Page 108 of Hidden Nature

Then put on her Stetson.

And turned to see Nash smiling at her.

“What?”

“You look damn good in that hat, Sergeant Cooper.”

“I do, don’t I?” She gave the brim a finger swipe. “Tear it up, Littlefield. I never want to see that yellow daisy flooring again.”

He watched her walk out. Maybe it was the hat, he thought, but she had a definite swagger.

He thought of the way she’d walked the first time he’d seen her. Like every step required pain and effort.

“Sure wouldn’t know it now.”

He started to shut the door, but Robo pulled up so he waited.

“Ready for demo, Robo?”

“Ready, boss.”

He stepped in, looked around. “It’s some better in than out. Maybe. She’s got nice furniture. That fireplace is dead ugly, though, and the kitchen’s not much prettier.”

He tipped up one shoulder as Nash grinned at him.

“I’ve been paying more attention to that kind of thing since I started working for you and Theo.”

“And you’re not wrong about the fireplace or the kitchen. Wait until you get a load of the bathroom we’re gutting.”

It would be a busy morning for Clara and Sam. Because they’d wanted sex and sleep, they used deep IV sedation on Zach to keep him under.

Bright and early, Clara mixed up some Bisquick pancakes and pork sausage so they’d both start the day off right.

She dressed in scrubs, not only for the procedure, but because she needed to be at work by one for her shift.

She’d chosen her rainbow smock, a favorite, as rainbows were one of God’s miracles.

She understood the gays had taken the rainbow for their symbol, and she didn’t approve of homosexuality. But she didn’t judge, as only the Almighty could judge.

And she liked the smock.

She went in to Zach, checked his vitals, then turned off the drip. She checked his pee bag—not enough to change out as yet, she decided. Then went back for another cup of coffee to give him time to wake naturally while Sam did some of his online schoolwork.

It made her proud he was studying to be an RN. She knew he made a fine caregiver at the old folks’ home, but he could do more and was working hard to better himself.

“Sorry, doll, he’s waking up now.”

“I’ll be along in two shakes.”

“You take your time.”

She took hers, getting up from her coffee and the monitor to walk to the locked door, then down to the basement.

Clara turned the key and stepped in where Zach lay propped on the hospital bed, eyes glazed and fearful, heart rate on the monitor spiking.

She spoke kindly, calmly. “Good morning, Zach! You got some good sleep. How’re you feeling?”

Behind his glasses, his eyes rolled wildly, left, right, left again. “Who are you? What’s happening? Where am I?”

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