So, maybe she should just get a real estate appraisal and cut her losses. She’d put her grandmother’s house up for sale and leave town. She had no other choice. She couldn’t live in Maple Hill with all the Merricks around. She would run into them regularly, then she’d run into Catherine’s mother, and then what would happen to her relationship with Callie? Callie ran the only coffee shop in town.
“Okay, my dear. Ibuprofen,” the nurse said, walking through the door. She held out a tiny paper cup with an Advil in it and another paper cup with water.
“Thank you,” Emily said, taking the pill then the water.
The nurse tossed the cups in the garbage when she’d finished and then wrapped an ice pack and towel around Emily’s elbow. “Now you go sit in the waiting area and someone will come and get you for X-rays, okay?”
Emily forced a smile and stood, careful not to jostle her arm. “Thank you.”
She walked toward the little waiting room, mildly impressed to see a television broadcasting HGTV. She sat down opposite the TV and tried to focus, but then grew irritated as she saw the couple renovating a house together. They were married and laughing and joking—the last thing she needed to see right now.
She leaned her head back against the wall and shut her eyes, hoping the Advil would kick in soon to alleviate the throbbing in her arm. She wasn’t sure if she’d dozed, but the sound of a baby crying had her glancing in the direction of the admitting area. A young woman around her age was standing there with a baby in her arms and a toddler clinging to her leg, pulling on her leggings. The woman hobbled over to the triage station, dragging the leg with the clingy toddler.
Emily closed her eyes again, exhaustion and depression making her just want to sleep the time away. She hoped that since she was the first one admitted that meant she’d be seen soon. She was dreaming of going home, having a hot bath and then putting on her favorite pajamas and crawling into bed.
“Mommy, I want to go home!”
Emily opened her eyes again and spotted the clingy toddler now climbing over the waiting room chairs. The poor mother was flushed and rocking the whimpering baby in her arms. “Luke, Mommy told you, we have to wait for the doctor to see you and Maddy. Then we can go home.”
“It’s boring here. I’m hungry. Is it dinner yet?”
Emily offered the woman a sympathetic smile, not really expecting her to say anything. But she gave a laugh. “Sometimes I don’t even know if I’m going to make it through the day,” she said to Emily.
Emily winced. “Well, hopefully you won’t have to wait long. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else here,” she said.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Don’t let this waiting room fool you. There’s only one ER doctor at this hospital, and I bet there are at least six other patients in the exam rooms.”
Dread pooled in Emily’s stomach. “Are you serious? Here I thought I’d hit the jackpot.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ve never been out of this place in under three hours.”
“Is that a long time, Mommy?” the toddler said, crashing into his mother.
“Sort of,” she said. “Come on, let’s go sit down. Mommy’s getting tired.”
“Can I get you something?” Emily asked gently. At least she didn’t have to worry about kids. She just had herself to take care of. This young woman was all on her own with two little ones.
“Oh, no, that’s okay. Thank you, though,” she said, sitting and adjusting the baby, who had finally fallen asleep.
“Seriously. I’m sure there’s a place to get coffee. I don’t mind at all. I’ll get one for myself, too.”
She could tell the woman was caving, and for a second, her lip wobbled, like she was touched that Emily had asked her. She gave a small nod and reached for her purse. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“It’s on me,” Emily said firmly. “Can I get your little guy something?” she whispered, glancing at the toddler who was momentarily entertained by the small children’s play table.
The woman shook her head. “Don’t worry. He’s fine.”
Emily tilted her head. “I’m getting him something. Just tell me what not to get.”
The woman smiled up at her. “Okay, he’ll eat anything, really. He has no allergies, so it’s up to you.”
Emily winced as she stood up and swung her purse over her shoulder while trying to keep the ice pack wrapped around her elbow. “I’ll be right back.”
“I wish I could help you, but if I put this one down she’ll wake up, and she hasn’t slept all night,” the woman said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. Okay, point me toward the coffee shop,” Emily said.
The woman gestured to a corridor opposite them. “Don’t expect much, but if they’re closed, there are a few vending machines beside the shop.”
“Great,” Emily said, walking slowly in the direction of the coffee shop. The small hospital was dated but was very clean and very quiet. She saw a sign indicating that the “Cozy Corner Cafeteria” was straight ahead. She smiled at the name. She walked inside the empty place, worried that it was closed. There was a young man behind the single cashier desk. “Food service is closed for the night,” he said before she could even ask.
Her heart sank, thinking about that poor woman. “How about coffee?”
He nodded. “We have coffee and tea until eight o’clock. It’s self-serve,” he said, pointing to a small coffee station.
“Great,” Emily said, walking over. She desperately needed a cup to combat her exhaustion and the night ahead. She awkwardly filled two cups and snapped the lids on after adding cream to both and securing them in a cardboard tray. Once she paid, she stopped by the vending machines to find snacks for all of them. She gasped out loud as her ice pack fell and her elbow moved unnaturally. Pain seared through her body and tears stung her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and put the coffee down on the bench then started the gruelling, tedious task of putting change in the vending machine with her one working arm.
She stared at the bag of Cheetos like it was a mirror to her life. She had broken her addiction, but for what reason? She was going to eat the Cheetos. Three chocolate bars, three bags of Cheetos, and three bags of assorted candies later, she made her way back to the waiting room. She was surprised to see an elderly couple also in the waiting room now, as well as a man at the admitting booth. She walked over to her new friend, who now had the toddler on her lap and the baby on her side.
“I’ve got treats,” Emily whispered.
The little boy jumped off his mother’s lap. “For me?”
Emily nodded, smiling at the cute, blond-haired little boy. “As long as your mom says it’s okay, you can pick anything from this pile,” she said, placing her purse with the treats stuffed inside on the chair. She handed the woman her coffee and then took a sip from her own. She tucked her bag of Cheetos into her purse.
“Thank you so much,” the woman whispered. “I didn’t even think to bring snacks, I just rushed out of the house, and it’s almost dinner. I wasn’t thinking at all,” she said, her voice breaking. That’s when Emily noticed the woman didn’t look good at all, and it was more than just exhaustion. The dark circles under her eyes had to have been from just one night of no sleep. Her pale skin and wan appearance made Emily think she was struggling.
“Well, don’t worry about it. A vending machine dinner is fun,” Emily said, winking at the little boy who had chosen a caramel bar and a bag of Cheetos.
“What do you say to the nice lady, Luke?” his mother asked.
The little boy grinned up at her. “Thank you.”
Emily smiled back. “You’re welcome, honey. Why don’t you sit down, and I can help you open your treats, okay?” He nodded and did as she suggested.
Once Emily had opened his food and he was eating contentedly, she sat beside the young woman. “I’m Emily, by the way.”
The woman smiled. “Tracy.”
They sipped their coffees, the bot
h of them quiet. That’s when Emily overheard the conversation at the admitting station. “I don’t have any papers, though. I have nothing. I don’t even have my health card. I was just released from the federal penitentiary today.”
Federal penitentiary? And here she assumed this was a quiet, boring little hospital. Emily tried to inconspicuously turn around so she could see what the man looked like. She didn’t want to panic, but really it was slightly disconcerting to know there was a man who’d just gotten out of a maximum-security prison in the hospital with them.
From the corner of her eye she could see he was massive—bigger than Moose and heavily muscled and tattooed. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he had a jagged scar from his ear down to where it disappeared under his shirt. He glanced in her direction, and she quickly turned away, not wanting to draw any attention to herself or make it look like she was eavesdropping or judging…which was exactly what she was doing.
“This coffee is just what I needed,” Tracy said, leaning her head back slightly, but being careful not to wake the baby.
“Me, too. I’d offer to help you with your baby, but I can’t move my arm,” Emily said, thinking that the woman must be exhausted.
“Oh don’t worry. I’m okay. The fact that you managed to keep Luke happy and quiet is the kindest thing. Luke, how’s your head, honey?” she asked as the little boy touched his head and winced.
“Okay, Mama,” he said, looking into his chip bag.
Tracy blinked away tears.
“Oh, poor little guy, did he hurt his head?” Emily whispered.
She lifted her guilt-filled eyes to her and shook her head. “An accident. My husband—”
“Emily Birmingham?”
A nurse was standing in the waiting room doorway. Emily stood, hating the timing and that the young woman couldn’t finish her story. “I’ll be back soon. We can talk. Hang in there, okay?”
Tracy nodded and gave her a small smile.
“I’m going to take you to X-ray,” the nurse said, offering a friendly smile. Emily followed her down the hall and into a room with X-ray equipment. The woman was efficient and chipper, and the few X-rays were completed quickly.
“Do you know when the doctor will get the results?” she asked after the nurse said she was all finished.
“He’ll get them right away, but Dr. Morrow is super busy tonight, and honestly, since you’re not critical, it might be a few more hours until he gets to you.”
Emily tried not to let her frustration show as she thanked her and made her way back to the waiting room. If she weren’t in so much pain, she’d just leave and go to a hospital in the city tomorrow, where there was more than one doctor. But that would also require driving, and there was no way she’d be able to handle a two-hour drive. She needed to get back to Tracy, because that situation and what she was about to tell her didn’t sound good at all.
On her way back, she spotted the elderly couple from the waiting room standing in front of the vending machine and repeatedly pressing the change button.
“That machine giving you trouble?” Emily asked, approaching.
“Oh my dear, it seems to have swallowed our money and didn’t give us our chocolate bar,” the white-haired lady said.
“Hmm, do you mind if I take a peek?” Emily asked.
“Be our guest,” the man said, a kind smile on his weathered face.
Emily pressed the button to clear their order and then reached down to retrieve the dropped coins and placed the order for them again, asking which bar they wanted. The bar dropped and they were adorably sweet as they oohed and aahed at her ability to work the machine. She smiled at them. “It’s no problem at all. Can’t sit in a hospital waiting room for hours and not have a snack!” Emily said.
They agreed and the three of them made their way down the empty corridor.
Emily walked over to the young mother, who was pacing, rocking her crying baby while her toddler cried that he needed the bathroom. “I can hold her,” Emily said, holding out her good arm, determined to help. “How about you place her in the crook of my right arm,” she said, positioning herself to hold the baby.
“Are you sure?” Tracy said, bouncing the baby while Luke danced frantically around her yelling he needed to pee.
“Go. We’ll be right here,” she said as Tracy placed the baby in her arms.
“Okay, we’ll be right back,” the woman said, and she chased her son to the bathroom.
Emily tried walking with the baby cradled in her one arm as the baby cried. She tried bouncing her, but it was painfully hard not to move her other arm in the process. She was pleased that after a few walks around the waiting room the baby seemed to quiet to a whimper.
“Looks like you’re doing a good job,” the giant man said in a gruff voice.
Emily glanced up at him, startled. She smiled tentatively, her heart squeezing as she saw the kindness and insecurity in his eyes. She’d judged him. She’d expected him to be mean and rough, and he was smiling at the baby as though she were a little angel. “For now,” she said with a soft laugh.
He smiled back at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners, a sparkle in them. The elderly woman came over and cooed at the baby. When Emily worried her arm wouldn’t hold out anymore, Tracy came back with her much calmer toddler.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, taking the baby.
“No problem, she calmed down.”
Tracy’s gaze went over Emily’s shoulder. “I need to find a spot to warm up her bottle.”
“You know I think the cafeteria had a microwave. Let me go,” Emily said.
“Oh my goodness, you are like an angel,” Tracy said, her eyes flooding with tears as she reached into the diaper bag and pulled out a bottle. Emily tried not to stare as the woman’s sleeve rose, revealing a deep-purple bruise in the shape of a hand.
“Ha. No, I’m not. But I don’t mind helping at all. There’s not much else to do in this place anyway,” she said, taking the bottle, trying to sound normal, trying not to jump to conclusions. She’d had lots of strange bruises before. But added to what Tracy had already hinted at about her husband, her suspicions might not be completely unfounded.
She gave her instructions on how to warm the bottle, and Emily went back in search of the Cozy Corner Cafeteria. It was empty, and she finished heating the milk quickly. As she left, she noticed the ex-con at the vending machine.
She slowed her steps when she noticed nothing was coming out of the machine, and he was still standing there. “That machine has been giving everyone trouble tonight,” she said, forcing a little laugh.
He straightened his shoulders and a faint tinge of red struck his cheeks. She remembered him saying to the admitting nurse that he didn’t have any papers. Maybe he didn’t have any money, either.
Emily pointed to the machine with the bottle. “Why don’t I try to see if it works?”
He took a step back. “Uh, sure. Yeah, you go ahead,” he said, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
She put in enough money for a bottle of water, chips, and a chocolate bar. All the items came tumbling out. “Why don’t I grab those for you?” he said, pointing to her bad arm.
“That’d be great,” she said.
He held them out for her. “Here you go.”
She tilted her head. “You know, I’m actually kind of full. Why don’t you have them?”
He opened his mouth, and she could tell he was ready to protest. Instead he gave her a nod, his eyes watering for a second before he blinked. “Thank you,” he said, and they walked back to the waiting room.
Emily walked over to the young mother, noticing now how pale her skin was, how deep the circles were beneath her eyes. “Here’s the bottle,” she said, forcing herself to sound chipper, even though she was now very worried for her, and her own arm was throbbing uncontrollably. She needed to sit and keep her arm motionless.
“Thank you,” Tracy whispered, taking the bottle and feeding the b
aby. The little boy curled up beside his mother on the other seat, his eyes droopy, on the verge of a nap.
Emily sat down on her other side. “No problem. Your kids are so cute,” she said softly, now that they both seemed settled and calm.
The woman gave her a faint smile and leaned her head back against the wall. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Emily toyed with a loose thread at the bottom of her shirt and tried to sound nonchalant. “Will anyone be coming here to meet you guys?”
“Uh, no. I, um, don’t know where my husband is right now. We had a fight and…I just left.”
She nodded slowly, noticing the slight tremble in the young woman’s chin. She was going to ask her if she was safe and then let her know about her house, but she heard her name being called. She looked toward the voice and saw a handsome young doctor with a clipboard. “Emily Birmingham?” he repeated.
She nodded and stood slowly, holding her arm in an awkward position in an effort to keep the pain at bay. “That’s me,” she said, walking toward him. She turned back to Tracy. “I’ll talk to you when I’m finished, okay? I can help you,” she whispered.
Tracy nodded, her face pale and her eyes shining. Emily quickly turned away from the woman’s obvious pain. She walked over to the doctor. He gave her a quick smile and then motioned to a corridor opposite of the one she’d been going down for snacks.
Emily followed him into a small exam room. “Okay, so it says here you injured your elbow. And I can see from your X-rays, you do have a small break. Nothing to be worried about, it’s a clean, simple break that will fully heal, but we’ll have to put it in a cast,” he said.
Emily groaned. “I was hoping I’d escape that,” she said.
He gave a small laugh as he started taking supplies down from the shelves. “Sorry about that. It won’t be too bad. Six weeks and it’ll be off. Here, have a seat on the bed while I do this. What color would you like?” he asked.
The Boyfriend Contract Page 23
