by Karen Kelley
The nurse turned a fierce glare on him. “Go do something useful.”
“Okay, fine, but I’d bet my next paycheck she’s faking.”
“It does hurt,” Abigail whimpered.
“I’m sure it does.” Then in a lowered voice, I continued, “I don’t like him, so it doesn’t matter what he says.”
The nurse sighed. “I just wish we didn’t need certified aides or I’d tell the director of nurses to fire him. He creates more work than he does. Once we hire a few more aides, he’s gone.”
Abigail jumped when a clap of thunder sounded above the nursing home. “Oh my, that one was close.”
It suddenly began to rain. Not a light mist. It was a downpour.
“Now, Miss Abigail,” the nurse began. “Are you sure it’s not your arthritis acting up again?”
A guilty flush crept over Abigail’s face. “Well, that might be it, but my hip does hurt. I think the cream you put on it earlier is beginning to help. Do you think you could put some more on it?” Frowning, she looked toward the window at the rain that was pouring down outside. “I don’t want to get wet.”
“It might not hurt to get it x-rayed,” I told her. “Just to be on the safe side.”
Abigail suddenly pushed to her feet, stepping from one foot to the other. “No, I believe that cream is working now. I think I’ll just go back to my room.” She looked at the nurse. “Is that okay?”
“I’m sure the ambulance people will be just fine with that, Miss Abigail,” the nurse said. She motioned for one of the aide’s to walk with Abigail to her room, then turned back to us. “I just never know what Ms. Abigail’s going to do next. I’m sorry to have called you out, especially with all this rain, but it’s protocol.”
I smiled. “That’s okay.” I glanced toward Layne and saw that he was smiling as well.
“She’s always complaining about something,” an elderly man spoke up. “It’s because her family never comes to see her. Jerks. She’s a beautiful woman, but they’ve forgotten about her.” He came to his feet and shuffled toward the door of the day room.
“And Mr. Jenkins is sweet on her,” the nurse said.
“I may be old, but I can still hear,” Mr. Jenkins said as he went around the corner.
I couldn’t help it, I chuckled. It was like watching a soap opera play out.
“We definitely have our share of drama here. They may be past their prime, but they’re definitely not dead.” She grinned from ear to ear. Her smile suddenly turned sad. “Mr. Jenkins was right, though. Some of them don’t have family at all. The staff try to give them the love they need, but it isn’t always easy.” She drew in a deep breath, “But thankfully, we only have a handful of them. You met one of them the other day. John fell in love with that puppy and your red hair.”
I glanced around, there were a few more residents in the day room, but I didn’t see him. “How’s John doing?”
She shrugged. “He has good days, and he has bad days. Mostly, we try to make him comfortable.”
“He doesn’t look that old. How did he get the scars on his face?”
“That man was in bad shape when they sent him to us. Someone beat him pretty bad, then just for the fun of it, they began to slice him. I guess getting hit in the head and everything else, his brain just decided to build a world around him where he’d be safe. A damn shame.”
“They didn’t catch the guy who did it?” Layne asked.
She shook her head. “No. We figure John was indigent to start with. There were a lot of people living under the bridge at the time. You know, the one near Monroe Street. Homeless people. They had nowhere else to go. Easy prey for sick people who have nothing better to do. Sometimes, it can be a bad world we live in.”
I nodded as Layne put us back in rotation. There’d been something so sad in John’s eyes. In fact, I’d seen it in other residents’ eyes as well. But something about John’s eyes tugged at my heartstrings.
We headed back to the station. I was ready to stretch out on my bunk and rest. Except that wasn’t the case. Just as we were backing in, we got another call. That was pretty much how the rest of the night went.
I glanced at my watch the next morning. It was almost time for our shift to end. I think we’d managed to get an hour of sleep last night. I planned to grab a few things at the store, then head straight home.
There wasn’t really anything that I had to have right away, but I’d already told Layne that I needed to do a few errands. I didn’t want him to think I was avoiding him, even if I was. At least the rain had stopped.
On impulse, after my relief showed up and we checked out the truck, I put Monroe Street in my phone, then followed the directions. I slowed down when I got to the bridge, then drove beneath the overpass. There wasn’t a lot of traffic here. I didn’t see anyone, so I kept driving. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if there had been people living out of boxes. My brain was telling me I was an idiot for even checking it out. What the hell could I do for them?
Maybe it was lack of sleep. I never got involved with anyone or anybody—until I came to Texas. Actually, it wasn’t until I met Layne, Zoey, and Darby. That’s what happened when you started letting people get too close. They got inside your head. I was probably going to get hurt again, but I was too tired to fight.
When I pulled into my parking spot, I only had a couple of bags from my trip to the dollar store. Layne’s pickup was in his parking space. That meant he was home. I drew in a deep breath as I got out, then locked my door.
I yawned as I rode the elevator up, but I was wide awake as I hurried past Layne’s apartment. I don’t know why I expected his door to fly open, or why I should be disappointed when it didn’t, but I was. Crazy, I know. I unlocked my door, then went inside my apartment, leaning against it for a moment while I caught my breath.
Dammit! I was acting ridiculous. We’d had sex. Nothing more. It wasn’t the end of the world. And this was why getting intimate with a co-worker wasn’t good.
I pushed away from the door. That was the problem. It had been damned good. I shook my head and put away the things I’d bought. I really had to stop breaking my own rules. It could definitely get me into trouble.
I took a hot shower, then crawled into bed. It had been a really long shift. One call after another. We rolled on a couple of car wrecks, one domestic violence where the wife had hit her husband over the head with her favorite lamp, shattering it. Then she got mad at him all over again because her favorite lamp was destroyed. I guess he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut, since he didn’t press charges.
Then, at around two this morning, a man called an ambulance because he had a toothache that he’d been having for a couple of weeks. I was pretty sure the calls we were having was a test of my ability to keep my temper in check. Which I did. Yes, it surprised the hell out of me, too.
I didn’t mind real ambulance calls. Like the elderly couple from the car wreck, who I’d found out were going to be fine. But toothache guy was another story. He didn’t want to wake his wife and have her drive him to urgent care, so he called us instead. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, since she would have to be the one to pick him up.
The bed felt like heaven, though. Right before I fell asleep, I wondered if Layne had already crawled into bed. I pulled the extra pillow closer, snuggling it against my chest. It was a poor substitute for not having Layne next to me.
Thinking like that could get me into big trouble.
Who was I kidding? It already had.
Maybe I should make plans to go to the prison sooner than I’d planned. Dread immediately filled me. I told myself that it had to be done.
That didn’t mean I had to like it.
I’d always had this fantasy that maybe my father wasn’t really dead. That one day I would see him walking down the street, coming toward me. He would scoop me in his arms, swinging me around and around. Or pull me onto his lap like he had when I was a little girl and sing me his lullaby. He had
a great voice. At least, when I was ten, I’d thought he was a good singer.
Except I never saw him again after he was sent to prison. The older I got, the less I fantasized about seeing him again. I learned to face reality.
Sometimes life sucked. Actually, my life sucked most of the time.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to think about more pleasant thoughts. I could almost feel Layne’s arms wrapping around me and pulling me closer. I pulled the pillow over my head, groaning.
I was tired. That’s all there was to my sudden infatuation with the man. Yes, he was good in bed. The best I’d had in a long time, maybe ever, but the world wasn’t going to stop turning because we’d fucked.
I yawned and pulled the cover up to my shoulders. The central air was humming and my eyelids were heavy.
And my dreams were about Layne.
I woke up to a pounding inside my head. Groggily, I sat up in bed. Damn, it wasn’t the door this time. It actually was my head pounding. I gingerly sat on the side of the bed, waiting for the thudding to ease.
The illuminated numbers on my bedside clock told me I’d slept almost four hours. My empty stomach growled. I stood and made my way to the bathroom. After I used the facilities, I washed my hands, then took a couple of aspirin. I grabbed my robe, slipped my arms inside, and staggered toward the kitchen.
Coffee first. Only after that would I feed my stomach. As I walked past the front door, I couldn’t help glancing toward it.
Oh good Lord! Yes, he made fantastic coffee, but mine certainly didn’t taste like raw sewage. I turned the coffeepot on, I’d already fixed it before I laid down. As soon as it was ready, I poured some into my cup, then stirred in sugar and cream before taking it into the living room. I curled on the sofa, bringing my legs beneath me, and savored my coffee.
The pounding in my head slowed, then stopped altogether by the time I had about half the coffee in me. When I finished, I was a tad more alert. I carried my cup to the sink, then went back to the bedroom.
I pulled on underclothes, a pair of shorts, and a loose-fitting army green t-shirt. As soon as I was dressed, I went back into the kitchen and pulled out the leftover roast I’d cooked the other night. Feeling robotic, I ate lunch, then straightened the apartment. Since I was the only one living there, that didn’t take too long. I usually picked up after myself.
And then I had nothing to do. Normally, that didn’t bother me, but for some reason, it did now. I tried reading my Jaxson Hayes book, but I wasn’t in the mood to read.
My phone rang. I picked it up. Zoey’s face smiled back at me.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I’m bored out of my skull, and I’m between boyfriends. Do you want to go shopping?”
I wasn’t much of a shopper, but I agreed with the part about being bored. It wasn’t as if I had anything better to do. “Sure.” I glanced down at my clothes. “I probably should change, though.”
“What are you wearing?”
“Cutoffs and a loose t-shirt.”
“Me, too. You’ll be fine. Come to my apartment.”
Maybe I was just getting older, but I was tired of spending all of my time by myself. Maybe it was time I opened up a little bit. I really liked Zoey. She was smart, sassy, and funny.
I slipped on a pair of sandals, grabbed my purse, then locked the apartment as I left. Again, I hesitated as I walked past Layne’s door. I wondered if he was awake yet, then wondered why I should care. I shook my head as I hurried down to Zoey’s apartment.
As soon as I tapped on the door, she opened it.
She gave me a quick once over. “What you’re wearing looks great. I have a feeling anything you throw on would look great.”
I glanced at her cutoffs and the white t-shirt she was wearing. “Back at you,” I told her. “Is Darby coming?”
She shook her head. “She was going over to her parents today. It’s just the two of us. I wonder what kind of trouble we can get into.”
I laughed. “None, I hope.”
She scoffed. “Where’s the fun in that?”
And that’s what I liked about Zoey. If the day was cloudy, she would brighten it up. I glanced at the sky as we walked outside. The sun was actually shining, with big white puffy clouds.
She knew some great boutiques. I’d never really gone shopping with anyone. When I went alone, all I wanted to do was get in, then out as quickly as possible. Zoey wasn’t going to let anything like that happen. She shoved clothes into my arms, then pointed me toward the dressing room.
“Why do I need a swim suit?” I called out as I tried it on.
“Because the apartment complex has a swimming pool. Don’t you like to swim?”
“I guess.” I glanced at the mirror that was inside the dressing room, then raised my eyebrows. Skimpy would be an understatement. The white bikini barely covered anything.
“Does it fit?” Zoey asked.
I opened the dressing room door and stepped out, still looking at the suit. “I can’t tell if the suit fits or not. It barely covers anything.” I looked up.
Zoey was nodding her head. “Oh, it fits. You definitely have to buy this. It looks great on you.”
“I don’t think it’s meant for swimming.”
Zoey laughed. “Of course it’s not meant for swimming. You can wear it into the pool, but this suit is for getting laid.”
I raised one eyebrow. “What if I don’t want to get laid?”
“Then you wear a tacky one piece.” She pointed me back into the dressing room. “Just buy the suit.”
I was shaking my head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure about this.”
“Wait right there,” Zoey said and went back to the rack where the swimsuits were. A moment later she returned with a scarf. She slipped it around my waist and tied it low on one hip. “There, now you’re covered.”
I looked down at the flowered scarf that flowed just below my knees. I still wasn’t too sure.”
“You look fantastic. Now, go try on that little black dress.”
I stared at my reflection in the mirror and wondered what Layne would think if he saw me wearing the white bikini. A slow smile curved my lips. Okay, maybe I would buy the suit.
I raised the hanger with the little black dress on it. I liked the front. It had a nice rounded collar that actually looked quite demure. I was surprised Zoey had picked it out. Then I turned the hanger around. The back scooped low, really low. I wasn’t too sure about this one, but I’d at least try it on.
There wasn’t a lot to it. The dress skimmed my legs at mid-thigh. I turned around just enough to study the back. It dipped really low. At least it didn’t show anything it shouldn’t. I wondered if I could even wear panties with this. Probably not.
“I want to see,” Zoey whined.
I opened the door.
“Nice. Very nice. Turn around.” She made little circles with one finger.
I faced the changing room.
“I guarantee when you wear this dress, every man in the room will wonder if you’re wearing panties.”
I looked over my shoulder at her. “Maybe I don’t want them to wonder.”
“Just buy the dress. Trust me on this one. You look fabulous in it. Now, go try something else on.”
“I thought we were both going shopping. I’m the one trying on everything.”
“I’ll try on clothes when we’re done with yours. It’ll be your turn to tell me what looks good and what doesn’t.”
Okay, I could live with that. For the rest of the afternoon, we each tried on clothes. I ended up purchasing more in one day than I had all year. I had to admit, spending money on myself felt good. I ended up with the bikini and the cover up, the little black dress, and three more outfits, along with a beach bag.
Zoey bought twice as much. “Let’s go back to our apartments and change into our suits. Then we can meet back at my apartment, and we’ll go down to the pool. How does that sound?”
It actually sounded perf
ect. I enjoyed being around Zoey, and when I was with her, I didn’t think about any of my problems. She was good for me. “Okay, I’ll meet you back at your apartment.”
She parked the car, and we got out with our bags, parting ways at her apartment. Once again, when I walked past Layne’s door, my feet slowed. Yes, I was losing my mind. It was now official. I unlocked my door and went inside. I didn’t waste any time changing into my suit, then wrapping the cover up around my waist and tying it at the hip, before turning and looking at myself in the full-length mirror. Oh, my. What in the world possessed me to buy this suit?
My phone began to ring. I glanced at Zoey’s face, then answered.
“You look great,” she said. “Now, get your ass over here and let’s go to the pool.”
Before I could say anything, she hung up. So maybe she could read minds. Whatever. I slipped on sandals, put a towel and sunscreen in the new beach bag, and left the apartment. I locked my door and turned around, almost jumping out of my skin. Layne stood in front of me. His gaze slowly slid over me, his heated look returning to mine.
“We’re just going to the pool,” I stammered. “That is, I’m going to Zoey’s apartment, then we’re going to the pool.”
He smiled. Yes, the killer smile that made my insides quiver.
“I can tell,” he said. “New suit?”
I nodded. My mouth was so dry I could barely speak. “How did you know?”
He stepped nearer. My heart fluttered inside my chest. I wondered if he was going to kiss me and realized that was exactly what I wanted him to do. He reached up to my strap on the bikini top, sliding his finger beneath it, and to the back very slowly. I bit my bottom lip.
“You left the tag on,” he said, then removed it, holding it out to me.
The mood was broken, and I quickly took the tag and dropped it inside my bag. “Thank you. I… I’d better go. Zoey’s probably waiting for me.” I scooted around him. I didn’t take a normal breath until I was knocking on Zoey’s door.