Page 32 of Breathless
“Chaney is talking about getting a job, but she’s never held one because her parents wouldn’t hear of it. We both know it will take her years to cover this by making minimum wage if she could get a job,” he said.
“She’ll do fine. Lots of college kids start out having never worked,” Hank said. “What hospital is she in?”
Rawlins passed on the information.
“I’ll call them tomorrow and take care of it. She can work something out with me,” Hank said. “The kid’s got spunk.”
“She does,” Rawlins agreed, smiling.
By the time he got back to her room, Chaney was asleep. So, he settled in the chair and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest himself before the rounds of night check ins started and neither one of them got any sleep.
Chaney was releasedmid-morning the following day and Rawlins took her home to start recuperating. He got her settled on the sofa with the TV remote and made her lunch before he left to go meet up with the Montana Crew at The Village to get them started on installing the security equipment.
“If you need me, I’m only a phone call away,” Rawlins said.
“I’ll be fine,” Chaney assured him. “I’ve got everything I need right here. I’ll eat, take a nap and you’ll be back.”
He nodded. “I wish I could call Rafferty and Justus and have them come over.”
“No. I don’t want to bother them,” she said. “Besides, I don’t want Justus to know about me volunteering at The Village or thinking about changing my major. I don’t want to share any of this with Justus until I’m positive that this is what I’m doing.”
“And what will get you any more positive?” he asked. “I thought this was settled.”
“Being left alone,” she teased.
“Oh, is that so?” he asked.
“Yes. Now go, so you can hurry back.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m out of here.” He headed toward the door but looked back over his shoulder and grinned at her before opening the door.
“Good,” she said. As soon as the door closed, she swung her legs off the sofa and slowly got up and hobbled to the bathroom. Her side had started hurting and she’d been afraid of what it meant, but surely not. It hadn’t happened for a while now.
But the answer was clear as soon as she pulled her pants down. She’d gotten her first period since the implant had been removed. It had taken almost two months longer than the doctors had said. And here she was downstairs, and her supplies were upstairs.
“Darn it,” she grumbled. She reached for her phone and called Rawlings.
“Hey, what is it? Miss me already?”
“Hate to bother you, but I need something from my bathroom upstairs. Are you too far away?”
“No. Haven’t pulled away from the drive yet. Was answering a text message. What do you need?”
She took a deep breath. “This is embarrassing. But I’m just going to come out and say it. I got my period. I have a box of pads under the sink in my bathroom. Can you bring the box down for me? I think there is a heating pad under there as well if you can bring that too?”
“You got it. Anything else?”
“No. I don’t need you rifling through my panty drawer if that is what you’re asking.”
“Hell no!”
She laughed. “Good. Because I wasn’t.”
“Good.”
The call ended and she laid the phone on the end of the counter and waited for him to appear at the door. She heard footsteps above and then on the stairs before a tap came at the door and it opened a small enough crack for him to stick his arm inside with the box of pads.
“Toss it,” she said. “I’ll catch.”
