The Touch (Healer Series) (18 page)

  
“Don’t worry about breakfast, Helen,” he
said, feeling slightly odd about calling her by her first name. Where he was
from, it was disrespectful to call a woman, especially an elder, by her first
name. Helen had insisted last time and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She said
being called Ms. Raven made her feel far too old.

  
“Nonsense!
I live to
cook for you boys. AJ’s still asleep, I bet,” she said, nodding her head in the
direction of his room. “The one right next to him is open.”

  
“You’re not making him do chores?” Max joked,
surprised that AJ wouldn’t be out there helping of his own free will. He was
normally the guy that chipped in and did more than his fair share.

  
“No, no.
He offered, I
wouldn’t let him.
I enjoy all the little things, keeps me fit. If I
don’t do chores, I’ll just turn into a couch potato,” she laughed. “He’s got a
job. That’s enough. Go on in. See you in a bit.”

  
He headed into the B&B, looking forward
to something homemade again. His cooking was nothing compared to Helen’s.

**************************************************

  
After breakfast, AJ took his friend into town
to let Max wander around as he worked at the garage. It was a welcome change
from the weekend because having to concentrate on something other than Addie
was a break he’d needed. Along the way, Max took in the old fashioned buildings
which looked like they had been frozen in time. It was such a change from the
city where there was the constant need by everyone to have the newest and best.

  
New York had been a constant flow of fashion
and lights, the newest technology and people focused only on their phones and
not all that surrounded them. Out here in the country, people didn’t care as
much – if at all – about being up-to-date with the rest of the world. They
lived their lives focused on the people instead of the stuff, and seemed
happier than anyone AJ had ever met in the city.

  
They decided to walk, partly for the exercise
and partly because it was still well before anything in town would be open. AJ
had taken to walking just about everywhere he went. He couldn’t say he missed
the gym, although he did miss exercise in general. His walks were calming, and
gave him time to think.

  
“Isabelle’s real sick,” AJ said, kicking a
rock with his shoe.

  
“I know,” Max replied, his hands playing with
a bright green leaf he’d plucked from a branch hanging a bit too low over the
road to be left alone. “Helen told me. It’s a real shame. She was really choked
up. You can tell she really loves kids.”

  
“I know. She never had any, I don’t think.
Not that she’s mentioned, and no pictures anywhere at all. I don’t want to ask
her because it’s probably something she doesn’t want to think about.”

  
“We all have those things, it seems,” Max
replied.

  
“I haven’t helped anyone,” AJ countered,
shifting his gaze to Max as if he were seeking shame or approval, he wasn’t
sure which. As much as he felt a calling for what he did and how he enjoyed
being able to help others, taking a break and just living like a normal person
– angst and all – had been a sense of relief the past couple weeks.

  
“What do you want me to say?” It was Max’s
patented phrase.

  
“Nothing,” AJ laughed, looking back at the
ground to find another rock. “I know.
Free will.”

  
“Free will,” Max replied, smiling.
 
“You will when the time is right. There’s
nothing wrong with taking some time for you.”

  
“I know. It’s just hard not to feel guilty
about it.”

  
“I know.” And Max did. He’d felt the same any
time he went a few days without helping someone. “Is that all that’s on your
mind?”

  
“Rose had me tell her a story.” AJ was still
unsure whether to be scared or moved by that night.

  
“Sounds like she likes you.
It’s okay for people to like you, you know.”

  
“She’s a kid. I don’t know how to act around
kids.”

  
“Just act like AJ. She’s probably looking for
a man she can have in her life – like a father, but not a father – who can
teach her something, help her when she needs it.
Trust.”

  
“Trust sounds about right.”

  
“You’ll figure it out. Just a day at a time
like everything else.” After pausing a minute, Max had to ask. “What story did
you read her?”

  
“Read to her, no. I had to make one up.”

  
“Seriously?
Oh, you
have to tell me about this one.”

  
“I used us. What we do. Figured it sounded
make-believe enough, right?”

  
Max laughed, shaking his head. That’s why
Healers were allowed to exist as peacefully as they were – their story seemed
far too make-believe for anyone to think it could actually be true.

  
“You’re right. How’d she like it?”

  
“She liked being the girl who saved everyone
from the bad guy.”

  
“Everyone likes that feeling, that’s for
sure.”

  
They walked in silence, taking in the beauty
while the scent of willow trees floated in the breeze. The feeling of normalcy
took hold, no fear or anxiousness tugging at their stomachs because a Grim was
close.

  
They arrived in town at Bob’s garage, AJ
untying the arms of his tattered, blue overalls from around his waist and
slipping his arms in, zipping it up. As he did so, Bob appeared at the door.

  
“You mind watching things, kid?” his gruff
voice asked, his eyes surveying Max from head to toe and wondering what trouble
another new outsider would bring to town. They hadn’t had a stranger pass
through in years and now three in a couple weeks time? It didn’t sit well with
Bob. He was big into conspiracy theories and Area 51, all that secretive stuff.
He was sure that somehow these strangers had a secret. He didn’t know he was
actually right.

  
“Sure,” AJ said, raising his hand over his
eyes to shade
them
from the morning sun as he looked
in the direction of his boss.
“Everything okay?”

  
“Nah, not today.
Wife and I are
gonna
head over and see Isabelle. They
say it’s just weeks. Can’t believe she just went downhill so fast.
Breaks my heart.”
He paused, looking at AJ with squinty
eyes. “Yes, I have a heart.”

  
AJ smiled at him. “I never said you didn’t.
I’ll keep an eye on things. Tell the family I’ll keep them in my prayers.”

  
“Will do.”
And with
a toss of a spare set of keys right to AJ, Bob was out the door.

  
“You
wanna
go,
too?” Max asked, knowing the size of his friend’s heart and the impact this
little girl had already had on him.

  
“I really don’t,” AJ responded truthfully.
“It’s too hard with the kids. I can’t help her. I know she’s suffering, ‘
cause
I’ve seen it before. I want to remember her smile the
way it was.”

  
“Understood.”

  
“Addie made me think last night. She said she
can’t help but think about, what if it had been Rose? I think the same thing –
I don’t know them well. I can’t imagine how hard it would be if it were Rose
who was sick. I just want to keep away from it right now.”

  
“You don’t have to explain to me, AJ. I’m
just
gonna
kick around town a bit, meet some folks,
listen to their stories.”

  
Max enjoyed speaking with people, especially
the men and women who had seen quite a few years pass by. Their stories were
like watching old movies; so descriptive and lively. They always seem to be
living each moment again in their minds, from the color of their high school
girl’s lipstick to the birth of their grandbaby. It was one of the more
pleasant things Max found he enjoyed doing in life.

  
“I’m heading back home at five,” AJ said, his
friend signaling okay with his hands as he headed down the road.

  
AJ headed into the shop to do who knew what,
considering he had fixed every broken vehicle in town his first couple days
employed. He looked around the mess to see if there was anything to tinker with
before settling on maybe cleaning up and organizing the place a bit.

  
Helen again brought him lunch and she laughed
as he told her she needed to quit doing that – she didn’t need to cater to him.
She shushed him, saying she needed to head to the store anyway. He thanked her
profusely, appreciating the gesture. She was such a good woman. He wondered
what her story was, although he’d never be rude enough to ask.

  
The day went by at a snail’s pace with Max
still off somewhere making new friends. He wasn’t hard to talk to and people
loosened up instantly with him. They spoke to him as if they’d been friends
their whole life – and quite frankly, AJ wouldn’t be surprised if Max had known
some of these guys in their younger years. He’d have to ask about that sometime
and made a mental note to bring it up to Max on the walk home.

  
As he locked up for the night he saw Max in
the distance. Addie pulled up next to AJ in her truck, breaking his gaze.

  
“Hey stranger,” she winked, her elbow smudged
with mud and hanging out the door. She’d obviously been working and for the
life of him, AJ realized he didn’t even know what she did for a living. He’d
never asked.

  
“Hey Addie,” he replied, unzipping the
overalls and pulling each arm from the sleeve. She noticed his muscles before
forcing her eyes in the opposite direction. Friends, she reminded herself, just
friends.

  
“What are you doing in town tonight?”

  
“Bringing a meal over for Isabelle’s family,”
she said, pointing to the passenger side. “Then I have to pick up Rose at
Gram’s. I feel so bad for them. They think it could just be a couple weeks.”

  
“You’ve got some mud on your arm,” he said,
his finger aimed at her elbow in an attempt to avoid the subject of Isabelle.

  
“That’s what happens when you work. Look at
your arms, all pristine clean. Looks like you don’t even know what work is,”
she teased him. She was trying to lighten the mood so that she wouldn’t go over
stark and sullen to Isabelle’s.

  
“I have this nice little thing to cover me
up. Keeps me looking fresh and shiny - you know, like a trophy.”

  
“Think much of yourself?” she laughed.

  
“What is it you actually do for work? I don’t
think I’ve ever asked.”

  
“Farm.
I rent a
field from Helen and Matthew. Grow some
crops,
sell
them to local stores in surrounding towns. And sometimes I help other farmers with
their crops for a little extra money.”

  
AJ nodded. It was good work. Tough work, but
Addie was not afraid to dive in and get her hands dirty.

  
“You probably won’t be seeing much of me for
awhile,” she said, wiping her forehead. The heat was so thick it felt like a
blanket on her skin. She could break a sweat just thinking too fast.

  
“Why’s that?”

  
“
Gonna
be spending
a lot of time in the fields the next month or two getting things all shored up
and making sure the watering systems work and updating them. You’re
gonna
miss my pretty face being around all the time.”

  
By now, Max had caught up to them.

  
“Hi,” he said, tipping his new cowboy hat to
Addie.

  
“Nice cap,” she replied in earnest. It was
quite a nice hat.
“Name’s Addie.”
She reached out her
hand to shake Max’s.

  
“Why thank you,” he responded, placing his
hand around hers. “Some nice gentleman at the diner gave it to me. He said I
needed a new look.
Said he has plenty back at home.”

  
“Well, it does look nice Max,” Addie said
with assurance. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve only seen you from a
distance before. Can I ask you boys a favor?”

  
“Sure,” they responded in unison.

  
“It’s
gonna
be long
hours for me. Rose is
gonna
be at Gram’s house during
the week for the most part and she gets lonely out there. Would you mind
stopping by once in awhile to say hi? She talks about you non-stop AJ. It would
make her day and make me feel better about her being alone so much.”