Page 12 of Stone Deep
“She said she’ll be eighteen in six months. I won’t call her until then.”
Amy’s hand shot out, and she held up her palm.
I dropped the paper with the phone number into her hand. “Fine, but you sure have become a bossy woman since you married my brother.”
Jade sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
I looked at Amy. “See how nice Jade isandshe called me sweetie.”
“Oh no, I completely agree with what Amy just did.” Jade reached up and pushed my hair back off my forehead. “You still look pale.”
I rested my head back. “I’m starting to feel myself again. The painkillers are a nice bonus.”
Jade pulled her hand from my forehead, but I grabbed it and placed it back. “I was one step from the grave, you know?”
Hunter pulled up the only visitor chair and sat. “The blade missed all the important stuff. Not that you have much of that inside of you. It was basically a flesh wound.”
I turned to him. “Yeah, well you looked pretty fucking scared when you saw myfleshwound.”
Hunter ignored the comment. “You were sleeping when we got the call that they hauled those dicks into jail. You’ll have to give a statement. I already gave mine, but since you still haven’t told us why the hell it happened, I wasn’t much help.”
“It’s kind of a weird, long story, and I don’t really want to go into it right now.”
“I’ll tell you,” Cleveland said enthusiastically as he jammed his pillowy, six foot plus frame into the alreadycrowded room.
Nurse Simmons walked in. She was a cool lady who’d raised six foster kids and was now raising two grandchildren because, as she so creatively put it, her daughter had been great at coloring and was the best finger painter in her kindergarten class, but it had all gone downhill from there.
Nurse Simmons jammed her fists on her hips. Her gaze moved around the room. “I guess this is what they call wall-to-wall visitors.” She shook her head. “Don’t stay too long. Even though he’s recovered like Superman, he needs his rest. Oh, and the three of you”—she pointed at Colt, Hunter and Cleveland—“try not to scare people on the way out. The three of you together look a little intimidating.”
Jade covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Nurse Simmons walked out. Colt turned to Hunter. “I’m not sure I like her attitude. What about us says intimidating?”
“You’re right,” Amy said. “Choir boys, that’s what people will obviously assume when they see you strutting down the hallway.” She looked at Cleveland. “We’re all ears. How did this happen?”
“He doesn’t know the whole story.” I shot Cleveland a look that told him he really didn’t need to go into it, but he ignored my silent warning. He had everyone’s attention, and if there was one thing Cleveland loved, it was having everyone’s attention.
“So, we’re sitting at this bar, Cuckoo’s Nest, a place an hour or so north of here, good beer and low prices.” He added a little plug for the place before continuing. It earned him a sharp throat clearing from the owner of Lazy Daze.
Cleveland realized his mistake and offered a hasty apology. “Of course, it’s nothing like Lazy Daze, the finest beerdrinking establishment this side of the Pacific.”
Amy nodded. “That’s better.”
“Anyhow, this fine little creature walked in,” Cleveland said, stepping in it again.
“Creature?” Jade asked. “You’d better be talking about a pretty little mouse, Cleveland.”
“Fine little woman.” He bowed in another quick apology. I was hoping this second misstep would put an end to the topic, but apparently, even negative attention was enough to push the big, furry guy on. “She was really pretty. Looked like a little wood sprite or one of those magical fairies.” He shifted a quick glance toward the girls to see if he needed to offer yet another apology. Neither of them looked stoked about his storytelling method. Cleveland looked at me for support.
I waved a hand at him. “Carry on, dude, I don’t think I could fuck it up any better than you’re already doing.”
He shrugged his round shoulders. “Anyhow, I’m busy gawking at the newcomer, and smooth asstonehere—” Cleveland waved his hairy, meaty hand at me. “He comes up with some funny line about her losing her fairy dust or something.”
Jade looked over at me.
“Trust me, it sounded much smoother coming from me,” I said.
Cleveland chuckled. “Yep, I’m barely finding my tongue to speak, and Slade is firing off some catchy opener. But the funny thing is, she ignored him.”
Colt chuckled. “Maybe it wasn’t much smoother coming from you after all.”
