by Sharon Sala
“You can tell them later. Right now he’s where he needs to be.”
Lily nodded as she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“Is there anything I can do?” Ruby asked. “Do you want some clean clothes? I can go to your house and get whatever you need. Is there anything we can do for Mike?”
Lily thought of what his house looked like when they left it.
“There’s blood all over his house, and the shower door is in pieces.”
Ruby patted her hand. “I’ll get the girls from the shop, and we’ll take care of that. Can I bring you anything from your house? Make me a list. Tell me where to find the stuff, and I’ll do it gladly.”
Lily felt weight coming off her shoulders. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” Ruby said.
Lily leaned over, lowering her voice so no one else could hear.
“Mike is a private person.”
Ruby whispered back. “Honey, we’ll just clean up, not mess into his business, okay?”
“Okay. The back door at his house is open. The front door is unlocked at my house, too. I’ll give you a list of stuff to bring from my house, including my purse and keys. If you’d lock both houses when you’re through, I would appreciate it.”
“Consider it done,” Ruby said, and gave LilyAnn a quick hug. “I’ll be back later with your things. Have faith, honey. He’s going to be fine.”
Lily sighed. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
* * *
Mike Dalton was in recovery when Lily finally made the call to his parents. It was the most difficult phone call she’d ever had to make. Just when she thought the call was going to go to voice mail, someone picked up.
“Hello?”
She recognized his mother’s voice.
“Carol, hi. It’s me, LilyAnn.”
“LilyAnn. Oh my goodness. I haven’t heard your sweet voice in ages. How have you been?”
“I’m okay. I’m sorry, but I’m calling about Mike. He’s had an accident.” She heard a gasp, and then Carol’s voice began to tremble.
“Please tell me he’s alive.”
Lily groaned. “Yes, yes, I’m sorry. I should have said that first. I didn’t mean to scare you, but he’s in the hospital here in Blessings. He fell in the shower this morning. At first I thought it was just a bad cut on his head, but he passed out in the car when I was taking him to ER. The doctor said he had ruptured his spleen in the fall and came close to bleeding out. He’s out of surgery and in recovery now. I waited to call until I knew what to tell you.”
“Oh lordy. Hang on a minute. I need to get Don.”
Lily could hear Carol calling her husband, and then moments later she heard him pick up an extension.
“LilyAnn, this is Don. Is he okay?”
“I haven’t seen him yet, but the doctor assured me he came through surgery just fine. They don’t expect a problem, but—”
“We understand…there’s always a ‘but’ with surgery. And this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for us. We’re snowed in. Literally. Until they run the snowplows on our roads, we will not be able to get out of the house. I can make a call to see if they’ll make an exception, but for now, we’re stuck.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry,” Lily said. “Look, don’t worry, okay? I won’t leave him on his own, you know that. I’ll take care of him until you guys can get here, and I’ll make sure he understands your situation.”
Carol was crying, but Lily could hear the relief in her voice.
“You are a godsend, sugar. Thank God you are just next door. Did he say how he happened to fall?”
“He said he got dizzy. I forgot to tell the doctor, but you know what I’m thinking.”
Carol groaned. “Yes. Inner ear troubles again. We went through that all through his childhood. I guess I thought he’d outgrown it.”
“I’ll be sure to mention it to the doctor,” Lily said.
“Tell Mike we love him and that we’ll be there as soon as we can get out, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am, see you soon.”
A short while later, Ruby came by with clean clothes and LilyAnn’s purse.
“Here you go, honey. Clean clothes are in the bag. Lord have mercy, I never saw so much blood.”
Lily nodded. “I know. Scared me to death when I first saw it, too. Thanks again for what you did. It really helps.”
Ruby hugged her. “That’s what friends are for. You call me if you need anything else. Tomorrow’s Monday and you know I’m off work.”
“Yes, thank you, but I think I can handle everything else.”
“Did you get in touch with his family?”
Lily nodded. “They’re snowed in. They’ll get here as soon as they can.”
Ruby rolled her eyes. “I swear, Colorado is a beautiful state, but I could never live where it snows like that. I’d never get warm. Anyway, I’m off. Call if you need me.”
“Thank you again.”
Ruby smiled. “You’re welcome.”
As soon as she left, LilyAnn changed out of her bloody clothes and then made a call to Willy Green, the local fix-it man, to repair Mike’s shower door. She had just finished negotiating a day and time for him to come by when she saw them bringing Mike down the hall from recovery. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.
A short while later, Stewart Friend, the desk clerk at the fitness center, appeared, red in the face and out of breath. He poked his head in the room, saw Mike asleep on the bed, and motioned for Lily to come out in the hall.
“Oh my God! It’s true. I heard he was in the hospital, but I didn’t believe it. Is he going to be all right?”
“They said yes, but he’s going to be out of commission for a while.”
“That’s what I came to talk about. You tell Mike that I’ll handle everything until he gets back. I know how he does everything, right down to daily deposits, and he trusts me. I’ve done it before. If I need help, I’ll get my wife to come in and help me clean and work the desk.”
“That’s great. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Lily said.
“Yes, well, I’d better go. I’ll run by to make sure everything is set up to open tomorrow and then go from there.”
“Thank you, Stewart. You are amazing.”
Stewart shrugged. “I like Mike a lot. He’s not just a good boss, he’s a friend. So, see you later. Call if you need me.”
Lily went back into the room with a lighter step. Yet another problem solved.
* * *
LilyAnn had been sitting by Mike’s bed for almost an hour, studying the contours of his face. It was weird, but she felt like she was looking at a stranger—a good-looking stranger. She’d never seen him so still.
Well-wishers straggled in and out of his room, but as soon as they realized he was asleep, left their regards and quickly exited—all except for Rachel Goodhope.
The door was closed and visiting hours were over, and yet Rachel came in without knocking. She seemed surprised and then unhappy when she saw LilyAnn, but Lily didn’t care. The moment she saw what Rachel was wearing, her intent for being here was obvious.
Despite the cold weather, her skirt was so short it barely covered her ass, and her black blouse was unbuttoned all the way past her décolletage. The red push-up bra beneath was doing a bang-up job of rearranging the “girls.” They would have given Dolly Parton’s boobs a run for their money, and the message Rachel was sending was loud and clear.
Lily knew Mike would never mess with a married woman, and since Mike could not defend himself, it was up to her to do it for him.
When Rachel started to walk in, LilyAnn shot up from her chair and quickly backed her out into the hall, closing the door behind them.
Rachel frowned. “What do you think you’re doing? I came to see Mike.”
Lily stood her ground. “But as you saw, he’s asleep.”
“I thought I would sit—”
“No.”
Rachel’s frown deepened. “Excuse me?”
“He’s not up to visitors.”
“You’re here,” Rachel sneered, then saw a look on LilyAnn’s face that made her nervous. She pulled her purse against her chest as a subconscious shield.
Lily put her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. “Yes, I am here, and I’m not going anywhere, either, so don’t think you can sneak back in here later. I promised his parents I would take care of him until they can get here, which means you can’t go in until the doctor says he’s strong enough for visitors.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You’re overstepping your bounds.”
Lily jabbed a finger between Rachel’s abundant boobs.
“No, you’re the one overstepping your bounds. Does Bud know he’s on the way out? Does he know Mike Dalton is in your sights as hubby number four? Better yet, does Mike know that? I’d bet the deed to my house that the answer to all three of those questions is a big loud NO.”
Rachel stifled a gasp, shocked that the fat bitch had picked up on that.
“How dare you?” she hissed.
Lily poked her finger a second time, jabbing harder as she lowered her voice.
“No! How dare you?” she whispered. “Your life is your business, and I don’t give a damn what you do with it until you involve a helpless man in your cheating-ass scheme. Now you take your pitiful self out of my sight, or I might have to let it slip around town that poor Bud Goodhope is about to become ex number three.”
Rachel’s face was flushed and Lily knew she’d hit a nerve, but Rachel was still defiant.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “Bud and I are fine.”
“Then get your ass home and make sure it stays that way. People run all over me, Rachel, but that’s because I let it happen. However, you don’t mess with my friends when they can’t defend themselves. Do you hear me?”
Rachel shrugged. “Fine. I didn’t expect you to make such a big deal out of a simple visit to a friend.”
“I’ll give you a piece of advice. Next time you get dressed for a friendly visit to a single man, wear a skirt that covers your ass, button up your damned blouse, and leave the push-up bra at home.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that,” she gasped.
LilyAnn glared. “And I can’t believe you wore that hooker outfit in public.”
“Oh my God,” Rachel said.
“Yes, now that I think of it, God is probably interested in your intent, too, so I’d say that a prayer for forgiveness is a good idea. While you’re at it, say one for Mike that he gets well, and tell Bud I said hello.”
Rachel cheeks were red, her eyes flashing angrily, but LilyAnn Bronte was a good five inches taller and at least forty pounds heavier. Rachel wasn’t getting into a slap-fest with this woman, regardless of what she’d said.
“Of course I’ll say a prayer,” Rachel said shortly, and took herself back to the elevator as fast as she could.
Lily couldn’t help but stare. That woman looked cheaper going than she had coming. Her skirt was so tight and her heels so high that while one butt cheek went up, the other went down, like the pistons that used to fire beneath the hood of Randy Joe’s hot rod. As soon as the woman disappeared, Lily went back into the room and sat down.
Another hour passed before Mike began showing signs of regaining consciousness. She was so relieved to see movement that she quickly rang for a nurse.
“He’s waking up, isn’t he?” Lily whispered.
The nurse nodded. “He was one lucky guy. That cut on his head was minor compared to the ruptured spleen. If you hadn’t gotten him here when you did, he might not have made it. Just sit tight and talk to him if you want. He’ll come to in his own time.”
The nurse was gone, but Lily’s stomach was still in knots, knowing how close he’d come to dying. She pulled her chair a little closer to the bed.
“Hey Mike, it’s me, LilyAnn. I would greatly appreciate it if you would open your eyes.”
* * *
The first thing Mike felt was pain, and the first thing he thought was why. Then he heard a voice.
LilyAnn.
Wherever he was, knowing she was there calmed him. He tried to move and then groaned.
The pain is in my belly—no, my head—no, my belly. He took a breath and then gasped. For whatever reason, I hurt all over.
Lily stood up so he could see her if he opened his eyes.
“Hey, Mike, it’s me, LilyAnn. You’re in the hospital, but you’re okay. Can you open your eyes?”
He licked his lips, then felt something wet and cool against them.
“I can’t give you water, but this might help,” she said, carefully wiping his lips with a wet cloth.
It did, but he couldn’t get that said. He tried to open his eyes, but they were so heavy.
She patted his arm. “Come on, sleeping beauty, open your eyes.”
He pushed past the lethargy until he saw her leaning over him. So close, as close as she’d ever been, and he was too damn weak to do a thing about it.
LilyAnn smiled. “There you are.”
“How…?”
“I brought you here. You fell through your shower door, cut your head, and ruptured your spleen. You’ve been in surgery, but you’re going to be okay.”
Now he remembered the fall.
“Damn.”
“Well put,” she said. “I called your parents. They’re snowed in, but they said to tell you they’ll be here as soon as they can get out and that they love you.”
His eyelids were getting heavy again. “Love…” he whispered.
She patted his arm again. “They know you love them, too. It’s okay, Mike. Just rest.”
He was too sedated to clarify. It had been her, not his parents, that he’d been thinking about, but all things considered, it was just as well that he never finished the thought.
It was nearly suppertime before the doctor made his rounds and found LilyAnn waiting for him.
Doctor Rollins knew nearly everyone in Blessings, and LilyAnn was no exception. He smiled when he saw her sitting near his patient’s bed.
“Hello, LilyAnn. I understand you’re the hero in this episode. How have you been?”
Lily frowned. “I’m no hero, Doctor Rollins. I just helped a friend. While you’re here, I would like for you to look in his ears. He mentioned that he’d been dizzy, and with everything that was happening, I forgot to mention it when I brought him to the ER.”
“What about his ears?” Rollins asked.
“He has a history of inner ear infections, and I think that might be why he had such a bad fall.”
“I see,” Rollins said, as he stepped over to the bed to examine his patient. After checking Mike’s vitals and the wounds under the bandages, the doctor pulled out his light and peered into each ear.
“Good call,” he said, as he straightened. “They’re both infected. I’ll order some antibiotics for them, as well.”
LilyAnn leaned back with a sigh, satisfied her job had been done.
* * *
It was dark before she left the hospital. Mike had awakened off and on, but never for more than a minute or so. Satisfied that he was in good hands, she grabbed the bag with her dirty clothes and left, pausing at the nurse’s desk on her way out.
“Would you please put a No Visitors sign on Mike Dalton’s door? His family lives in Colorado, and they’re snowed in. I’m not sure when they’ll be able to get here, and he’s still so out of it he doesn’t need the hassle of constant company. I have to work until noon tomorrow, and then I’ll be here to run interference for him.”<
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“Sure thing,” the nurse said, and promptly made up a sign and went to put it on the door as LilyAnn headed for the elevator.
When she got in Mike’s car to drive home, the blood on the front seat was a vivid reminder of what had happened, but he had leather upholstery, so she’d clean that up tomorrow. All she wanted to do was take a bath and get in bed.
Sunday night in Blessings was low key, and she was grateful for the lack of traffic. By the time she pulled up in Mike’s driveway, she was shaking. It took her a few moments to remember she hadn’t eaten a bite of food since breakfast. She grabbed her bag and locked his car, then walked across the yard to her house and went inside.
Her house was cold. She amped up the thermostat and dropped her purse and coat on the sofa as she headed for the kitchen. The thought of food actually turned her stomach, but she knew she needed to eat.
She dumped her dirty clothes in the washing machine and put them on soak in cold water, then peeled a banana and ate it slowly while she scrambled some eggs. She was used to living alone and thought nothing of the quiet, but tonight it was unsettling. She couldn’t quit thinking about how scared she’d been, and how helpless she’d felt when Mike had passed out in the car.
The phone rang as she sat down to eat, but when she saw the caller ID, she let it go to voice mail. She didn’t want to talk to Sue Beamon right now. Sue was a nice woman, but she was also a busybody, and the last thing Lily wanted was to be pumped for information.
As soon as she finished eating, she went into the living room to turn on the television, needing the noise to remind herself she wasn’t alone in the world. After that, she headed for the bathroom to take a long, soaking bath.
* * *
The day dawned cold and gray; the air felt thick and damp. Lily dressed for comfort rather than work, knowing she was only going to be in the pharmacy half a day and then at the hospital until they ran her out.
She ran across the yard to clean Mike’s car, and then headed back to her house to get ready for work. She dug out a pair of navy blue sweats, found a sweatshirt that matched, and put her long hair up in a no-nonsense ponytail. The final touch was an all-weather coat instead of a jacket, in case it finally rained.