be okay but it’s painful. She’s being taken to a room and we’re keeping her overnight at least. Maybe two nights.” After a pause, he said, “And that’s all I know, except she is a strong woman. Suffered a lot of pain without complaining.”
“Can we see her?” Janie asked.
“In about two hours. After they settle her in, they’regoing to give her some pain medication that will knock her out. When she wakes up, she’ll feel a lot better.”
“Okay, thanks, Doc,” Janie said, and led her son and mother out to the waiting room where Red was waiting.
O NCE THEY LEFT the clinic, Rich glowered. “I think I’m paying the sheriff a visit.”
“Is he going to charge the man with anything?” Janie asked.
“He’d better,” Rich returned.
“I think we should go get Samantha her own things,” Lavinia said. “I remember that made me feel lots better when I was in the hospital.”
“After we stop at the sheriff’s office,” Rich replied.
“All right, dear.”
“While y’all do that, Red and I are going home to reassure Mildred and pick up Pete. He’ll want to see Sam, too.”
Rich got in his grandmother’s car on the passenger side, irritated that he had to rely on anyone to drive him wherever he needed to go.
Lavinia pulled up beside the sheriff’s office but stayed in the car. “I’m beginning to feel a little sore and tired,” she admitted. “I’ll just wait here until you’re ready to go home.”
“You sure you’re all right, Grandma?”
“I’m sure. Maybe I’m just hungry. It’s past lunch-time.”
“I won’t be long.”
When Rich walked in, he discovered the sheriff talking to one of his deputies. “Sheriff Metzger?” he called.
The sheriff spun on his heels. “Rich. How’s your friend?”
“Doc’s keeping her overnight.”
“I’m sorry. Her attacker is going back to Flagstaff first thing in the morning. He wasn’t supposed to leave town. They’ve got new evidence on his last wife’s death. Looks like they’re going to charge him with her murder and look into his other wives’ deaths, so your little lady won’t have to worry about him.”
“That’s good news, but she’s just a friend, not my lady.”
“Uh, right.”
“So does Sam need to file charges just in case he beats that rap?”
“That would be best.”
“If you’ll give me the forms she needs to sign, I’ll bring them by later.”
The sheriff gathered up several sheets of paper and handed them to Rich. After saying goodbye, Rich hurried back to his grandmother’s car.
“You want to get some lunch before we go back to the ranch?” he asked her.
“No, we’ll grab something to eat when we get home. I want to get Samantha’s nightgown and grooming things to her as quick as possible. I was right glad to get out of that thing they called a nightgown when I was in the hospital.”
Rich nodded, but he wondered what Sam would havein the way of a nightgown. Then he shook his head. That wasn’t a good thing for him to worry about.
When they returned to his grandmother’s house, she ordered him to get the ham out of the refrigerator. They’d have sandwiches. He did as she asked, taking out mustard and bread as well.
His grandmother then went upstairs to Samantha’s bedroom. A few minutes later, she came back down with Samantha’s duffel bag. “Did you say this was the only bag she brought?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“There’s no nightgown in her room. Just a couple of T-shirts and a spare pair of jeans.”
“I figured.”
“Well, why didn’t you say something? We could’ve gone to a store.”
Rich shook his head. “Sam’s real independent, Grandma. I’m not sure but what buying her something will upset her.”
“Mercy!” Lavinia exclaimed. She picked up the phone to call her daughter. “Janie, Samantha doesn’t have hardly anything. There’s no nightgown and Rich says buying her something will upset her. What do we do?”
After listening, Lavinia hung
“Can we see her?” Janie asked.
“In about two hours. After they settle her in, they’regoing to give her some pain medication that will knock her out. When she wakes up, she’ll feel a lot better.”
“Okay, thanks, Doc,” Janie said, and led her son and mother out to the waiting room where Red was waiting.
O NCE THEY LEFT the clinic, Rich glowered. “I think I’m paying the sheriff a visit.”
“Is he going to charge the man with anything?” Janie asked.
“He’d better,” Rich returned.
“I think we should go get Samantha her own things,” Lavinia said. “I remember that made me feel lots better when I was in the hospital.”
“After we stop at the sheriff’s office,” Rich replied.
“All right, dear.”
“While y’all do that, Red and I are going home to reassure Mildred and pick up Pete. He’ll want to see Sam, too.”
Rich got in his grandmother’s car on the passenger side, irritated that he had to rely on anyone to drive him wherever he needed to go.
Lavinia pulled up beside the sheriff’s office but stayed in the car. “I’m beginning to feel a little sore and tired,” she admitted. “I’ll just wait here until you’re ready to go home.”
“You sure you’re all right, Grandma?”
“I’m sure. Maybe I’m just hungry. It’s past lunch-time.”
“I won’t be long.”
When Rich walked in, he discovered the sheriff talking to one of his deputies. “Sheriff Metzger?” he called.
The sheriff spun on his heels. “Rich. How’s your friend?”
“Doc’s keeping her overnight.”
“I’m sorry. Her attacker is going back to Flagstaff first thing in the morning. He wasn’t supposed to leave town. They’ve got new evidence on his last wife’s death. Looks like they’re going to charge him with her murder and look into his other wives’ deaths, so your little lady won’t have to worry about him.”
“That’s good news, but she’s just a friend, not my lady.”
“Uh, right.”
“So does Sam need to file charges just in case he beats that rap?”
“That would be best.”
“If you’ll give me the forms she needs to sign, I’ll bring them by later.”
The sheriff gathered up several sheets of paper and handed them to Rich. After saying goodbye, Rich hurried back to his grandmother’s car.
“You want to get some lunch before we go back to the ranch?” he asked her.
“No, we’ll grab something to eat when we get home. I want to get Samantha’s nightgown and grooming things to her as quick as possible. I was right glad to get out of that thing they called a nightgown when I was in the hospital.”
Rich nodded, but he wondered what Sam would havein the way of a nightgown. Then he shook his head. That wasn’t a good thing for him to worry about.
When they returned to his grandmother’s house, she ordered him to get the ham out of the refrigerator. They’d have sandwiches. He did as she asked, taking out mustard and bread as well.
His grandmother then went upstairs to Samantha’s bedroom. A few minutes later, she came back down with Samantha’s duffel bag. “Did you say this was the only bag she brought?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“There’s no nightgown in her room. Just a couple of T-shirts and a spare pair of jeans.”
“I figured.”
“Well, why didn’t you say something? We could’ve gone to a store.”
Rich shook his head. “Sam’s real independent, Grandma. I’m not sure but what buying her something will upset her.”
“Mercy!” Lavinia exclaimed. She picked up the phone to call her daughter. “Janie, Samantha doesn’t have hardly anything. There’s no nightgown and Rich says buying her something will upset her. What do we do?”
After listening, Lavinia hung
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