14. Sadie
14
SADIE
“ H E’S YOUR WHAT?” Gus screeches and drops her medical bag in the dirt.
There’s an eruption of barking from The Doghouse. The mourning doves conclude that this isn’t the best hangout today and take flight.
“You said you wouldn’t scream,” I remind her.
“That was before I knew you married a gunslinger and didn’t tell me.”
“He’s not a gunslinger.”
“You said he’s been shot.”
“As a result of self-defense. That doesn’t exactly make him Doc Holliday. He’s actually a…businessman.”
She straightens up and glares down at me. Easy to do since she’s a solid six inches taller in heels. “You’re a terrible liar, Mercedes Wingate. Or whatever your name is these days. I knew you’d been hiding something these past few months and I thought maybe you had some secret online boyfriend you didn’t want to talk about.”
“No, I just have a secret real life husband that I don’t like to talk about. And I haven’t changed my name. I know that I owe you a much better explanation and I also know that you deserve a much better best friend but right now I’m just begging you to please please help the injured man who is technically my husband.”
She softens and tilts her head as she gives me a long, probing look. “Do you love him?”
I swallow hard, internally warring with the promises I made to Cale and the need to tell Gus the truth. “It’s not like that.”
Gus takes a step back and surveys the newly improved grounds of Bright Hearts. “I’m guessing this acquisition of a spouse has something to do with your sudden prosperity.”
“I made a deal. That’s all I can say. You have every right to feel deceived but the details of this arrangement need to stay between me and him.”
“Has he threatened you? Because I will have to handle his ass if that’s the case.”
I stifle a laugh because she’s completely serious. “No need to handle anyone. He hasn’t threatened me at all.” I’m almost fearful to ask the next question. “Are you still my best friend?”
She sighs and throws an arm over my shoulder. “I’m your ride or die, cupcake. There’s no getting rid of me.”
Gus turns her head and we both stare as a pair of black Range Rovers and a private ambulance turn through the open gate and roll in our direction.
“Who’s that?” she says. “More surprise husbands?”
No, this is apparently the medical team sent by Richie Amato. I’m trying not to be impressed but it’s rather remarkable that Cale’s uncle has the power to summon a response like this.
Some of the men who emerge with granite expressions and sunglasses resemble a Secret Service team. They observe everything and say nothing as they quickly scan the area. The man who slides out of the first Range Rover is the one in charge. He’s tall with the broad-shouldered, long-legged build of an Olympic athlete, wavy brown hair that should star in a shampoo commercial, cheekbones that the fashion industry would bleed for and a dazzling smile that competes with the sun. He takes long strides toward us in a suit that could have just been plucked from an Armani rack.
Even Gus, difficult to impress, is wowed. She actually whispers the word, “Wow,” under her breath.
The man has a British accent and briefly introduces himself as Doctor Bond. But before I can answer him I’m distracted by the sight of the Men In Black team fanning out towards the barn.
“Hey!” I shout, “Where do you guys think you’re going?”
The men about face and their sunglasses look to the doctor for direction.
“They’re with me,” he says and even pats my arm, as if I’m a nervous kindergartener. “They’re just following protocol to ensure there is no threat on the property.”
“There’s no threat in the barn. There are only horses. Tell them to stand down.”
The doctor makes a sharp arm gesture to the Men In Black. They obediently retreat.
“Which one of you ladies is Sadie?” says Dr. Bond.
“That would be me. Cale is in the house. He’s awake and he’s even more ornery than usual but he’s lost a lot of blood.” It’s a punch in the gut I flash back to the way Cale crumpled to the ground not too long ago.
Dr. Bond lets out a low whistle and waves his hand. The doors to the ambulance promptly open and a gurney gets rolled out by two guys wearing basic navy blue tactical uniforms.
“You lead the way, Sadie,” says Dr. Bond.
“Right. Follow me.” I heave Cale’s duffel bag to one shoulder and start to drag the spinner but two members of Dr. Bond’s entourage close in and politely relieve me of my burdens. A third man then tries to carry Gus’s medical bag, which is one of her prized possessions, inherited from her father. She kicks him in the shin and joins me at the front of the procession into the house.
For a few minutes, mayhem reigns. Apollo and Zeus need to be secured in a bedroom due to their exhilaration over all these new guests. Peggy rearms herself with the broom and keeps a suspicious eye on the Men In Black as they quickly walk through the house to make sure there are no mass murderers hiding behind the drapes. Jasper has moved onto devouring a stack of Peggy’s chocolate chip cookies and watches us all pass by with his mouth full.
It's when we confront Cale that we run into problems. He’s still shirtless, sitting up in bed, fatigue written all over his face, looking like he’s tempted to keel over again. However, he flatly refuses to sit on the gurney and get wheeled out to the ambulance.
“It’s a sixty-five mile drive,” explains the doctor. “We’ll be there within the hour and you’ll be transported in comfort. The hospital is a private facility where I have special privileges. Your vitals are stable but once we’re there we can get a clearer picture as to what we’re dealing with.”
“Please go with the doctor,” I say to Cale. “Please.”
There’s nothing but stubbornness in the look he sends me before returning his attention to the doctor. “How long is all of this gonna take?”
“We will have you mended and back here at home as soon as possible to recover, just as I promised your uncle.”
“Back here?” I say without thinking.
And…
At home??
“Of course.” Dr. Bond flashes a dazzling smile. “My understanding from Mr. Amato is that you are newlyweds. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations.”
“Thank you,” says Cale and prods me with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, thank you,” I say and force my lips to smile. “I’m just so worried about him and I’m very grateful for your help. We both are.”
Dr. Bond beams. “Naturally you, as his wife, will be riding with him in the ambulance.”
“Yes, I am the wife.” My voice is suddenly robotic. “Of course I need to go with him.”
Cale stands up and grimaces in discomfort but he grits his teeth and nods to the doctor. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
“Hold on, honey .” I block his path and cross my arms. “Don’t you think you ought to follow the doctor’s orders and sit on the gurney? After all, so many people have been inconvenienced today. The least you can do is to accept that you should cooperate for your own good.”
Cale’s exhale of irritation is so deep you’d think I’ve just ordered him to tap dance in front of the crowd. What gall. All I’m trying to do is get the obstinate jerk to behave in his own best interest now that he’s invaded my life and probably turned me into an accomplice of some kind.
But then the corners of his mouth twitch and I wonder if he’s stifling a smile. Anyway, he doesn’t argue and takes a seat on the gurney.
I flinch at another closeup shot of the angry wound in his side. The bullet entered just below his right ribs, just two inches from the edge of his chiseled abdomen. There’s a mirror of the same hole where it exited in the back. I wish I knew more about biology and what kind of important parts might be located in that corner of the body.
“Don’t you worry, Sadie.” Dr. Bond pats my shoulder as Cale is grumpily strapped into the gurney. “Your husband is in excellent hands.”
The doctor then steers me out of the room to follow Cale’s gurney to the waiting ambulance. I wiggle away to have a quiet word with Gus, who has kept her mouth shut while watching everything unfold.
“I have no right to ask you a favor like this but-”
“Of course I’ll stick around here at the ranch,” she says and then gives Doctor Bond a final onceover. “See if you can find a way to discreetly snap a photo of that view. I need to fill some space on my dream board.”
“Absolutely,” I say with no clue how to pull that off.
Out front, Peggy and Jasper are staring as Cale gets loaded into the ambulance. There’s a background soundtrack of barking from The Doghouse plus the outraged howls of Apollo and Zeus from where they are still closed in Peggy’s bedroom.
“Feel better, Mr. Wingate.” Jasper calls with a cheerful wave. Not his fault. I never did tell him Cale’s name.
I wave back. “Thank you, Jasper. Mr. Wingate appreciates the support.”
“Who is Mr. Wingate?” Dr. Bond says as he helps me climb up into the ambulance.
“It’s just an expression,” I say. “You know teens and their memes and pop culture jokes. Mr. Wingate is slang for a cranky menace who practically ignores you for months, then ruins your day and yet still has the audacity to behave quite rudely when he should really be prostrate with gratitude.”
“Right.” Dr. Bond blinks. “Yes, I think I have heard that one before.”
“Jesus,” Cale mutters and tries to blot us all out by covering his eyes with his arm.
I kneel down near his head and lean close to his ear. “Quit complaining. Or I’ll order Dr. Bond to sedate you.”
He keeps his mouth shut. I’ll count that as a victory.