Bring Me Home for Christmas - By Robyn Carr Page 0,21
the hospital, Denny said, “I gave Jack and Preacher a call while you were getting your crutches and I think we have a plan. A good plan. I’m taking you to Preacher and Paige’s house—it’s attached to the bar, but a totally private residence. You’ll be comfortable there. You can lie down in their room if you feel like sleeping and I’ll be around to make sure you have anything you need. I know you don’t want to be left all alone all day and you also don’t want to be locked in a room with me all day—but at least you’ll be right next to Jack’s in case you feel like company. You know, like your brother and Troy and Dirk. Plus, at Preacher’s you’ll have a little privacy and a TV for when you feel like being left alone. Chris, their seven-year-old, is in school and Dana, their two-year-old, stays real close to Paige and Preacher. You can put your foot up and I’ll bring you meals from the kitchen. Or, if you want to come to the bar, we can put your right foot up on a chair—your choice.”
“But, Denny, I don’t even know them!” she said.
“That doesn’t matter. It was Preacher’s idea. In the evenings, I’ll take you back to my room. Those stairs—you’re not ready to be going up and down those stairs, so I’ll carry you up there. Jack is loaning me a nice big blow-up mattress. I’ll sleep there with you at night so if you need anything, I’ll be right there. Like if you need a drink of water or help getting to the bathroom…”
“Oh. My. God,” she muttered.
Denny laughed at her. “I’ll be sure to close the door. Come on, Becca, I’m not going to embarrass you. Would you rather have Big Richie help you to the bathroom?”
“Really, I want to die right now.”
He laughed again. “You’ll be fine. It’ll take you about five minutes to feel at home with Paige and Preacher.”
I want my mother, she thought with an internal cry.
Her relationship with her mother was great, really. Her mother comforted her when she was down, praised her when she did well, laughed with her in happy times…and had an opinion about everything. Like most mothers and daughters, when it was good, it was very good and when it was bad it was horrid. For the past couple of years, Beverly’s opinion was that Denny wasn’t worth the tears and Doug had saved her life. Before that whole breakup with Denny, Beverly had loved him. He was Rich’s best friend and Becca’s boyfriend—double the pleasure. But then…
“I don’t like that you’re not telling your parents about me being here,” Denny said. “Particularly your mother. I know she’s probably pissed off at me, but you should still be honest with her.”
Becca’s head snapped around to look at him. Was he now reading her mind?
“But it’s not up to me,” he said. “We can take care of you.”
“We?” she asked.
“Me. Mostly me. But there’s also Jack and his wife, Mel—she’s the local nurse practitioner and town midwife. There’s Paige and Preacher, my boss, Jillian, and her sister, Kelly. Lots of real nice people who want to help out if they can.” He glanced over at her. “These people are my family, Becca.”
“But you haven’t even been here that long.”
“About a year. Becca, did they give you some pain pills or something?”
“Uh-huh, I had one just before we left the hospital. You’d be surprised how much my leg hurts, too, but the doctor said it’s going to let up. Listen, I get that you’re trying real hard but the thing that worries me…if you’re going to be all pissy and angry with me, I’d rather just make Rich stay with me….”
“Believe me, Becca, I learned my lesson on that. Besides,” he said softly, “I don’t want to fight with you. I just want to help.”
Five
To Becca’s surprise, there was a welcoming party at Jack’s. Jack and Preacher were there, of course, but Becca hadn’t expected their wives. She recognized Paige from her first night at the bar and knew the other woman must be Mel, Jack’s wife, because Jack had his arm around her. And Rich, Dirk and Troy were there, too.
Denny carried her into the bar. Rich immediately separated himself from the group and said, “Here, gimme that fat old load.” Holding his hands out for Becca, he added, “Just one of the guys, huh, Becca?”