Cowboy Deputy. Carla Cassidy

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СКАЧАТЬ was it about this man that made her feel defensive and prickly? Maybe she was overly sensitive to him because he was the least of her problems. She had a life in Topeka that was in complete and total chaos and a crazy grandfather in Black Rock that she somehow had to fix before she could go home.

      She heard Poppy before they reached the exam room. “I’m fine. I just need to go home and rest a bit.” His voice held the raspy edge of frustration.

      As she and Benjamin stepped into the exam room Edie’s breath whooshed out of her at the sight of Poppy, who sat upright on the examining table. One of his eyes was blackened and swollen shut and his jaw held a massive bruise that appeared to grow darker as she stared at him.

      “Oh, Poppy,” she exclaimed, her heart squeezing tight in her chest. “What happened?”

      He shifted positions and winced. “One of the bastards caught me.”

      “Where were you, Walt?” Benjamin asked.

      The doctor, an older man with a receding hairline and a kind smile, held up a hand to halt any questioning. “Before we get into that, I’m Dr. Drake. I’ve been Walt’s doctor for the past twenty years.” He held out a hand to Edie, who introduced herself.

      “Other than what’s obvious, what are his injuries?” she asked.

      “A couple of cracked ribs and a lot of bruising along his left side. I’d like to keep him here under observation for a night or two.”

      Edie breathed a sigh of relief at the doctor’s words, but Walt took exception. “I don’t need to stay overnight. I want my own bed in my own house.”

      “Walt, as your doctor I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist,” Dr. Drake said firmly. “You took quite a beating and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I just let you out of here without running a few more tests.”

      The mutiny on Poppy’s face eased into something resembling resignation. “I’m not going to wear one of those damn gowns and this place better have cable television. And I want a pretty nurse.”

      Dr. Drake smiled. “I think we can handle all that. Now I’ll just get out of here and let Benjamin conduct his investigation.”

      “Dr. Drake, before I leave, I’d like to have a word with you in private,” Edie said.

      He nodded. “I’ll be in my office at the end of the hall, and if I’m not there just grab a nurse and have her hunt me down.” He left the room and Edie turned back to Poppy as Benjamin stepped closer to the bed.

      “Where were you, Walt?” he asked again.

      “Out by the cemetery. I thought that might be a hot spot for those creatures and damned if I wasn’t right. I was only there about an hour when one of them showed up. Either I made a sound or those suckers have some kind of extrasensory stuff ‘cause even though I was hiding behind a bush, he came tearing after me.” He looked from Benjamin to Edie. “I think it’s best if you leave town, Edie. Those creatures are violent and this town isn’t a safe place anymore.”

      “I’m not going anywhere, Poppy,” she replied. “At least not until I know you’re safe and well.”

      “This space alien, what did he look like?” Benjamin asked.

      “Like an alien,” Walt exclaimed, seeming to get more agitated with each question.

      “Poppy, you need to be more specific,” Edie replied. “Was he little and green?”

      Poppy shot her a look as if she’d lost her mind. “He wasn’t some damn cartoon Martian. I couldn’t tell much what he looked like. He was wearing all black. His face didn’t have a nose or mouth, just big eyes.”

      “Where exactly in the cemetery were you?” Benjamin had pulled out a small notepad to jot down the pertinent information.

      “I was hiding behind that big burning bush at the entrance and the alien was just inside the gate.”

      “What was he doing?” Benjamin asked.

      “Just walking,” Walt replied.

      On and on the questions went. To Benjamin’s credit he didn’t lose patience even when Walt got cranky and insisted they needed to call in more law enforcement for the small town.

      When the nurse came in to move him from emergency into one of the regular rooms, Edie and Benjamin were shooed out. Edie gave Poppy a gentle kiss on the top of the head and after promising to visit him the next morning, she and Benjamin left the room.

      “You didn’t get much to go on,” she said to Benjamin as they walked down the hall toward the doctor’s office. Nervous energy jangled inside her. She’d managed to hold it together in front of Poppy, but she felt perilously close to losing it now.

      “I’m sure it wasn’t a space invader on a nefarious mission, but somebody hurt Walt and I intend to find the person responsible,” he said with an intensity that somehow calmed her.

      “Why would somebody want to hurt him like that? He’s an old man. He’s not a threat to anyone.” She was horrified to feel the ominous burn of tears in her eyes. God, she’d only been with Benjamin three times and she refused to be in tears yet again.

      “Are you all right?” he asked. There was a softness in his eyes, a gentle but steady light that made her want to fall into it. He raised a hand, as if to touch her hair or cheek, but dropped it as she stiffened her back and took a step away from him. Someplace buried in her mind she recognized that this man was definitely dangerous to her.

      “I need to speak to Dr. Drake. Please keep me updated on the investigation.” Without waiting for his reply, she turned and hurried down the hall, away from him … away from temptation.

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