Appointments and Apples (Midlife Medicine PREQUEL)(Paranormal Women's Midlife Fiction)

APPOINTMENTS AND APPLES MIDLIFE MEDICINE PREQUEL AMORETTE ANDERSON CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Epilogue More From Amorette Anderson 1 Maude Crickback lowered down into her favorite straight-backed chair in the Comfort Cares waiting room. At times like this, when she was the sole employee in the clinic and there wasn’t a patient in sight, she liked to get off her feet. She’d positioned the chair by the window so that she could look out at the front garden. The morning was misty and a fine rain drizzled down from the heavens. Mayberry, her horse, stood out by the front fence with her head down so she could nibble the sweet grass that grew there. Maude knew that even if she offered, Mayberry wouldn’t come in out of the rain. “Silly horse,” Maude muttered as she admired her friend and pet. “Always has been a fool for the rain.” The phone rang. Maude sighed as she got to her feet. She made it to the phone by the third ring. “Hello?” “Maude? Is that you?” “It is. Who’s this?” “Autumn Brooks. I have a—well, a problem, over here.” “Over where?” “My house.” Autumn sounded worried. “Should I call Doc Ham?” “Oh, no. It’s not a medical problem. It’s… well, a theft, I suppose.” “You were robbed?” Maude narrowed her eyes and listened carefully. In addition to working as a nurse at Comfort Cares Cottage, she was also the town’s resident detective. When villagers had problems, they brought them to Maude. Maude was good at her job and she knew it. She was a natural at sleuthing and on top of that, she was eighty-eight years old. That meant she had lots of experience. “Yes, yes. Robbed,” Autumn said. “My orchard was robbed. I’m not sure where to begin. It would be best if you came over and saw for yourself.” “I’ll be right there.” Maude knew well where Autumn Brooks lived. She jotted a note on the clinic door directing any drop-in visitors to go directly to Doctor Bill Hamilton’s house up the street. Outside, she hoisted herself up onto Mayberry’s back. Folks were always advising her to drive her old hatchback Toyota rather than riding Mayberry around town, but in Maude’s opinion there was nothing better for her health than a good dose of horseback riding daily. It helped her joints, her circulation, her breathing. Most importantly, her spirits. She always felt rejuvenated after a ride. The same was true today. Twenty minutes after getting in the saddle she climbed down so both Wellington boots were firm on muddy ground. She could feel a renewed energy flowing through her. It was a good thing, because if the phone call was any indication, the next few days would be busy. A theft! She hadn't had a case to investigate in years, and a theft did sound interesting. What was stolen? Why? Maude knew she’d find out soon. She trudged along the driveway and then up a glistening, wet slate walkway to the red door of the white farmhouse. Paint peeled from the wooden door. The brass knocker felt cold to the touch. Maude could see her breath mingling with the cool mist in faint clouds. Autumn opened the door wide. “Goodness, the rain’s coming down harder now. Started out as just a sprinkle. Come in, come in.” As was true for so many of the villagers here in Covenstead, Vermont, Maude remembered being at Autumn’s birth. It was a breech delivery, she recalled now. Touch-and-go. Tense. Bill did a wonderful job And, look at her now. Maude studied Autumn’s broad, ruddy cheeks. Good blood flow, she thought. Her eyes passed over Autumn’s sturdy, rounded shoulders, thick waist, and tree-trunk-like legs that were shrouded in a long skirt. Autumn wore heavy wool socks that poked up over the edges of her house slippers. The woman’s strong and sturdy, Maude decided, overall in very good health. Besides the info from her quick physical assessment, Maude also knew that Autumn barely ever came into the clinic, and that was another sign of health. In the village, nearly everyone belonged to a coven and these groups took care of their own, as far as most health concerns went. It was amazing what a group could do, when efforts were directed in a productive way. Maude had never been part of a coven, herself, because she had to be unbiased when she worked as the town sleuth. However, she’d spied on a fair share of coven meetings while working cases, and she’d seen the members direct focused energy toward one or another ailing member. She’d noted with her very own eyes the way pale cheeks could turn rosy, stooped backs straighten, faces drawn tight with a frown, worry, or stress ease up and brighten. Health was both physical and mental, and the magic worked targeted both aspects. Body and soul, thought Maude now, as she removed her coat and Autumn hung it on a peg in the drafty entryway. The woman’s body is doing just fine, but how’s her soul? “The ground is muddy out back by the orchard,” Autumn said. “If you mean for us to go out and poke around so I can show you what was stolen, I’ll need to change into pants and put on my rain boots.” “Let’s go to the kitchen and talk, first,” Maude said. She’d picked up anger in Autumn’s tone. Of course, that was to be expected. Maude had learned, during her years in sleuthing, that the victims of crimes were usually just as interesting as the criminals. There was much to be learned from Autumn and she didn’t want to rush this first interview. “Sorry to ask you out here in this weather,” Autumn said as she led the way down a narrow, wood-floored hall that sloped ever-so-slightly to one side. Many houses in the village were old and had crooked floors like this.