Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(38)

"We were going to eat after the concert," Corrie explained, "but that chicken looks so good, Roy decided to walk across the street and pick up dinner now."

"The teriyaki is our favorite," Charlotte told her. "This is way more than I can eat. Ben and I should probably share an order but the leftovers are always so delicious the next day."

"Our daughter Linnette's favorite meal is teriyaki chicken," Corrie added conversationally. "Speaking of Linnette," she began. She fumbled nervously with her hands, and then laughed. "That wasn't a very good transition, was it?"

"I didn't realize you had a daughter," Charlotte said. She didn't know the McAfees well enough to know about their children.

"Actually, I've been looking for a chance to talk to both of you about Linnette," Corrie confessed. "She recently graduated as a physician's assistant. It was an arduous program, but Linnette feels strongly about bringing medical professionals to small towns."

Charlotte sat up straighter at this bit of news. "I suppose you've heard how hard Ben and I have worked to get a medical facility built in Cedar Cove."

Corrie nodded. "That's what I wanted to discuss. Do you have any news about what's happening with that?"

For the last two months, Charlotte and Ben had shown up for every single council meeting. They sat in the front row, as if to say they weren't going silently into that long, dark night. For her part, Charlotte had decided she'd keel over dead before she gave up her efforts to get a medical clinic in Cedar Cove.

"I don't know what to tell you," she murmured. "So far, there's been no real progress. Just a lot of talk."

Ben leaned forward. "The argument is that even if the council were to fund a clinic, the town can't afford personnel."

"Linnette applied for a job in Montana, and I hate the thought of our daughter living so far from home." Corrie waved to someone in the distance; the park was fast filling up. "I'd hoped something might turn up here in Cedar Cove. I miss my daughter and she's only a ferry ride away now. I can't imagine what it'll be like when she's hundreds of miles from home."

"A physician's assistant," Charlotte repeated. "Maybe there is something we can do."

"What?" Ben asked, turning to Charlotte.

Charlotte gently patted his knee. "Leave that to me."

Olivia and Jack arrived just then, and Charlotte stood and waved them over. Seeing their friends, family and neighbors was what made these summertime concerts so much fun. Her daughter waved back, but Charlotte noticed that Olivia and Jack seemed to be having a discussion before they made their way through the crowd to join her.

"There's plenty of room here with Ben and me," Charlotte told them. She moved her chair closer to Ben's. Although she'd only taken a few bites of her dinner, she'd much rather visit than eat. Closing the container, she returned it to the plastic bag.

"Hello, Corrie," Olivia said.

To Charlotte's ears, her daughter sounded stressed, although she had no idea why that would be. This was a night for relaxing, for laughter and singing and catching up with friends.

Olivia glanced at Ben and greeted him, but her tone was remote, as if she hadn't decided what to think of her mother's friend.

Her daughter's attitude troubled Charlotte, and she decided to talk to Olivia about it later, when they had a private moment.

"Sit down, sit down," she instructed Olivia. "Jack, you're looking fit these days."

He patted his stomach. "I could lose a few pounds, according to Olivia."

Charlotte smiled. So that was the reason her daughter had asked her to recommend a healthy-eating cookbook. Charlotte had bought them shortly after her cancer treatments and tried some of the recipes. They weren't bad, but over time she'd gradually reverted to eating the way she always had. Old habits were difficult to break.

"You know Corrie McAfee, don't you?" Charlotte said, wanting to make sure Olivia made Corrie feel welcome. "This is the McAfees' first time at Concerts on the Cove."

Olivia nodded to Corrie. "Good to see you again."

"You too," Corrie said.

The two women exchanged long looks. Charlotte didn't know what that was about, either. Surely her daughter and the wife of the local P.I. couldn't possibly be colluding about anything.

"Corrie and I were just talking about a health clinic here in Cedar Cove," Charlotte continued, hoping to include Olivia in the conversation. "The McAfees' daughter is a physician's assistant, and Corrie was just saying how nice it would be if she worked in this area."

Olivia nodded absently.

"A health clinic is important, Olivia," Charlotte said, her voice a little sharper than usual.

"I agree," she muttered, frowning.

"I suppose you think a bigger jail is more of a priority."

"We could use a larger jail, but—"

"You can't be serious!" Charlotte was aghast that her daughter would think additional jail cells should take precedence over the health concerns of their community.

"We do need a bigger jail," Jack concurred. "In fact I just wrote an article this afternoon about the problems with transporting local offenders to jails in YakimaCounty. But, to my way of thinking, we need a medical facility more."