Page 9 of Just My Style
“I’ll be right with you, Coop. Ladies, what can I help you with? Do you have appointments?”
“I do,” a blonde in cutoff denim shorts says, waving at me with her fingers.
“What’s your name?”
“Jessica Albright.”
I mentally run through my calendar in my head, coming up blank for her name. “What time is your appointment?” I ask.
She giggles. “Well, my appointment is next Thursday. For a physical,” she adds, arching an eyebrow.
I frown. “Then why are you here today?”
Her lower lip juts out for a second, but she immediately sucks it back in and forces the smile back to her lips. “I just whipped up some of my Nana’s famous banana pudding and brought some along for you.”
A woman carrying a pie plate pushes forward. “Oh, you don’t want banana pudding, doc. Not when I’ve brought a delicious strawberry pie. I picked the strawberries myself. I’m Moira, by the way.”
Jessica glares at Moria. “She sprays chemicals on her strawberries, doc. You don’t want to eat that.”
The third woman calls out, “Who wants dessert at ten in the morning? I’m Tessa, Dr. Margolis. And I brought you a sausage and egg casserole for breakfast.”
The women start to argue amongst themselves, and Coop clears his throat. “Just reminding y’all that the Chief of Police is standing right here.”
“I appreciate your kindness, ladies,” I say, unlocking the door. I learned long ago that it’s rude to refuse food in the South, but women have been coming to the office every day since I opened—nearly a year ago. I’m covered up in casseroles and pies.
As I push open the door, each woman surges forward, attempting to enter first.
“Thanks again, ladies,” I say, encouraging them each to leave the food on the table. “I need to see to Chief Cooper now.”
It takes a few more minutes to usher them back out the door. I smile sheepishly at Chief Cooper. “Sorry about that, Coop.”
“Looks like you have quite the fan club.”
“Unfortunately, the only people I want as members want nothing to do with me.”
He chuckles. “That’s usually how it works, kid.”
“Have the antibiotics I prescribed healed your infection?”
“Sure have,” Coop says, pushing up the sleeve of his shirt. He’d gotten hooked while short fishing on a windy day. “It’s looking good now.”
I take a peek and nod in concurrence. “Finish your antibiotics, though, okay?”
He nods. “Will do. Hey, doc--?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to eat that banana pudding?”
I laugh. “It’s all yours, Coop.”
He rubs his hands together. “The mayor loves banana pudding.”
Chapter 7
Cara
Leaving the bike at the house, I set out on foot to the beach. When I arrive, I find Victor at the water’s edge, constructing a sandcastle. “Not bad,” I admit, inspecting the towers.