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.” Looking back at Matt, she motioned for him to follow her out.“No,” Redfoot said.“He stays behind so I can have a word with him.”Matt’s eyes widened.Maria shook her head.“Now isn’t the time, Redfoot.”“Feels right to me.”Matt stood up and winked.“It’s fine, Maria.You go talk to the nurses, and I’ll be out in a minute.”Maria admired Matt’s courage.Redfoot had a way of instilling fear in people.She just hoped Matt knew Redfoot’s bark was always worse than his bite.Of course, the people who got bit never stuck around to compare.Then again, if she and Matt were really going to make it, Matt would have to learn to deal with Redfoot.Difficult and stubborn though he was, her foster father was family.And family was sacred.The lump in Shala’s throat returned, but she would not cry.“I apologized,” he said, and stepped into the room.“I know.” The stinging in her sinuses increased.After a few deep breaths, she added, “I’m not mad.”“Good.” He slipped into the room.For some crazy reason, she got the impression he didn’t apologize often.Maybe he didn’t have to.She recalled rummaging through his house, assessing him as perfect.Well, near perfect, with the exception of having athlete’s foot.Her gaze slid to his feet, and that’s when she remembered what else she’d found—that newspaper clipping.She continued to stare at Sky’s feet while a wash of empathy cascaded through her.At last she felt brave enough to glance up, and the emotions in his eyes seemed to mirror her own.Her gaze shifted to his chest, which looked ideal to lean against.She imagined him wrapping his arms around her, offering comfort as she did the same in return.Realizing she stared, she shot her gaze back to his feet.“Something wrong with my shoes?” he asked.“Nope.Just safer to look at.” Oh, hell.Had she really said that out loud?“Safer?”His cell phone rang.From the ensuing conversation, she assumed it was the man Sky had asked to go to his place and retrieve the gun.“Great,” he said into the phone.“I’ll pick it up in the morning.Thanks.”He hung up and eyed Shala without speaking.After a moment, the silence felt intimate.Luckily, a woman came in to get her insurance information.Instead of talking to Shala, though, her attention found Sky.“How’s your foster dad doing?” Foster father? Even feeling half out of it, Shala was able to file away that information.When the woman asked for Shala’s insurance card, Sky pointed to her injured hand and then her purse, lifting an eyebrow.She nodded.While she answered questions, she noticed Sky flipping through her wallet, looking for her insurance card, but paying particular attention to the pictures.Oddly, she didn’t mind, yet it felt odd having him peek into her personal world.Then, as she recalled her search of the man’s home tonight, turnabout seemed fair play.The insurance woman left and the doctor walked in.“Sky? I thought that was you.You like hanging around here, or what?”Sky introduced Shala to Dr.Henry Michaels.The doctor smiled at her.“I think Redfoot mentioned you.”“He did?” Shala asked.“Yeah.” Sky shot the doctor an odd look.“He got hit pretty hard on the head.Was talking a lot of nonsense.”“Nonsense about me?” It seemed better to concentrate on this conversation than on her tragic history with hospitals.“About everything.” Sky continued to stare at the doctor.The doctor, still smiling, reached for her hand.“I just went to check on him.He’s sleeping, and his blood pressure is normal.I think he’s going to be fine.Should go home tomorrow.” The doctor gently removed the washcloth from Shala’s wound.“Ouch,” he said.After cleaning the gash and making sure none of the ligaments were cut, he had the nurse bring in the needle and sutures.Amazingly, that’s when Shala realized she’d managed to get through being in a hospital without falling apart.Of course, her final experience had been worsened by the news that Nana was dead.That hadn’t been a good night.Shala had been alone.Unlike tonight, she realized.Her gaze went to Sky.Had his presence helped? He turned his head, his dark eyes meeting hers.“I’m going to deaden it first,” the doctor announced.“It might hurt for a few minutes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]