A Simple Misunderstanding (Corbin's Bend)

by Kathryn R. Blake

  After a moment, he stepped back and lowered his arms. “You really don’t play fair, do you?” She grinned at him, and a euphoric sense of feminine power infused her when he groaned again. Jerry didn’t hesitate to express his attraction for her, while Arthur disdained all outward displays of affection. He maintained such a tight lid on his self-control, even their sexual interludes reflected little passion or desire.

  “I’m torn between turning you over my knee for teasing me, and carrying you over to the bed and ravishing you. Neither of which would be appropriate given your current condition, and that frustrates the dickens out of me, which you no doubt intended from the start, didn’t you?”

  When her grin widened, he gave her a nod. “Just as I suspected, you bewitching wench. I’m going to have my hands full with you, I can tell.” His expression sobering, he ran his palms up her arms. “I’ll call as soon as I know anything, all right? Be a good girl and do as the nurses and doctors say, and I’ll try to get back here by dinner.”

  Elly shook her head. “Don’t worry about returning if you need to stay. I’ll miss you, but I’ll survive a night without your commanding presence making sure I do everything I’m supposed to.”

  “Hmm. Now, I’m worried.” He bent forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You’d best behave, or you may earn yourself a spanking after all,” he warned, giving her nose a tap before he rushed out of the room. As she listened to his departing footsteps, Elly’s smile and momentary elation disappeared; swallowed up by an insidious depression layered with self-doubt and recrimination. Who was she fooling, anyway?

  * * * *

  Jerry arrived at the clinic close to noon. Though he’d driven as fast as possible, bending if not outright breaking posted traffic laws more than once in his desire for speed, an hour had passed since the accident. Not good. Time was of the essence in accidents such as this one.

  Beth Little was being comforted by her friend Harriet Long, but she was still crying. She leapt to her feet the moment he stepped inside the door.

  “Oh, Dr. Douglas. Please save Mitzy. She’s all I’ve got in this world.”

  Jerry patted her hand. “I’ll do everything I can to help Mitzy, Beth. I promise. Did you recognize who hit her?”

  Beth pressed a tissue to her nose and shook her head. “I was too upset to note the license plate or make of the car, but the vehicle was large, like an SUV, and dark blue. I did manage to catch a quick glimpse of the man, so I think I’d be able to recognize him. He ran over Mitzy on purpose, Dr. Douglas. I’m sure of it. He steered right for her and drove over her like a bump in the road, except he didn’t slow down even that much.” Then she wailed.

  Giving Beth a reassuring pat on the arm, he turned to Harriet. “Why don’t you two head over to Endelé. I imagine the surgery will take a while, and my waiting room isn’t intended for hour-long visits.”

  Harriet gave a nod. A gray-haired woman in her fifties, Harriet Long had a no-nonsense view of life and death. She had no pets of her own, so Jerry suspected she found it difficult to understand how pet owners could become fixated on their furry companions. However, Beth was Harriet’s best friend, so she’d do everything she could to ease the distraught woman’s pain. Their arms firmly linked, Harriet encouraged Beth to accompany her to Endelé where they would sip Margueritas and chat.

  With a final word of reassurance, Jerry rushed toward his surgery to change and scrub up.

  * * * *

  Six hours later, Jerry removed his mask and gloves and tossed them in a nearby bin. He hadn’t been able to save Mitzy, and a part of him mourned for the little beagle that had her rear end and internal organs crushed by a careless driver. He accepted the fact that not everyone in the world was an animal lover, but he couldn’t understand how some people could be so unfeeling and dismissive about other people’s pets.

  Knowing he would need to deliver the sad news to Beth, he stopped first in the kennels to check on Muffin, who was alone now. The cat had been released to a shelter, since no one at Corbin’s Bend had the time or patience to tame a feral cat that left furrows on your hand if you attempted to pet it, and the Bichon Frise had been sent home to recuperate with her owner. So, the only occupant was Muffin, and she didn’t belong in the kennel either, but he had no other place to keep her.

  She still wore her wrap, but appeared to be doing so well, Jerry would suggest Jenny remove the binding tomorrow. Even so, the frisky poodle would need to be watched until her ribs had fully mended. She barked, then whined when she spotted him, and he gathered she wanted to be let out for some playtime.

  “I’ll try to be back soon, little one. I need to go talk to Mitzy’s mommy and give your mommy a call. If I can, I’ll come by and let you out later. I didn’t mean to rouse you with false hopes, but I wanted to check on you before I drove back to Denver.”

  Making sure everything was locked up tight, he left the clinic and drove to Endelé.

  * * * *

  Though the Margueritas had helped anesthetize Beth’s anxiety a bit, she still sobbed when he sat down at her table and told her Mitzy’s injuries were too massive for him to save her. He continued to speak quietly with the grief-stricken woman, assuring her Mitzy hadn’t suffered. In truth, from what his techs said, the animal had been unconscious when she was brought in. After assessing her injuries, and doing what they could to stabilize her until he arrived, they gave the beagle only a twenty percent chance of survival. However, Jerry’s philosophy was to try to save every animal brought into him. Definitely not the most profitable way to run a veterinary clinic, but he wasn’t in business for the money. He needed to pay his expenses, which weren’t small, and make enough money to purchase food, pay his co-op fees and maintain his home, but even several of the people working for him volunteered a portion of their time.

  Jerry’s practice wasn’t a high money making venture by any means, but the community both supported and needed him, so they helped subsidize the clinic, which allowed him to serve his clients at a fraction of the cost he would normally have to charge. And a six-hour surgery like Mitzy’s would run into the tens of thousands of dollars. However, from experience he suspected Beth Little would pay only a portion of that cost. Corbin’s Bend harbored quite a number of animal lovers who made sure one of their own didn’t suffer any more than she had to, which caused him to wonder who did the hit and run on the small beagle.

  Finally, the tears having run their course, Beth regarded him with woe-filled eyes. “Can I see her?”

  Jerry hesitated, fully understanding a furry child parent’s need to say good-bye. He’d honored the request more than once, though sometimes it was best if the parent remembered their pet in life rather than how the animal appeared in death. Mitzy’s surgery was extensive. They could wrap her in a blanket to cover the sutures, but her lips and jaws might remain stubbornly curled open from the anesthesia tube, and Beth would not be reassured by that sight.

  “It might be best if you don’t, but give me a call tomorrow, and I’ll let you know if we can make arrangements for you to spend some time with her. Either way, you and I will sit down together and discuss the next steps for Misty.” He held her hand. “I wish I’d come here with better news for you, Beth. Did you tell Brent what happened?”

  She nodded. “He’s going to check around for witnesses. Mitzy was a good girl, Dr. Douglas. She never hurt anyone.”

  “I know. She was also a little dog. Perhaps the driver didn’t spot her in time.”

  “No, he did. He hit her on purpose. He actually swerved his vehicle to run over her.”

  Jerry wasn’t sure what to make of that. He couldn’t conceive of anyone in Corbin’s Bend being that cruel or heartless. Even those who didn’t particular care for animals wouldn’t deliberately hurt one. He’d only known of one person who’d purposefully injured an animal, and he couldn’t imagine even he would be so vicious to kill someone else’s pet without due cause. Or was there reason to the man’s madness? Needing to contact Elly
, Jerry assured Beth that they’d do everything possible to catch the culprit. However, he still wasn’t comfortable leaving the distraught woman until Harriet promised to accompany her friend home. Jerry apologized, thanked her, and rushed outside to make his call.

  * * * *

  “Hello?” Elly answered, her voice a tinge uncertain.

  “Elly, it’s Jerry.”

  “Jerry.” A mixture of relief and worry came across the phone line. “How’s Mitzy?”

  “Unfortunately, her injuries were too massive. I couldn’t save her. Are you all right?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” He recognized both the false cheer and the redirection.

  “Oh, I could think of about a thousand reasons. You sound—on edge. Did something happen?” When she hesitated, he gave a slight push. “Elly, tell me. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine. Are you still with Beth?” A deliberate change of topic.

  “No. Harriet is with her. I think she’s going to spend the night with Beth.”

  “Oh, good. It’s probably best Beth isn’t alone tonight.” Empathetic response buffered by a distancing third person. No doubt, Elly missed Muffin, but he sensed a deeper reason lurked behind her current reserve.

  “What was your last blood pressure reading?”

  “Jerry, I’m fine.” Direct avoidance of the question. Not good. Since pushing her wouldn’t benefit either of them, he let the subject drop. He would find out more once they were face-to-face again. “All right. It’s 9 PM now, so I should be at the hospital around 10.”

  “No! I mean it’s too late. Stay the night in Corbin’s Bend and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Something was definitely up.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s happened?”

  “I already did. Nothing. I’m fine. Think you can be here first thing in the morning?”

  “I can be there in an hour if you need me.”

  “No. It’s late and I’m tired. If I know you’re out on the roads driving, I’ll stay awake until you get here.”

  “So, you’d rather I stay in Corbin’s Bend tonight.” He made it a statement, not a question.

  “There’s no reason for you to drive all the way back to Denver, and you’ll sleep better in your own bed. I can wait until tomorrow to see you. Then you’ll get to take me home.”

  “Is that what the doctors said?”

  “Yes. They’re releasing me tomorrow. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to hug Muffin again. I miss her so much.” The false cheeriness she exuded was a cover-up. He had no doubt she was eager to be with her poodle, but her tone sounded more anxious than excited.

  “I sense you’re trying to hide something, little girl, and I don’t like it. Not one bit. You may be too sore for a spanking, but you’re not too sore to do corner time, you know?”

  Though she offered no protest or denial, her slight gasp was unmistakable. He’d struck a tender nerve.

  “Talk to me, Elly. Tell me what’s wrong,” he urged gently.

  “The nurse just came in. I have to go. Bye.” She hung up.

  Jerry stared at his phone in disbelief. A part of him wanted to hop in his car and rush back to the hospital, but she didn’t seem to want him with her tonight. Why? What had changed? He called the main number and requested to speak with the fifth floor station.

  “Fifth floor nurse’s station,” a woman answered.

  “This is Jerry Douglas, Eleanor Benson’s brother.”

  “Oh, Hi, Dr. Douglas. It’s Debby.”

  “Debby. Is Elly all right?”

  “She’s fine, sir. Her blood pressure was a trifle elevated when I took it last, but she ate her dinner and said she wanted to go to sleep early.”

  “Who’s in with her now?”

  “No one, sir. She’s my patient tonight.”

  “Odd. I was just on the phone with her and she told me a nurse had stepped in, so she had to disconnect.”

  “I’ll check, but I don’t believe anyone is with her now. Maybe she had to go to the bathroom and didn’t want to say so aloud.”

  “Maybe. Look, I’m a little worried, but she’s not eager to have me with her tonight. Would you call me if something happens? I believe you have my number listed as an emergency back-up?”

  “We do. I’ll definitely reach out if we suspect a problem.”

  “Great, thanks. Bye.” Next, he called Brent.

  “Carmichael.”

  “Brent, it’s Jerry. Sorry to disturb you so late, but I think something happened this afternoon that you should know.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jerry pulled into the hospital parking lot at 8 AM, but stopped by the nurse’s station to get a report on Elly’s status before he joined her.

  Jayne glanced at the computer. “Debby, Mrs. Benson’s night nurse didn’t list anything unusual, Dr. Douglas.”

  “Good. Mrs. Benson advised me she was going to be released today. Have her doctors put through the request for her paperwork?’

  “Not yet, sir. They’ll probably release her during morning rounds.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  He strode into Elly’s room to find her struggling to get into a pair of sweatpants. “What are you doing?”

  She gave him a startled glance, then smiled. “Hi. Getting dressed. Would you bring the car around front, so we could leave right away?”

  Seeing she was tangling up her tubing as she struggled to dress, he swatted her hands aside. “Stop that. You’ll pull out your IV. Here, I’ll help.” He straightened out the crimped line; made sure her pants didn’t press too tightly against her still bruised and swollen tummy, then lowered her gown. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “You haven’t been released, yet, Elly. So, what’s this urgency all about?”

  Her face crumpled in dismay. “The paperwork is merely a formality. Can’t we just leave?”

  “No, we can’t. Now sit down and tell me what’s wrong.”

  She shook her head, her breathing growing rapid and shallow. “Help me get my top on.”

  Grasping her wrists, which were no longer bandaged, he held them captive in a gentle but unyielding grip, careful not to hurt her. “Elly, you’re starting to hyperventilate. Now calm down and tell me what’s got you so upset.”

  Though she gave another shake of her head, she quieted under his tender restraint. He remembered the way she’d panicked the first time he tried to touch her wrists, so she definitely did trust him more now; however, he wasn’t pleased she was still trying to keep something from him. Something that had frightened her.

  “You’re not being honest with me, so we’re going to go over to the chair—”

  “No!” Despite her instantaneous rejection, she didn’t try to pull free, so he continued.

  “Where I’m going to pull you onto my lap and—”

  “No.” A softer protest this time, but instead of stepping away, as he’d suspected, she moved closer to him, as if seeking comfort and protection. She thought he intended to spank her for being difficult, except she wasn’t resisting him as much as letting him know the prospect frightened her. Lowering his voice to a mere whisper, he continued.

  “Hold you in place until you tell me what’s bothering you. And I don’t care who comes in and sees us.”

  She glanced up at him with a look of confusion he found adorable. “You’re not going to spank me?”

  “Elly, you’re scared. Why would I spank you for that?”

  She shrugged, but he suspected Arthur didn’t take into account her state of mind when he punished. The man had an objective, and Elly’s feelings were of little or no concern to him.

  “Come on,” he said, giving her hand a tug. He helped position her IV poll, then sat and pulled her onto his lap. “Go ahead and tuck your head beneath my chin, if you want,” he suggested as he drew her close.

  Letting out a soft sigh, she complied. He wrapped his fingers about her wrist and measured her pulse as his other hand stroked her side. Her pounding heart slowed
to a normal rhythm.

  “Better. Now tell me what has you so upset.”

  She pressed her nose into his neck. “I don’t want to. You’ll get angry.”

  “With you?”

  Another shrug. “Maybe.”

  Releasing her hand, he tugged her closer and curled his arms around her in a secure and confining hold.

  “Are you frightened what I’ll do if I get angry?”

  She stilled. “A little.” She spoke her confession so softly, he barely heard her.

  “Are you scared I’ll hurt you the way Arthur did?”

  Toying with the buttons on his collar, she rested her head in the curve of his shoulder. “No.”

  “Then what has you so jumpy you want to run out of here before the doctors have released you?”

  “Promise you won’t get angry?”

  “I promise I won’t do anything to hurt you, but I can’t promise I won’t get upset until I learn what the problem is.”

  “Arthur tried to get in to see me yesterday?”

  Though he didn’t expect Arthur to be the reason for Elly’s panic, the knowledge seemed to fit neatly into the puzzle of information he’d put together. “What happened?” he asked, keeping his voice calm and indicating only a slight interest in her revelation, though he wanted to know every detail.

  “He got off the elevator, and I heard him yelling he would check all the rooms on the floor if the nurses refused to tell him where I was.”

  “What time did this happen, do you remember?”

  “Around 2 PM.” She drew back to gaze at him. “He was so furious, Jerry, he threatened the staff. I could hear him throwing things and a few women screamed, though I couldn’t tell if they were nurses or patients. I’m such a coward, I hid in the bathroom.”

  He considered her smart to get out of the man’s way, not a coward. “Did someone call security?”