his lungs was impossible. He had to swallow over the lump that had formed in his throat to answer, and even then his voice was raspy. “It was good. Really good.”
The morning was half gone when the nurse told him they’d squeezed in an unexpected patient, now waiting in Room 2. Hearing a familiar voice through the open door, he stuck his head in to find Sara, Matthew, and Eli sitting on the exam table while Lainie occupied the tall chair that left her feet dangling in midair.
“Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben!” the boys clamored.
“What are you guys doing here?” He slid into the chair next to six-year-old Lainie, then noticed the ice pack on her left wrist. “Uh-oh. What’d you fall off of?”
She raised big brown eyes to him, still glistening from recent tears. “A tree. But I didn’t fall. My body just jumped before my brain knew.”
“And your arm broke your fall?”
“Don’t say broke,” Sara said, sliding to her feet. “She still has the remains of the last pink cast in the closet.”
He wrinkled his nose, making both boys laugh. “Doesn’t it smell?”
“Now that it’s aired out, it’s only slightly worse than stinky cheese.”
He bent close to Lainie. “Your mom’s going to take you to X ray so we can get some pictures of your bones, okay?”
Her hair bounced as she nodded. “And I have to sit still, don’t I? And I get to go to CherryBerry for frozen yogurt when we’re done, don’t I?”
“Of course you do.” Ben didn’t need to look at his sister for confirmation. Sara was a big believer in the reward system, for the kids and especially for herself.
“What about the boys?” Sara asked as Lainie slid to the floor and headed toward the door.
He looked at his nephews, now lying on the table, Matthew’s head at one end, Eli’s at the other, Eli’s feet holding Matthew’s legs in the air. They were both rattling some serious fake snores. “I’ll be in the hall dictating. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
In less than ten minutes, they were back. Ben checked the X rays, then took the wrap from the splint and cast tech. “I’ll take care of this one. Good news, Lainie. It’s not broken. You just got a little sprain.”
Lainie’s eyes narrowed. “But I still get ice cream, don’t I?”
“Yes, you still get ice cream,” Sara said with exaggerated patience. She shooed the boys off the table, then Ben lifted Lainie to sit on it. “You went to Tallgrass this weekend, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” Ben sat beside his niece, positioned her arm, and began wrapping it with an elastic bandage.
“How was Mom?”
“Fine.”
“How was Lucy?”
“Fine. Her dog got out, and she wanted me to play rabbit to his greyhound.”
“And you refused, didn’t you? Coward. You know Norton wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Sara watched him a moment before giving him the kind of look that meant she was about to have a good time at his expense. Her smile was sly, her tone all fake innocence, as she asked, “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“Nope.” Heat warmed his face so he kept his head lowered as he secured the end of the wrap. Hoping to distract his sister, he smiled at Lainie. “How’s that feel?”
“Funny.”
“It’s not too tight?”
She shrugged. What did she know about too tight? She was six. “It’s just plain ol’ white.” Disappointment underlay her words.
“I know. We should get some green ones with purple polka dots, shouldn’t we?”
“I like pink. With orange.”
“I’ll look into that.” He helped her to the floor, then faced Sara. “You know the drill—rest, ice, elevation.”
She brushed him off. “Yeah, I know. So when are you seeing her again?”
Crossing his arms, Ben leaned against the edge of the table and surrendered. “How long did Patricia wait to call you?”
“However long it took for you to lock lips with the woman and for Mom to get both Bree and me on the line.” Sara grinned evilly. “I believe you were pulling away from
The morning was half gone when the nurse told him they’d squeezed in an unexpected patient, now waiting in Room 2. Hearing a familiar voice through the open door, he stuck his head in to find Sara, Matthew, and Eli sitting on the exam table while Lainie occupied the tall chair that left her feet dangling in midair.
“Uncle Ben, Uncle Ben!” the boys clamored.
“What are you guys doing here?” He slid into the chair next to six-year-old Lainie, then noticed the ice pack on her left wrist. “Uh-oh. What’d you fall off of?”
She raised big brown eyes to him, still glistening from recent tears. “A tree. But I didn’t fall. My body just jumped before my brain knew.”
“And your arm broke your fall?”
“Don’t say broke,” Sara said, sliding to her feet. “She still has the remains of the last pink cast in the closet.”
He wrinkled his nose, making both boys laugh. “Doesn’t it smell?”
“Now that it’s aired out, it’s only slightly worse than stinky cheese.”
He bent close to Lainie. “Your mom’s going to take you to X ray so we can get some pictures of your bones, okay?”
Her hair bounced as she nodded. “And I have to sit still, don’t I? And I get to go to CherryBerry for frozen yogurt when we’re done, don’t I?”
“Of course you do.” Ben didn’t need to look at his sister for confirmation. Sara was a big believer in the reward system, for the kids and especially for herself.
“What about the boys?” Sara asked as Lainie slid to the floor and headed toward the door.
He looked at his nephews, now lying on the table, Matthew’s head at one end, Eli’s at the other, Eli’s feet holding Matthew’s legs in the air. They were both rattling some serious fake snores. “I’ll be in the hall dictating. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
In less than ten minutes, they were back. Ben checked the X rays, then took the wrap from the splint and cast tech. “I’ll take care of this one. Good news, Lainie. It’s not broken. You just got a little sprain.”
Lainie’s eyes narrowed. “But I still get ice cream, don’t I?”
“Yes, you still get ice cream,” Sara said with exaggerated patience. She shooed the boys off the table, then Ben lifted Lainie to sit on it. “You went to Tallgrass this weekend, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” Ben sat beside his niece, positioned her arm, and began wrapping it with an elastic bandage.
“How was Mom?”
“Fine.”
“How was Lucy?”
“Fine. Her dog got out, and she wanted me to play rabbit to his greyhound.”
“And you refused, didn’t you? Coward. You know Norton wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Sara watched him a moment before giving him the kind of look that meant she was about to have a good time at his expense. Her smile was sly, her tone all fake innocence, as she asked, “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“Nope.” Heat warmed his face so he kept his head lowered as he secured the end of the wrap. Hoping to distract his sister, he smiled at Lainie. “How’s that feel?”
“Funny.”
“It’s not too tight?”
She shrugged. What did she know about too tight? She was six. “It’s just plain ol’ white.” Disappointment underlay her words.
“I know. We should get some green ones with purple polka dots, shouldn’t we?”
“I like pink. With orange.”
“I’ll look into that.” He helped her to the floor, then faced Sara. “You know the drill—rest, ice, elevation.”
She brushed him off. “Yeah, I know. So when are you seeing her again?”
Crossing his arms, Ben leaned against the edge of the table and surrendered. “How long did Patricia wait to call you?”
“However long it took for you to lock lips with the woman and for Mom to get both Bree and me on the line.” Sara grinned evilly. “I believe you were pulling away from
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