Page 15 of Daniel Watson

“Let me guess, dumbass, Slate didn’t show up for work again.” Daniel laughed even though his temper was on edge. He’d called one of the other doctors to see if they could come in. “Or was he drunk on the job? I wouldn’t put either one past him at this point.”

“Both, I guess. He didn’t show up and actually told the service that he’d traded with me and that I was the one on call. Also, I sent the police to pick him up to bring him in, and the fucker had already been drinking since he’d gotten up.” Something occurred to Daniel just then. “Has he been drunk showing up to work?”

“I don’t know that I’d call him drunk. I think that his tolerance is a bit more than mine would be after a couple of drinks, but yeah, he’d been drinking when on the job. I think he has a real problem, that boy. You had him arrested, did you?” He told Doctor Lance what had happened. “That’s great. Oh, how I wish I’d seen that. I bet the little pecker was trying his best to get a deal made too. The shits that are coming out of college nowadays… Well, it makes me want to rattle their brains a bit. What did you need? I’ll come in for you if that’s what you want. Having Chase arrested has made my whole day, hell, maybe my whole week.”

“My wife and family and I had a plan to go up to Amish country this morning. Eat some dinner there, too. If you’d not mind, you’d save me a lot of heartache. We’re taking Luke Branch and his sisters up with us, too.” David told him that his wife had been wanting to go up there, too, before the holidays. “I can pick anything up for you if you need it. It’ll be my pleasure for covering for me today.”

“Nah, but I thank you. I think she wants to go for the shopping. Cheese is just something that she wants me to think that’s all she wants. My wife. I love her to bits, but I think she has it in her head that I’m not so bright.” They both laughed, and Daniel thanked him again. “No problem, Daniel. I’ll be in by nine…I was going to say nine-thirty, but it’s about that now. I will be in before ten. I think my wife wants me out from under her feet anyway. This will be good for us.”

“Thanks so much, David. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He told him that he’d already done that by having the dumbass arrested. “That was the easy part. He did that all on his own.”

True to his word, David was coming through the doors at five until ten. Shaking his hand, he told him that he’d seen his wife in the parking lot and for him to get going. Telling the man thanks again, Daniel briefed him on the woman who had come in that wasn’t in labor. Daniel had set her up in one of the rooms to rest, and he was out the door and on his way to having fun before David could change his mind. Kissing his wife, they were on the road to having fun.

The day was perfect for an outing. Daniel was able to take Luke to watch as the cheese was being made, making the youngster’s day with it. They did buy their weight in cheese, he thought and had a wonderful time tasting the things that they were buying.

Pleading exhaustion from having to get up so early for Chase, he sat down on one of the benches to take a little nap. However, when Sen sat down next to him, he could tell that she wanted to talk to him about something. Smiling at her, he asked her what was going on.

“You always seem to know. I mean, when one of us comes to you— Never mind. I know you wanted to take a nap here, but this is important. It’s about the house.” He asked her if she needed repairs or something. “No, nothing like that. It’s about the rooms that we have. I’d like to…I’m going to college with Luke this fall. It’s going to be a lot for him, but having the house and seemingly unlimited foods brought by the rest of the family, we were wondering if you’d allow us to give someone else a chance that you’ve given us. Giving them a room while in college.”

“Do you have someone in mind?” She told him that she didn’t but she had seen a lot of people struggling that may well drop out. “You’ll have to have them looked into. I’m sorry to say this, but there are people out there who would take advantage of your offer and never leave. I’ve read about squatters a great deal in the paper.”

“So has Luke.” She laughed. “He is the one that brought this up. But he was nervous about coming to you about it because you think of him as a kid. I know that he is, and so does he, but he has the soul of an old man. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that about him or not.”

“I have, as a matter of fact.” He thought about it and decided that he’d have to start treating them all like adults. Not so much Luke, he was extremely smart, but he was still only ten years old. “I think that it’s an excellent idea, but you should run it by Caleb. It’s not up to him, but with him having big bucks, I’d say that he might well have run into this sort of situation before. Giving people a hand up. He’ll know the things that you guys would have to look out for more than I would. I’m sorry that I don’t have an answer for you.”

“You did. And I appreciate you not just shutting me down. I think that others might well have. I’ll talk to Caleb and tell him that you’re on board with it if he is. I also wanted to talk to him about some investments that my mom had.” Nodding, she kissed him on the cheek. Daniel asked her what that was for, not that he didn’t like it. “For everything that you’ve done for us. Also the million and one things that you’ve done that we don’t even know about. Thank you seems too small in comparison, but I want you to know that we appreciate you and Cassie a great deal.”

When she left him there, sitting in the shade on one of the most comfortable chairs that he’d sat on in the outdoors, he decided that he could always sleep. Spending time with his family and extended family on limited time. Also, he was going to buy several of these chairs to put on the deck. He could see him and Cassie taking naps in them when they were old and gray.

Finding Cassie wasn’t that difficult. She and the other women were sitting on the same chairs kind of chairs that he’d been in, eating raw vegetables. Thinking that was a very woman thing to do, he didn’t mention it. He might be silly at times, but he wasn’t stupid. Women could be and would be just as mean as any man he’d ever encountered.

Taking a couple of pieces of celery, he asked them what they were going to be up to now. It was Luke who answered, telling him that they were headed to the all-year Christmas shop down the road. After telling Cassie what he’d done, she kissed him on the cheek as well. Daniel thought that he could get used to this, hanging out with a group of women.

“Can I stick with you from now on? I love my sisters, but I’m running out of patience with them.” He nearly laughed but just caught himself. Daniel asked the little man what they’d been doing. “It’s still five months until my birthday, and they’re looking at things that I’d like to have in my room. I don’t want anything in my room, Daniel. If there is a lot of stuff in there, it’s going to distract me from studying. I don’t mind a picture of all of us, but I don’t think I’d like to have my room decked out like I’m some kind of cowboy.”

Again, the urge to laugh nearly had him coughing but he looked away and wiped at the tears that were forming because he didn’t fall into the humor that was strangling him. He spotted a couple of places that he thought Luke would enjoy and decided that he’d guide him there. Who didn’t like to be in a candy shop with someone willing to foot the bill?

Daniel thought that he’d ended up very well upon leaving the candy store. He was also sure that he’d spent more on himself and Cassie than Luke did on him and his sisters. They were both carrying large bags and filled to the brim with tasting what they didn’t know when they met up with the others.

“We have one more shop to hit.” He asked her how many times they’d been to the car, only joking because he was thinking of taking their purchase there. When Cassie told him, with a beautiful blush on her face, he couldn’t be mad at her even if he tried. “We’ll be all right. I might have to take a loan out to cover it all, but I think the girls are enjoying this very much.”

“And you are as well. Yes, we’ll be just fine, honey. You go ahead and spend as much as you want.” He hoped that she didn’t take that as a challenge when they headed off to the row of stores where the candy shop was. “Well, Luke. What’s it going to be now? Do you want to go and see what kind of trouble we can get into down the road? There are several drink places that I’d like to go into. I’m in the mood for a smoothie.”

Luke was more than glad to get himself a drink, too, and sit at one of the tables to drink his drink. They also, because why not, decided to open a couple of the candy bars that they’d gotten and have a quick snack.

“Sen told me that I need to eat more vegetables. I told her that I would if she did. Now she’s on this kick that all of us have to eat more of them. I don’t mind a salad, but if that’s just the meal, I’m gonna die. I’m a growing boy and need to have meat so I can grow big and strong.” This time, Daniel didn’t hold back but laughed. “Sen is dating this guy who I think is not good enough for her. I mean, I know she’s an adult and all but this guy seems more like he enjoys showing off his muscles and not using the one on his head. Before you tell me, I know that the brain isn’t a muscle, but he doesn’t use it at all. Sen said that I would never think a man is good enough for his sister. She is kinda right on that, but she doesn’t have to date the first dummy head that asks her out.”

He supposed things like this would come up for the kid, and since he was surrounded by females most of the time, he’d need to voice his concerns with someone, too, who wasn’t related to him. Thinking of the right things to say to him, Daniel took his time sipping his drink.

“Does he hurt her? I mean, you said that he is proud of his muscles. I would hate to think that he’d hurt her to, I don’t know, prove he’s stronger than her?” Luke said he’d not thought of that, then stared at him. Daniel knew that he was thinking about it. The boy wouldn’t say anything until he was sure. However, he did tell him that he didn’t want him to think of it if the guy was nice. “You know, she’s been wearing a lot of makeup. Even around the house. Also, and I just thought of this, when we’re having family time, she’s been wearing her long-sleeved sweaters.”

“Luke, it could be nothing at all.” He nodded, but he could tell that he was worried about it. “I’m sorry if I upset you, buddy. When Sen spoke to me earlier, she didn’t mention it. And I have no idea why, but I think she would have if it was bad, don’t you think?”

“Why? My momma didn’t.” He had a point. “I had to take these classes once when it talked about how sometimes women will go for the same person their daddy was. Like if their dad, like ours, was beating her all the time, then that’s the sort of person that she’d find. Like it’s all right or something. It’s not. But she might think that way. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t know Sen that well yet. But I would hope that she’d ask for help if she needed it.” Daniel tried to think if Sen had been wincing at all. If she had a habit of covering something up on her body. Not once did he remember her doing anything like that. “What are you going to do, Luke? You’re going to have to handle this delicately.”

“No, I’m not. I’m going to straight up ask her.” He pulled out his new cell phone and dialed her. “You might want to prepare yourself, Daniel. I’m thinking that if I’m wrong, then she’s going to be hell-bent for leather, as my mom used to say.”