by Paige Warren
* * * *
Elodie slowly woke, groaning at the bright light shining her eyes as she blinked them open. The fluorescents overhead told her that she wasn’t at home. As she shifted, pain tore through her left shoulder and she winced. It all came flooding back to her. She wondered if anyone had caught Casey, if they even knew he was responsible. Not that it would matter much. With the mayor as his daddy, it would be swept under the rug, just like all of his other crimes over the years.
Movement to her right caught her attention and she turned her head that way. Her lips parted in surprise when she saw Beck slouched in a chair, his head slumped on his chest, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Beau stood in the doorway, two cups of coffee in his hands. How long had they been there? How had they even known she was in the hospital? As clarity had returned, she’d realized she was in Smithson General, one town over.
“Welcome back,” Beau said, his voice sounding strained. “You scared the hell out of us.”
“How did I get here?”
“Someone passing by heard the gunshot and then saw a car take off out of the alley. They decided to investigate and found you lying on the ground. The sheriff will be by later to take your statement and find out what happened,” Beau said.
Beck groaned and stretched, tipping his head back and raising his arms up high. As he straightened, his eyes opened. He smiled when he saw she was awake and rose to move closer to her. His grip on her hand was warm and strong, his thumb gently caressed the skin above her knuckles.
“How are you doing, baby? Are you in pain?” he asked.
“A little. My shoulder feels like it’s on fire.”
He looked over his shoulder at Beau. “Why don’t you fetch a nurse and see if we can make our girl more comfortable.”
Their girl? When did that happen?
Beau set the coffee down on a nearby table and hurried out of the room.
Beck lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “You had us worried.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“We called the diner this morning after breakfast and asked for you. One of the waitresses told us what happened and we hightailed it over here.”
“What time is it?” she asked with a frown. The blinds were closed so she couldn’t tell if the sun was still out or not.
“It’s a little after eight in the evening. You were brought in a little after ten last night, so you’ve been out for almost a full day.”
“It was Casey Woods. He was in the alley when I came out, but I didn’t see him until I was too far from the door to escape. I gave him my purse, even though it had all of my money in it, but when he asked for the car, I was stupid and told him no. That’s when he shot me.”
She looked over Beck’s shoulder and saw the sheriff leaning in the doorway. He moved further into the room when their eyes locked. Once upon a time, she’d had a crush on the hunky, auburn-haired sheriff, but now he paled in comparison to her two cowboys. There she went again, thinking of them as hers. But then, if she was reading all of the signals right, they were thinking of her as theirs. She still didn’t see what was in it for them. Men like Beck and Beau could have any woman they wanted, so why her?
“Sheriff. I heard you need to take my statement.”
Sheriff Landry Crawford smiled. “I think I heard enough. I’m not surprised to hear Casey was behind it, even if this is a little over the top for him. Is there any way the shooting was an accident?”
She shook her head. “When I told him he couldn’t have my car, he pulled a gun from behind his back and pulled the trigger. There was no hesitation.”
“What type of car did he steal?” the sheriff asked.
“A green Honda Civic.”
The sheriff nodded and scribbled something on a pad. “Year?”
“1999. It has a dent in the rear bumper and a scratch down the driver’s side where someone keyed it last year.”
The sheriff took notes, nodding his head. His eyes zeroed in on Beck, or more precisely, Beck’s hand holding hers. “And your relationship to Miss Mitchell?”
“Sheriff Crawford, that is none of your business,” Elodie replied tartly. “Beck wasn’t nearby when the shooting happened, no one was. It was just Casey and me in that alley. Beck and Beau didn’t find out until this morning.”
“There’s two of them?” the sheriff asked with raised eyebrows. “Aren’t you worried about your reputation?”
Beck growled at the sheriff. “There’s nothing wrong with her reputation, or with her being seen around town with my brother and me. There is, however, a problem with the way she’s treated around here.”
Elodie squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, Beck.”
“I’ll see if anyone around town has seen your car; maybe we can get a lead. Is there a number where I can reach you if I hear anything?” the sheriff asked.
“I lost my phone last night. It was in my purse when Casey took it.”
“Home phone?” asked Sheriff Crawford.
She shook her head. She didn’t want to admit, in front of Beck, that she couldn’t afford one, or that she wouldn’t have a home at all in a week. Less than a week now. She’d already lost a day of wages, there was no way she’d make it.
“All right. I’ll just stop by the diner and find you there.” The sheriff flipped his notepad closed and slipped it back in his shirt pocket. He tipped his hat at her, turned and walked away.
“You can’t be without a phone, Elodie. It isn’t safe,” Beck said. “What if something happens? You’d have no way to call 911.”
“I’ll have to worry about it later.”
Beau sauntered into the room with a nurse on his heels. She gave Elodie a warm smile as she came over to check the IV and the machine attached to her by long wires.
Giving her good arm a pat, the nurse asked, “Is there anything I can do for you, Miss Mitchell?”
“Something for the pain would be good.”
“The doctor wants to release you soon, so I can’t give you anything through your I.V. You’ll have to take a pain pill, but it probably won’t take away much of the pain. I’m afraid you’re stuck with Motrin.”
It wasn’t what Elodie wanted to hear, but if they were releasing her that was good news. Maybe it meant her wound wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Surely they would keep her longer if it was serious. Or maybe they’d discovered she didn’t have insurance and they were just rushing her out before she could rack up more charges. She had no idea how she was going to pay the hospital bill.
As if the nurse heard her thoughts, she paused in the doorway and looked back at her. “I’ll bring some paperwork for you to complete. You should probably take care of that first.”
Elodie nodded and waited for the nurse to return. Things were about to become rather unpleasant, of that she had little doubt. And the worst part was that Beck and Beau would be witness to her humiliation. Maybe she could convince them to go to the cafeteria for food or something. Anything to get them out of the room while she talked with the nurse about the financial aspects of her stay.
“Are the two of you hungry?” she asked.
Beck and Beau shared a look before returning their gazes to her.
“Why do you ask?” Beau asked.
“I just thought since you’ve been here all day you might want to leave for a little while.”
Beck lifted a brow. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with that paperwork the nurse just mentioned, would it? You didn’t seem all that anxious to get rid of us until then.”
She felt her cheeks flush.
Beau moved closer and rested a hand on her leg. “Elodie, what’s going on?”
“I can’t afford to pay my bill,” she said in a near whisper, embarrassment burning through her.
“You don’t have insurance?” Beck asked.
She shook her head miserably. “The diner doesn’t offer it and I can’t afford a policy on my own. I know I probably qualify for Medicaid, but I just never found th
e time to apply. Plus, I’d rather stand on my own two feet if I can. I don’t like taking handouts, even if they’re from the government.”
“Don’t worry, sweet thing, we’ll figure something out.” Beau smiled.
“My problems aren’t your problems,” she said. “I can’t let you take care of it for me.”
“Baby, we’re here because we want to take care of you. Why don’t you let us do that?” Beck said. “If you won’t let us pay for things outright, then at least let us loan the money to you. Just pay back what you can afford when you’re able.”
“All right,” she agreed softly. “I suppose that would be okay.”
The nurse bustled back in and handed her a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached. Elodie detached the pen from the metal clip and clicked the top before starting on the forms. Name, address, those were easy. Phone number, not so much. Since her purse had been stolen, she didn’t have a phone. She skipped over it and filled out what she could. When she was finished, she handed it back to the nurse.
“I talked to our financial department,” the nurse said. “They want ten percent of your bill paid and then you can make payments.”
Beau pulled out his wallet. “Just tell me where to go and I’ll take care of it.”
“If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you downstairs.” The nurse turned and headed out the door. She paused and looked back at Elodie. “I’ll bring that pain pill soon.”
The nurse marched out the door and turned down the hall with Beau on her heels.
“I guess that means I’ll be discharged soon,” Elodie said.
“We’ll give you a ride home.” Beck smiled.
Yes, but for how long would she have one? Did she still have a job? She didn’t think for one minute that her boss was sympathetic to her situation. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t fired her before now, except there were few people who wanted to work with his grumpy ass. He went through waitresses like most people went through toilet paper.
Elodie had to figure things out, and quick. With less than a week left before she was homeless, she knew the minutes were ticking by. She’d planned to live in her car if she was homeless, but now that she didn’t have one, that was no longer an option. Why did these things have to happen to her? No home, no car, no money. She wasn’t sure she could sink much lower.
“What’s wrong, Elodie? You look worried,” Beck said.
“It’s nothing. I’m just not sure if I still have a job. I was down for two shifts today and missed both.”
He frowned. “Surely your boss isn’t enough of an asshole that he’d fire you over something you couldn’t control. You were shot in his alley!”
“Trust me, he won’t care.”
“Do you want to call him?” Beck pulled out his cell phone and offered it to her.
Hesitantly, she took it from him. She quickly dialed the number to the diner, and put the phone up to her ear. She knew it was doubtful Elliot was still there since the diner would be closing in an hour. Her boss was lazy, if anything, and worked as few hours as possible. When the cook answered the phone, Elodie asked to speak to Elliot. Just as she’d suspected, she was told he wasn’t around.
“Thanks, Frank. I just wanted to touch base with him. I’ve been out all day.”
There was a pause. “Elodie, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Elliot said he was going to cut your final check in the morning. I know it wasn’t your fault you weren’t here, but he replaced you this afternoon. He hired Martha Benson’s granddaughter to work the afternoon shift after school.”
She sighed, not really expecting anything less. It just made that weight on her shoulders a little bit heavier. “Thanks, Frank. I’ll find a way up there tomorrow to pick it up.”
“Sure thing, Elodie. I hope you heal quickly. I still can’t believe you were shot.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later, Frank.”
She disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Beck. He gave her a worried look as he pocketed the phone. She tried, she really did, but she just couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Between the hopelessness of her situation and the pain knifing through her shoulder, she just couldn’t take anymore.
“Hey, what’s wrong, baby?” Beck asked, sliding onto the edge of the bed and easing his arm around her, mindful of her shoulder.
It felt so good to be in his arms that she melted against him, sobbing against his chest. She knew she needed to pull herself together, but she couldn’t seem to turn off the waterworks. There was just too much pressure on her right now. She’d been through so much, and it wasn’t over yet. How was she supposed to find another job in a town that hated her? Even if she could, how would she get there without a car?
She’d be living on the street soon. There were no shelters in town, and the church no longer ran a program to help people in her situation. Even if they did, they weren’t likely to help the daughter of the town whore. Why had she stayed in this horrible little town? Yes, everything was familiar to her, but she was miserable, had always been miserable. The moment her mother died, she should have hit the road and never looked back. It was too late now.
Her hands clutched at Beck’s shirt as she sniffled. Looking up at him through spiky wet lashes, she saw the look of concern on his face and it was almost her undoing. When was the last time someone had worried about her? She couldn’t remember anyone ever caring what happened to her. And how had she repaid him? By soaking his shirt and costing his brother a small fortune. She’d have to find out how much she owed Beau and pay him back just as soon as she could.
“Feel better?” Beck asked.
“A little.”
“Want to tell me what that was about?”
She shook her head. It was her problem, not his. Beau and Beck had already done more than enough for her. She couldn’t drag them further along into her issues. It wasn’t fair to them. With them being new in town, they really needed to hang out with the right kind of people, or they’d never be accepted. She didn’t want them to be ostracized like she’d been all her life.
“I’ve been told I’m a good listener,” he coaxed.
“I can’t unload on you. It isn’t fair.”
“Baby, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to help. Sometimes talking about things makes you feel better. And if there’s a problem, I’m sure we can come up with a solution.”
“Maybe later. I’m kind of tired right now.”
He brushed a kiss across her forehead and she closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. Beck eased her back against the pillows and she blinked up at him. It still astounded her that he was here, sitting beside her, taking care of her.
“Get some rest, baby. I’ll wake you when the nurse comes with your discharge papers.”
She nodded and closed her eyes again. Maybe things wouldn’t look so bad if she had a little more sleep. Who was she kidding? All the sleep in the world wasn’t going to fix her fucked up life.
About an hour later, she woke to someone stroking her arm. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on Beau’s smiling face.
“Hey there, angel. You ready to sign some more paperwork so we can get you out of here?”
She nodded and awkwardly pushed herself up until she was sitting upright enough to sign her name several times. When everything was taken care of, the nurse laid some scrubs down on the foot of the bed. Elodie frowned at them.
“Where are my clothes?”
“They were torn and covered in blood, baby. The sheriff took them in as evidence,” Beck said. “We didn’t think you’d want them, anyway.”
She sighed. He had a good point. No way would she ever wear those things again. At least she still had her tennis shoes, even if they did have blood splattered on them. She doubted they would ever be completely clean again, but then, they hadn’t been snow white to begin with. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d bought anything new. It was a miracle the shoes hadn’t fallen apart by now.
She eased her le
gs over the side of the bed and blushed as the back of the gown gaped. “Um, guys, maybe you should step outside for a minute.”
Beau arched a brow. “And how do you think you’re going to get dressed?”
She nodded toward the nurse. “I thought maybe she’d be nice enough to help me.”
“Baby, we just want to help. Let us take care of you,” Beck said.
Elodie shook her head, adamant that they not see her naked, especially under these circumstances.
The older blonde nurse smiled. “I’d be happy to help her. You heard her boys, out you go.”
Beau and Beck grumbled as they shuffled out the door, closing it behind them. Left alone with the nurse, Elodie stood on shaky legs and dropped the hospital gown. Her face flushed in embarrassment over someone seeing her body, but she figured the woman had seen much worse in her line of work. Part of her discharge papers had said she couldn’t wear a bra for at least the next seven to ten days. How the hell she was supposed to go out in public without a bra? It wasn’t like she was flat-chested, not with a 42G bust.
After carefully putting on the top and stepping into the pants, she sat on the edge of the bed. How sad was it that she couldn’t even pull on her own socks and shoes? She’d never felt so helpless in her life. Living alone suddenly felt rather scary. She had no idea how she was going to take care of herself, and she had no family to turn to.
The nurse helped her off the bed, then opened the door. Beau and Beck were leaning against the wall opposite her room, arms folded over their impressive chests. Elodie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen so much sex appeal all in one place. Her pulse thrummed with excitement and she licked her lower lip. Oh, the things she’d like to do with them!
“Ready, Elodie?” Beck asked, pushing away from the wall.
She nodded.
“Just a minute. You have to leave in one of these,” the nurse said, pulling a wheel chair closer. “It’s hospital policy.”
Elodie grumbled under her breath, but sat in the contraption just the same.
Beau straightened and flashed her a smile. “Let’s get you home, sweet thing. I bet you’re ready to relax in your own bed.”
