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Sam rolled his eyes and waited. Sam was damn good at waiting.
Finally, Joe shrugged. “Hard not to. She’s fierce and vulnerable at the same time. She didn’t even waver in the face of a man holding a gun in her face. Just kept working on one patient and then the kid. Snapped orders at me like I was one of her team.”
Sam laughed. “At least you didn’t faint.”
Joe laughed. “No kidding. Seriously, Sam, she was amazing. And when that shot went through her hand, she didn’t make a sound. Even though she knew it had just ended her career. You know what I found out today?”
Sam shook his head and threw a stick for the dog.
“She wrote a letter to the courts asking for leniency for the kid. Didn’t want him to go to jail because he’d been trying to save his brother. She was shot because of the situation, but she didn’t blame the kid at all. Got a nurse and another doctor to write letters too. I think those letters were part of the reason the judge let the kids go to the Riveras.”
Sam nodded. “She sounds like good people.”
She really did. Joe knew he didn’t know her well, but seeing people deal with stressful situations revealed a lot. Enough that he knew he wanted to know her much better. In a long-term kind of way.
As they were nearing the clearing for the lodge, Sam spoke again. “You coming aboard full-time anytime soon?”
Joe shook his head at his friend. “You’re not pulling any punches today, are you?”
Sam shrugged. “You’ve been spending a lot of time up here the last few months. We both know you’re burning out. They’ve been running you ragged from one hotspot to another without a break.”
“I told the boss I’m here for a while.”
“Did Jackson ask if you’re joining us up here?”
Joe smiled. “He did. I think he wants to come up here and see what the allure is for all of us.”
Sam laughed. “That’s a great idea. We should get him here and run him through the courses we’re offering, see if he has any suggestions.”
When they entered the clearing, Jetson ran ahead to play with the other dogs like he’d been gone for days. Tansy had already parked the golf cart on its solar charger and was showing it off to Lia.
He and Sam grabbed the bags and they all walked up the stairs to the deck together to look out at the lake. It was late summer and there were enough shades of green surrounding the bright blue lake to make Joe wish he could paint like Josie.
Lia looked around and smiled. “This is stunning. It’s like living in a painting.”
Tansy smiled. “You’ll have to choose a room with a view of the lake. Joe, can you help with Lia’s bags and show her the rooms?”
He wondered if his sister was simply being kind or if she was matchmaking. Which she’d never done before, but he wouldn’t mind some help. Whatever Tansy set her mind to, got accomplished.
“Come on, I’ll show you the choices.”
Instead of stopping on the second floor, Joe moved straight to the third. He opened the door of the only empty room facing the lake.
“This one has a great view. When Tansy moved here last year, the lodge hadn’t been touched in about fifty years. Everything’s old, but the plumbing was updated in maybe the 70s. Every room has its own bathroom.” He peeked inside this one and grinned.
He placed her bags on the floor and waved her to look through the door. “I hope you like yellow.”
The fixtures were a pale yellow. There were even rubber duck stickers on the floor of the clawfoot tub. The shower curtain was pink and yellow polka dots and the tiles were a mix-match of yellow, pink, and white.
Lia laughed. “This is far more interesting than anywhere I’ve ever lived.”
Joe grinned. “Aisling is updating the lodge, but it’s going to take her a decade or so to finish it up.”
“I think it’s perfect.”
“Good. I’m right next door.” He pointed at the wall that separated their rooms. “Why don’t you get settled in? If you want to head on down early, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll come get you in an hour for supper. That work?”
“That’ll work.”
