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Part 7 Brenda’s Visit

Brenda arrived the next day, planning on staying three days. We walked around the town and I introduced her to everyone who came up to us.

‘You’re really popular,’ Brenda said with a smile.

‘I suppose I’m the only doctor so…’

‘No,’ she said with a smile, ‘they really like you. Eleanor dotes on you.’

‘She is very nice.’

‘So, when do I meet Scott?’ Brenda asked with a teasing tone.

‘I don’t know,’ I said flushing. I had told her that he had kissed me and after she had quizzed me, I admitted I had been a more than willing accomplice.

We sat on a bench in the park, watching some children dancing around the bandstand and a young boy playing catch with his father. ‘This is a beautiful town,’ Brenda said. ‘I can see why you like it.’

I nodded dumbly. ‘Yes,’ I whispered.

Brenda looked closely at me. ‘It’s a bit of a shock, isn’t it?’

‘What?’

‘Realizing you actually enjoy being a woman.’ I was startled and she smiled. ‘I knew you were pretending back at the complex, Jacquie,’ she said quietly. ‘Don’t ask me how but I just knew. You were very good, but something wasn’t just right.’

‘Oh,’ I said in a small voice. ‘Why didn’t you stop me from leaving?’

She shrugged. ‘I hoped you would find yourself and I didn’t like the idea of Buchanan holding you prisoner. Now,’ she said smiling at me, ‘I can see the difference. You and the old Jacquie are like chalk and cheese. Surely you see that?’ I nodded. ‘And you like it, right?’

‘Yes,’ I whispered, ‘I like it.’

‘Good,’ Brenda said and hugged me. ‘Come on,’ she said pulling me to my feet. ‘Show me where we can get a coffee, Doc.’

I managed to laugh and we walked arm and arm to the diner. ‘
Alice,’ I said with a smile, ‘this is Brenda, we’ve been best friends since I was born.’

Brenda smiled at me and then turned to
Alice. ‘Please to meet you,
Alice, Jacquie tells me you have great coffee.’

We were chatting over coffee when the door opened and Scott and Ben walked in. He saw me and grinned that grin. I smiled back and Brenda looked over, saw him, and smiled at me. ‘Is that him?’ she whispered.

‘Yes,’ I said happily. ‘He’s coming over.’ They both came over and stood by the table. ‘Scott, Ben, this is my friend Brenda Peters. Brenda, Scott and Ben Carson.’

‘Nice to meet you, Brenda,’ Ben said with a smile. ‘We heard Jacquie had a friend staying. Do you like the town?’

‘I love it,’ Brenda said.

‘Do you want to join us?’ I asked and Scott sat down quickly and Ben grinned.

‘Don’t mind if we do.’ They ordered coffee and donuts and we chatted casually. I was conscious of Scott looking at me and I flushed when I remembered his kiss.

‘When are you leaving, Brenda?’ Ben asked. Thank God someone was talking!

‘Unfortunately, tomorrow.’

‘Are you a doctor as well?’ Brenda nodded and I was glad she didn’t go into details. ‘Did you two meet in med school?’

‘Something like that,’ Brenda said, smiling into her coffee cup.

‘Well, you come back and next time we’ll take you out on the river.’

‘It’s a deal,’ Brenda grinned.

Brenda and I walked slowly back to the surgery. ‘He’s very cute,’ Brenda said at last. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you two were head over heels with each other.’

‘What! Don’t be stupid!’

‘I could be wrong,’ Brenda said with that annoying smile she gets when she thinks she’s right. ‘Lucky Ben and I were there, otherwise you two would have just sat there staring into each other’s eyes.’

I stopped and shakily put a hand to my forehead. My stomach was churning and I felt my eyes begin to fill. ‘Brenda,’ I whisper, ‘what’s wrong with me? What’s going on?’

She was immediately concerned and hugged me. ‘Nothing’s wrong with you, Jacquie,’ she murmured, ‘it’s alright, I hope it’s perfect for you. I think you’re falling in love. You’ve never been in love, have you?’ Dumbly, I shook my head.’ Well, you’re in for the ride of your life,’ Brenda smiled.

We walked slowly towards the surgery and I took a deep breath to steady myself and smiled weakly. ‘I hope I don’t fall off,’ I murmured and Brenda giggled.

Susan Munroe’s little boy cut his leg in a bicycle accident and she brought him. ‘Is it serious, Jacquie?’ Susan asked anxiously. She was eight months pregnant and was moving awkwardly.

‘I’m sure it looks worse than it is. How did you do this, Tommy?’ I asked as I began to clean the wound.

‘I wasn’t looking where I was going, I guess,’ he mumbled.

‘Watching pretty girls, more like it,’ I said with a wink at Susan.

Tommy blushed. ‘Girls? No way!’

‘Sure,’ I said, smiling at Susan. ‘This is fine, should be right as rain in no time at all.’

She sighed with relief. ‘Thank heaven. Thanks, Jacquie.’

‘How are you feeling?’

Susan rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, you know, I just wish she’d get here.’

‘My first baby in Indian Mask,’ I smiled

Brenda and Eleanor were seated at the kitchen table when I walked in and I could tell they had been talking about me. ‘I feel my ears burning,’ I said as I poured some coffee.

‘Eleanor was just telling me about Scott,’ Brenda said, smiling.

Eleanor got up and bustled over to the sink. ‘Don’t look at me like that, Jacquie,’ she said. ‘Brenda mentioned she met Ben and Scott, so I gave her some details, that’s all.’

‘Is that right?’ I looked suspiciously at Brenda, who smiled innocently.

The next morning we loaded Brenda’s bags into her car. ‘Brenda,’ I began after Eleanor had said goodbye and walked back inside, ‘I was pretending back at the complex, but I was fooling myself most of all.’

‘I know, Jacquie, but it doesn’t matter.’

‘I wasn’t pretending about being your friend,’ I said and hugged her. ‘You know that, don’t you?’

‘Of course and, Jacquie,’ she said seriously, ‘you’re not a patient to me, you’re my friend, okay?’

I nodded and we embraced for the final time. ‘Come back, please,’ I said, ‘when you get a chance.’

‘I’ll come back for the wedding,’ she said cheekily, and I couldn’t help but grin and waved goodbye.