Page 123 of Putting Out
“Thank God,” he sighed.
“The guy was the same crazy who used to call the house and send the letters. He said an angel told him to do it,” she explained into his broad chest. There was no point going into any more detail. No doubt that man was upset enough.
“Put it out of your mind. Kenny’s fine and the man… well, they showed what happened to him on television.”
“You must have freaked,” she guessed, gazing up into his concerned face.
“That’s putting it mildly. Your Grams was in a state. But I didn’t want her making this trip. It would have been too much for her. The Haskells are staying with her. I’m under orders to report back on the hour.”
“You know Tessa is here.”
“I do. She sprinted out of the cab before I could catch up. She came to the farm and insisted she be allowed to come with me. We got the first flight out we could. Near out of her mind she was with worry. For future reference it’s not very comfortable traveling with a woman on the edge.”
Reilly laughed and pulled herself out his embrace.
“Come on. You can wait with Luke and me.”
Tessa is in with Kenny now, and I’m guessing they need some alone time.”
“She seems upset with Kenny for some reason,” Pop suggested, following her into the hospital’s sterile waiting room. “Why do you think that is?”
“I would say you’re looking at about twenty years of pent-up emotion that’s about to bust free.”
“Oh, my. We should wait then. Poor boy. He only has one good arm to defend himself with.”
* * *
Kenny grimacedas the nurse tightened the bandage around his shoulder.
“Try to keep still and I’ll be in to check on you in a few hours,” she advised.
“Thanks.” He thought about giving the nurse one of his special smiles. A hey-how-you-doing smile because she was cute and blonde and had a nice face. Then he remembered his arm hurt like a mother son-of-a-bitch and decided he wasn’t up for flirting.
It was a dark, dark day, indeed.
Maria, as she’d introduced herself, left his side and walked over to the door but before she could pull it open someone was pushing it back with a good bit of force.
“Excuse me,” Maria squeaked. “He’s not allowed to have visitors yet.” “
Tess,” Kenny said.
She stood in the doorway with a look on her face warning anyone who got in her way not to mess with her. Considering she was twice the size of cute little Maria, Kenny feared it could get ugly.
“It’s all right, Maria. You better let her in.”
Tessa moved past the nurse with an evil glare as the girl scooted around her and headed out the door.
“Hi.”
“You… you… you…” Tessa sputtered then dropped her face in her hands. “The TV. And then I shouted. There was a knife and I could see…”
He listened to her broken sobs and it broke his heart. Kenny tried to reach out to her with his good arm, but she was beyond his reach.
“It’s okay,” he muttered. “I’m okay.”
She dropped her hands and the warrior expression was back.
“You jerk. You … jerk!”
