Page 24 of Catch of a Lifetime
Unfortunately I had plenty of other things to deal with first.
I pulled away, paused to make sure he was still unconscious, and shooed Jerry out of the room ahead of me. We went downstairs as quietly as we could, which wasn’t very quietly as my stairs were uncarpeted and we were both wearing boots. I didn’t think anything could wake Dave at this point.
“Not quite the reunion you were hoping for, hey?” Jerry said sympathetically.
“No. I don’t care. I’m just…I’m just glad he’s here.”
“Bet he is, too.”
“Yeah.” I made an effort to pull myself together. “Okay. You probably need to get the quad bike back over to Johnson’s?”
“No hurry. As long as I get it back today, we’re fine.”
“Sorry to ask, but can you do it? I would, except?—”
“Don’t be daft. God knows what Dave would do if he woke up and couldn’t find you. Besides, I’ve got to pick up my car, remember? It’s at the farm.”
“Of course, yes. Um. All right. So. Thank you again for…for everything. I couldn’t have managed this alone, and…thank you.”
“Aw. Joe. Are you gonna cry?”
I sniffed sharply. “I am not, no.”
“Because you look like maybe you might need a hug.”
“Nope. I don’t.”
“You sure?” He grinned. “I don’t mind. I’ll hug you. Say the word.”
“Ugh. Go and get your car.” I nudged him towards the door.
“Will do. Back in an hour, hour and a half.”
“I’ve taken up enough of your day as it is, Jerry. You don’t have to come back. We’ll be fine.”
He tilted his head. “Are you sure? I’m not exactly in a hurry to go and listen to Vinny bitching at me for running out on him and Patrick earlier.”
I winced. “Make sure you tell him it was my fault.”
Jerry made a rude noise. “Always complaining about something, he is, and ninety-nine percent of the time, he don’t have no reason to be. He can get over it. Now listen, are you going to be able to handle cleaning and patching Dave up on your own?”
“Yes.”
Jerry gave me a look.
“Yes,” I said more firmly.
“Because you’re squeamish.”
“Are you offering to sew him up now?”
“Yes, okay, better run.” He was holding his phone and he lifted it between us and pointed at it theatrically. “Text me later to let me know how things are going.”
“I will.”
“I mean it. If you forget again, I’m coming over.”
“I will!”
