Page 8 of Just For Her

“Oh…” Tove recognized Kayla first.How could I forget? I thought I’d have to help my stupid cousin take her to the only hospital in town.“How are you doing? Do you remember me?”

Kayla had to do a double-take. Yet after a good look at Tove, Kayla’s shoulders relaxed. “You’re the lady from yesterday, right? I’m so sorry. I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m sure you didn’t, given the state you were in.”You seem to be doing better now, though.“Tove.” She held out her hand for a short shake. “Two syllables.”

“Toe-vah,” Kayla carefully said. “That’s a gorgeous name.”

“Thanks, but don’t give my mother credit for it. She got the name from the family tree.”

A bright smile appeared on Kayla’s face. “Funny. I have no idea why my mom named me what she did. Uh, it’s Kayla, by the way.”

Tove pretended that she had forgotten if only to keep Kayla from wondering why this woman remembered her so well. “I hope you’re doing well. My brother didn’t tell me much after he left with you.” That was a lie. Both Thomas and Oskar offered plenty of information, but none of it satisfied Tove’s need to know whatKaylahad to say. How bad was this situation, anyway?Must not be too bad that she can’t go out for a night on the town.

“I’m not doing terribly.” Kayla’s wineglass appeared before her. The bartender offered to put it on “Mr. Pine’s tab,” whoever that was. Kayla did not get up and leave with her glass. For some reason, she only had eyes for Tove – something the woman who had been single for nearly twenty years wasn’t used to. “Thanks to your cousin… er, both of them, I’m doing much better now that the shock has worn off.”

“Ah, well that’s good to hear. So, if you’re not feeling bad, that’s a good sign, right?”

“Sure! Thanks so much for your help yesterday. I’m sure it was a shock of your own seeing me stumble in there like a drowned rat. It was only my second day in town, too!”

Thomas sure knows how to pick ‘em.This young woman? Second day in town? Already putting drinks on another man’s tab? Obviously, Tove didn’t know Kayla’s story, but she had been on Earth long enough to pick up a couple of things. It helped that one of the unofficial family creeds was“Watch out for pocket pickers.”Thomas wasn’t good at avoiding women like his soon-to-be ex-wife. Not that Tove was convinced Polly was agold digger,but…

It wouldn’t surprise her.

“Listen…” Tove reached into her wallet and extracted one of her calling cards. Like Thomas, it had the same black surface, the same font embossed in gold, and the same format:Tove S. Fredriksson, Accountant.Complete with her work number and professional email.I wonder if Kayla recognizes it.Undoubtedly, Thomas had given her one like this the day before. “I’m sure Thomas has spoken to you about this already, but our family likes to take care of things on our own. If something comes up as a result of the accident, do reach out to me if it’s not a medical emergency. I can get you in to see the best doctor in Deschutes County.” That wasn’t Oskar, by the way. No, this was a licensed physician unrelated to the family. But he had his own private practice, and ever since he moved into town, the Fredriksson family had decided he was the go-to guy.I know everyone’s financial woes. He knows everyone’s ailments.Sometimes, they overlapped, like when the go-to divorce lawyer called Tove to ask some questions about another member of the family. Even when outsiders got involved, things remained incestuous.

Kayla received the card with bemusement on her round and fair face.She really knows how to pair her makeup with her style.Red lips were accentuated by a light dusting of pink eyeshadow and complementary blush. Normally, Tove questioned how that went with a green, peacock-like dress, but Kayla pulled it off as naturally as any member of the family exhibited finesse on the slopes.

“I’m getting that feeling,” Kayla said, “that your family likes to keep things close.”

“Welcome to Bend. Most people moving here know nothing about us, but my family has been pulling strings and worrying about their local image for generations. We joke that you can’t spit on the street without offending an Aunt Ingrid or Uncle Sven.”

“Your family is that big?”

“Started with my great-grandfather, who had twin boys, then those boys married and started pumping out kids… well, here we are. I’ve got more cousins than I know. Granted, not all of them still live in the area, but at least once a year we all gather for a reunion.”

“Sounds fun! I have no idea what that’s like. Back home, it’s only me and my brother’s family.”

“Oh? Where’s home?”

Kayla became surprisingly reticent. “Portland.”

I should have guessed.Most of the new transplants came from the Big 3: Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. While Kayla was probably not a businesswoman or an outdoorswoman, nothing surprised Tove anymore. Gone were the days when being from the Bend area was to be the butt of most Oregonian jokes.I miss those days.Oh, she liked the new blood, the revitalized businesses, and the updated infrastructure, but anonymity was becoming harder to procure in her world.

So many roundabouts. There wereSo. Many. Roundabouts.

“Thanks for this.” Kayla flashed the card before slipping it into her black purse. “I’ll let you know!”

She disappeared into the cramped crowd. Tove didn’t see where Kayla went once she passed the corner, but she knew what she saw when she turned back around.

Her reflection in a stainless-steel tap. It had been a long time since she last looked as young as Kayla, and that reality always hit Tove hard.

“There she is!” Huey Pine lifted his bottle of beer in acknowledgment of the woman returning with her glass of wine. “Thought you might have gotten lost, kid!”

Chrissy slightly cringed to hear her husband say that, but Kayla took it in stride. “I got caught up talking to someone I met yesterday. It really is a small town, huh?”

While she took her place at their small table, Huey made room for Kayla’s wineglass and winked at his much-younger wife. “We like that small-town vibe, don’t we, Chris?”

A dazzling smile reappeared on Chrissy’s face. “It has its moments, that’s for sure.”

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