Reagan's Redemption: Book Eight In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Cate Beauman

  She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “For everyone’s sake you need to be on your way." Mrs. Hendley shut the door and locked it.

  For everyone’s sake? What did that mean? Closing her eyes, Reagan turned and stared down at Shane looking up at her. “Well, this was a waste of time.”

  He shrugged. “I guess it worked out for the best.”

  “You don’t seem to0 broken up about it.”

  “Damn straight. There was no way in hell we were leaving Faith here or dropping her off on the other side of the mountain. And what the hell was all of that cryptic crap?”

  She shrugged, looking among the trees, slightly spooked as they started back down the path.

  “Are you really calling social services?”

  She didn’t want to. “By law I have to. We have an abandoned child in our care.”

  “But she’s being cared for. I’ll take care of her.”

  “Shane—”

  “We’re not sending her off to get lost in the system.”

  The idea of watching social services take Faith away didn’t sit any better with her than it did Shane. “We’ll wait a few days and see if Jenny reappears.”

  He nodded. “I can live with that.”

  She touched his arm, stopping him from walking on. “I don’t want her to go any more than you do.” She adjusted Faith’s sunhat as she spoke. “I love her as much as you do.”

  “I know.”

  “I just wanted to be sure.”

  “We’re on the same page here, Doc.”

  They always seemed to be. She smiled, and they made their way back to the SUV, the trip far less eventful in the light of day. Reagan helped free Faith from the wrap and got in the backseat, holding the baby. “We’re going to have to remedy this situation immediately. I can’t even believe we’re driving without a car seat.”

  “I’ll take care of it as soon as we get home.” He drove the mile and a half at a snail’s pace and eased into the drive.

  Reagan came to attention, spotting the young boy and his mother sitting on the steps by the clinic.

  “Looks like a potential new patient.”

  “Maybe.” She assessed rosy cheeks as the little boy rested his head on his mother’s lap. “He certainly looks feverish.”

  Shane got out, taking the baby as Reagan closed the back door.

  The woman stood, holding the little boy’s hand. “Are you the doctor?”

  “Yes. I’m Reagan.”

  “Jodi.”

  Reagan crouched in front of the little guy with brown hair and freckles, his brown eyes glassy. “It looks like someone’s not feeling very well.”

  “Josiah here’s got himself some mighty ear pain. My home remedies ain’t doin’ nothin’ for it.” She looked over her shoulder. “We wouldn’t of come otherwise.”

  She stood. “I’m glad you did. I’m here to help.” She tried a friendly smile.

  “Bess Jacoby said you sewed up Sue Anne.”

  “I did.” She looked at Shane.

  “I’ve got Faith. Go help your patient.”

  “Thanks.” She returned her attention to Jodi and Josiah as Shane walked toward the cabin. “Should we go see what’s going on with Josiah’s ear?”

  Jodi hesitated. “I don’t have no money on me.”

  “We don’t turn anyone away here at the clinic.”

  “We got insurance, but the car ain’t workin’ and the doctor ain’t due back to the mine for a few more weeks.”

  “It sounds like you’ve come to the right place.” Reagan unlocked the clinic door and flipped on the lights. “Come on in. Josiah, my ocean friends in the pediatric room are going to give me a hand in helping you feel better today.”

  Josiah glanced at Reagan, then his mother.

  Jodi looked over her shoulder again as she stepped inside.

  Reagan cast her eyes toward the trees as she’d done at the Hendleys, realizing that the people of The Gap weren’t just weary of The Project; they were afraid. But of what? She closed the door and led the mother and son to the cheerful examination room, hoping to put another family at ease and show them that she was here to help not harm.

  ~~~~

  “I ordered the car seat and one of those portable cribs,” Shane said to Sophie as he held the phone with his shoulder and slid the washcloth over Faith’s legs in the kitchen sink he’d turned into a temporary tub.

  “Sarah and Alexa said they would send some of the girls’ baby clothes out.”

  “That would be great. We appreciate any help we can get.” Reagan said she would wait a few days before she called in the social workers, but he had every intention of dragging out the inevitable for as long as possible. On more than one occasion he’d heard Austin speak of Hailey’s experience in foster care. He intended to keep the sweet baby girl out of the system for as long as he could.

  “Sarah and Alexa both thought three-to-six-months sizes would be the best.”

  “Sure. She’s growing like a weed. Reagan weighed her yesterday. She’s up half a pound.” It was still hard to believe that the little lady relaxing in the warm water weighed less than a gallon of milk.

  “You sound like you’re more than half in love.”

  He smiled. “What can I say? She’s cute.”

  “What about the doctor? You sound a little smitten there too.”

  He huffed out a laugh, surprised Sophie had caught on. “What can I say? She’s cute too. Hell, she’s gorgeous,” he amended.

  “What does she think about you?”

  He pressed his lips together as he raised his brows. “Well, the jury’s still out on that one.”

  “If she’s as smart as you say she is, she’ll come around.”

  “She’s pretty guarded.

  “I’ll be rooting for you.”

  He grinned. “Thanks.”

  “So, how’s Faith’s mother doing?”

  He blew out a long breath. “She took off this morning.”

  Sophie gasped. “Oh my gosh. I can’t even imagine.”

  “She’s young, overwhelmed, and not getting any support at home. I’m hoping she just needs a couple of days to decompress.” But he wondered if Jenny had any intention of coming back for her daughter. During her two-week stay in the cabin, Jenny had changed Faith once and fed her twice, and that was only because Reagan had sat with her, encouraging and praising her the entire time.

  “That sounds tough.”

  “It’s not easy. There aren’t any resources here like there are in LA.”

  “Stone told me you’re staying in a pretty small place.”

  He chuckled. “‘Small’ is a bit of an exaggeration. There’s a gas station and minimart five miles down the road.”

  “Wow.”

  “It’s definitely different.”

  “But it sounds like you’re handling it.”

  He was playing full-time dad to a child that didn’t belong to him and part-time medical assistant to a doctor who was more than capable of handling the office on her own. “I’m hanging in here.”

  “Oh, I have a customer. I’ll send the recipes when I get home and coordinate with Sara and Alexa on the clothes.”

  “Thanks, Sophie.”

  “Of course.”

  “Oh, hey. Congratulations again. You and Stone are going to be awesome parents.”

  “Thank you.”

  He smiled from the unmistakable joy in her voice. “Bye.”

  “Bye, Shane.”

  He grabbed the phone and set it down. “Time to get out. You’re starting to look like a raisin.” Faith fussed as he lifted her from the water and tucked her in the towel he’d unfolded on the counter at his side. “I know you hate this part, but I actually got the bottle ready first this time.” He popped it in her eager mouth, and her crying stopped. If he happened to see Reagan do that the other day when she bathed Faith… He was learning.

  “Come on, Pretty Girl. Let’s get you dressed before you pee on me.
Then we’re taking a nap. Don’t feel like I’ll be put out if you decide to sleep for three or four hours.” He paused, looking out the window as a woman he hadn’t seen before walked out of the clinic, with Reagan waving behind her. “All right.” He nodded his approval. “Looks like Doc’s officially in business.”

  He moved to his room, securing Faith in her diaper as the baby cried her discontent. “We’re almost finished.” He wrapped her in her blanket, tucking her in his arm as he settled himself against the pillows, giving her back the bottle.

  The front door opened and closed. “Shane?”

  “Down here.”

  Reagan hurried in, her eyes full of excitement. “How are things going?”

  “Good. Faith is clean, eating, and will hopefully be sleeping in the next couple of minutes.”

  “I can take a turn. I know I’ve been gone for awhile.”

  He shook his head. “We’re fine. Looks like you’ve had a run today.”

  She smiled. “Two patients—one ear infection and a strep throat.”

  “Good stuff.”

  She nodded, sitting on the edge of the mattress. “That’s not the best part. I was talking with Jodi, Josiah’s mother, about her gardens—trying to break the ice a little. She was telling me how she grows some of the best corn around but constantly has trouble with her beans. Apparently, Sue Anne’s family seems to have the opposite issue.” She swiped her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, while Jodi was talking, I got this idea. I was thinking we could organize an evening where families can get together here at the clinic and swap fruits and vegetables for a bigger variety of healthful foods—kind of like a farmer’s market. We can offer some simple snacks and drinks, and I’m hoping I might be able to throw in a few nutrition facts while we’re at it. There are so many kiddos with bad teeth. They’re drinking too much soda.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a plan. Go get ‘em, tiger.” He liked seeing her like this—her eyes bright, her hands punctuating certain words as they spilled from her mouth, caught up in her own enthusiasm.

  “I will.” Her smile dimmed as she touched Faith’s toes peeking out from the blanket. “But I don’t know how many people will come.”

  “So you won’t have standing-room only on your first try.”

  She licked her lips. “They’re afraid.”

  He frowned. “Who?”

  “The people here. They’re frightened by either me or the clinic.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. That was the sense I got when I spoke with Jenny’s mother and then again with Jodi.”

  He remembered Mrs. Hendley’s weird spewings about heeding warnings and staying away, but she also seemed like a bit of a whack job. “I don’t know, Doc. When I look at you ‘intimidating’ isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind.”

  “Maybe not to you, but they were certainly uneasy. Maybe I’m trying to make sense of an unusual situation, but I don’t think so. Both women kept looking toward the trees, like they were being watched or something.” She shuddered. “It gave me the willies.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on the situation, but things have been pretty low key so far.”

  She nodded. “I just really want this to work. I can help this town if they’ll let me.”

  He took her hand, lacing their fingers. “You’re an amazing woman. Eventually they’ll figure that out.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Give them time.”

  She nodded, breaking their connection, touching Faith’s toes again. “Any word from Jenny?”

  He shook his head. “But I talked to Sophie. Sarah and Alexa are going to send out some of their daughters’ baby clothes. And I ordered a couple things from Amazon.” Closer to two dozen, but Reagan didn’t need to know that. “I’m not sure how the hell they’ll get them here, but they’re on the way.”

  “Shane.”

  He shook his head again, not wanting to hear her tell him that Faith’s time here was limited. “I know. She’s not staying forever, but while she is here, we’re going to give her everything we can.”

  She rested her hand on his arm. “You’re a good man.”

  He shrugged. “This is the right thing to do.”

  “Yes, it is.” She stood. “Are you and Faith good for awhile?”

  “Definitely. We’re about to catch some Z’s.”

  “I’m going to head back to the clinic. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will do.”

  “Have a good nap, sweetheart.” She leaned down, the scent of her shampoo invading his nose, as she kissed the baby’s forehead.

  “I imagine you don’t have one of those for me.”

  She lifted her head, her face an inch from his, and smiled. “No.”

  “Didn’t think so.” He closed his eyes and rested his head against the pillow, wanting to pull her mouth to his. “We’ll see you after work. I’m grilling chicken.”

  “Can’t wait. Bye.”

  “See ya.” He settled Faith in the center of the bed, more than happy to turn it off for a while.

  Chapter Nine

  Reagan crouched on the scarred tile floor of Black Bear Gap’s minimart and post office, securing Faith in the new car seat Shane had wrestled from the box. She’d been waiting for a good ten minutes while he loaded up several more items into the SUV. Instead of taking their usual morning hike, they’d traveled into town when Mini, the town’s postmistress, called up to the cabin to let them know their stuff had arrived. Reagan had been expecting a car seat, crib, and maybe a small package of clothing from Shane’s friends, not most of Amazon’s warehouse jammed into the trunk of the Pajero.

  “I think that’s everything.” Shane walked back inside, looking casual and delicious in gray athletic shorts and a simple black t-shirt.

  “Who’s walking back to the house, you or me?” She smiled up at him then looked down, checking the straps cocooning the baby in her seat once more.

  “I know it looks like a lot.” He shrugged. “I wanted to make sure we covered all the bases.”

  She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “I think you did—and then some.” She picked up the carrier. “Cutie Pie here is ready whenever we are—”

  “Howdy, Doc Reagan,” a heavy-set woman with long salt and pepper hair said as she walked by, holding a basket loaded down with chips, soda, and packaged cupcakes.

  Reagan tried not to wince as she perused the unhealthy options, pasting on a smile instead. Usually people avoided her and Shane. If this woman was seeking her out, she would run with it. “Good morning.”

  “I’ve heard of your curin’ ways and saw the flyers about the food swap tonight at your clinic.”

  Word had traveled throughout the hills over the last week, but not without effort. She, Shane, and the baby had hiked far and wide, spreading the word and hanging flyers on every available telephone pole she could find, enticing members of the community with a full-fledged cookout instead of simple snacks. Rumors of more than ten families potentially attending left her giddy. “Yes, I hope you’ll join us.” She held out her free hand. “Reagan Rosner.”

  “Daisy Dooley. I ain’t got much more to offer up than some green beans.”

  “That’s fine. I’m sure someone will happily take them off your hands.”

  “I might stop up now that the truck is runnin’ again.”

  “Please do.”

  Daisy stepped closer, peering into the car seat. “That be Jenny’s girl?”

  “Uh, yes. This is Faith.”

  “She’s a right pretty thing. It’s a darn shame her mamma took off.”

  “Yes.” She nodded, swallowing uncomfortably. She didn’t like speaking of her patients; although, confidentiality didn’t appear to be a big concern up here in The Gap. Neighbors seemed to know all there was to know about the people in the next house over and mountain beyond. “I’m sure she’ll be back.”

  “That feud between the Staddlers and Hendleys
been goin’ on for decades at least.”

  She wanted to ask what the feud was about but nodded instead. “I see.”

  “It’s a real Christian thing for you and your husband to take Faith in.”

  “Oh, uh—” She looked at Shane grinning, but then a black-haired, stocky man walking into the store caught her attention with his incessant coughing. Her brow furrowed, watching him stop and rest against the wall. “Excuse me. I think I should go check on that man.”

  “He’ll be fine soon enough. That’d be Henry, my husband. He’s been coughin’ off and on for years.”

  Henry didn’t sound good at all and looked even worse. “Is Henry taking anything for his cold?” Although his coloring and wheezing alerted her to bigger problems than just a simple virus.

  “No, ma’am. He’s not one to fret.”

  “I would be happy to listen to his lungs if you and Henry want to stop by the clinic.”

  “He’ll be all right. If you mine all your life, you cough.” She shrugged.

  “Your husband’s a miner?”

  “Was. Been retired ‘bout five years now. ”

  Henry stood and started their way. “You ready, Daisy?”

  “I’m talkin’ to the new doctor ‘bout Jenny’s runnin’ off.”

  Reagan smiled at Henry, wanting to change the subject. If Jenny thought she and Shane were gossiping about her she would never come back. “Hello, Mr. Henry. I’m Reagan.”

  He nodded. “Nice meetin’ ya.”

  “I heard your cough. If you’d like to come to the clinic, I would love to see if we can take care of that for you.” She noted his struggle for each breath and his blue-tinged fingernails.

  “I ain’t needin’ no fool medicine.”

  The instinct to argue was tempting, but the people of this town were still feeling her out. Pushing would only take her back a step. “If you change your mind, I’m happy to help.”

  Henry started coughing again, bending at the knees with the effort.

  Shane pulled the carrier away from Reagan, turning Faith farther away. “Faith and I will be waiting in the car.”

  She nodded. “I hope we’ll see you tonight,” she said to Daisy, knowing there wasn’t much else she could do.

  “You just might.” Daisy smiled, seemingly oblivious to her husband’s health issues.