Page 23 of The Bad Boy's Homecoming
“Oh that boy must be completely lost right now in life if he has nothing better to do than sit with his grandmother and her book club.”
Before Missy could respond the doorbell chimed and Mrs.Hart set the top back on the pot.
“You’ll be joining us of course, right?Even though we didn’t read the book, I think the movie gave us all the high points.”
Missy laughed.“Yes, Mrs.Hart, but the only question is are you team Edward or team Jacob?”
“I’m team whichever young alpha male wants to make me his mate and obsess over me for eternity.Obviously.”
“Obviously,” Missy repeated.
“I still don’t know who chose this book but I’m not mad about it,” Mrs.Hart called on her way to the front door.
After getting the biscuits in the oven and setting a timer, she pulled down the bowls and side plates the women would use for dinner.They always started with a meal and some gossip, then they would move into the living room for dessert, after-dinner drinks, and the book discussion.Missy suspected this week’s vampire romance was chosen by Mrs.Hart’s best friend Mrs.Sheila.Mrs.Hart said she wasn’t going to read a decades-old romance, but she did agree to watch the movie with Missy one evening.And they ended up spending the better part of last weekend binge-watching the entire series.
The house filled with the excited chatter of the book club ladies, women who were either born and raised in Sandy Point or married someone who was.They were on the town’s activities board, the historical board, and nothing happened in this town they didn’t know about.Her Aunt Honey had been a younger member of their crew, so it was no surprise when they had all eagerly thrown their support behind Missy.
Once Mrs.Hart discovered her love of art, she pushed her to display it at the summer festival, and that had started everything.Her online gallery, requests for specific work, and her business.In just a few months she was painting every day, and producing more art than she knew she had inside her.She had found her path.After a year of mistakes and a lifetime of misfortunes, Missy had almost given up on finding such peace.
Grabbing two potholders she lifted up the Dutch oven to carry it into the dining room at the same time Levi entered the back door into the kitchen and startled her.It was just one misplaced step that had her falling back toward the stove top where the burner was still on.The pot crashed down, and the top slid to the side as soup sloshed out.Missy’s left hand moved out of the potholder where the flame waited, licking at her tender palm.
“Ouch,” she croaked, holding her hand up to see the skin smoking.
“Missy?”Mrs.Hart called.
“Oh no.”Levi was there in a flash.“It’s going to be okay.”He spun her toward the sink and turned the water on.
But her entire body was shaking, and her hand throbbed in pain.He tried to move her hand to the water but she resisted.
“We have to get the heat out of it,” Levi said in a soft but sure tone, from behind her.He was holding her hand out and had the water on low.
“What happened?”Mrs.Hart exclaimed as she and the other women entered the kitchen.
“Call Dalton and ask him if we should wrap a burn and if we need the ambulance,” Levi barked.
He gripped her wrist with strength, causing her to back up into his body that surrounded her.“We have to get some water on the burn, Missy.I know it hurts.I’m sorry.”
His deep voice was in her ear, in a soothing tone.Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wanted to scream from the agony she was feeling.But all she could do was shake her head in fast side-to-side motions.
“Dalton says lukewarm water.He’s sending Brooke with an emergency kit they have at the house, and he thinks you can probably get her to the clinic faster with that car of yours.”
“Okay, you see, Dr.Dalton says water to pull out the heat and Brooke will be here any minute.”
The tears continued and her breathing was coming in gasps.
“It…” gasp.“Hurts…” gasp.“It…” gasp.“Hurts…” gasp.
“Shit, Missy, I’m so sorry.It’s my fault for startling you.”
Then a timer rang through the fog.
“Is there something burning?”someone said.
“It’s the biscuits, I’ll get them.Just keep her hand in the water,” Mrs.Hart said.“Missy honey, let Levi help you.”
He placed her hand under the water, and it felt cool but also hurt even more.She could feel the pain so deeply her legs began to feel weak.
“What if she faints?”Mrs.Shelia said.
