Page 27 of Bear's Midlife Bridesmaid
Jace looked down the pathway that opened up between two sections of campers, where the carpet of pine needles and sand careened through pitch pines and oaks. There were many such places in this area, where civilization butted right up next to untamed natural lands. It reminded him of the little walk he and Erin had taken along the creek near the drive-in theater, something he’d mostly put out of his mind in favor of more important issues. “Hey, Dex. Have you had any wildlife sightings around here lately?”
His brother paused and thought. “No, nothing of note. Birds, of course. Some beavers out in the marshy areas, and plenty of deer. I can’t think of anything that stands out.”
“We had an odd incident the other day.” Jace recounted the terrified customers at the mini golf course. “I can’t think of anything that would have glowing red eyes.”
Dex thought about it for a moment. “I know the park service has done some active restorations of theanimals that used to be here. You might want to ask Dylan about it.”
“Not a bad idea. It was getting dark, so maybe their eyes were playing tricks on them. Anyway, we should get out of your hair and let you?—”
“Dex! Oh, Dex! There you are!” A woman in her early thirties came rushing up to them.
“Hey, Cassandra. What’s wrong?” Dex turned to her with genuine concern.
“It’s my daughter. She has a horrible stomachache. She’s in terrible pain. Do you have anything in the store that might help?” Cassandra clutched her hands together in front of her.
“I’ve got all the basic over-the-counter medicines,” Dex said. “I’ll run and get some things for you and bring them to your site so you can get back to her.”
Cassandra pressed her hand to her chest. “That’s so kind of you. I hate to agree to that, but she’s really upset.”
“Of course. No problem,” Dex insisted.
“Excuse me.” Erin stepped forward, looking shy. “I’m so sorry to butt in, but I might be able to help if you’d like me to take a look at her. I’m an herbalist.”
“An herbalist?” Cassandra repeated. “I’m not familiar with what that is.”
“I know how to use natural medicines to cure simple ailments like stomachaches,” Erin explained simply. “I’d be happy to see if there’s anything I can do.”
Jace knew Erin did much more than grind up natural medicines. He hadn’t forgotten what she’d done with the plant in his kitchen. He wondered how this would work with a human patient.
“Um, okay. Why not? It’s right this way.” Cassandra headed toward her camper.
“I’ll grab a few things just in case and be right there,” Dex called as he trotted back to the office.
Erin was keeping pace with Cassandra, and Jace followed along behind them. He listened as Erin asked numerous questions, wanting to know how old the girl was, how long she’d been in pain, and if she had any other symptoms.
Cassandra led the way up the steps and into their little camper. “Eliana is right back here.”
The space inside was narrow, and Jace didn’t want to get in the way. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Erin nodded and followed Cassandra. Her attitude had changed completely as soon as she’d heard of the ill child, from relaxed and happy to entirely focused on her new patient. She slipped into themaster bedroom at the end of the camper, where Eliana was lying on the bed.
“Honey, this nice lady is here to check out your tummy and see if she can help you,” her mother said.
Eliana, who looked to be about eight, used the corner of her blanket to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “It hurts!”
“My name is Erin. Can you show me where it hurts?” She kneeled down next to the bed so she wouldn’t loom over the little girl. She spoke softly, gently probing Eliana’s belly once she’d asked permission. There was some more discussion with Cassandra.
Jace couldn’t hear all of what was happening, but he didn’t need to. He had to admire someone who was so soft and delicate. Every day, or perhaps several times a day, he was coming to know a new part of her. So far, he liked all of them.
After a few minutes, Erin emerged from the bedroom. “Jace, will you help me outside?”
“What are we doing?” he asked, following her out.
“I need dandelions, and I saw some behind the camper. Do you know if Dex uses pesticides or herbicides?”
“I sure don’t,” Dex spoke for himself as he arrived with a bag of supplies. “What’s up?”
“She just needs a good laxative,” Erin explained as she reached down, grasped a dandelion at ground level, and pulled it up. The root dangled from it. “The ones from the pharmacy do work, but they can work a bit too well in children. She’s only going to be miserable if it sends her in the opposite direction. This should ease the pain and help things move along.”
