpose. If you ask me, I think he really could.”
May had noticed that the night before when he’d easily handled poor Brad. There’d been control there. Precision with just enough force to end it.
She’d already called the station earlier and found out that Brock had taken Brad up to a family member’s place in the mountains. Once again, she wished Brad would let her find a rehab place for him, but it appeared he just wasn’t ready.
“Though I bet Ace will end up in the sky flying soon,” Lance said.
The clinic felt too quiet again. “I think Ace will fly again, too.” May believed that. The thought of him grounded forever didn’t fit.
“There’s more to Ace than just flying and helping out the town with wood, anyway,” Lance said.
She looked at him. “Yeah?”
“All of the Ospreys are pretty cool, but Ace just has a way of making people feel comfortable and safe, you know?” Lance noted.
May didn’t answer right away. Comfortable and safe. Those weren’t small things. “That’s true.”
“I mean, that’s why all the widows ask for his help. How many cords of wood do you think he’s already chopped?” Lance asked.
“Just this year? I couldn’t count how many,” she chuckled. “I think they pay him in cookies.” She had found that endearing, if she was honest. The image of Ace hauling logs, sleeves shoved up, accepting a tin of oatmeal raisin in exchange fit him better than some of the other stories that followed his name. She looked down at her phone. No calls. No texts. Where the heck was Ivy? Enough was enough. She’d let thoughts of Ace distract her long enough already, and she couldn’t concentrate now. “I’m getting worried about Ivy.”
“Me, too,” Lance agreed, his dark eyes somber.
The morning had been so busy May hadn’t really had time to think about it. Now the quiet pressed in, and she had to find her friend.
“Do you want me to go out to her place?” Lance asked.
Concern ticked through May. “She has to be okay,” she said, more to herself than to him. “I’m sure you’re right that she partied pretty hard last night. She was drinking margaritas.” Still, she dialed Ivy again and held the phone to her ear. It rang and then went to voicemail. Screw it. “Do you mind heading out there? It’s quiet here, and I could spare you for a while.”
“Sure,” Lance said easily. “If you want, I can pop by Hittie’s and get us some snacks on my way back. She’s got new muffins.”
