hers.
“I’m so sorry, love. He died about half an hour ago, on the operating table.”
“Jesus!” His eyes clenched shut.
Meg took his hand, which was superficially clean but battered, cut, and bruised. She didn’t say anything, and neither did Rob, for a long time. At last he sighed and scrubbed at his eyes with his free hand. “Well, it was in the cards. He looked bad when we found him.”
“We?”
“Linda heard the baby. Jake brought the car jack. We got the baby out first, then Mack.”
Meg had the feeling that wasn’t the whole story.
His frown deepened. “Who’s with Beth?”
“Their kids. I didn’t intrude.”
“That’s good. What about Peggy?”
“I don’t know, Rob. I’m sorry.”
He brooded. “Charlie told me about Kayla.”
“It’s so sad. He’s really torn up. I hope—” She broke off. She was going to say that she hoped the injuries wouldn’t destroy Kayla’s wonderful confidence, and perhaps Rob read her mind.
“She’s going to be very upset that she couldn’t save her patient. That will matter to her.”
And her appearance won’t? Meg didn’t say anything.
He went on, “She’s not as superficial as she seems. I hope Charlie’s smart enough to see that.”
If Rob felt protective of Kayla, Meg found that she had a strong need to defend Charlie. “And maybe he’s not as besotted as he seems.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “Hey, lady, will you take me home?”
“They’re not going to admit you?”
“Not if I have any say in the matter.”
My home or yours? “The question is, do you want to lie for three days upstairs on my bed, or downstairs on the wonderful hide-a-bed?”
“Three days?”
“I once ruined my back lifting book cartons. The doctor made me lie flat for seventy-two interminable hours.”
“Let’s hope some magic pill shortens the sentence. I have a lot to do.”
“And I didn’t? Lucy was twelve when I threw out my back. She was in love with the pool maintenance guy at our apartment complex.” Lucy was her daughter, a Stanford freshman. “That was before she took up physics.”
He said very seriously, “I love you, Meg.”
She felt tears rise again. She kissed him, this time on the mouth.
A care-giver bustled in. “I’m supposed to bathe you, Mr. Erm. Can’t do it out here in the corridor.”
Face burning, Meg scuttled away from the gurney. She had been raised to avoid public displays of emotion.
“Not a bath,” Rob said. “A shower.” The tips of his ears showed red through the caked ash.
The aide was a big woman with a stubborn jaw. Meg observed the power struggle. Somebody showed up with the clothes Meg had brought. A volunteer came bearing a plastic bag with Rob’s dirty belongings. Passersby gawked. It was a good show but no contest. Meg was unsurprised when Rob emerged from the shower room, clean, clothed, and almost upright.
The defeated aide slung him onto the empty bed nearest the shower room. Rob didn’t look great, and he moved with effort, but he was a lot cleaner. He was still unshaven. At least his beard wasn’t orange. The care-giver flounced off to report to her supervisor.
“Ah, there you are, Robert!” An elderly man with round glasses and a hearing aid sidled into the room.
“Judge Rosen. Why…I could have sent someone for the warrants.” Rob struggled to sit up.
The judge made shooing motions with his small, neat hands. “Lie down. I talked to your sergeant. When he told me they’d taken you to the hospital, I came to see how you were doing. Well, from the look of things.” His eyes twinkled. “This lady must be our new librarian.” He held out his hand. “Nate Rosen, Ms. McLean.”
“Your Honor.” Meg shook hands.
“May I welcome you somewhat belatedly to our little community? We’re fortunate to have so many talented people coming to us from California.”
That was so kind, Meg almost burst into tears. She was also struck dumb. When local people heard she was from
“I’m so sorry, love. He died about half an hour ago, on the operating table.”
“Jesus!” His eyes clenched shut.
Meg took his hand, which was superficially clean but battered, cut, and bruised. She didn’t say anything, and neither did Rob, for a long time. At last he sighed and scrubbed at his eyes with his free hand. “Well, it was in the cards. He looked bad when we found him.”
“We?”
“Linda heard the baby. Jake brought the car jack. We got the baby out first, then Mack.”
Meg had the feeling that wasn’t the whole story.
His frown deepened. “Who’s with Beth?”
“Their kids. I didn’t intrude.”
“That’s good. What about Peggy?”
“I don’t know, Rob. I’m sorry.”
He brooded. “Charlie told me about Kayla.”
“It’s so sad. He’s really torn up. I hope—” She broke off. She was going to say that she hoped the injuries wouldn’t destroy Kayla’s wonderful confidence, and perhaps Rob read her mind.
“She’s going to be very upset that she couldn’t save her patient. That will matter to her.”
And her appearance won’t? Meg didn’t say anything.
He went on, “She’s not as superficial as she seems. I hope Charlie’s smart enough to see that.”
If Rob felt protective of Kayla, Meg found that she had a strong need to defend Charlie. “And maybe he’s not as besotted as he seems.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “Hey, lady, will you take me home?”
“They’re not going to admit you?”
“Not if I have any say in the matter.”
My home or yours? “The question is, do you want to lie for three days upstairs on my bed, or downstairs on the wonderful hide-a-bed?”
“Three days?”
“I once ruined my back lifting book cartons. The doctor made me lie flat for seventy-two interminable hours.”
“Let’s hope some magic pill shortens the sentence. I have a lot to do.”
“And I didn’t? Lucy was twelve when I threw out my back. She was in love with the pool maintenance guy at our apartment complex.” Lucy was her daughter, a Stanford freshman. “That was before she took up physics.”
He said very seriously, “I love you, Meg.”
She felt tears rise again. She kissed him, this time on the mouth.
A care-giver bustled in. “I’m supposed to bathe you, Mr. Erm. Can’t do it out here in the corridor.”
Face burning, Meg scuttled away from the gurney. She had been raised to avoid public displays of emotion.
“Not a bath,” Rob said. “A shower.” The tips of his ears showed red through the caked ash.
The aide was a big woman with a stubborn jaw. Meg observed the power struggle. Somebody showed up with the clothes Meg had brought. A volunteer came bearing a plastic bag with Rob’s dirty belongings. Passersby gawked. It was a good show but no contest. Meg was unsurprised when Rob emerged from the shower room, clean, clothed, and almost upright.
The defeated aide slung him onto the empty bed nearest the shower room. Rob didn’t look great, and he moved with effort, but he was a lot cleaner. He was still unshaven. At least his beard wasn’t orange. The care-giver flounced off to report to her supervisor.
“Ah, there you are, Robert!” An elderly man with round glasses and a hearing aid sidled into the room.
“Judge Rosen. Why…I could have sent someone for the warrants.” Rob struggled to sit up.
The judge made shooing motions with his small, neat hands. “Lie down. I talked to your sergeant. When he told me they’d taken you to the hospital, I came to see how you were doing. Well, from the look of things.” His eyes twinkled. “This lady must be our new librarian.” He held out his hand. “Nate Rosen, Ms. McLean.”
“Your Honor.” Meg shook hands.
“May I welcome you somewhat belatedly to our little community? We’re fortunate to have so many talented people coming to us from California.”
That was so kind, Meg almost burst into tears. She was also struck dumb. When local people heard she was from
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