Chapter 7 #2
Oh my… His dazzling smile was totally a cover. Abbi remembered it from the night they’d met. It’s what had made her practically beg him to drive her back to her room. Had it been genuine, or a way to fool the ladies that he was only good for one night?
She might have intruded, but she didn’t regret it. Getting to know him was worth it. “I happened to be at the cafe when Cash heard you were in here. I kind of gave him no choice but to bring me.”
“That’s fine.” Frankie pushed a button to raise the head of her bed. “I’m afraid they’re overreacting anyway.”
“Really?”
At Cash’s disbelieving tone, Frankie flushed. “It was just a dizzy spell.”
“Did you topple over this morning before you started your shift?” Cash disengaged his hand and sat down in one of the two chairs by Frankie’s bed. “What’s going on, Frankie?”
Frankie tugged gently on the cords attached to her. “They’re looking at my heart. Took a gallon of blood in the ER, and a doctor who looks like he should be in preschool admitted me. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Uh-huh. They gotta be thorough.”
A middle-aged nurse breezed in and stopped when she spied them. “Oh, hey Cash. Um…I need to check Frankie’s vitals, if you don’t mind stepping out.”
Frankie waved the request off. “It’s fine. Not like there’s any such thing as privacy in this place.”
The nurse smiled. “We make sure you get your money’s worth.”
She tucked her stethoscope in her ears and listened to Frankie’s heart and breathing. While she typed her stats into the computer, she glanced at Cash. “How’s it going? I hear your mom’s in town. I think she’s going to stop by.”
Cash stiffened but recovered. If Abbi weren’t sitting so close, she might not have noticed. Cash said, “I think she misses working with you guys.”
“Well, we miss her. I hope I catch her when she’s here.” The nurse finished the exam and ambled out.
Frankie studied Cash with her brows drawn together. “Is it okay that you’re here?”
Abbi expected the toothpaste-commercial grin, but his small smile was more of an attempt at reassurance.
“I’m an adult and you’re my grandmother. Speaking of, what do you need done while you’re in here?”
Frankie brushed him off like she had the nurse. “You don’t need to worry yourself about me.”
“I’m not worried,” he replied smoothly, “but your cats might be.”
That got Frankie’s attention. Her hand flew to her temples. “Oh no. Dutchie is going to be beside herself when I don’t come home. Baron might pretend not to care, but he’ll make me pay for being gone.”
“Gimme your key and we’ll stop by and feed them.”
Satisfaction rippled through Abbi at his use of “we.” Until her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen. Damn, Ellis and his shit timing.
He’d tried calling the previous night and all morning and she’d ignored him. Texting was his new attempt, but she wasn’t going to read it in front of Cash.
Cash lifted a brow as if to ask if everything was all right. She shot him a little smile.
“You sure you don’t mind?” Frankie motioned for her purse on the cart next to the bed. Cash handed it off and she dug out a key. “This one’s my spare. Why don’t you keep it, in case I ever lose my own key or my entire purse. You know where I live, right?”
“Of course.” His grandmother shouldn’t have to ask him that, but their relationship hadn’t been typical.
They stood and he bent to give her a hug. From the shocked but pleased look on Frankie’s face, it wasn’t a common occurrence. Frankie’s hospital episode must’ve bothered him more than Abbi had realized.
Cash searched out Abbi’s hand and they walked out together.
“Aw, shit,” he breathed.
Abbi followed his gaze. At the nurse’s station, his mom was laughing with three other nurses and aides.
Patty glanced down the hall and her eyes brightened with delight that her son was there, then concern that her son was in the hospital.
Abbi tightened her grip around Cash’s hand. He needed it now more than ever.
His mom met them at the elevators. “What are you doing here?”
“Frankie’s having some health issues and they’re checking her out.” His grip was solid iron. Her fingers might be turning white.
Patty drew herself to her full height; her face became a mask. “Oh? And she’s doing okay?” Her voice could’ve rivaled a robot’s.
“Seems to be. We’ll know after some results come back.”
Another we. Abbi didn’t know the dynamics between Cash and his mother, but she suspected it was incredibly significant that he was here.
Patty eyed them both. “I…I didn’t realize you two knew…”
Abbi wanted to loosen the collar of her sweater at the tension rippling between mother and son.
“I meet with her every Monday. Have been for a couple years, Mom. And we wrote back and forth when I was in the army.”
Patty’s brows had risen higher with each sentence. “I see.”
Abbi resisted shrinking into Cash when Patty’s gaze pinned her.
“I’m sorry, Abbi, we didn’t get to officially meet. Patty Walker.” She stuck her hand out.
Abbi had to release Cash’s hand to shake and when she did, he crossed his arms, his wary gaze still on his mom.
So awkward.
“What else do you two have planned today?” Patty’s tone gave Abbi flashbacks to getting grilled by her parents when she went on dates, or out with friends—who were usually covers for going on dates.
“Abbi’s never ridden a horse. I have to check on Frankie’s place and then we’ll go saddle up.”
“Take it easy.” A hidden warning was in Patty’s words.
Cash gave his mom a quick kiss. He grabbed Abbi’s hand again and pulled her toward the stairwell.
“Sorry about that,” he muttered as they trotted down the stairs.
“Why? That wasn’t weird at all.”
Cash chuckled and shook his head. “So it was my imagination. I can drop you off at the diner and run to check the cats, if you want to meet in an hour.”
“Not a chance.” She whispered, “I have a major pussy fetish.”
Cash sputtered a cough while she giggled. Juvenile cat jokes to diffuse any lingering unease—worked like a charm.
“What a coincidence,” he replied, “so do I.”