Page 102 of Welcome Home to Ivy Falls

Chapter Thirty-Two

FORD

Under My Skin

No matter how often I made this trip, the jet lag was always a killer. It didn’t help that every time I closed my eyes on the plane, Piper’s luscious lips, the tangle of her dark hair sliding through my fingertips, filled my head.

She wouldn’t let us have a long goodbye. I held on to her hands like a lifeline. Asked her if she wanted to tell me anything, hoping she’d open up, or at least give me a hint that she felt the same way I did. Instead, she boomeranged the question back at me and I lost my nerve. She let me hold her for a while longer and when my phone buzzed, notifying me that my ride-share was waiting, she gave me a quick peck on the cheek and disappeared into her apartment.

I stared at her door for a long time, reliving the moment I knocked on it only to find her bloody and wrapped in that ridiculous dancing unicorn shower curtain. The moment I was sure I’d fallen in love with her.

Several times last night the truth played against my lips, but the way she spoke about my commitment to the program, how she’d easily walked away when we said goodbye, said that deep in her heart she’d already let me go. That realization was a fucking jab to the heart I still couldn’t shake.

‘Ford!’

My pal, Kip, walked down the ship’s narrow hallway. His boots thudded against the yellow linoleum, his deep voice echoing off the sterile white walls. I stumbled toward him, forgetting how it took a while to get your balance settled on a bobbing ship.

‘How long have you been back, man?’ His huge mitt of a hand slapped against mine in a friendly handshake.

‘A few hours.’

‘You look like shit.’

‘Damn, Kip. Don’t sugarcoat things for me.’

He gave a simple shrug like that’d never be his way. ‘Your cabin is all set up. Made sure your Wi-Fi is in good working order. That leak is gone from your sink too.’

‘Thank you. That constant drip before was maddening.’

‘How was the States? Do anything interesting on your time off?’ Now it was my turn to shrug but I did a bad job because he said, ‘There’s a story there, and I’m off shift. Looks like you could use a cup of coffee.’

What I could really use was sleep, but in order to get my body on the right time I had to stay up until at least the sun went down. ‘Good idea. Let’s go.’

We ambled down the corridor, passing cabins and offices. I’d forgotten the constant frenetic pace on board the ship. How the crew and hospital staff were always in motion. The place was like a floating city that never slept.

In his typical booming voice, Kip filled me in on what I’d missed while I was gone. ‘The doctor who replaced you was good but distracted. Could have guessed he’d never finish his contract. Apparently his mom had been sick for a while. Heart issues.’

My thoughts went to Mrs Vanderpool. I knew she was in good hands with Doc Sheridan, but there was still a twinge in my chest when I considered her treatment. How they were waiting to see if the medication would work before deciding if she needed a pacemaker.

Thinking of her led to Silvio, Dex and the rest of the town. I’d been convinced when I took the job at the clinic that it was simply that: a job. Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that the people, the place, would work its way under my skin. Hell, I’d been gone less than twenty-four hours and I already missed it.

When we stepped over the framed entry to the dining hall, the scent of fried eggs and burnt toast hit me. The wide-open space was just as sterile as the hallway walls. Over two dozen picnic-style benches covered the room. In one corner sat the glass and metal serving area. Beyond it was a bank of machines housing water, ice and soft drinks. Only a few members of the staff and crew sat at the tables as it was well past breakfast.

I took a seat on one of the long benches while Kip grabbed us some coffee. He started filling the mugs until a woman with red hair stepped beside him. They swapped a few words before she lifted the steel carafe off the counter and carried it back into the kitchen.

Kip made his way back and sat across from me.

‘Who was that you were talking to?’

‘That’s Vivienne. She’s the one I told you about.’ He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling like he was contemplating the meaning of life. ‘Dude, she makes these little quiches with ham and Swiss cheese.’ He put his hands to his lips and made a loud kissing noise. ‘Total fucking perfection.’

‘Have you asked her out again?’

He beamed at me. ‘Yes. Last week I took her to brunch at that five-star ocean-view hotel that lets you see all the way to Gorée Island.’

I nudged him with my elbow. ‘Look at you going all out.’

‘It’s probably one of the best dates I’ve ever been on.’