Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
I’d promised I would be here to grab it from her.
But Suzie Smoker and her Sonic haul had distracted me.
I pulled out my phone and winced at the number of calls and texts, all from Sage.
I started to go through them, smiling wider as each one went past.
Sage:
Here
Sage:
where are you
Sage:
you son of a bitch.
Sage:
I should throw this food out the window.
Sage:
I see you over there eating Sonic, you son of a bitch!
Sage:
I left the food on your desk. I hope you get the shits.
Sage:
Got to work late and guess what, I have to work in the ER again with the catty bitches. I get to work with your BFF Tanny. She’s such a twat. What does she even see in you?
Sage:
Tanny thinks she’s going to get in your pants. I don’t care what or who you do, but I swear to God, if you do her, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll literally burn your house down with you inside of it.
Sage:
Tanny made a bet with one of the other nurses. The next time you come in, she’s going to ask you out. If you don’t publicly and loudly turn her down, I’ll shove my fist straight into your face.
I was nearly laughing by the time I got to the ninth of fifteen.
Before I could read anything more, though, dispatch reached out to anyone close to get a transport from the hospital to county.
Unable to resist, I grabbed my food off my desk and headed out.
Fifteen
Don’t play to win. Play to make them remember who played.
—Sage to Gentry
Sage
My left eyelid was twitching something fierce, and every time I heard Tanny’s voice, it would seize.
I counted out my breaths, hoping that the extra oxygen would cause my brain to start working normally again.
But that didn’t seem very possible seeing as every time Tanny spoke, it was something acidic and tested my grip on my temper.
She knew that I could hear her.
Everyone knew that I could hear her.
Yet, she spoke anyway.
All morning long I’d been hearing about her love of married men and the sickness that was swelling inside of me was nearly overwhelming.
Her absolute pride in breaking up marriages was appalling.
And her friends’ support of her actions was downright disgusting.
“Which deputy do you think is going to come?” Tanny asked loudly.
If my “husband” was smart, it wouldn’t be him.
He’d stay far, far away from this place, and go out of his way to ignore Tanny Smith if he knew what was good for him.
“All right, Mr. Cable,” I said to the old farmer. “Now, what are you going to do when you go home?”
Mr. Cable was a wheat farmer. He’d been farming wheat for over sixty years now.
He’d informed me that he’d come into the ER all of two times, and one of those times was because his wife was in labor.
The other was because his wife had forced him in, just like today.
Both times he’d been cut severely.
This time, he didn’t have the gift of time on his hands like he had previously.
He needed to rest, and that was nonnegotiable.
“Rest, relaxation, and follow up with my primary care provider.”
I nodded.
“Only, my primary care provider just died…” He paused. “Doc Pendelton was that for me. Do you recommend anyone else?”
I frowned. “Dr. Pendelton passed away?”
He nodded.
I’d heard a rumor but…wow.
That was news to me.
In Jesper County, there was only a single doctor that served over ninety miles of towns. With Dr. Pendelton gone that would mean that the ER would become overcrowded.
That was a terrible way to look at it, but that just meant that I’d be forced to work in the ER more and more.
Maybe someone would replace the old doctor soon…
“Give me a few seconds and I’ll call his office.” I held up a finger. “They may have a replacement.”
But when I called, there was no answer.
I went back into his room and said, “Come back here. I’ll check it out. Just let one of the staff know that you’re here, and I’ll come check it out.”
The farmer smiled.
The farmer’s wife patted my arm. “Thank you, dear.”
I watched her leave, which was why I saw which particular police cruiser pulled up to transport the patient that I’d called about earlier.
The slightly lifted brown sheriff’s department-issued GMC with contrasting yellow lettering. The one-of-a-kind truck that only one person that I knew drove because I saw it sitting in the driveway every freakin’ morning.
I blew out a breath, girded my loins, and crossed my arms as I stood to the left of the nurses’ station and watched him hop out of the truck.
Today he was in full uniform.
Tan cargo pants. Tan boots. Skin-tight black t-shirt. Tan Kevlar vest with all the pockets on the front. Black thigh holster holding a big black gun. Bright gold star on his chest.
Tan baseball cap. Black and gold Randolph Engineering aviators.