Blue Like Elvis Read Online Free PDF Page B

Jimmy
doing?”
    “He’s still overseas.
We’re hoping he’ll be home soon. Mom’s been a basket case ever since he
deployed for Vietnam four years ago. But when the war ended, he still had a
couple of years to serve out his term. So the Army sent him to the Philippines.
At least, that’s the last I heard. He’s not great about keeping in touch.”
    “I can’t
imagine,” he said, biting into his BLT. “I really hate that we lost track of
each other. School has devoured me the last few years, but that’s no excuse.
You’ll have to let me know when he gets back stateside. I’d love to see him
again.”
    “Me, too. So,
tell me how you ended up here at Baptist. I never figured you for someone to
stay so close to home after all these years.”
    Tucker wiped his
mouth then took a sip of iced tea. “It’s all about who you know. Med school was
tough. But I survived. Only by the grace of God, I can assure you. When my
internship at Vandy was winding down, I started checking out my options. Dad
was a fraternity brother of Dr. Grieve when they were both at Vandy.”
    “Grieve,” I
interrupted. “Unfortunate name for a hospital administrator, don’t you think? I
mean, what are the odds?” I pondered.
    He laughed. “But
then we all do. Eventually.”
    “Do what?”
    “Grieve.”
    “Well, there you
go. I’m sorry, you were saying?” I asked.
    Honestly, I’ve
got to stop this. Every time he smiles, I find myself wondering . . .
    “Oh, right,” he
continued. “So Dad was in law school, but he and Dr. Grieve got to be good
friends. So when it came time for my residency—”
    “Daddy pulled
some strings, and voila! Plumb residency at one of the premiere private
hospitals in the world.”
    “Voila, indeed.”
    “Tucker?” a
voice interrupted. “What are you doing?”
    We both looked
up at the blonde standing beside our table. “Cassie! I thought you had jury
duty today.” Tucker stood up, wrapping his arm around her waist. “I would have
waited if I knew you were coming.”
    “Am I
interrupting . . . ?” She looked back and forth between us. I
didn’t need to look in a mirror to know I was eight shades of crimson by then.
    “No, not at all.
Cass, I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Moonpie. Remember me
telling you about my childhood friend, Jimmy Colter? Well, this is his kid
sister, Shelby. Only we knew her affectionately back then as Moonpie.”
    “Ah, Moonpie.
The girl you and Jimmy used to torment. Hi, Shelby. Nice to meet you. I’m
Cassie.”
    “Hi, Cassie.” I held
my hand out in an awkward attempt at normal.
    “Sweetheart, you
want to grab some lunch?” Tucker looked at his watch. “I’ve still got fifteen
more minutes.”
    “No, I’ll just
eat the other half of your sandwich if that’s okay. I only have half an hour
before we have to report back.” She took a seat and helped herself to the rest
of Tucker’s BLT. “Shelby, whatever you do, avoid jury duty. It’s such a pain.
All the waiting. It’s just ridiculous.”
     “I’ll try to
remember that,” I said, standing. “But I’ve got to run. I have orientation
starting in a few minutes.” Thank God. “But it was nice meeting you,
Cassie. And Tucker, what can I say—it’s been . . . interesting.”
    Tucker stood
again, good Southern gentleman that he was. “Hey, I’ll see you around, okay?
And congratulations on your new job.”
    I said my
goodbyes, grateful for the chance to get out of there. In less than half an
hour, I’d gone from a blast from the past shock of a lifetime, to a quite
sudden and unexpected goo-goo-eyed, adolescent crush . . . to a
deflated ego as I watched the perfect couple across from me sharing a lunch.
    And so it goes.
    I made my way
back to the hostess office to freshen up and psyche myself for the long
afternoon orientation. Mrs. Baker was apparently at lunch as her desk was vacant.
As I rounded the corner into the back office, the cackle of female chatter