by Carrie Carr
Amanda kept her voice low, to keep from disturbing Lorrie. "Pretty much. I was finally able to get through to the ranch on my cell phone. Martha said, and I quote, "˜tell Lexie I owe her a whuppin' for trying to drive during a storm.' End quote."
"Figures." Lex carefully raised her broken wrist. "Do you think this will protect me?"
"Not a chance." Amanda stood and stretched. "It's been a hell of a day."
Lex continued to stare at her wife, even after the stretch ended. "Huh?"
"I can see that thump on the head didn't do much damage." Amanda took the spare blanket from the foot of the bed and covered Lorrie. "I'm glad you're okay."
"I was more worried about you and the kids." Lex held out her good hand. "How much trouble do you think we'd be in, if you slept up here with us?"
Amanda laughed and took her hand. "Let's not give the poor nurses any trouble. They've been really nice to me."
When Lex faked a pout, she kissed her bottom lip. "Behave."
"Yes, ma'am. I love you."
"Love you, too." Amanda kissed her as gently as possible. "Time for you to get some rest."
"What about you?"
Amanda pointed to the small chair in the corner that converted into an uncomfortable bed. "That'll do, when I get ready. But I thought I'd check on Shelby and Rebecca, first."
"Good idea." Lex lowered the top of her bed a few inches so she could be more comfortable. "Give them my best."
"I will." Amanda tugged on Lex's foot beneath the covers. "You're worse than the kids. Go to sleep."
"Yes, Mom." Lex stuck her tongue out at Amanda and closed her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-eight
THE SQUEAK OF the breakfast cart woke Shelby from a fitful sleep. Her head, which rested against the plastic rail of the bed, throbbed and ached, as did the rest of her body. She glanced at Rebecca, who dozed peacefully. Shelby struggled to her feet. Every muscle she owned had stiffened overnight, and she had to bite her lip to keep from cursing. She looked up when she heard a light tap on the door.
Before Shelby could answer, the door opened and Rebecca's mother poked her head inside. She was an older, slightly heavier version of her daughter, with streaks of gray in her auburn hair and a few more wrinkles around her blue eyes. She ignored Shelby and moved to stand on the other side of the bed. After Kathy assured herself that her daughter was all right, she nodded to Shelby. "Thank you for calling us."
"You're her family," Shelby answered. "Sorry it was so late, but I kept tryin' "˜til I could get through. Although she'll probably kick my a...uh, rear, when she finds out."
Kathy cracked a smile. "I'm sure you can handle her." She held out her hand across Rebecca's body. "I'm really sorry about how we've acted toward you, Shelby."
Never one to hold a grudge, Shelby took her hand. "Thanks, Mrs. Starrett. I'm sure that'll make Rebecca feel better."
"Mom?" Rebecca opened her eyes and noticed the clasped hands above her legs. "What's going on?"
Kathy squeezed Shelby's hand before she released it. "I was apologizing to Shelby for our behavior." She touched her daughter's cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"I hurt all over." Rebecca looked at Shelby. "Were you here all night?"
Shelby tried to shrug, but it jarred her shoulder. She masked her discomfort by adjusting the sling. "What makes you think that?"
"You're still in the scrubs they gave you, yesterday. And..." Rebecca looked at Shelby's head. "You have a red crease on your forehead."
"Um." Shelby tried to rub the mark away. "Would you like some coffee, Mrs. Starrett? I could give y'all some time alone."
Kathy shook her head. "No, that's all right. You don't have to leave. I just wanted to--"
"Mom? Would you give us a minute?" Rebecca asked.
"Sure. I'll be right outside." Kathy smiled at both women before she stepped from the room.
Shelby rested her good hand on the bed rail. "What's up, darlin'?"
"Will you do me a huge favor?"
"Anything."
Rebecca tried to raise her arm, but her back hurt too much. "Ow."
"Hey, take it easy." Shelby reached between the rails and covered Rebecca's hand. "What's the favor?"
"Go home."
"What?"
Rebecca carefully smiled. The motion pulled at the bruise on her cheek, but she ignored it. "Honey, you look worse than I feel. Please, go home and get a shower and some rest. I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind staying here, if that'll make you feel better."
"Are you tryin' to get rid of me?"
"Yes." Rebecca laughed then closed her eyes for a moment. "Ow. I shouldn't do that."
Shelby reached for the call button. "Do you need me to get the nurse?"
"No." Rebecca took a few shallow breaths before she opened her eyes. "But I do need you to take care of yourself, if only for me."
"A'right."
Rebecca was poised to argue her point. "What?"
Shelby touched the tip of Rebecca's nose. "You win. Besides, I could really use a shower. I itch in places that don't need to itch."
"I can just imagine. I'd do just about anything for a bath right now." Rebecca squeezed Shelby's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"You'll see me this evenin'," Shelby corrected. She leaned down and gave her lover a gentle kiss. "Get some rest, darlin'. I love you."
Rebecca blinked away the moisture from her eyes. "I love you, too."
Shelby used her fingertip to wipe Rebecca's tear. "Are you sure you want me to go?"
"I'm sure. I think all these drugs they have me on make me feel more emotional than usual. Go on, before my mother breaks the door down."
"Okay." Shelby opened the door and stepped into the hall. "Mrs. Starrett?"
Kathy met her not far from Rebecca's room. "Is everything all right, Shelby?"
"Yes, ma'am. Matter of fact, would you mind keepin' Rebecca company for a while? She's sending me home."
"Of course!" Kathy finally looked closely at Shelby. The hospital scrubs were too large for her slender body, which was covered in scrapes and bruises. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them, and her left eye was swollen from the bandaged injury. The gray sling that held her left arm didn't seem to fit correctly, either. "Are you all right?"
Shelby fought off a yawn. "I've had better days, that's for sure. Nothin' a little time won't heal, though. Thanks."
"All right." Kathy touched her unencumbered arm. "When something like this happens, it puts everything in perspective, doesn't it?" At Shelby's confused look, she continued, "When I heard that Rebecca had been hurt in the storm, I didn't care about anything else but her."
She lowered her gaze and focused on the tile floor. "We were just so sure that you were a phase she was going through. A way to get attention."
"With all due respect, Mrs. Starrett--"
"No, Shelby. Please. Even if I hadn't seen you by my daughter's side just now, I know we were wrong. Becca's told me again and again how much she--" Kathy stumbled through the words. "Loves you. It's hard to reconcile what I always hoped and dreamed for her, against what reality is, you know?"
Shelby nodded. "Yes'm, I do understand. And bein' at odds with y'all has really torn her up. But, at the same time, we've never been happier. I love her more than anythin' in the world, Mrs. Starrett. And that ain't never gonna change."
"I'm glad, Shelby." Kathy started toward Rebecca's room, then turned. "I thought we resolved that Mrs. Starrett stuff years ago."
"Yes, ma'am." Shelby nodded and graced her with a genuine smile, one she usually only shared with Rebecca. "Thanks, Kathy."
Kathy winked at her and went into Rebecca's room.
AMANDA PACED AROUND the small room, waving her hands and grumbling. "Of all the pig-headed, stubborn, lame-brained--"
"Sweetheart," Lex tried to interrupt.
"Stupid, foolish, moronic, idiotic--"
"Amanda." As her wife continued to stomp around, Lex balled up a piece of paper and hit her in the back of the head.
Amanda stopped and spun around, glaring at Lex. "What?"
Lex held out her hand. "Could you come here, please?"
"I don't know." Amanda put her hands on her hips. "Maybe I'm not through talking."
"Uh huh." Lex crooked her finger. "Talk over here."
Amanda growled, but moved across the room to stand beside Lex's hospital bed. "Yes?" She yelped when she was pulled onto the bed and across Lex's lap. "You're going to hurt yourself."
"Nah." The motion did make her back ache and her chest hurt but Lex ignored the pain and wrapped her arms around Amanda. "Now, what were you saying?"
"I know you're anxious to get out of here, but the doctors want to keep an eye on you for another day or so. They're concerned about the bruising on your chest."
Rodney had stopped by the room the night before to explain the results of the x-rays and MRI. Lex had two cracked ribs and significant bruising from the seatbelt. Although there was no sign of internal bleeding, they wanted to err on the side of caution, especially since Lex recently recovered from pneumonia.
Lex took a shallow breath and released it. "See? I'm okay. I've tried telling them that."
"Lex," Amanda placed her hand on her wife's chest. "It's not the bruises that concern them, it's what's under the bruises."
"Ah." Lex put her hand atop Amanda's. "One more day? Then I'm going home. I miss the kids."
She had awakened to find that Jeannie had taken Lorrie home with her and she still felt hurt by the loss.
"What if I bring Mel and Eddie for a visit this afternoon? Would that help?"
Lex stuck out her lower lip, which Amanda immediately kissed. They broke apart and Lex sighed. "Nah. There's no sense in dragging them all the way out here. I'll see them tomorrow."
"Maybe." Amanda gentled her point by a kiss to the forehead. "How's your headache?"
"Still going strong." Lex leaned into the kiss and closed her eyes. Amanda's light tracing around her swollen nose soothed her. "I look like hell, don't I?"
Amanda continued to place soft kisses on her face. "I." Kiss. "Think." Kiss. "You're." Kiss. "Beautiful." The final kiss was on Lex's lips, but was interrupted by a yawn.
"Sorry." Lex yawned again. "It's not you."
"I know." Amanda scooted off the bed and lowered it. "Time for your morning nap."
Lex groaned, both from the discomfort of changing position and her wife's words. "I just woke up."
"Then it shouldn't be too hard to go back to sleep." Amanda straightened the covers and brushed her hand across Lex's hair. "I'll see you this afternoon."
"'Kay." Lex struggled to keep her eyes open but emitted a low snore, instead.
Amanda shook her head. "I guess I'd better get used to that sound, at least until your nose heals." She kissed Lex's forehead again before leaving the room.
SHELBY LEANED AGAINST the back of the elevator and tried to keep from falling asleep. She let her eyes drift closed as the elevator stopped on the next floor and she nearly jumped out of her skin as someone touched her arm. "What?"
"I'm sorry, Shelby. Are you all right?" Amanda had peeked in on them last night, but both Shelby and Rebecca were sound asleep and she didn't have the heart to wake them.
"Uh, yeah." Shelby rubbed her face with her free hand and blinked a few times to get her bearings. "How's Lorrie?"
Amanda stepped into Shelby's personal space and carefully hugged her. "She's going to be fine, thanks to you."
"Don't thank me. It's a wonder I didn't get her killed," Shelby muttered once Amanda moved away. "How about Lex?"
"She's grumpy, which is a good sign."
The elevator opened on the ground floor. Shelby followed Amanda through the lobby and out into the morning air. She looked at the clear, blue sky and shook her head. "Hard to believe yesterday even happened, ain't it?"
"Sure is." Amanda stopped at the end of the sidewalk. "How's Rebecca? I was going to check on her before I left but I ran into you."
"She's hurtin', but she's tryin' to keep it to herself. The doc said her back is strained or sprained and they're worried about the swelling and a possible spinal contusion. So she'll have trouble movin' around for a while." Shelby scratched behind one ear. "I didn't want to leave, but since her mom showed up I figured they could use some time alone."
"That was sweet of you."
Shelby shrugged, or at least tried. She grimaced as the motion pulled on her shoulder. "Yeah, well. Kathy apologized this mornin' and it made Rebecca pretty damned happy. That's all that matters to me."
Amanda had heard Rebecca's side of the problem with her family. She and the younger woman had discussed it at length over coffee. "Where are you heading?"
"Home, I guess. Even with a change of clothes, I smell like a stock tank."
Amanda laughed at the comparison. It sounded exactly like something her wife would have said. "Is your house all right after the storm? Ours is going to need some work on the roof, but otherwise it's okay."
"Yeah. Other than the back door being busted, it's in good shape." Shelby straightened her posture in an attempt to wake up. "Can I walk you to your truck?"
"On one condition."
Shelby shuffled beside Amanda. "What's that?"
"Come to my sister's house with me. You can shower there and catch a nap. She's got plenty of room."
Shelby stopped. "Naw, that's okay. Y'all don't need me underfoot."
"Let me rephrase that," Amanda said, as she took Shelby's good arm. "You're about ready to drop, and you have no business trying to drive. Come with me and get some rest, and I'll bring you back up this afternoon. Deal?"
"Is that how you talk to Lex?"
"Yep. And she's smart enough to listen to me. Most of the time."
"Well, if you're sure I won't be any trouble, then."
"Not at all." Amanda unlocked the Expedition and climbed in behind the steering wheel. "You're not much smaller than Rodney, so I bet they even have some clothes you can borrow. Unless you're fond of those scrubs."
Shelby gave her a wry look. "They go great with the boots, don't they?" As Amanda backed out of the parking space, Shelby cursed. "What's the matter?" "I need to head home and take care of the horses. They're probably chewing the barn to bits." Amanda stopped Shelby from unbuckling her seat belt. "Let me have one of the guys do it. They need something to do."
"They have more than enough to do, Amanda. I'm sure there's plenty of broken tree limbs and shi-- um, stuff to clean up at the ranch."
"Really?" Amanda continued to drive out of the parking lot. "Well, since I have you captive in my SUV, you have a choice."
Shelby couldn't wipe the grin from her face. She had witnessed Amanda's handling of Lex but had never been targeted by her. "What's that?"
"Either let me call the guys to take care of your horses or I'll drive you out there and we can do it together." "You don't need to go to all that trouble. I can handle it just fine." Amanda stopped the truck. "What's it going to be? Remember, I'm used to Lex. She's one of the most stubborn people I've ever met."
Shelby relaxed against the back of the seat as her energy left her. "I reckon Rebecca would disagree with you there. But, all right. Chet's been there with me a time or two. He'll know what to do."
"Smart woman."
Once they were headed toward Somerville, Amanda turned on the radio to a news station. "I hope this doesn't bother you, but I'd like to get an update on the weather."
"Sounds like a good idea."
...at least four people are missing and manyinjured in the storm that hit the small community ofSomerville, yesterday afternoon. Two people drownedat Lake Somerville when their boat was capsized bythe seventy-mile-an-hour plus winds and three more were killed in separate instances in the town proper. It's the first derecho in this part of thestate in more than forty years, and many were ill-prepared for the fast-moving storm...
Amanda flicked the radio off. "My God. That explains a lot. One minute we had a few clouds in the sky, and the
next all hell was breaking loose. The only reason we were prepared at the ranch was because of the weather radio."
She had only read about derechos. The widespread, fast-moving storm could cause destruction similar to a tornado. With winds that gust at least fifty-eight miles per hour, and several separate gusts of over seventy-five miles per hour, the swath of damage would cover more than two hundred forty miles.
She turned to Shelby. "You and Lorrie could have been killed. How did you know?"
"I heard some thunder and wanted to get her to the house before the bad weather hit. Just got unlucky that the truck was blown off the road when it was. I'm sorry, Amanda. I should have been more careful."
"Are you kidding? I'm just glad she was with you, instead of Lex."
Shelby shook her head. "What? No. Because of me, Lorrie's got a broken wrist. If she had been with Lex, she'd--"
"Been in the truck when it was hit by the tree," Amanda added quietly. "Who knows what would have happened to her, then." She took a cleansing breath. "So, thank you."
Shelby had nothing to say to that. "Then I'm glad she was with me. Thanks, Amanda." She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax for the first time since the storm.
KYLE HAD NEVER seen the Somerville Hospital parking lot so full. She parked her shop's tow truck a block away and wearily hiked to the emergency room. After they had rescued Lex and Weldon, Kyle and Ellie had driven to the town square. They spent the rest of the day helping the injured. Afterward, Ellie had asked to be taken to the hospital so she could assist the overwhelmed staff. That was the last time Kyle saw or heard from her.
Once she had dropped Ellie off at the hospital, Kyle had gotten her company's tow truck and used it to give assistance as needed. Sometime before sunup, Kyle returned home to finish cleaning up their duplex. She had enough time to shower and change before driving to the hospital to pick up Ellie.
Kyle checked her watch and mentally cursed. Ellie was supposed to have called her before now. She stepped through the doors and glanced around. Most of the chairs in the waiting area were occupied, some by sleepers who waited for word of loved ones while others gathered in small knots to speak quietly amongst themselves. Kyle stood at the intake counter until the woman ahead of her walked away. "Hi. I'm here for Eleanor Gordon. She's a nurse who came in yesterday to help."