California Schemin' - Kate George [73]
“Wow.” Wendy looked shell shocked. “That must have been frightening.”
“You said the doctor was giving Beau the third degree. What did he say?” I was curious about how Beau would play this, kidnap vs. accident victim.
“Said he jumped into the back of the Jeep while Wendy was driving. She got startled and slammed on the brake, and he got banged up. Don’t think they totally bought it. Looks too much like he was beat up.”
“We were in with him, but they took him into x-ray, and we came out to get something to eat. They said they’d let us know when he got back.”
“Bree MacGowan?”
I turned around to see a male nurse dressed in blue with a clipboard in his hand. I got up and went to him.
“I’m Bree.”
He looked down at my wrists, and his lips twitched.
“Nice bracelets,” he said. “Who gave you those?”
“Nobody important. I’d sure like to get rid of them though.”
“We’re here to serve.” He swung around and led me into the treatment area where he sat me on a bed and told me to wait.
After about fifteen minutes I decided I was tired of sitting and rested my head on the pillow. I was on the brink of sleep when I heard a gurney wheeled into the next cubicle, which wouldn’t have interrupted the sleep process except for a familiar voice.
“You’re very good with your hands.” Beau’s voice was clear from the next cubicle.
“I’ve been doing this for a while. Hold still.”
This was too good. I pushed myself up off the bed and walked out into the hall, around the glass partition and into Beau’s room. Beau was lying on the gurney, eyes half shut, not from his injuries. Painkillers, I thought. A hospital tech was wrapping Beau’s leg in plaster. She was alternating strips of pink, black and green.
“Wow,” I said, “that’s one colorful cast.”
The tech jumped and dropped a swath of black plaster onto the floor. Beau looked up and smiled. “Bree, you found me. Come here and give me a kiss. I’m feeling very good.”
“Can’t,” I said. “I’ve got to go back and have my cuffs removed.”
“Don’t bother,” said a voice behind me. “I can do that in here. Didn’t know you two knew each other.”
“She’s my girl.” Beau’s voice warmed me for a moment until I remembered the cuffs and the broken leg wouldn’t be easy to explain away, besides the fact he was high on painkillers and never talked that way about me normally.
“A woman in cuffs and a guy with a broken leg. Actually, no. A woman in cuffs and a guy with a broken leg in a cast that’s been totaled. You know what? I’m not even going to ask. In fact, I don’t want to know. We’re keeping the paperwork separate on this one.” He pulled out a key and released me from the cuffs.
“I thought you were going to cut them off.”
“We tell people that for effect, but we’ve got handcuff keys here. You’d be surprised how often people get themselves locked into them and lose the keys. Sign here.”
I signed my release papers and pulled up a chair next to Beau. Wendy and Paris could wait in the lobby.
“Feeling pretty good, aren’t you?” I took Beau’s hand and watched the tech finishing up the neon cast.
“Yep. Nothing hurts at the moment.” Beau smiled at me. “But don’t worry, I know I’m going to be in a world of hurt when the drugs wear off. You still owe me a kiss.”
I leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Painkillers or no, his mouth was bruised and swollen, and I couldn’t believe that it wouldn’t hurt if I touched it.
“Right.” The tech gathered up the trash left over from the re-casting. “That should be set by the time we get the paperwork ready to be signed. Hang out for a while, and someone will be back to sign you out.”
Beau nodded and closed his eyes. I leaned back in my chair. The muscles in my neck were complaining again. My face hurt, too. I needed heat and a really good massage, both of which I could possibly get here, but it would mean checking back in and waiting and God knew what else. I’d be okay. Maybe I could get Beau to give me one of his painkillers.
I sat dozing beside Beau until the lady with the discharge papers and a computer on a