Page 71 of Paging Dr. Breakup
Pulling in a deep breath, she answered the call. “Calvin? Are you okay?”
“Good morning,” he said.
Her body went limp. All she could think to say was, “Glad you didn’t text.”
“Well, hello to you as well. I could text if I wanted to.” His voice reached out to her like an embrace she craved.
Involuntarily, she inclined her body toward the phone. “You’re on brain rest for the next week. No screen time. Doctor’s orders.”
“It’s boring. Also, Mom and Pop are kind of driving me crazy. I can only take so many naps. Or listen to Pop explain why everything is wrong with the entire world and how it could be fixed if only someone would listen to his ideas.” His parents had insisted that he stay with them for a week. The plan was for him to return to the hospital’s rental house this Thursday. “They won’t even let me watch TV. It’s torture.”
With a flash, she leaned toward the phone, wanting to be the one to help with his recovery. Deirdre froze. That impulse was a revelation she needed to examine. Later.
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh, let them dote. It gives them a project to work on, and you need to rest and recover.”
“I know.”
Her heart squeezed at his weary, defeated tone. This vital, active, smart guy had to feel stifled in every area of his existence right now.
He didn’t need her to amplify his frustration, so she focused on the positive. “Hey, the elders were updated about Randy and his friends’ troublemaking. Lieutenant Kate and her state troopers from the Yukon Valley office are looking for the guy, but he’s nowhere to be found.”
“Has anyone else been threatened or hurt?” Classic Calvin, looking out for people’s safety.
“Thankfully, no. Maybe he decided to drop his plans for good.”
“We should be so lucky,” he said heatedly.
“Oh yes.” She lay back down in the still-warm bed and pulled up the blankets to ward off the chill. What she’d give to have Calvin’s arms around her, warming her instead. She sighed. “In good news, it appears all the stakeholders from our meeting are in agreement to deny Randy or any other prospectors access to the land. The community is going to do this as a team. They want to understand more about the pros and cons of the resources and vet possible companies that can safely extract the minerals. The working group will drive the decision-making.”
“Good. I wouldn’t gift Randy the mud off the bottom of my shoes.”
“He’s bad news.”
“No kidding. Hopefully, he’ll stay out of town for good.” His soul-deep exhale coming right through her phone triggered goose bumps on her arms.
“Maybe he’ll take the hint when law enforcement catches up with him.”
“That guy will only take a hint if he’s in prison.” The phone jostled, like he was walking somewhere. A door closed. “Are you being safe?”
“Yes.”
“Can you check?” he said, voice low.
The level of caution was understandable. “I’ll check again.” She got out of bed, shivered in her PJ’s, and hurried to her front door and back door to make sure they were locked. “Everything is secure.” Settling on the couch, she pulled up a throw blanket.
“Good. I don’t like you being alone with Randy still out there. By now, he’s probably made the connection between the lodge property, Maverick, me and my parents, and you.”
With good friends and neighbors around, Deirdre had always felt safe living on her own in Yukon Valley. Until recently. She glanced toward the living room window. Yes, she would prefer to have Calvin here with her, but it was too soon for that. Besides, head injury.
“Deirdre, are you still there?”
“Yes.” She rubbed her hand over her face and pulled the blanket up under her chin, keeping the phone next to her ear.
Silence drifted between them.
“So, how are you doing?” he asked in that warm tone of voice that wrapped around her like a thick duvet.
“That’s my question for you.”
