Strange Medicine (Dr. Maxwell Thornton Murder Mysteries #1)(17)

He grimaced. “It’s fine. You don’t have to. I just thought maybe you’d enjoy stretching your legs after working all day.”

The idea of walking with him didn’t actually seem too bad. He had a calm energy that I enjoyed, and he wasn’t a person who rattled on about stupid things. I glanced back toward my house. “I guess that would be okay. I have to lock up.”

He looked pleased. “Really?”

“Yeah. You’re right. I could use a little fresh air after being inside all day.”

“Great.” He smiled and his gaze dropped to my suit. “You’ll want to change too.”

I’d completely forgotten I was dressed in a suit and tie. I gave an awkward laugh. “Oh, right. That would be a good idea.”

“I’ll just wait here.”

“Sure.” I moved toward the house, wondering if I should invite him in to wait. He’d caught me off guard with his invitation, and it hadn’t occurred to me. When I glanced back at him, he was knelt over his pup, giving it water from a bottle. For some reason his gentle expression as he watched his dog gave me a funny feeling in my chest.

Once inside I changed quickly into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t have many casual shirts since all I ever did was work and I wore suits on the job. If I was going to stay here, I probably needed to purchase some everyday clothing so I didn’t stand out like an uptight weirdo when I went into town.

I hurried down the steps toward Royce, feeling self-conscious as he watched me approach.

“That was fast,” he said with a smile.

“I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” I sounded a little breathless. We fell into step and headed down the road in the direction that led away from town. “Do you always walk along the road?”

“No. About a mile up there’s a side path that I follow to the lake.” He glanced down at the puppy. “Grumpy likes the water.”

“Well, he’s a water dog.”

“True.”

Even though it was evening, the sun was still hot on my shoulders. I regretted not wearing a hat and sunscreen. “I never had a dog growing up.”

He stopped walking abruptly. “Are you serious?”

I frowned uneasily at his impassioned response. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Doesn’t everybody have a dog as a kid?” He started walking again, and I followed. “I mean, not having a dog…. now that’s downright un-American.”

“Pfft. No.”

He grinned. “I’m in shock.”

“I had a goldfish. That was all my parents could tolerate.”

“Nothing is more cuddly than a fish.” He shook his head.

“Who needs cuddly?” I shrugged. “Bubbles was the perfect pet.”

“Bubbles?”

“That was his name, and he was an extremely interesting pet.”

“He was a fish. How fascinating can a fish be?” He laughed.

“I’ll have you know goldfish can recognize people’s faces.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

He smirked. “So then I could use them in a lineup?”

I laughed. “I think you might be able to because they also have a memory span that can last up to three months.”

“This is such good news.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I mean, sometimes it’s so hard to get a reliable witness in this town. But now that I know I can use goldfish too, the future seems so much brighter.”

We walked in companionable silence for a while. The path was lined with mustard-colored yarrow, and the sage-like scent hung heavy in the warm air. He glanced over at me a few times, and I had the feeling he wanted to ask me something.

“What?” I asked, as I caught him looking over yet again.

“You said a goldfish was all your parents could tolerate. What did you mean by that?”

I lifted one shoulder. “Just that they liked things to be orderly.”

“Meaning what?”

“Oh, just everything in its place. No surprises.” I cleared my throat. “They didn’t like anything that interfered with the status quo.”

“Hmmm.” He nodded.

I frowned. “What does that sound mean?”

“Oh, nothing.” He kicked at a stone near his boot.

“Nothing?”

I almost tripped over the leash as Grumpy walked directly in front of me. I managed to sidestep him and not fall on my face, but it was close. Royce grabbed my arm to help, and I tried to ignore the effect the hard press of his fingers had on my pulse. I slowly pulled my elbow from his grip, and we continued walking.

“I think I know what your little ‘hmmm’ sound meant.” I lifted my chin.

“Do you?”

“Yes.” I sighed. “You’re not the first person to think my uptight parents ruined me by being too strict.” I’d heard it all before many times.

“I never said that.”

“Maybe the fact that they were very rigid has made me a bit inflexible. But what’s wrong with that? Being disciplined comes in very handy as a doctor. Things run smoother when you have a strict way of doing things. You can avoid a lot of problems if everything is in its place.” I knew I sounded defensive, and I did feel a little on the spot.