by Laura Scott
He figured he had a week at the most before he needed to be on the road again.
“Yes, Dr. Gabe Allen. Just keep in mind that you might have to wait if they’re busy.”
“I understand. Thanks again. Come on, Lexi.” He took his daughter’s hand and walked inside the emergency department. At least this time, he was walking in and not being wheeled in on a gurney.
He told the nurse at the front desk that he was here to see Dr. Allen. She placed the call and, within five minutes, waved him back. “You can go into room three,” she directed.
At first, he’d assumed that the ER wasn’t very busy since they’d taken him right away, but when he went back into the main arena, he was greeted by a cacophony of activity. Various patients were wailing in pain or yelling out for one reason or another. Monitors beeped, and there seemed to be a constant stream of chatter from the staff who scurried from one place to another.
Room three looked to be one of the few empty rooms, and he felt guilty for wasting the doctor’s valuable time. He waited inside the doorway, thinking it might be better if he just left, since they were so busy. Only the thought of disappointing Julie kept him there.
Ten minutes later, Dr. Allen and a nurse rushed in. “So, how did you survive the night?” the doctor asked without wasting time exchanging small talk.
“Fine,” Derek said, lifting his arm so that the nurse could take down the dressing around the chest tube.
“He sneezed, and his lung deflated again,” Julie said as she entered the room. “I applied negative pressure on the valve, and he seemed to be better after that.”
“Hmmm.” The doctor cocked an eyebrow at him questioningly so he reluctantly nodded.
“Yeah, that sounds right.”
“We’ll need to get another chest X-ray,” Dr. Allen said to the nurse. “I’m tempted to leave the catheter in for another day, but we’ll see how your X-ray looks.”
He kept his mouth shut, sensing it would do no good to argue. When it came time to get the X-ray, he flashed Lexi a reassuring smile before following the nurse to the radiology area.
Five minutes later, he was back in the room. Dr. Allen pulled up the X-ray on the computer screen right in the room. “No sign of the pneumothorax,” he muttered. “But I’d still like to keep the catheter in another day.”
“I’ll bring him back tomorrow after church,” Julie said.
Dr. Allen nodded. “I’m not working, but maybe I can just stop by your place. How do your ribs feel?”
“Sore, but tolerable.”
“All right, try not to do any more sneezing, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks Doc,” he said, sincerely grateful to know he hadn’t made anything worse last night. The pain had been scary, but he felt a hundred percent better today. Well, maybe that was a slight exaggeration. More like fifty percent better. “I appreciate the special treatment.”
“No problem.” Dr. Allen flashed them both a tired grin before leaving them alone.
Derek held Lexi’s hand as he followed Julie back out to the parking lot. Getting in and out of the car still hurt, but he bit back a low groan when he slid inside.
Neither one of them said anything as Julie pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
“The drugstore is on the way home,” she said, finally breaking the silence. “We can stop to get your prescription filled.”
“I don’t need more pain meds,” he said quickly. He was afraid if she knew how low he was on cash, she’d insist on paying for them herself, and he was in debt to her enough already. “I still have a couple of the samples left, and I don’t plan to use them unless I’m desperate.”
“Like you were last night?” she asked. “I can’t believe you weren’t going to tell the doctor what happened.”
He shrugged, feeling guilty for disappointing her when, really, he had far bigger issues to worry about. “You heard the doc, no sign of a pneumo-whatever, so I’m fine.”
She didn’t answer but tightened her fingers on the steering wheel as if she was struggling not to lose control. He felt bad for making her upset, but he couldn’t explain how important it was that he stay out of the hospital at all cost. He didn’t want Lexi to end up in the foster care system. And he for sure didn’t want Claire’s parents to get custody of Lexi again.
Lexi was...special. She didn’t need that private super strict school that Claire’s parents had picked out for her. Lexi hated it, and forcing her to go was making her worse instead of better. Claire’s parents thought she needed structure, but what Lexi needed was love and attention. What she needed was to be with her father and time to recuperate from losing her mother.
Now that he was honorably discharged from the Army, he could take better care of Lexi than a bunch of strangers, no matter how well intentioned.
He’d made a promise to Lexi and to Claire before she died, and he intended to keep it.
Chapter Five
Julie stood in her kitchen, watching through the patio doors as Derek and Lexi walked down to the lake. Despite her protests, Derek had insisted on bringing in the luggage and his tools. They way he was moving slowly and carefully, favoring his right side, convinced her that he’d overexerted himself. Again. Yet no matter how many times she told him to rest, he ignored her and did what he wanted. Lexi instinctively stayed close to her father’s side rather than running toward the water the way Amelia used to do.
Thoughts of her niece always brought the threat of tears, so she turned away, trying to think of other things. It was close to noon, and there was plenty of leftover pizza to eat for lunch, but she also needed something to make for dinner. She opened her freezer and stared at the meager contents.
Hamburgers on the grill sounded good, and best of all, she wouldn’t have to turn on her oven. Thanks to her small garden, she even had the fixings for a salad. Tomorrow, after church, she’d have to make a run to the grocery store since she wasn’t used to feeding three people.
The sound of boat engines and shrieking laughter filtered in off the lake. Her brother, Zack, left his boat here during the summer months, and she wondered if Derek and Lexi would like to take a spin out on the lake after they’d eaten.
Or maybe they just wanted to spend some time alone. After all, it wasn’t her job to entertain them.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Since she was becoming far too fascinated with her unexpected houseguests, she busied herself with doing some bills and other paperwork until her stomach rumbled. Figuring Derek and Lexi must be hungry too, she pulled the leftover pizza out of the fridge and heated it up in her microwave. Then she piled paper plates and napkins on top of the pizza box before making her way outside.
“Are you guys hungry?” she called. “There’s plenty of left-over pizza for lunch.”
Derek looked up and flashed a smile, which somehow made him look about ten years younger. She wasn’t at all happy that her pulse jumped in response. “I am,” he said eagerly. “How about it, baby-doll?”
Lexi gave another of her short nods and readily walked back up to the townhouse with her father.
“Thanks, Julie, this looks great,” Derek said, looking down at the food with appreciation.
She ducked her head, hoping he hadn’t noticed her pink cheeks. Why was she reacting to Derek like this? Ridiculous. “It’s nothing, just more leftovers than I could ever finish by myself.”
Lexi scrambled up to sit on her knees so she could reach the table, and Derek gingerly sank into a chair beside her. Julie took her seat and bowed her head to pray.
“Dear Lord, thank You for providing this food and for this fantastic summer day. Amen.”
She opened her eyes and looked up, surprised to see that both Derek and Lexi had bowed their heads, too, while she’d prayed. All she knew about Derek was that he used to be in the military, and while he hadn’t joined her in prayer, he hadn’t scoffed at her faith, either.
And why did she care one way or the other? She had to s
top thinking that Derek and Lexi would be here long enough for it to matter. She was simply helping him out of a jam—it wasn’t as if this was some sort of long-term friendship or anything.
“Is that boat on the lift yours?” Derek asked before taking a healthy bite of his pizza. He truly looked so much better today that she could barely reconcile this man sitting across from her with the guy who’d been sprawled on the bedroom floor last night, pale and sweating in pain.
“It belongs to my brother, but I’d be happy to take you both out for a ride if you’re interested.”
Derek grinned with excitement. He cocked his head and glanced down at his daughter. “What do you think, Lexi? Do you want to go for a boat ride?”
Lexi’s expression lit up. “Yes!” It was the most enthusiasm she’d seen from the girl since bringing them both home last night.
“Well then, sounds like a plan,” Julie said, betraying her eagerness. She finished her slice of pizza and pushed away from the table. “You’ll have to give me a few minutes to make sure everything is clean. I haven’t had the boat out in two weeks.”
“Sit down and finish your lunch, Julie,” Derek said firmly. “There’s no rush. Lexi and I can help clean up the boat if needed.”
The fact that he was supposed to be resting seemed to be lost on him, but she bit back her argument and sank back down, helping herself to another small slice of pizza. She gave up trying to lecture him, since it didn’t do any good anyway.
After they finished the entire pizza, Derek making a much bigger dent than he had last night, she tossed the empty box in the garbage and then went back inside to fill a pail with warm, soapy water.
Derek and Lexi were waiting patiently for her out on the patio, and, of course, Derek took the pail of water from her before they walked down to the lake together. If his ribs were aching, he made sure the pain didn’t show on his face.
She removed the boat cover, grimacing when she saw that the seats were lightly coated with dirt. But with all three of them working together, it didn’t take long before the boat was sparkling clean.
She hauled out Amelia’s life vest for Lexi and instructed the girl on how to put it on. Lexi didn’t seem thrilled but, after a stern look from her father, didn’t complain. Julie slid the key into the ignition and glanced over at Derek and Lexi. “Are you ready?”
Derek nodded. “Sure.”
Knowing that bouncing over the waves might cause him pain, she started out at a slow pace. The lake was busy, so she had to carefully navigate the craft around the other boaters, making sure to keep an eye out for skiers and tubers. When she came upon an open stretch of lake, she pushed the throttle forward, kicking up some speed, and was rewarded by Lexi’s laughter.
All too soon, she had to slow back down, carefully turning around to head back toward her home. She glanced over at her passengers, glad to see Derek looked relaxed, with Lexi tucked close to his side.
“I don’t suppose you’d let me drive?” he asked, capturing her gaze with his.
“Sure, why not?” she pulled the throttle back so that the boat was idling as they awkwardly switched seats. His arm brushed hers, and she had no business inhaling his masculine scent, especially since it went straight to her head. She moved away, taking a seat across from Lexi.
As Derek drove them leisurely around the lake, she could feel the curious stares from some of her friends and neighbors. The smile on her features dimmed as she realized what this little outing probably looked like to everyone else. As if she and Derek were seeing each other on a personal level.
She closed her eyes for a moment, dreading the thought of being the source of more rumors. The gossip had flown fast and furious after Andrew had left her. Being out in public like this would only encourage the small town tongues to start flapping all over again.
Leaving her to explain why Derek and Lexi had left, as she knew they would, right after the holiday.
___________
Derek enjoyed being out on the boat, but as soon as he realized the three of them were becoming the center of attention, he turned the boat around to head back to Julie’s place.
Stupid to forget, even for a moment, that he and Lexi needed to keep a low profile. As far as he knew, Julie hadn’t so much as turned on a radio or a television since last night, but that didn’t mean her neighbors hadn’t. He’d already pushed his luck with Deputy Thomas.
Lexi was legally in his custody, but that didn’t mean Claire’s parents weren’t still searching for them. And who knows what story they might have told the police?
After all, they had wealth and power on their side when all he had was love.
“Let’s go again, Daddy,” Lexi said with a rare pout.
“Sorry, baby-doll, but my ribs are still a little sore,” he said. He wasn’t lying, because his ribs did ache—not that he’d let a little pain get in the way of making Lexi happy.
Going to the private school that Claire’s parents had forced upon her hadn’t made her happy, either. Keeping her safe was more important. And the fear of being found by Claire’s parents trumped another boat ride by far.
“We can go out again another day,” Julie assured Lexi. “Maybe even tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to church in the morning and then stop at the grocery store, but then we have the rest of the day free.”
He wasn’t surprised that Julie planned to go to church since she’d mentioned that to the doc, but the flash of guilt caught him off guard. He ignored the emotion as he carefully pulled the speedboat into its docking station next to the pier. “Lexi, why don’t you get your sketchbook? I bet Julie would appreciate a pretty picture of her lake.”
“Oh, I’d love that,” Julie agreed with enthusiasm. “Would you do that for me, Lexi? Please?”
His daughter gave another of her reserved, tiny nods, and he was relieved she’d allowed herself to be distracted from taking another trip around the lake. He shut off the motor and helped Lexi out of the boat first, before reaching down to help Julie with the cover.
“I’ll get it. You need to rest those ribs,” she said.
“I’m not an invalid,” he muttered, his tone sharper than he intended. He knew she was reacting to the excuse he’d given to Lexi for going back home, which made him feel guilty again. Hadn’t Julie noticed the way people stared at them?
“I know, but I can do this,” she said. “Why don’t you take Lexi back up to the house?”
Julie was avoiding his gaze, and he realized maybe she had noticed the curious stares and was embarrassed to be seen with him and Lexi. The thought bothered him, even though he knew Julie’s personal life was none of his business.
For all he knew, she might be seeing someone, although she certainly hadn’t mentioned it. He almost asked her but then gave himself a mental shake. “All right, let’s go, Lexi.”
He climbed off the boat and took his daughter’s hand. Lexi seemed to hesitate, but after one last glance over her shoulder at Julie, she came along with him.
He didn’t relax until they were back up at the patio outside the townhouse, away from the curious eyes of Julie’s neighbors. He gingerly lowered himself into one of the patio chairs while Lexi ran inside the townhouse for her sketchbook.
His ribs were still sore, but the ache in his head seemed to be a bit better. Being out on the lake had been wonderful; for a few brief moments, it had been nice to forget all his worries and enjoy being out on the water. But then reality had crashed through his false sense of security.
He wasn’t here to have fun. He needed to figure out where he could find a job and a place to live. Someplace where he could establish himself in a community, making it difficult for Claire’s parents to take Lexi away from him. If that was even possible.
He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing a hand along the right side of his chest. There was nothing worse than feeling useless. He wished he felt strong enough to start working on the half-gutted townhouse. The sooner he could pay Julie back for her hospitality, the be
tter.
Lexi came back outside and climbed into the seat beside him. He opened his eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. Thankfully, the umbrella overhead helped provide some shade, and he watched as Lexi pulled out her colored pencils and began to draw the lake.
“Would you like some iced tea or a soft drink?” Julie asked as she walked up.
“Sure. Tea would be great,” he said, even though he knew that he was already imposing on Julie far more than he had a right to.
“Lexi, do you like root beer?” Julie asked.
His daughter nodded but didn’t look up from her drawing. Once his daughter was preoccupied with something she liked to do, it was difficult to get her attention. He was about to apologize for Lexi’s behavior, but Julie was already disappearing into her side of the townhouse, the screen door sliding shut behind her.
He allowed his eyes to drift closed, giving in to a wave of insidious fatigue. Why he should be so tired, he had no idea. It wasn’t as if he’d done much. And if he was this exhausted just from running a few errands and going for a boat ride, then how in the world was he going to do the construction work on Julie’s townhouse that needed to be done?
“Derek, why don’t you go inside to lie down?”
He pried his eyes open and summoned a smile. “It’s nice being out here like this.” He reached for the glass of ice-cold tea. “Thanks, again.”
Julie gave him an exasperated look as she sat down beside him. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove,” she muttered. “It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since your accident.”
He didn’t want to think about the crash. “Does your brother live around here?”
“He lives about an hour away in Madison,” she said. “Unfortunately, Zack doesn’t get up here as much as he used to. Still, we’ve stayed close since our parents died.”
There was a hint of sadness in her tone, but he held back from asking anything too personal. After all, it wasn’t as if he wanted to reciprocate. Julie seemed like the type of woman who’d feel compelled to report him to the authorities if she knew the truth.