hanging on a hook on the mooring, revealing she boated around. It wasn’t uncommon in those parts.
Checking his watch, he didn’t have anything better to do than wait for her to return. Twenty minutes later, two boats pulled up to the dock, Maggie and the old, grizzled dockmaster. The reception wasn’t what he’d expected. Minimally, he thought she’d be at least cordial since he was the other vet in town. And because Gus was there, he couldn’t even lie and accuse her of coming on to him.
Climbing over her gate, the retreat to his truck was humiliating, but more, it was maddening. But he was going to try to deal with it, aware that a heightening of a previously diagnosed mental illness could be responsible for his irrational behavior. The fine edge between fantasy and reality blurred in and out for Ted. Somehow, he’d try to stay on the lucid side the greater amount of time.
Justin Chastain would demand that he do so.
At eight that night, lights swept through the windows and stopped at the gate. Setting aside a string of Christmas lights he was attempting to untangle, Ted saw the lights and stood in the window, drinking a bottle of American Blond. If it was an animal emergency, the driver would call him, but the house phone was silent. His private cell phone lit up with a familiar number.
Buddy, we need to talk.
A hot flash of epic proportion flooded over his body. He went to the door and pushed the gate button, watching it swing open. The front door faced the parking area, and he stood there with his bottle, waiting.
The red pickup shined even in the dark. How Justin always kept his truck sparkling was legendary. Unfolding his long body, Justin climbed out of the cab, giving Ted the chills for the fear it induced. The reason for the visit was obvious and couldn’t be good.
“What were you thinking?” Justin called out, walking toward the house.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said, standing aside so Justin could pass through.
“You scared the crap out of her.”
“For that I am truly sorry.”
“Why’d you do it?”
“Do you want a beer?”
“No, Ted. What’d you think you were going to accomplished going to her house? That was insane.”
They stood apart from each other in the spacious, dimly lit great room, the contents of the boxes stacked in the center revealed by sparkling ornaments and strings of lights spilling out. A tall fake Christmas tree stood in the corner, next to a cold fireplace.
“I just wanted to get to know her, that’s all,” Ted said. “It was stupid, I know that.”
“You’ll make trouble for her with Kelly, you know that too, right?”
“No one’s supposed to know about that,” Ted muttered, leaning over to turn a lamp on. The dim light did little to take the edge off the depressing atmosphere.
“Maggie told me you were kissing each other in front of her. That doesn’t leave much to the imagination. And you’re both single. Why the secrecy?”
“She’s got a kid,” he said. “I don’t want children. And her reputation isn’t what I want for the clinic.”
“Wait. You’re keeping it quiet because you’re a snob?” Justin barked out a laugh. “Ted, I don’t know if you’ve looked in the mirror lately, but you need to reexamine your life. You’re acting like a nutcase. Get some help. And stay away from Maggie’s place and Maggie, or I’m getting Dave involved.”
“Oh, Jesus Lord, don’t do that, I beg of you,” he cried. “I promise. I’ll stay away from Maggie.”
“Ted, you and I are the only vets in a fifty-mile area. If you lose it, I’ll be alone out here. Stop being so freaking selfish. Take your meds.”
Justin moved to the door, thinking it might be time to get Ted’s mother and father involved. The LeBlancs were pillars of the community.
“I do take them. They don’t always help, you know.”
“Then get back into therapy so you can work on your self-control.”
While he left the house, Ted stood watch from the door, finishing off the bottle of beer. Alcohol made his self-control issues worse at times, but tonight it calmed him down. The taillights of Justin’s pickup went through the gate, and Ted pressed the close button as soon as he was on the road. Checking the time, it was just eight thirty. Kelly would be tucking Danny in, so he keyed in her number.
“Hey, babe,” she said, a little out of breath. “I’m straightening up where the tornado struck.