Cheryl Reavis - Medicine Man

“Will Baron?” Arley said in surprise. “What about Will?”

“You’ve put him in a bad situation.”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t seen him since your wedding reception.”

“Where he had some kind of altercation with Scott—”

“That wasn’t my fault! Grace is the one who invited him. Maybe you ought to take whatever this is up with her. And you owe Will Baron big-time, by the way. Your reception could have turned into one big John Wayne movie bar fight, if it wasn’t for him.”

“Never mind that. I understand Will got called in,” Kate said.

“Kate, I don’t know what that means.”

“It means he had to go see his lieutenant, where it was apparently suggested that he not associate with you.”

“What? Are you kidding me? Since when does the army care if I talk to one of their medics for fifteen minutes—tops?”

“I don’t know the details, but I imagine the McGowans had something to do with it.”

“What McGowans?”

“You know what McGowans.”

“I don’t know any McGowans with that kind of clout. Who told you all this—Will?”

“No. I heard it through the grapevine.”

Great, Arley thought. Two sisters who speak in song lyrics.

“So it might not be true,” she said, and Kate raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. Say it is true. You’re telling me that some officer called Will in and told him not to have anything to do with me.”

“I don’t think he actually got lit up—”

“Oh, good,” Arley said, completely mystified as to what that phrase meant, too.

“I imagine it was more a…suggestion,” Kate said pointedly. “With these military types, sometimes it’s hard to tell.”

“Let me guess. The two can pretty much be the same thing.”

“Pretty much.”

“Kate, I am not going to believe the United States Army is run by the McGowan family. What are they going to do to Will if he talks to me again—put him in the brig?”

“That’s the navy. But either way, public image is a lot more important to the military than it used to be. Believe me, an enlisted person’s life is much less aggravating if his or her superior officers are happy and aren’t made to look bad on the golf course.”

“The golf course?” Arley said incredulously, and Kate shrugged.

“Will hasn’t done anything except talk to me at the reception and keep Scott from trying to drag me outside when I didn’t want to go. Oh, and last summer he gave Scottie a piece of turquoise for his rock collection. Now what is the problem with that?”

“I told you,” Kate said. “Public image is a big deal, and who knows what spin the McGowans put on it. The alienation of affection law is still on the books in this state, you know.”

“Well, this is just great. Did anybody happen to remember the divorce is final? Nobody is telling me who I can and can’t talk to. Not the McGowans—and not the U.S. Army. And not anybody else, either!” she added.

“This isn’t about you so much,” Kate said in that quiet way she had when she was right and she knew it. “Will Baron shouldn’t have to suffer the fallout because of your bad marriage, especially when he’s just minding his own business.”

“Well, gee, thanks, Kate. I really needed somebody to point that out. I’m already feeling like a big enough loser—and now I’m taking down the innocent bystanders.”

“Arley, I just want you to get the big picture here.”

“I got it! I have to get in touch with him.”

“Who?”

“Will!”

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“Did you hear what I just said? I need to explain—to apologize.”

“I don’t think he’d want you to. I’m just telling you about this so you’ll be forewarned. The McGowans have their connections, and they’re not afraid to use them.”

“Yeah, well, thanks for that, too. Hopefully, I can get forewarned every time I’m feeling the least bit good about things. And I know all about the McGowan ‘connections.’ It didn’t matter to them one bit that Scott had sleazy women stashed all over town! All that mattered was that I looked the other way so their ‘connections’ wouldn’t be forced to witness an ugly divorce!”

“Hey! This is not my fault!”

“I know that! You’re just…the only one here.”

Kate smiled and gave her a quick hug. “I’ve got to go. I’m glad you’re moving almost home again. It’ll be nice having you and Scottie at Mrs. Bee’s.”

“Does Grace know about this thing with Will?”

“No-o-o-o,” Kate assured her. She gave her a peck on the cheek and left.

Arley stood staring at the cardboard box she’d been packing. She could try calling the hospital. She could leave a message for Will to call her. That would be easy enough. Or…

It occurred to her as her initial aggravation subsided that she was so used to the McGowan way, she wasn’t really all that surprised. They had their prejudices, not the least of which was their disdain for all things military, despite owing a good deal of their fortune to the proximity and spending power of the United States Army. But, for once, Arley decided she wasn’t going to act impulsively. She was going to think about her options, the possible repercussions, and the advantages of being sensible.

Or not.

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