A WEEK LATER

“Mornin’, Miss Daisy,” I wave as I rush by the front desk.

“Did Waldo get out again this morning?” she asks.

“Of course.”

“Maybe you should lock your front door?”

“Thank you, Daisy.”

I change my clothes quickly and head out to the waiting area, but just as I get there, Clara takes in the last patient waiting. “Good morning, Austin,” she says while walking by.

“Mornin’,” I respond.

I head over to the front desk and slump over the counter. “What’s new in Miss Daisy’s world?” I ask, flicking the pom-pom on top of her pen.

“You mean besides enjoying tea and crumpets?” she snickers.

“I haven’t said that to you in ages,” I rebut.

“Whatever happened with Boston girl?” she asks. “I mean after she called you her luvah.” Daisy falls into a fit of giggles, and I can’t help but laugh along with her because it’s becoming one of my most memorable moments at this hospital.

“That was something else.” I slap my hand against the side of my face. “I have no clue how’s she doing, though,” I tell her. “She didn’t call me, and neither did her buddy. I offered help if they needed it, but I guess she’s okay.”

“Well, that’s just as irritating as a rock. I’m sorry,” she says.

“What are you sorry about?”

“I saw your face after she left last week,” Daisy says, with a raised brow.

“What are you talkin’ about?” I huff. I didn’t look like anything of the sort when she left last week. I have the best poker face out of anyone I know.

“Austin Trace, you were as red as a ripe tomato.”

“You’re seeing things, darlin’.”

“You’re just in denial,” she argues.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not chasin’ after a girl who wants nothing to do with me unless she’s high on anesthesia. That’s ridiculous.” I stand up straight and stretch my arms over my head. “Only fools chase people.”

“Actually, Elvis said, ‘Only fools rush in,’” she corrects me, “and it’s been a week, so you’re not a fool, Austin.”

“Daisy, I ain’t chasin’ her. Why are you being so insistent on me spending time with this woman, anyway?”

“I just have a feeling, I don’t know.”

“You have a lot of feelings,” I remind her.

“Don’t fault me for being in touch with my inner thoughts.” I don’t even know what she’s talking about right now. “Want me to call her for you?”

“Um, hell no,” I tell her.

“Well, she has to come back in three weeks to get her arm checked anyway, so until then, we’ll just wait and see,” she says.

“Who is this ‘we’ thing?”

“You and me … hello? I’m your wing-woman.”

“No, you’re not,” I correct her. “You would make the worst wing-woman in the world.”

“That’s rude, Austin.” She slaps her pen down. “How dare you insult my matchmaking skills?”

I cough, “April.”

“What was that?” she asks.

“You heard me,” I tell her.

“Just because April was a germaphobe, claustrophobic, arachnophobic, and agoraphobic doesn’t mean she wasn’t a sweet woman.”

“April couldn’t be in enclosed spaces or in public. It made things slightly challenging. She washed her mouth off with Purell after we kissed.” It was so insane I still laugh about it sometimes. Daisy’s laughing over the memory but tries to hide it behind her hand. “Don’t even try to pretend like that was a match made in heaven. Plus, we won’t even talk about that setup between Kelli and me—you know, Miss Old-Gold-Ball-Digger.”

“Ew, gross. Yeah, I remember Kelli. Okay, fine, Austin, I won’t help you anymore.”

“I never asked you for help,” I remind her.

Clara joins us at the counter. “Late again, Austin.”

“Actually, I was a minute early, Clara. Are you watching the clock to make sure I’m not late?”

“No,” she says. “I just see you running in and assume you’re late.”

“I don’t like to be late, so I run.”

“I know. I’m just teasin’ you,” she says, rolling her eyes at me. “Here, Daisy. The patient I just checked in has records from another hospital that weren’t digitally sent over. Can you scan these in?”

“Sure thing,” Daisy says, taking the folder from Clara.

“Are you guys going to the ice cream festival tonight?” Clara asks. “I want to go but you two are my only friends, sooo … ” She coughs with a “hint, hint,” in the mix.

“You really need to make some new friends,” I joke.

Clara punches me in the shoulder. “Come onnn. It’ll be fun. You need to get out, anyway.”

“I’ll go,” Daisy agrees. “Come on, Austin. Don’t be a stick in the mud. Have some fun for a change.”

“I don’t know,” I tell them. “I have so many things going on right now.”

“Oh really? Like what? Drinking yourself to sleep?” Clara asks, pointedly.

“Ouch, ease up there, boss,” I tell her.

“Then quit being sassy and say you’ll come with us,” she argues.

“Okay, fine, I’ll go. I suppose it’s been a while since I’ve tried some crazy ice cream concoctions.”

“Plus, you’re with the funnest gals in town,” Daisy adds in.

I chuckle. “Whatever you want to tell yourself, darlin’.”

“Don’t be rude, Austin,” she responds. “It’s a privilege to be out with us ladies.”

“Right. Well, thank you for thinking of me. I’ve never been invited anywhere by the ‘funnest gals’ in town,” I say with a grin.

In the last minute, three patients have walked in. I see a whole lot of blood pouring out of a leg, another person covering their eye, and the third person coughing up a storm. “Someone grab a mask for him. I’ll handle the blood,” I tell Clara.

* * *

“They went a little overboard this year, don’t you think?” I ask the ladies as we walk under the twenty-foot banner filled with the words, “Blytheville Ice Cream Festival.”

“It’s been this way for years, Austin. This festival isn’t just for kids anymore. You’ve been missing out for how many years now?” Daisy asks.

“I don’t know. I guess it’s been a while. I just don’t remember it being anything like this,” I tell them. I’ve avoided this festival for years because the last time I came here, I was with Pop, and each year since then, a few beers and TV has sounded like a better way to spend my night.

Daisy grabs a flyer from a stand as we walk by, and she studies it for a moment before I see excitement lighting up her eyes. “There are over fifty different vendors with unique flavors.”

“Now you’re talking. Where’s the ticket booth?” I ask.

“Right over there,” Clara says, placing her hand on my back and pointing off to the corner. Clara doesn’t typically make physical contact with me, not that it means anything, but she’s been careful about ever getting too close. It’s been obvious to the point where I’ve noticed awkwardness here and there. Giving her a hug last week was not the norm for us, but I knew she needed it. Maybe it’s just because we’re outside of work.

I head over to the ticket booth and purchase three all-inclusive tickets for us. When I turn back around, I find the two of them are studying the map layout. “You ladies are serious about this, huh? You got a game plan goin’ on? Let’s just start at the beginning and work our way around,” I tell them.

“Oh, but look! Bacon and Caramel. Oh my gosh, I need that,” Daisy says, running off to one of the booths in the middle of the aisle we’re in. So much for starting at the beginning.

Since there are so many vendors, the lines aren’t so bad, thankfully. We get our small, shot-sized cup of ice cream to try, and I instantly consider purchasing caramel instead of maple syrup next time I decide to make a plate of bacon. Way better combination.

“This is gross,” I hear from behind us.

“How can anything with bacon and caramel be gross? Don’t you like maple syrup with your breakfast?” I question, turning around, feeling the need to defend the poor bacon.

I knew it. Scarlett and Brendan. “Oh my God,” Scarlett says, turning her back toward me.

“I have that effect on people. Don’t worry,” I tell Brendan.

“Scarlett, quit being rude,” Brendan tells her.

“Oh goodness. How are you feeling Scarlett?” Daisy asks.

“I’m good,” Scarlett says, still keeping her back toward us.

Brendan grabs her good hand and spins her around. “Knock it off,” he tells her.

Even under the dim, orange glowing lights, I can see her face is red. “Everything okay?” I ask.

“No,” Brendan says. “Hey, I have an idea, why don’t you two go talk over there. Then maybe Scarlett can quit feeling like a moron after remembering some of the lovely things she said to you after surgery.” Oh, that’s what this is all about. That’s awesome.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Scarlett says.

“Sure it is,” I tell her. “Let’s go see what that honey and gravy ice cream is all about.” She snarls, but I grab her hand and take her away from the others. Someone is clapping furiously behind me, and for some reason, I don’t think it’s either of the girls, which makes me laugh a little.

Scarlett doesn’t say a word until we’re way out of earshot of the others. “I don’t know what I said to you last week, but I know it was completely out of line and out of my control. I’ve had bits and pieces of memories and none of them are good,” she explains, speaking almost faster than I can keep up with.

“First,” I start with, giving her a smile to comfort her. “How is the wrist?”

“It’s feeling much better now,” she says.

“Were you able to start work last week?”

“A couple of days later than expected, but yes.” She sweeps her hair off her forehead. “Look, can I ask you to forget whatever I said to you after I woke up from surgery?”

“You can ask,” I tell her.

She cocks her head to the side. “Seriously, I’m wicked embarrassed by whatever else I said that I may not be recalling.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed.” I place my hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently. “Honestly, I went home and looked in the mirror to ask myself if I was pretty. Men don’t get called pretty most of the time, so I was questioning things a bit.”

“I called you ‘pretty?’” She asks, covering her mouth with a look of shock filling her eyes.

“Only a few times.”

Her gaze floats upward toward the starlit sky. “Oh my God.”

“Did you know that my eyes are the color of that there moon,” I point to the sky.

“No, no, no, no,” she groans.

“Scarlett, it’s fine. You were adorable.” I immediately realize I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t be flirting with patients. Not that I hadn’t already crossed a line by giving her my number, but she didn’t call, which means she didn’t take the bait, and now I’m probably treading on thin ice.

She breaks her stare away from the sky to look back at me. “Adorable? Please. I know I was rude to you the day before that, and it wasn’t necessary. My drama wasn’t your fault and shouldn’t have been your problem.”

“I didn’t see it like that,” I tell her.

“Well, thank you for helping me and taking care of my arm. I appreciate it, and I’m sorry for being inappropriate.” She turns around, to look for Brendan, I assume. I can see Brendan is having a good time laughing with Clara and Daisy, though, so decide to take my chances and try to buy myself a little more time with this mysterious, tightly wound-up woman.

“I can take you back to Brendan if you want,” I offer. “Or—”

“Sure, yeah, I’m going to head back over there,” she says.

She’s not interested in me, and it’s best that way. It would just be another failed attempt at an almost relationship, so I need to brush it off. I put my hand on her back and walk toward the others. “Austin?” she says.

“What’s up?”

“You know how they say, drunk words are sober thoughts?” she asks.

“I’ve heard that before, yeah.”

“Do you think it’s the same thing when a person is drugged?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?” I’m not pushing this. I need to know what she’s thinking, especially being the caretaker in this situation.

“I think it’s the same, but that would make things weird since I don’t know a thing about you.” She places her good hand in her back pocket and flips her hair over her shoulders. The scent of her hair blasts me in the face once again, and I might crumble in a minute. Man, chicks stopped having this effect on me years ago when I gave up the thought of finding someone who could put up with me and my life, so I’m not sure why I’m feeling like this around someone who is complicated and high maintenance like Scarlett.

“The only thing you really focused on was me being pretty. You don’t have to know someone all that well to make comments like that. You’re good.” I’ll leave out the part where she asked me if I loved her and asked if I were her “luvah.”

“You are kind of pretty,” she says with a smirk.

“You are too. So there. We’re even, and both sober.” Scarlett looks over at me, and her smirk is still in place. “Tell me, Austin, what are southern guys like? Is the whole gentleman thing I’ve heard about just a farce?”

A farce. That’s funny. I don’t know how northern men are, but if they talk about us as being gentleman down here, I have to assume there’s a bunch of assholes up there. “Depends on the guy, I guess. I can’t really call myself a gentleman though … sorry.”

“Whose standards determine that?” she asks.

“Mine.”

She holds her hands up as in defense. “Fair enough.” When she holds her casted hand up, I notice that her fingers are swollen.

“Hey.” I take her hand gently and take a little closer at her fingers. “Come here for a second.” We move a few feet so we’re directly under one of the park lights. “How long have your fingers had a bluish tint to them?”

“A day or two. I figured it was because of the constriction.”

“You’re right, but the constriction should never cause your fingers to turn blue.” I carefully release her hand and jog over to Brendan, Daisy, and Clara. “Guys, I have to get Scarlett to the hospital. She has swelling and her fingers are turning blue. We have to get that cast off.”

“Do you want me to come too?” Clara offers.

“No, it’s okay, I’ve got it.”

“I’ll come with you guys,” Brendan says.

I give him a look and a shrug. “I can help her out if you’re okay with that?” I don’t want to make him uncomfortable since he obviously owns the role of Scarlett’s most trusted person, but I could go for a little one-on-one time with her right now, and there’s no sense in dragging everyone away from the ice cream festival. He might as well hang out with Clara and Daisy.

“No problem,” Brendan says. “Let me give you my number so you can let me know what’s going on. I worry about her.”

“Of course.” I take my phone out and start a new contact. “Go ahead.”

Brendan gives me his number and I toss my phone back into my pocket. “I’ll keep you updated. I’m sure it’s just a matter of getting a new cast, and we can come right back. Daisy and Clara will keep you company.” I wink at the girls. “They’re always a good time.”

“We’ll take good care of him,” Daisy says.

Scarlett is still inspecting her fingers as I rejoin her. “This isn’t dangerous or anything is it?” she asks.

“I’m sure everything is fine. It’s better to err on the side of caution, though.”

“Yeah, I don’t seem to live that way most of the time,” she says.

“Trust me, I wasn’t figuring that you do. In this case, though, you need to make an exception.”