Gin & Jewels

by Kimberly Knight

  She took the cup from me. “The doctor has spoken to your friends and family. Once we get you into a room, you’ll be able to see them. Close your eyes and get some more rest.”

  I woke to whispering.

  “What do you mean you were shot in a robbery?” Shannon asked.

  “I was with a woman I was dating, and Cassie’s brother came in with his friends and robbed the place. I disarmed him, and when I did, his other friend—the one I shot tonight—shot me.”

  “He shot Keith,” I corrected, not opening my eyes.

  “Cassie, you’re awake,” Brad stated, and I heard movement.

  I tried to open my eyes, but I was too tired. “Micky shot Keith accidentally, and it went through him and into you.”

  “He did?”

  I nodded but fell back to sleep before I heard anything else.

  I woke again when a nurse came in to take my vitals “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Sore.”

  “I’ll put in for more pain meds. Just rest.”

  Brad was sleeping on the small couch, but Shannon wasn’t in the room.

  “He insisted on staying even though visiting hours are over.”

  I smiled as I stared at him. When he’d told me he wasn’t going anywhere, I guess he meant it.

  “Hey.” I smiled at Brad as I woke up again. Light was coming in through the blinds, and I realized it was morning.

  “Hey.” He stood and moved to my bedside, brushing hair off my face. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay.”

  He smiled. “It’s the meds.”

  “How long do I need to be here?” I did feel good. I wasn’t sore or in pain anymore, and I felt as though I was ready to go home.

  “I’m not sure. We’ll ask the doctor when he stops by.”

  I nodded. “And Keith?”

  “Don’t panic because he’s okay.” Brad sighed. “But he was shot too.”

  My eyes widened. “He was?”

  “Yes, but he’ll be fine. He was shot in the leg.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s in another part of the hospital recovering. He was also arrested.”

  “He was?”

  Brad nodded. “They’re still checking with the pawnshops you told me about, but they were able to get info from one of them, connecting him to the robbery.”

  “Does he know it was me?”

  “No, I don’t think he does.”

  “And Micky? Is he in jail?”

  He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “No. During everything, I shot him, and he died.”

  My eyes widened again, and I whispered, “You killed him?”

  “I did.”

  “Are you in trouble?”

  Brad shook his head. “No. A neighbor saw everything and confirmed it was self-defense. Plus, Micky took a loaded gun on private property and shot two people. I did what needed to be done.”

  I thought about what he said. Did he mean that he’d killed Micky on purpose? I wasn’t sure how I should feel in that moment. I was happy that Micky wouldn’t hurt me again, but was I glad he was dead? He’d shot Keith and me. Was he trying to kill us?

  Breakfast was brought in a few moments later, but I had no appetite. “You can have it,” I said to Brad.

  “You need to eat something.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “It’s because of all the pain meds in your system. I was the same way. How about I make you a deal?”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “You eat the yogurt, and I’ll eat everything else?”

  I looked back at the tray and agreed. “Okay, but only because it’s cherry.”

  He grinned. “Whatever works.”

  About an hour later, there was a light knock on the door. “Cassie, I’m Dr. Watson. How are you feeling?”

  “Good,” I replied.

  He stepped over to the bed and shook Brad’s hand. “How was the couch?”

  “I’ve slept on worse.”

  I got the impression they knew each other, and it didn’t surprise me. Working at Dovie’s, it seemed everyone knew Shannon, which meant they had to know her son too. It was a small town, after all.

  “Your vitals are looking good,” Dr. Watson said to me. “And the surgery went well yesterday.”

  “Good.”

  “But …” He looked at Brad, then back at me. “There is something I need to discuss with you privately unless you want Brad here?”

  My gaze met Brad’s, and no matter what the doctor had to tell me, I didn’t want to go through it alone, not when I finally had someone who cared about me. “He can stay.”

  “Okay.” Dr. Watson pulled a chair over to the bed.

  My heart was beating fast, and so many possibilities were going through my mind at a rapid rate. Was I paralyzed? Would I need to poop in a bag for the rest of my life?

  “As you know, the bullet went in through your abdomen.” I nodded. “We were able to stitch the area, but the bullet went through other parts as well.”

  My heart stopped, and Brad grabbed my hand in both of his. He kissed the back of it before Dr. Watson continued. “On the way, it grazed your uterus and destroyed one of your fallopian tubes.”

  I sucked in a breath, and my hand tightened against Brad’s. “What does that mean?”

  “We were able to repair your uterus, but we had to remove the damaged fallopian tube.”

  “Okay …?”

  “Can she still have children?” Brad asked.

  “Well,” Dr. Watson took a deep breath, “there’s no way to know that for sure. Because you still have one fallopian tube, there’s a chance you can still conceive, but that chance is really low. Even though we were able to repair the uterus, it was still damaged, so it will all depend on how the scar tissue forms and …luck.”

  A tear slid down my face. I’d lost my parents at fifteen, my brother stole all my money when I was eighteen, then he robbed my workplace, drugged and kidnapped me, and now I’d been shot and possibly left infertile at the age of twenty-two.

  It was safe to say that luck wasn’t on my side.

  Dr. Watson left after telling me a few more things, but I wasn’t listening to him. My mind was on the fact that so much had been taken from me. And while I wanted to break down and cry, I didn’t want to do it in front of Brad. He was my friend, and a guy, and I didn’t think he’d understand fully what it meant to possibly not have children.

  Where did that leave us? Was there even an us?

  “Can I get you anything?” Brad asked.

  I shook my head.

  “I need to go call Gabe and my boss to let them know that I’m not going back for a few more weeks.”

  “You’re staying the entire time I’m here?” I asked.

  “Of course I am.”

  “You don’t have to. I’ve been on my own since I was fifteen. I can take care of myself.”

  “While that may be true, princess, you have me now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Brad …” I protested.

  “Shh. It’s fine. Plus, I don’t think I should leave town until the investigation is over.”

  “It’s not over?”

  “More or less, but I’m assuming they’ll need a few days to get everything finalized and make sure it’s all documented.”

  “But if it doesn’t take that long, you don’t need to stay.”

  “Cass.” He cupped my cheek and brushed a lone tear away. “Don’t forget that I’m a grown-ass man, and I make my own decisions.” He smiled.

  “I know. I just—”

  “Shh. I’m going to step out into the hall real quick.”

  “Okay.”

  He kissed the top of my head before he left the room. As soon as I couldn’t see him anymore, the tears started to flow. I had never really thought about starting a family, but the thought of never being able to hurt. It should have been my decision, not some asshole who’d decided guns were the answer.

/>   “Oh, honey! What’s wrong?”

  I opened my eyes to see Shannon walking through the door. I wiped away the tears. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to visit you.” She grabbed my hand. “Why are you crying, sweetie?”

  I barely knew Shannon, but she was a woman, and she would understand more than Brad. “The doctor came to see me.”

  “Yeah?” she prompted.

  “The surgery went well, and I’ll make a full recovery.”

  “That’s good.”

  “But …” Tears started to well in my eyes again.

  “It’s okay. How about I tell you what happened to me?” She pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. She reached for my hand again before she began. “About four years ago, I went in for my routine pap smear. You never think it’s going to be you, especially when your cancer has basically no symptoms, but they found a lump during the breast exam, and the unknown was hard. Was it cancer? Was it a benign tumor? It was tough to live each day not knowing. And then when I was told it was cancer, I was alone and scared.”

  “You were alone?”

  “Bradley was in the Marines at the time.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “But that’s my point, honey. We’ve all had our hardships, but whatever it is, you have me and Bradley to care for you.”

  I wanted to believe her. I really had no reason to doubt her or Brad—especially Brad. He saved my life when Micky showed up. I could have bled out if it wasn’t for him. Micky could have come closer and shot me again if it weren’t for Brad defusing the situation. And Brad had told me numerous times that he wasn’t going anywhere.

  I took a deep breath. “The bullet grazed my uterus and destroyed one of my fallopian tubes. The doctor said I might not be able to have children.” Tears streamed down my face again.

  “Oh, Cassie.” Shannon stood and hugged me the best she could. “I’m so sorry.”

  “The crazy thing is that I hadn’t thought about having kids, but now that it might not even be a possibility …”

  “I know, honey. I know.”

  When I opened my eyes, I saw Brad standing just inside the door. He had a look of sorrow on his face, and that made me cry even more. No one had ever looked at me that way. I was sad and crying, but I was also happy because I was finally starting to feel loved.

  When I stepped out into the hall, I called Mark first and told him that shit went down and to not book me for another three weeks or so. Then, I called Gabe.

  “Hey,” he answered.

  “I killed a guy yesterday.”

  He was silent for a second. “Are you calling from jail?”

  “No,” I grunted and leaned against the wall. “Just telling you shit went down.”

  “Tell me the details.”

  I did, leaving out the part about the bullet possibly damaging Cassie’s future of having a family.

  “Shit, dude.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m glad you and Cassie are okay.”

  “Me too. She’ll probably be here for a week or so, and I know Paul is gone—”

  “Don’t worry about the class. Autumn and I can handle it, and Seth too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, of course. Take care of your girl.”

  “My girl?” I chuckled. “She’s not my—”

  “Keep telling yourself that, B, but you’re wrong.”

  I thought about what he was saying, and while I knew I cared about her a lot, I didn’t know if that meant we should have a relationship. “What do I do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never done this before.”

  “Well, do you think she’ll be okay with you still working at S&R?”

  I blew out a breath. In the last few days, I hadn’t thought about Saddles & Racks other than needing to tell Mark I wasn’t coming back for a few more weeks. I didn’t actually think about how things would be once Cassie and I returned to Vegas because I wasn’t leaving without her. “Was Autumn?”

  “I think you know that answer.”

  “So, you’re saying that it’s my job or my girl?” When I uttered the last two words of the sentence, I realized that it came naturally to call Cassie mine. Was she my girl? Did I want her to be my girl?

  “Probably.”

  It wasn’t so much as my job. I didn’t need the money, and if Gabe, Paul, and Vinny could survive without S&R, I knew I could too. I already had the self-defense stuff lined up with Gabe, and I’d always wanted to go into private security, but what if Cassie and I didn’t work out? She was twenty-two and just now finding herself. Plus, I’d never had an actual girlfriend before. What if I fucked it all up?

  “But,” he continued, “the thing about escorting is you can always go back to it if things don’t work out.”

  “Was that your plan originally?”

  “I think we've all had that plan.”

  I hung up with Gabe a few moments later, not wanting Cassie to be alone any longer. To my surprise, Mom had stopped by, and she and Cassie were both crying and hugging. I stared at the two most important women in my life and made the decision that if Cassie wanted to try dating, I would. Since the day we had lunch at Freshly Baked, not a day had gone by that I hadn’t thought about her, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

  “Should I come back?” I asked when Cassie’s eyes opened, and she met my gaze.

  Both she and Mom rubbed their tears away, and Cassie said, “No. Everything okay?”

  “Yep. Mark and Gabe send their condolences and hope for a fast recovery.”

  “That was nice of them,” Mom stated, and Cassie nodded her head in agreement.

  I stepped farther into the room. “And in case you’re wondering, I told Mom everything.”

  Cassie looked at my Mom. “Everything?”

  “I hope so.” She chuckled.

  “Yes, everything,” I affirmed.

  “Are you mad I used a fake name?” Cassie asked Mom.

  Mom reached out and grabbed Cassie’s hand. “Of course not, honey. And, I won’t tell Greta either. All she needs to know is that you don’t work at Dovie’s anymore. I’ll get your paycheck and bring it to you.”

  “Thank you,” Cassie replied.

  “Won’t her paycheck be in her fake name?” I asked.

  “Oh, right,” Mom agreed. “I’ll figure something out. I’ve known Greta for years.” Cassie nodded. “And speaking of, I must get to the diner for my shift. I’ll be back tonight with fresh clothes for you, Bradley.” Mom hugged Cassie and then me. “See if you can use the shower in the bathroom. You’re starting to smell like a man.”

  I chuckled and rolled my eyes. “I am a man.”

  “You know what I mean.” She patted my cheek and then left.

  Cassie yawned.

  “Get some rest, princess. I’m not going anywhere.”

  For a week, I spent every night at the hospital. Robert (Dr. Watson) had them bring me a cot to sleep on instead of the tiny loveseat that barely fit my torso. I also took a shower in the bathroom in Cassie’s room, even though I was told it was against hospital rules. I knew how to charm the nurses, so they turned a blind eye.

  Each day, Cassie got stronger. She was still hooked up to IVs and pain meds, as well as a catheter. Robert was hopeful that she would get to go home in a few more days, but recovery would last for several months. Her gunshot wound was one hundred times more damaging than mine was, even the time I was shot in Iran. That time I was hit in the side, but I didn’t have a uterus or fallopian tubes damaged like Cassie—obviously.

  “Morning, Cassie,” a nurse said as she came into the room after breakfast. “Are you ready to try walking today?”

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Dr. Watson said it should be time to get some of your strength back and make sure you’re doing okay. That way, you can go home in a few days.”

  “Sure. I would love to get out of here,” Cassie replied.

/>   “I bet.” The nurse looked at the computer. “Everything looks good. Let’s get the catheter out and then get you on your feet.”

  I stood up quickly, wanting to make sure Cassie had privacy for that. “I’ll just take a walk down the hall and back.”

  As I stepped just past the door, I heard the nurse say, “Girl, that man is a keeper.”

  “Yeah, he is,” Cassie confirmed.

  I smiled and stepped farther down the hall, going to the end and back. When I got back to the room, the nurse was trying to get Cassie out of bed. I rushed over to help. “I’ve got you.”

  “Just give it some time for your legs to get used to weight again,” the nurse stated. “Then hang onto this”—she wheeled the stand that had all of Cassie’s IVs attached to it closer—“and see if you can walk to the end of the hall and back.”

  And we did several times until she got tired and went back to bed.

  “Hungry?” I asked, walking into Cassie’s hospital room carrying a pizza.

  Her eyes widened. “You got pizza?”

  I placed the box on her tray. “I figured you were tired of hospital food.”

  “You have no idea.” I opened the lid, and her eyes grew big again. “Pepperoni and pineapple? How’d you know?”

  “A man doesn’t reveal his ways.” I grabbed a paper plate the pizza place gave me and slid a slice onto it before handing it to her. “I’m kidding. You told me when I was asking you questions to keep you talking before the paramedics arrived.”

  “I don’t remember that.” She bit into her slice and moaned.

  I took two slices and sat in the chair next to her bed. “Trauma can do that to a person. Do you remember anything?”

  “I mean, I remember the pain and that you were there, but I don’t remember what we talked about.”

  “Nothing in particular. I just didn’t want you to go unconscious.”

  She smiled warmly. “Thank you. I don’t think I’ve actually thanked you for saving my life.”

  I grinned back. “I’d do it again.”