Page 27 of Love in Mission City: The Shorts

“I, uh, have to…you know…”

He snagged the bottle and pointed to the bathroom.

Phew.

I could say the word piss, of course.Except he just seemed a little too prim and proper for that, and I owed him respect.He was here, I was grateful, and I needed to do everything in my power to show that gratitude.

When I was finished in the bathroom, I wandered into the bedroom.

He sat in the chair by the window while the water bottle sat on the nightstand.He looked up from his book and inclined his head.“Please drink some more.If you’re able to keep that down and you stay lucid, I’ll call Dr.MacCauley and let him know you’re okay.”

I sat on the bed with my back against the headboard and my legs stretched out before me.“That’s very nice of you.Of him.I mean, I don’t even know him.He doesn’t know me.”

You don’t know me.

Except in the biblical sense.

“Owen’s a good man.Newer in town.I saw him for a bout of pneumonia when Dr.Raymond was out of town, and I liked him.I asked if I could see him in the future and he said sure.Dr.Raymond is always fully booked, so he had no problem with it.”Dickens rose and moved to my side of the bed.He pressed his hand again to my forehead.A sigh escaped his lips.“Much better.”His eyes turned to blue flint.“You scared the shit out of me.”

“I’m sorry.”I rubbed my forehead.“Really sorry.”Contrition hurt, but I owed him this much.

“I don’t need your apology.Just a promise to never do that again.You scared Sunshine.”He ducked his head.“And me.”

“Please tell Sunshine that I apologize as well.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity.She’s likely todrop bytomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

I smacked my forehead, then tried to rise.

A finger to my chest pushed me back down.I was weaker than I realized.“But I need to lock up.Otherwise everything’ll be gone.”

He offered a slight smile.“Uh, Sunshine locked up.”He pulled my set of keys from his pocket and dropped them onto the nightstand.“She even put a sign in the window explaining your absence and telling potential customers to drop into The Owl’s Nest for more information.If there are people looking, she’ll encourage them to come back later.She’s a great salesperson.”

“She’s a great person.”

“That she is.I’m lucky to have her.”

“Any chance I can poach her?”

He tilted his head in question.

“I need help.The books—” I gestured wildly toward the living room.“—are a mess.”

He scratched his nose.“I know someone who might be able to help.She used to work for my parents, but quit to have her kids.Her youngest just started kindergarten.I suspect she’d like something to occupy her time.”

Could it be that simple?“You’ll put in a good word?”

“I’ll ask Darlene personally.She’s a whiz with numbers, and we were sorry to lose her.I was considering trying to lure her back.”He glanced around before meeting my gaze again.“But you seem to need her more.”

Ah, so he’d spotted the pile of papers on the kitchen table.I’d taken to eating in front of the television on the couch so I didn’t have to look at the disaster.

I took a long pull of water before settling.“Would you…?”Jesus, was I really going to ask him this?“Would you read to me?”

His eyes softened.“Sure, I can do that.”He snagged the crocheted blanket from the end of my bed and laid it over me, taking special care to cover my feet.“You’ll cool down as you rest.If you’re too hot, we can take the blanket off.”

Truth was, I was chilled.Having the blanket my grandmother made for me also brought comfort.I was raw right now.Vulnerable.This gave me a modicum of protection.

Unexpectedly, he feathered his hand through my hair, then lazily dragged his knuckles down my cheek.

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