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holding down the fort while you’re here with me?”
Will had no doubt this was small talk because Sheriff Hank Fletcher still knew exactly what was going on in his jurisdiction. “Clarice and Eddie. They know how to get me if something comes up they can’t handle.”
“What do you think of Eddie? Professional assessment.”
“Hard to tell. I haven’t been here long enough to see him function in a crisis. But he seems bright, eager. He brings a lot of energy.”
Hank nodded. “I thought so, too. Things are going to change when the resort and building development are finished. More people will move here, which is a blessing and curse. We’ll do our best to anticipate potential problem situations but life has a way of throwing the unexpected at you just when you think you’ve got it all figured out.”
Will didn’t miss the sadness in his father’s blue eyes and knew he was thinking about losing his wife in a car accident. He’d come home for the funeral but couldn’t stay long. He had to get back to his job and proving himself to the seasoned veterans in the Chicago Police Department. Or was that just what he’d told himself to shut down the guilt he’d felt for leaving the people he loved?
He and April had hooked up and it was the last time they were together. Considering they’d just buried his mother, it was probably the best and worst night of his life. She had made him forget the pain for a little while.
“It’s good for Eddie to have you here,” Hank said.
“Why?”
“You have a lot of big-city experiences. Blackwater Lake won’t be on that scale, but there’s a lot you can teach him that I can’t.”
“I’m happy to do what I can, Dad, while I’m here. But—”
There was a light knock on the door then it opened and the doctor walked in. In his white lab coat over light blue scrubs, Adam Stone greeted them both and shook hands.
“It’s good to see you, Will.”
“You, too.” They’d met a couple months ago during his dad’s health crisis.
“So, how’s the patient doing?”
“Feeling great, doc.” Hank pulled his T-shirt off as the doctor removed the stethoscope worn draped around his neck.
“Take a deep breath.” Adam pressed the round thing to various places on his dad’s chest and back, carefully listening each time he moved it. “Sounds good. Strong heartbeat and your lungs are clear.”
He carefully inspected the scar on Hank’s chest and nodded approval. “This looks awesome.”
“Chicks dig scars,” Hank joked.
“Then you should be very popular, Dad.”
Adam laughed. “It’s healing well.”
“How’s the wife and kids,” Hank asked.
“Great. Couldn’t be better.” The doctor smiled broadly. “C.J. is loving Cabot Dixon’s summer camp and has decided he’s going to be a cowboy when he grows up. Or Robin Hood. He’s been taking archery classes with Kate Scott, actually Dixon now. They got married,” he explained to Will. “And C.J. can’t make up his mind whether he likes riding horses better than shooting a bow and arrow.”
Hank laughed. “And that little girl of yours?”
“Beautiful. Just like her mom.” His voice grew marginally softer when he mentioned the two women in his life. “Although I could do without the terrible twos. If she’s as good at everything else as she is at that, she’ll be incredibly successful in her chosen field.”
“Yeah, I remember that stage,” Hank said wryly. “My wife handled it and that’s why Kim and Will grew up so well.”
Will marveled at how his father got people to talk, to open up. He considered it part of his job to know the citizens of his town and the man was a master. That was very different from Will’s work in Chicago. There was no way law enforcement could spend the time to get to know everyone.
Adam met his gaze. “How is it being back?”
Will figured he should be used to that question by now but it seemed every day in Blackwater Lake made his feelings a little less clear. So all he said was, “Good.” Best to leave it at that and change the subject. “So my dad is doing okay?”
“Pretty remarkable actually. Pulse, heart rate, breath sounds, blood pressure are all where we want them. Anything you think I should know?” Adam asked.
“No. I’m feeling good,” the patient said.
“I’m going to order some blood work.”
“Heaven forbid I should get out of here without someone sticking me with a needle,” his dad joked.
“Man up, Hank. You should be used to it by now,” the doc said.
“Not really.”
Adam glanced through the chart. “You’re still exercising and watching your diet?”
His dad’s expression was wry. “Have you met my daughter, Kim? You know, the pretty, bossy one?”
“Okay. Point taken. I’m betting that skill was sharpened by working with teenagers.” Adam laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. So keep it up. At this pace you’ll be ready to go back to work when your medical leave is over at the end of summer.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“I want to see you again in six weeks. You can make an appointment with the receptionist on the way out.” He shook hands with both of them again. “Take care.”
Twenty minutes later they were in Will’s SUV and headed home. After leaving the clinic his dad had grown unusually quiet, a stark difference from the gregarious man who was keeping up with the personal life of someone who lived in his town. The checkup couldn’t have gone better. So what was the deal? Will was a police officer and trained detective but without clues he was unable to draw a conclusion.
And then there was this dandy technique that cops used to find out stuff. It was called interrogation. “What’s going on, Dad? You’re pretty quiet over there. The doc gave you high marks and said you’ll be back to work soon.”
“Yeah.” The flat tone was a clue.
“Is this about work?”
“In a way. I’ve been thinking about retiring. I knew it was creeping up on me but didn’t give it a lot of thought until the heart attack and surgery. Now...”
“What?”
“It’s been on my mind. And you know that pretty, bossy sister of yours? She’s been relentless about me slowing down. Taking it easy. Traveling.”
“You’ve always wanted to,” Will reminded him. “I remember you talking about it when Kim and I were kids.”
“Not so much after your mom died.”
Will felt a jab of guilt again that he hadn’t been around much after the funeral. “I know that was a hard time for you.”
“It was. And I’ll always love her. But I’m not grieving the loss anymore.” A big sigh came from the passenger seat. “Since Josie—”
“The widow who rents a room from Maggie Potter. I met her when you were in the hospital.” Nice woman, he thought.
“Yeah. She stayed in Copper Hill to be there for your sister until I was out of the woods.”
“I liked her.”
“Kim does, too. And if she didn’t—”
Will laughed. “It wouldn’t be pretty.”
“No kidding.”