Page 106 of Corkscrew You
Doc Wilson’s practice is on the edge of Martinburg. His clinic manager is called Priscilla and she’s ornery. But she’s spared the pleasure of tar and feathering me because Shelby and I arrivepreciselyon time.
“Doctor will see you now,” says Priscilla, begrudging my existence.
Shelby gives me a quick kiss. “I’ll wait here.”
To be absolutely honest, Ihavebeen a little anxious about seeing Doc. People worrying about you tend to makeyouworried.
But it’s fine. I’m fine. Doc runs a mini-ECG and I have the heart of an ox. Doc takes blood and tells me the results will be ready that afternoon. I guess, depending on how low I am, it’ll be iron tablets or a needle in the ass. Fun times.
“Cut the stress, son,” Doc tells me. “Eat three square meals. Exercise like a sane person.”
I make multiple promises, thank him, and exit into the waiting room.
Shelby isn’t there.
“Outside.” Priscilla hooks a thumb toward the parking lot. “She took a call. Got a little … upset.”
If they ever bring back stoning as a punishment, Priscilla will be first in line at the quarry, stocking up on supplies.
On the way out, it occurs to me I haven’t checkedmyphone since I got home last night. Before the dinner catastrophe, and the swooning.
I slip it from my pocket, fire it up. Seven missed calls: four from Javi, one from Ted, and two from Chiara. There are messages, too, but I’ve spotted Shelby by the Dodge. She’s still on the phone, but as soon as she sees me, she says a few quick words to whoever’s on the end and ends the call.
She strides towards me, and because I’m not expecting it, I don’t at first notice that her expression is both appalled and furious.
“What have youdone, Nate?” she accuses, and her voice, her whole body is trembling. “Javi called me,” she goes on. “You’ve leased aharvester?And awine press?”
I’ve never seen her so angry. I didn’t think she was capable of it.
“Shel—”
I reach out to her. But she throws up her hands to ward me off.
“I can’t talk to you right now,” she says. “I don’t even want toseeyou.”
And she runs back to the Dodge, hops in, and guns it out of the lot.
Jesus. How am I going to come back fromthis?
ChapterThirty-Five
SHELBY
Ihave to pull over, because I’m a danger to other road users. The Dodge’s steering wheel gets alternately beaten with fists and soaked with angry tears. It’s tough. It can handle it.
Howcouldhe? I yell this in my mind and out loud. Iscreamit.
And I complete it in so many ways. How could he do that to Javi? Put him and all his team, who depend on that work, out of a job? How could he go against everything Flora Valley Wines stands for? What Dad dedicated his life to? We’dneverreplace good people with soulless machinery. We’dnevertell our community that they don’t matter, that we’d cut them out just so we can make more profit.
How could he nottellme? This was not a decision he should have made without consulting me – this washuge. He knew how I’d feel about it. He knew I’d see it as a betrayal of everything, and everyone, that’s important to me.
How could he tell me he loved me? How could he sleep with me, knowing what he’d done?
Javi was so distraught when he rang me just now. He’d only found out about the machinery lease by accident because he bumped into someone at the leasing firm. He was furious, too, that Nate hadn’t bothered to let him know,andthat he wouldn’t even do Javi the courtesy of taking his calls.
Javi was furious withme, too, until I managed to convince him I knew nothing. Pleading ignorance didn’t really make me look much better, but at least I was on his side. I made a hasty promise that I’d deal with it, because I was determined that no machinery would be used on my watch. But, from what Javi had said, the lease contracts are signed and watertight. We can’t get out of them.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this.
