page2 (1/2)
The door behinds in his hands
As soon as he put one into oose buainst my chilled skin “Thank you”
He nodded and slipped into the seat across from me I studied him as he braced an ankle over his knee and sipped at his coffee He was casual, completely relaxed, despite the fact that his clothes et And like ainst bare skin—a man-made chafe monster
“Do you work here?” I said after a really long few minutes of silence passed between us
He didn’t seem bothered by the silence In fact, he seeer
He nodded
“You’re a bartender here?”
“I own the place”
I looked around at the bar It was traditional décor with dark walnut everywhere—the long bar, the tables and chairs, even the floor The lights of three large brass chandeliers broke up the darkness, while wall-ave the booths there a cozy, ale near the front door and just across from the booths were three stairs that led up onto a raised dais where two pool tables sat Two huge flat-screen televisions, one above the bar and one above the pool tables, made me think it was part sports bar
There was a large jukebox, beside the stage, that was currently silent
“Nice place”
BRF Guy nodded
“What’s the bar called?”
“Cooper’s”
“Are you Cooper?”
His eyes smiled “Are you a detective?”
“A doctor, actually”
I was pretty sure I saw a flicker of interest “Really?”
“Really”
“Smart lady”
“I’d hope so” I grinned
Laughter danced in his eyes as he raised hisfor another sip
Weirdly, I foundinto a comfortable silence with him We sipped at our hot drinks as a lovely easiness fell between us I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that kind of caler
A little slice of peace
Finally, as I came to the end of my cocoa, BRF Guy / possibly Cooper spoke “You’re not from Hartwell”
“No, I’m not”
“What brings you to Hart’s Boardwalk, Doc?”
I realized then how much I liked the sound of his voice It was deep with a little huskiness in it
I thought about his question before responding What had brought me there was complicated
“At the lad it did”
He put hisbeat I returned his perusal, ard Suddenly he reached across the table, offering me his hand “Cooper Lawson”
I ston”
“Nice to meet you, Doc”
TWO
Jessica
Two Weeks Earlier
Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility
Wilton, Delaware
“You know, if you go running into anyyou a vision test,” I said dryly as I applied antiseptic to Mary Jo’s cut lip
She glowered at me but didn’t respond, which was unusual If only she’d use that kind of restraint with the other in into so many “doors”
I droppedmore I can do here You can sit in the ward for a half hour with ice on your eye It should take so down” I strode over to the small freezer in my clinic and took out an ice pack
When I turned back to Mary Jo she was squinting at ood eye
“How come you don’t talk to us like we’re trash? That older bitch speaks to us like we’re trash”
I ignored her reference to ue, Dr Whitaker, orked part-time at the prison infirmary She didn’t peer down her nose at just the inmates; she considered everyone beneath her And despite the fact that I was the primary physician and worked the most hours, she still consistently tried to tell me how to do my job “Maybe because I don’t think you’re trash,” I said, slapping the ice pack into Mary Jo’s hand I guided her hand over her eye
“How come?”
I heard the suspicion in her voice
Working as a prison doctor for the last two years had taught s was that most of the female inmates were suspicious of absolutely everyone and their motives
“How come I don’t think you’re trash?”
“Yeah”
I turned away to put the cotton swabs I’d used in the medical trash The answer to that question was like the deepest root of a solid twenty-one-year-old tree—buried too far down to unearth it noithout toppling the entire tree “Mistakes don’t ht so” I knocked on the glass pane of uard on duty, Pamela, nodded and strode over She opened the door “Doc?”
“Let Mary Jo sit in the ward for about a half hour with this ice on her eye, and then she’s good to go”
“Sure thing Coed open again and BRF Guy strode in with two steas in his hands