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I smiled. “It’s the middle of June. I just assumed someone was getting married.”
“Ok, but I’m waiting until you get inside. I don’t want you standing by yourself if it’s locked.”
The biggest crime to go down in Peace Falls in my lifetime involved a fence dispute between two neighbors that resulted in an all-out prank war. But if watching me walk ten steps through the front door made Mom feel better, I wouldn’t argue.
I did my best to cross the sidewalk without gritting my teeth. Mom drove off with a wave as soon as I pulled the door open. Despite looking like the lobby of an old-fashioned hotel, the whole place reeked with that antiseptic smell that nauseated Mom. I was glad to see a few comfy-looking chairs against the wall beside the front window where I could wait for a ride later. A large sign on the back wall listed each practice by name and location. My stomach fell when I saw Peace Falls Physical Therapy was on the top floor. A wide marble staircase twisted around the lobby.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said grabbing hold of the brass railing. What kind of sadist put a physical therapy office on the fourth floor in a building without an elevator? I hefted myself up a flight of stairs and paused on the landing between the first and second floors to catch my breath. The front door banged closed in the lobby below and a young woman raced up the stairs with a to-go cup from Karma. She ran past me but paused halfway up the next flight of steps and turned.
“You wouldn’t be Rowan by chance?” she asked.
“That’s me.”
“Halleluiah,” she said, hurrying down the steps to me. “Dr. Cohen gets so mad when I’m not at the desk when the first patient arrives, no matter how early they are. His eight o’clock is always late, so I stopped for coffee, and then I remembered adding you to Dr. Cardoso’s schedule. Not often we get patients from DC, and your mom was so sweet on the phone. I’m Cammie,” she said, sticking out her free hand.
She looked to be Poppy’s age, but the similarities ended there. Cammie was tall with long blonde hair and a sweet smile. She wore bright pink scrubs and neon-yellow sneakers that should have looked ridiculous but somehow worked on her.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Are you taking the stairs because you want the exercise?”
“No, I’ve just forgotten how to teleport,” I said. Cammie’s smile dimmed. “Sorry, that was bitchy. My back is killing me.”
“No, I get it. Being in pain makes me snappy too. The building has a small elevator. I think they added it a couple years back when they moved the PT office from the ground floor. I keep telling the super to put up a sign. I’m about ready to tack up a piece of posterboard. Is it easier going up the stairs or down?”
“Both hurt. Might as well go up.”
“Here,” she said, moving her large floral bag to her other arm. “If you don’t mind, I’ll help you. It’ll keep me out of trouble with Dr. Cohen.”
“Thank you,” I said, letting her take my elbow. “Are you new to town? I grew up here, and I don’t remember you.”
“I moved here a year ago. I love Peace Falls. You must be so happy to be back.”
I forced a smile as we slowly climbed to the next floor. Peace Falls was a great town, and I could understand why people moved here and why most locals never left. But as much as I appreciated people like Dr. Evers who made up the fabric of the community, I couldn’t wait to leave. I told Lauren and my family I wanted an impressive job at a big firm and a colorful city life. The truth was more depressing: Apart from my little family and singular friend, I didn’t fit in. Not just in Peace Falls, but anywhere. I always found it difficult to begin friendships, and I was so awkward with men, I’d never dated anyone before Brad. In a large city, I could blend with the crowd and didn’t have to make small talk every time I stepped outside. My return to PeaceFalls was temporary. I’d be moving wherever my next job took me. When we reached the second floor, Cammie led me to a small elevator tucked in the back corner of the building.
“Hope you’re not claustrophobic,” she said when the car arrived. We squished in together, and I was hit with the warm smell of cinnamon and coffee.
“Is that a cinnamon toast latte?” I asked.
“Yes,” Cammie beamed. “It’s one of my favorites from Karma. The other is the Rowan. It’s this mix of Nutella and caramel and coconut milk, and oh my word, you’re that Rowan, aren’t you?”
I laughed. “Lauren is my best friend.”
“She’s an angel. Really, I can’t tell you how much she’s helped me. I’m not sure what I’d have done without her this year.” Something dark crossed Cammie’s face. I’d seen the same look on Lauren’s more times than I could count, and I knew I wouldn’t be asking questions about Cammie’s life before Peace Falls.
“She’s the best,” I said, smiling.
The elevator lurched to a stop, and the doors slid open onto the fourth floor.
“This way,” Cammie said, guiding me toward a large glass door.
The office was not what I expected. Several padded tables lined one wall, but the rest of the large space looked like a gym. There were treadmills, ellipticals, and weight machines facing several windows overlooking Main Street. A large mat covered most of the floor with a collection of balance balls, bands, and free weights. Cammie set her purse and coffee at the reception desk by the entrance and turned on her computer. “Your mom told me your insurance info so I could get approval, but let me grab—”
One of the two doors by the desk opened and a balding man who looked in his early sixties stormed out. “Miss Gibson,” he said, glaring at Cammie.
He stopped when he saw me. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“I haven’t been waiting at all,” I said, my voice tight. “Cammie helped me find the elevator. I apologize if I made her late. I’m slow moving.”
