Justus Teague, looking like he’d just woken up, sat on the front lip of a leather chair that couldn’t have been comfortable to sleep in. He scrubbed fingers back through his blond curls standing them all on end at protruding angles, and then met her gaze with a sleepy one of his own. “How are you feeling?”
Confusion plucked at her. She scrunched her eyes closed and tried to remember how she came to be here. It was only a moment before everything came back to her in a rush. She focused on Justus again choosing to ignore his question because somehow she thought he might overreact to the fact that her head felt like it might split open at any second. “Thank you for riding with me to the hospital.” A flash of memory – her clutching his hand – pressed her lips closed in embarrassment. She averted her gaze.
He stood and lifted a cup with a straw to her lips. “Not a problem. I’m just glad I was there to help.”
She realized how thirsty she really was and that her voice had sounded dry and parched a moment ago. She guzzled thirstily, then sank back against the pillows and sighed. “Thanks.”
He tipped her a nod.
Pain pulsed through her skull again. “Do you think they might have some Tylenol I could take?”
Something tightened in his features and he strode toward the door. “I’ll get you a nurse.”
He was back only moments later, a nurse bustling on his heels. “Your man here says you’re hurting? Where is your pain, hon?”
“My head.”
“Well, that’s to be expected considering the blow you took last night. Anywhere else?”
Dakota slowly assessed the other regions of her body and informed the nurse of a slight twinge in her left ankle and a larger one in her right arm.
“Also to be expected since your x-rays and scans revealed a fracture of your arm and a sprain to your ankle.”
Dakota nearly groaned. How was she supposed to walk down the aisle for Marie’s wedding in just a couple days time if she had a sprained ankle? She didn’t even remember them doing any scans.
The nurse was still talking. “The good news is, you don’t appear to have anything more than a super mild concussion. So you’ll probably get to go home here after a bit. First let’s get you some breakfast and I’ll put a little pain killer into your IV line, okay?” The nurse bustled back in the direction she’d come from.
Dakota didn’t care about breakfast, but killing the gremlins that were kicking the inside of her skull sounded heavenly. Her eyes dropped closed until she remembered Justus was still here. She glanced over to find him, elbows propped against his knees and one cheek resting on clasped hands, studying her. Weariness draped his features, and the blond beard he normally wore trimmed close and carefully groomed, looked a little thicker than normal.
She offered him a weary smile. “You don’t have to stay. Go home and get some rest.”
Humor tucked around the edges of his eyes. “I can’t have all these nice hospital staff thinking I’m the worst boyfriend in the world.”
She laughed, then gasped and scrunched her eyes shut as pain shot through her head.
Justus was by her side in an instant. “Sorry. What can I do?”
She opened one eye and wrinkled her nose at him. “Don’t make me laugh. At least not till a few minutes after she gets back with that pain killer.”
He touched her shoulder, his face serious. “You got it.”
His total seriousness almost made her laugh again. She opened her mouth to tease him about it, but just then Marie and Reece knocked at the open door. She changed her intended words. “Hi, you two. Come in.”
They stepped into the room followed by Riley and a dark haired Hispanic looking man she’d never seen before.
Marie rushed to her side. “Dakota! I can’t believe it! I hardly slept last night, I was so worried about you. Are you going to be okay?” She leaned over the bed and gave Dakota a gentle hug.
Dakota patted her back. “I’m going to be fine. Where’s my munchkin?”
“Darlene is watching her this morning.”
Reece’s mom seemed to have come around one hundred percent in her opinion of Marie over the last few months. Dakota was glad about that.
She moved on to a more pressing matter. “I just hope this isn’t going to ruin the wedding.”
Marie waved away her concern and rejoined Reece at the foot of the bed. “Our wedding is the least of our worries. I can’t believe a tree fell on House of Hope!”
“Crazy, huh?” Dakota tried not to wince when Marie rested one hand on her sprained ankle at the end of the bed.
Reece folded his arms and pushed his ever present cowboy hat back on his head. “So what do you hear about when you get to make your escape?”
Dakota offered a thin smile, feeling her energy already beginning to flag. “The jailer said I’m up for parole this morning sometime.”
Just then the nurse stepped back in carrying a breakfast tray. “Well look at you, Miss Center of the Party.” She offered Dakota a wink as she set the tray on the rolling bedside table. She pulled a syringe from her coat pocket and reached for Dakota’s IV port. “A few pain killers and you’ll be up and dancing with one of these handsome guys in no time.”
Everyone chuckled and Dakota had to scrunch her eyes shut against the pain again.
A warm hand settled against her shoulder. “You alright?”
She forced herself to meet Justus’ concerned gaze. “I’m fine.”
He stepped over to the chair where he’d been sitting when she woke up and pulled his black leather jacket from the back. “Tell you what. We’ll all let you eat and we’ll run grab a bite ourselves. Then I’ll be back about ten to see if you’ve been released and to give you a ride home, alright?”
“Actually if Marie’s done with my car I can just drive myself?” She arched her brows at Marie.
Marie darted Reece a look, then Justus. Neither man seemed to want to meet Dakota’s gaze. But there was compassion in Marie’s eyes when she looked at her. “Um… We sort of don’t want you driving yourself anywhere, at least for a couple days.
Dakota’s brows shot up. “We?”
Marie winced and swung a finger to Reece, then on to Justus, and back to herself with a tiny nod.
“Guys! I’m a big girl who bumped her head. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and don’t need you babying me.”
Justus cleared his throat. “You have a slight concussion. A broken arm. And a sprained ankle. Be reasonable.” Without giving her another chance to protest he turned to the nurse. “So will ten be a good time to check back?”
The nurse agreed that the timing should be about right and adjusted Dakota’s table. “You just eat when you are ready, okay?” With that she made her way from the room.
“Marie, Justus has already done more than enough. Could you pick me up then?”
Marie shook her head. “Sorry, Reece and I have to run to Portland today to grab the food for the reception. But Justus has already offered to be your chauffer for the next couple of days. And Riley’s going to drive your car out to Serenity Shores for you so it will be there when are able to drive yourself again.”
Dakota eyed Riley. Since Riley’s husband had died when, still in his drunken rage after he’d beaten her up, he’d driven his car off the coastal highway, she at least didn’t have to worry about Riley’s safety from him. But it still bothered her for Riley to be alone. She had so many emotions roiling through her right now. “So Riley, you aren’t going to Portland with Marie and Reece today?”
Riley shook her head.
Dakota pressed her lips together not wanting to make her feel self conscious in front of all those in the room, but not wanting to leave her to be on her own all day either.
Jalen saved her from the dilemma. “If Riley doesn’t mind, Marie asked me to DJ for the wedding reception on Saturday and I could use some help setting up my equipment and doing some sound tests.”
Dakota liked the man already. She looked at Ril
ey and waited for her reply.
Riley shrugged and gave a tiny nod.
And Dakota offered Jalen a smile of thanks.
He lifted his chin in a quick nod to indicate it was no big deal, shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and scuffed his toe across the floor.
Marie broke the awkward silence that settled. “Thanks for letting me use your car yesterday. That was a big help.
“You’re welcome. But I’m not happy that you guys are all ganging up on me.” Dakota stuck her tongue out at Marie.
Marie only chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll get over it.”
Dakota lifted one brow at Justus, unable to hide her pique. “You going to make me ride behind you on your motorbike?” Her chest tightened at just the thought. She’d sooner walk home than straddle a bike ever again.
But he only shook his head. “Left my bike back home this time. Brought my car, instead.” He tipped his head at the Hispanic man. “Jalen there protested over having to ride with the wind in his face the whole way here. Good thing too, I guess.”
Jalen, standing quietly, arms folded, smirked and shook his head over the obvious misrepresentation, but tilted her a nod of greeting.
She wiggled her fingers in return, since moving her head still hurt like crazy. But her gaze traveled to Riley, who stood quietly, her focus sweeping each aspect of the room as if to memorize the space. “Riley, where did you sleep last night? Are you okay?”
Riley’s attention zoomed to her, then flicked to Marie, but she didn’t speak, only nodded and tucked a strand of her straight red-blond hair behind one ear.
Jalen looked down and kicked at something on a tile near his feet, his jaw jutting off to one side.
Marie hastened to speak for her. “Riley stayed with Alyssa and me last night and she’s welcome to stay until we get another place figured out….”
Marie’s words trailed away and Dakota knew the implication. She was welcome to stay until something else was figured out or until Marie’s lease ran out at the end of the week when she and her daughter would move into Serenity Shores with Reece.
Which brought to mind another thought for Dakota. She didn’t have a place to stay either. Where was she going to go when she left here today? The fire department had condemned House of Hope, and all of Dakota’s and Riley’s belongings were in there.
Reece seemed to be able to read her thoughts. “Listen, with the wedding coming up, we didn’t book any guests at Serenity Shores for about three weeks. We’ll have plenty of room for you two plus all the wedding guests. So no need to worry about where you’re going to stay.”
Relief rushed through Dakota. But it was Riley who concerned her. She offered the woman a smile. “Sounds good to me, what about you?”
Riley shrugged and nodded, still offering no word or flicker of emotion.
Lord, help me to reach her. “Good. It’s settled then. Thank you, Reece. That lifts a big weight from my mind.”
Justus shooed everyone from the room then, and Dakota released a soft sigh as she lifted the lid from her plate of food. All she really wanted to do was sleep, but she’d force a few bites of food down first.
But, unfortunately sleep was illusive. First the doctor came in on his morning rounds. He double checked all her injuries, assessed the response of her irises to light, listened to her heart beat, and checked her blood pressure and pulse. He offered her a gentle smile. “You are lucky, young lady. Your injuries could have been much worse.”
Dakota swallowed. “Yeah, I think God was watching out for me. I was sitting at my desk right where the tree fell only moments before it happened.”
The doctor gave a little whistle. “Well, however you were spared, you’ve managed to escape with only a slight concussion and injuries that will heal within a few weeks.” He jotted something in her chart. “I’ll write up the order for your discharge and you are free to leave as soon as the nurse brings by your prescription for pain killers. Please take it easy over the next few days for sure and give yourself lots of rest.”
She smiled. “The way I feel now, my body will be demanding that from me.”
“Good. Listen to it!”
Dakota had just settled into her pillow to hopefully find a few moments of the doctor’s last prescription when a knock at the open door revealed Pastor Mark poking his head inside.
“Hi pastor.” She waved him in. “Thanks for coming by.”
Pastor shook his head as he approached. “I’m so glad you are okay!”
Dakota winced at him. “I’m really sorry about House of Hope. Is it going to be fixable?”
Pastor Mark held out a hand to reassure her. “Don’t you worry about a thing. The house is insured and the insurance company just had a man come out and check over those trees at our request and expense a year ago. He gave them the all-clear to remain. So I have every confidence that the damage to the house will be fully covered. The most important thing is that you are okay.”
Relief washed through Dakota so palpably she realized how much that had been weighing on her. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Pastor stayed and prayed with her and visited until Justus stepped back into the room. Pastor Mark stood from where he’d seated himself in the room’s chair.
Freshly showered and groomed, the sight of Justus, and the sweep of his swimming-pool-blue eyes, stole all the moisture from Dakota’s mouth. “Pastor Mark.” The words rasped and she cleared her throat and started again. “Pastor Mark, this is Justus Teague. He’s a good friend of Reece’s and here for the wedding. Justus, this is our pastor, Mark Rolland.”
Justus nodded and stepped forward to shake the man’s hand.
“Well,” Pastor Mark turned back to her after greeting Justus. “I’d better be going. Mrs. Murton is in here too. Got struck by a branch when she was out walking her Pomeranian last night.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that! Is she going to be alright?”
Pastor nodded. “Yes, she just cut her arm pretty good and they wanted to keep an eye on her blood pressure overnight. But her call this morning said it was stabilizing. Anyhow, just say a prayer for her, if you would. I know she’ll do the same for you.” He lifted a hand of farewell, then paused. “I’m assuming you have all the help you need, and a place to stay?”
Dakota nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
“Good. Well, you just let us know if you need anything, alright? And I’ll be seeing you soon.”
After signing discharge papers and receiving her prescription, Dakota had never felt more thankful than when she sank into the warm leather seat of Justus’ BMW Z3. She scanned the interior as she waited for him to stow her crutches in the trunk and get in on his side. Burl wood accents glowed golden against the backdrop of the black leather interior. The heated seat button beckoned and she clicked it to the “high” position, already feeling a bit of a chill after the warm blankets of her hospital bed. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long to heat up after he turned on the car.
She scanned the sky outside, amazed at the beautiful day. No one experiencing today would ever think that just a few hours ago, the wind had been blowing so hard it had knocked a tree over on her house. Cloudless blue skies. Slight breezes. Sunshine. Weak December sunshine, but sunshine never the less. It was like a new blank page. A new opportunity. Maybe something better would come from all of this? She sighed.
Okay, Lord. We’ll rebuild. One day at a time. One life at a time. Give me the strength I’m going to need to get the job done.
Justus sank into the driver’s seat and glanced over at her. Once again she was taken back by the azure blue of his eyes. She tipped her head against the headrest and worked her teeth over her lower lip. She reminded herself that while they were sitting in a sensible four-wheeled vehicle at the moment, the man rode a motorbike most of the time. He was definitely not the type of man she wanted to get into a relationship with again, no matter how much her fingers itched to reach out and touch the prickly, thick, five o’clock shadow on his chee
ks.
His gaze roamed her features. “You don’t look like you got much rest this morning.”
She wrinkled her nose and made a face, taking a fortifying breath at the reminder of just how terrible she must look. “Nor a shower. Nor clean clothes. I’m a mess. Do you think we could stop by the house on our way out to Serenity Shores and grab some of my things? I just have to call, and they’ll have an officer meet us there. Riley said anytime was fine with her.”
He looked dubious. “Why don’t you let me run you out to Reece’s place and then I can come back in and grab some stuff for you?”
The thought of having Justus fetching her clean underwear burned embarrassment across the back of her neck. “Um, I’d rather just stop there myself, if you don’t mind. It’s on the way and will only take a few minutes.”
He sighed. “I have a feeling stubborn runs thick in your veins.”
She couldn’t help a giggle. “My daddy used to say they put my picture in the dictionary next to obstinate.” The fingernails of her good hand bit into her palm. What had made her admit that? It must be the exhaustion making her giddy.
Humor softened the concern tightening his features. “I’ll have to remember that.” He sat back and inserted the key. “Make the call.”
She eased out a breath of satisfaction. “Thank you.”
He grinned. “Bet you didn’t often have to fight very hard to get your way either, did you?”
She pursed her lips and thought back to her childhood on the mission field in Africa. “Guess not too often. Why?”
He laughed outright then. “Because any man looking into your big brown eyes would sooner melt into a puddle than deny you a thing.”
Alarm shot through her. However she forced a smile and when he looked over and offered a crooked grin, batted her eyelashes with great fanfare.
But as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot she turned her focus to the scenery out her passenger window and buttoned down all the heartache that had just threatened to explode all over everything. No way could Justus know the memories those few words had jostled loose. Neither could he know it had been her begging and pleading that had led a man straight to his own death.
Caught in the Current (Pacific Shores Book 2) Page 19
