Chapter 734: Hermosa Beach
Tuesday, March 21st, Afternoon
Whenever she could and the weather permitted, she was out running. The Straid was a great place to run in her mind, and the salt air off the water just made it so much better. Working out, especially her running, helped with the stress of medicine and her program. The sweat and burn made the tension disappear and cleared the thought channels; many of her breakthroughs happened while she ran along Hermosa Beach.
Candi started her cool down as she approached the beach house. The lighthouse-like cupola was clearly visible from the beach. That was in Fawn's room; the light it brought in was awesome. As she moved down The Straid, as the final bit came, Candi could see someone standing by the patio of the beach house.
Blowing past the person as she finished her run and started to slow down. Candi turned around and looked at the person near the patio. The person was who Candi thought it was, Dr. Brendan Lyndon, someone she was in a wedding with.
"Well, hello, Dr. Lyndon," Candi said.
"Dr. Scott, or should I call you Candace?" Brendan said.
Candi shrugged, "Yeah, fine, so, what brings you out to the beach?" she asked.
"I heard you're heading out east again," Brendan said.
Candi nodded, "Yeah, some personal family business I have to help with," she said.
"Don't you have siblings?" Brendan asked.
"Yeah, the competent one is deployed with the national guard; one sister is fifteen," Candi said and sighed, "The other two sisters, well, one can handle it, and the other can't."
"So, you have to be there," Brendan said.
"Yeah, because of that and my medical degree," Candi said and shrugged.
"So, you won't be around for the wedding?" Brendan asked.
"I should be there; it shouldn't be for more than a month," Candi said.
Brendan nodded, "Where out east are you going?" he asked.
"A small place called Tree Hill, North Carolina, outside Wilmington," Candi said.
"I've never heard of it nor been there," Brendan said.
Candi chuckled, "I never would expect you to have been there if you've never heard of it," she said.
"Yeah, never been to North Carolina," Brendan said.
Candi nodded, "You've been around the world but never to North Carolina?" she asked.
Brendan shrugged, "I might've passed through there on the way to an assignment," he said.
"You should head out there if you steer away from the Saltwater Motel; there's so much DNA there you won't believe," Candi said.
"I'll take it under advisement," Brendan said.
"Yeah, well, yeah," Candi said.
"So, where are you off today?" Brendan asked.
"Inside to take a shower," Candi said.
"Yeah, you just ran," Brendan said.
"It is quite clear," Candi said.
"You're a workout fiend, aren't you?" Brendan asked.
"Yeah, always have been," Candi said.
"Why?" Brendan said.
Candi shrugged. "My body wants to be active; it's my drug," Candi said.
"So, it's a compulsion?" Brendan asked.
"Are you trying to analyze me?" Candi asked.
Brendan shrugged, "I don't know, maybe," he said.
Candi smiled and shrugged, "I'm just me," she said, "I'm headed in; if you want to come, you'll have to wait until after I shower."
"I'm fine with that. Do you have tea?" Brendan asked.
"We should," Candi said.
"Well, then lead the way," Brendan said.
Candi nodded and headed into the house. Brendan followed behind, and once inside, Candi set him up at the breakfast bar. She started his tea, and once it was going, Candi went to her bathroom to shower.
After the shower, Candi dried herself and dressed in yoga pants and one of her old battered Duke University t-shirts. Candi went downstairs, stood in the kitchen, and looked at Brendan. Candi put her hair up in a ponytail. She shrugged and smiled.
"You went to Duke?" Brendan asked.
"Yeah, I did my undergrad there," Candi said.
"You did your med school out here?" Brendan asked.
Candi nodded, "Yeah, and my specialist training," she said.
Brendan nodded, "I see," she said.
"So, what brings you out to Hermosa?" Candi asked.
"Dani suggested we get to know each other since we'll be spending a lot of time together," Brendan said.
Candi smiled, "I see," she said, "There's more."
"Also, you seem to have all the music venues on speed dial," Brendan said.
Candi chuckled, "That's not totally true," she said.
"What is the truth?" Brendan asked.
"I worked for a recording label, and they call me every so often if I want to see a show," Candi said.
"I see, there's more," Brendan said.
"Nothing more, that's important," Candi said.
"Right, a gym bunny, a doctor, and worked for a record label," Brendan said.
"I prefer gym rat," Candi said.
"Why?" Brendan asked.
"I'm there to work out," Candi said.
"Okay," Brendan said.
"So, what are you doing today?" Candi asked.
"I don't know, I figured I could watch you hustle basketball," Brendan said.
"That was a favor for a local hustler, and my cut went to local girls who needed it for food and basketball shoes," Candi said.
"So, where did you learn to play basketball so well?" Brendan asked.
"New York," Candi said.
"There is something about you, Doctor Candace Scott," Brendan said.
"Not as much as you would think," Candi said.
"I'd like to find out," Brendan said.
"You have about twelve hours unless you come out to North Carolina," Candi said.
Brendan nodded, and Candi got herself a bottle of water.