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“The chicken and wild rice soup,” he said. He glanced at us. “Where are you guys originally from anyway?”
“California,” Maddy said.
“Glendale,” I clarified.
“Hmmm. Nice. Warm. Not like here. A couple of months from now, that lake you’re stayin’ at will be so frozen you can walk across it.” He stopped talking and came to attention. “There he is,” he said, lowering his voice.
I peered past him at the doctor in the blue scrubs coming toward us. I sucked in a shock of air.
Maddy froze. “What in the seventh circle of hell is this?” she breathed.
Neil was making his way down the hall.
He saw us and his serious face broke into a grin. “Emma, Maddy, nice to see you again!”
We were both rendered mute. Even Hector’s jaw was open.
“How are you enjoying your first day at Royaume?” he asked, stopping in front of us.
I swallowed. “It’s… it’s great?”
“Good, good. Happy to see you ended up in my department. I wasn’t sure where they’d put you.”
“Did… did you know we were working here?” I asked, confused. I hadn’t mentioned I was a nurse. Maybe Mom did? But she didn’t know I was coming to Royaume either.
“Of course. I gave the agency the info for the cottage. Figured travel nurses would make good renters. If there’s anything the cottage needs, you two just let me know. I haven’t been out there in years—how’s the landscaping?”
I licked my lips. “Um… fine?”
“Just fine?” He crossed his arms. “What does the place need, tell me, don’t be shy.”
“Uh… some hostas might look nice?” I said cautiously. “Maybe around the sides of the house where it’s shady? You could put rock cress along the slopes by the stairs where there’s full sun? Pretty ground coverage, deer resistant.”
He looked pleasantly surprised. “You garden.”
I nodded. “Yeah. My mom taught me, actually. She’s got a green thumb.”
He shook his head with a grin. “Just when I thought that woman couldn’t impress me more. Any interest in doing it for me?”
“Sure?”
“Wonderful. Just get me receipts and I’ll take the cost off the rent.”
“Okay.”
He grinned back and forth between us. “Maybe we can get together for dinner later this week, once you’ve gotten settled in,” he said. “Amber and I would love to have you.”
Amber and I. Like they were an item.
I glanced at Maddy. “We can’t wait.”
He looked at his watch. “Perfect. Well, I’m off. See you at the house.”
He moved past us and was gone.
Maddy and I turned to each other, wide-eyed, and Hector crossed his arms. “Something you ladies want to tell me?”
Maddy spoke first. “We’re renting his lake house and he knows her mom.”
