Bob’s expression turned less cheerful. “But I wanted to.”
“Yes.” She nodded, realizing his gift meant a lot to him. “Thank you. I appreciate this; it will be used often. Every day! Heck, now it’ll be easier to drink a different flavor every morning like you do as I run out my door.”
His face glowed. She liked the gift as well as the thought.
“Oh, and this is for you.” The top of the paper bag she placed on the counter was tightly rolled halfway down. She giggled. “I guess we both don’t make the best gift wrappers.”
Bob leaned forward, uncurled the bag, and stuck his hand in. He pulled out an orange and green can. After a moment, his head came down into his other hand as he laughed. “Bug spray. A can of DEET. Just what the doctor ordered.”
“It may be too late for this Ehrliciosis, but some hefty spraying with this should stop the next tick before he takes a bite out of you. In other words, never let a tick get a head start!”
“Ha!” he said, “especially Powassan!” His eyebrows shot up. “And when we run again, I’m sharing it with you.”
“Deal.” She picked up the box. “Now let’s proceed. We have a date with a ranger.”
-----
Annabel pulled her Nissan into the visitors’ center lot and sprung out of the car, looking around. The American flag blew gently from the front pole on the prominent hilltop where a sign said the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, William Howard Taft National Historic Site. Behind it stood a cream-colored building, the birthplace and boyhood home of the twenty-seventh President and tenth Chief Justice of the United States.
Bob glanced over the hood of the car. “Where to?”
“The path on your side leads over to the rangers’ housing. We’re supposed to meet him there.”
Annabel grabbed a jacket vest from the back seat, slid it on, and they headed over. Cabins nestled before the woods, looking like their own picture postcards. A mostly black, medium-sized dog rushed off one of the porches and greeted them. But another dog bounded from the back, passed his companion, and circled around them with a tail that wouldn’t stop spinning.
A front door opened and Jae Nixon put his hand on a beam and smiled. “Welcome!”
Annabel and Bob walked closer and Jae waved them up on the porch. He reached out and shook Bob’s hand.
“I heard you also had the same unfortunate problem that I did,” Jae said. “An encounter with a bloodsucking arachnid that did more than just bite.”
“Yes,” Bob nodded. “What fun. Although I got away a lot cheaper than you.”
“I’ll be all right. Each day is another blessing and I’m most grateful to be back here. I’ll start work again on Monday with a modified schedule.” He glanced at Annabel, who nodded with approval.
“Today Annabel gave me a can of insect repellant,” Bob said.
“Consider her a good friend,” Jae said and chuckled.
The dogs both sat, poised ready to follow Jae anywhere.
“This is Curley,” Jae pointed, “and this is Twist.” He leaned over and tousled Twist’s hair. “We’re not the only ones who have been sick. He was ill from a bacterial infection because of the mouse population around here. He came down with Leptospirosis.”
Annabel crouched and picked up his paw to say hello. “You poor boy. You had a rough time.”
“Hey, you all.” Patty Caye half ran across the grass. She wore her uniform and greeted them both. “I’m about to give a guided tour. During the week, we also do ranger programs with the kids. They’re fun to tag along with too.
“Jae and I were also wondering if you’d like to stay for an early dinner. He can easily grill or pan fry some venison and I’ll add a salad and a side.”
“The deer meat that cost you a tick bite?” Bob asked.
Jae laughed. “Most likely.”
“Expensive venison.”
“Whaddaya say?” Jae asked. “I won’t make a big fuss, I promise.”
“I hate to say no,” Annabel responded, “but I have a date tonight. With a bird.”
Bob leaned against the railing and squinted his eyes. “A bird?”
“Just kidding. I’m seeing Dustin and he has a funny bird.”
“We could feed you,” Jae said to Bob.
“No. Annabel can drive me home and, in any case, this afternoon will be enough activity. My life is so boring these days that I get into bed early at night and dream of continuing to increase my platelet count.” He laughed. “But thanks so much for the invite.”
“Well, then,” Patty said. “I’ll see you all over there.” She tipped her hat and left.
“Let’s follow her.” Jae stepped forward a lot slower than his partner.
“Bye for the time being,” Annabel said to Curley and Twist.
She strode next to Bob. “Sweet dogs. You know if we’re going to get one, now’s as good a time as any. May if she’s a girl and Oliver if he’s a boy.”
“So you mentioned. Let’s not rush into anything, but I guess we could start planning the process.”
They bumped shoulders together and Annabel rolled her eyes. What were they going to get themselves into?
FROM THE AUTHOR
If you’d like a release alert for when Barbara Ebel has new books available, sign up here. This is intended only to let you know about new releases as soon as they are out.
Barbara Ebel is a physician and an author. Since she practiced anesthesia, she brings credibility to the medical background of her plots. She lives with her husband and pets in a wildlife corridor in Tennessee but has lived up and down the East Coast.
Visit or contact her at her website: http://barbaraebel.weebly.com
The following books are also written by Dr. Barbara and are available as paperbacks and eBooks:
The Dr. Annabel Tilson Series: (Individual books; books 1-3 also available as a box set).
DEAD STILL: A Medical Thriller (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 1)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2ai7H1T
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2a37GL3
DEADLY DELUSIONS: A Medical Thriller (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 2)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2gE7R3D
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2gXlsGb
DESPERATE TO DIE (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 3)
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2tyZEHV
DEATH GRIP (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 4)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2mDfoUu
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2EQqFIz
DOWNRIGHT DEAD (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 5)
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2MkSixv
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2n9ZgKG
DANGEROUS DOCTOR (Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Book 6)
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2SFrURS
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2s6PknW
The Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Box Set: Books 1-3
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2MZgJ3q
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2m0zlV4
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2zl8sVD
The Dr. Annabel Tilson Novels Box Set: Books 4-6
The Dr. Danny Tilson Series: Available as a Box Set or as individual Ebooks:
The Dr. Danny Tilson Novels Box Set: Books 1-4 (The Dr. Danny Tilson Series)
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2nDTy3J
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2DYNwW9
Find it on Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2nyPLFA
Operation Neurosurgeon: You never know… who’s in the OR (A Dr. Danny Tilson Novel: Book 1).
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fYfPh7
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/k4xol9
Silent Fear: a Medical Mystery (A Dr. Danny Tilson Novel: Book 2). Also an Audiobook.
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fTlicS
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1lA2DSE
Collateral Circulation: a Medical Mystery (A Dr. Danny Tilson Novel: Book 3. Also an Aud
iobook.
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BrINiE
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CNTgta
Secondary Impact (A Dr. Danny Tilson Novel: Book 4).
Find it on Amazon US: amzn.to/1N7iyI2
Find it on Amazon UK: amzn.to/1P1AnKL
Other Books:
Outcome, A Novel
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2mMzZrF
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mw0Wj0
Younger Next Decade: After Fifty, the Transitional Decade, and What You Need to Know
(nonfiction health book).
Find it on Amazon US: http://amzn.to/sjJeEL
Find it on Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/19W3D2s
Also written and illustrated by Barbara Ebel: A children’s book series about her loveable therapy dog; illustrated with real pictures:
Chester the Chesapeake Book One
Chester the Chesapeake Book Two: Summertime
Chester the Chesapeake Book Three: Wintertime
Chester the Chesapeake Book Four: My Brother Buck
Chester the Chesapeake: The Three Dogs of Christmas