Ready-Made Family

Looking overwhelmed, she took the card. “How can I prove it’s mine? I don’t have a title. I bought it from my parents.”

“Then they’ll have to fax a title and vouch for you.”

Though her eyebrows drew together into a discouraged frown, a determined glint entered her eyes. “Thank you.”

Ben waved goodbye to Amelia, Reece and Bearby, then slipped out, leaving the phone without a backward glance. It was his personal cell anyway. He had his military phone on him. He’d call Joel, talk to Hutton. See where they planned to meet and buy them some grub.

He figured Amelia would find a way to be gone one blink after her doctor said the words, whether her car was ready or not. He’d do his best to be here before then. He at least wanted to say goodbye. At best, do more to help, which is what he intended to talk with her about.

At the door, Ben peered over his shoulder and found Amelia staring with half apprehension, half hope.

Trapped in the moment, his mind scrambled for words. “If you need anything before tomorrow, feel free to call.”

Even if she were still here in the morning, would she let him help? He might have a fight on his hands. So be it. One thing he loved more than skydiving was chasing a challenge.

And something told him Amelia North fit the bill.

Chapter Four

Amelia wanted to crawl under the covers and die. Well, not die, exactly. Just disappear for a good five minutes. She hated handouts. Hated to be the one burdening people. But the guy was right. No need spending money she didn’t have just because pride trumped common sense.

Speaking of common sense, what kind of crazy guy would leave his phone with a complete stranger? Definitely, this Ben character was cut from a different mold than any other guy she’d encountered.

And what on earth did he want to talk to her about tomorrow? Multiple scenarios hulked through her head, all confrontational. Dread settled in for what he would say when he saw her next. Probably found something else to scold her about.

Well, she could escape and evade all that if she could get out of here and get to her job.

Ugh! But then there was the problem of the doctor wanting her to follow up days after releasing her. If she went against medical advice, that would not only be unsafe healthwise, but an insurance company might decline her as a client once she got caught up enough to afford premiums for her and Reece.

Dialing Refuge’s police department, Amelia asked what she would need to verify ownership of the car. They repeated the information Ben told her and stated they’d given her the benefit of the doubt and towed it to the local garage.

Towed. That meant it wasn’t drivable.

Amelia shook off discouragement and phoned the garage. No answer. She tried again. No answer. Maybe they weren’t open on Sunday. Then how could police have dropped the car off?

She called a third time. After ten rings, a garbled answering machine sputtered on. She left a message after the closest thing resembling a beep. That no one answered, and that the garage answering machine sounded like it needed transmission fluid—or worse, a complete overhaul—didn’t make her feel good.

A knock at the door broke into her thoughts. “Hello, Miss North. It’s Doc Callahan. You decent?”

According to her dad, that was debatable. She adjusted her blankets. “Yes. Please come in.” And let me outta here!

The room curtain parted and he entered. “Nurse Bailey notified me that you’d awakened.”

Ben’s phone rang. A number appeared on the face. “Excuse me a minute. That’s the car garage.”

He nodded and flipped through her chart.

Amelia pushed the button Ben showed her to answer. “Hello?”

“Thiz Eagle’s Nest Vay-hicle Repair-a-returnin’ yer call.”

“Yes, I own the car that police escorted there after it was assaulted by a light pole today.”

A hearty chuckle crossed the line. “Yessum. She’s here. Perty banged up though.”

“When do you anticipate it being ready to go?”

Amelia’s gut clenched at the ensuing silence. Then weird chomping came across the line. Then a belch and more silence.

“We-ell. I don’t rightly know if she’ll ever be ready to go. If there’s a possibilty of ’er a pullin’ through a tall, I’d say yer lookin’ at two weeks…minimum.”

Maybe deep breaths would calm her racing heart and make it stop doing gymnastics in her chest. The feeling made her lightheaded again. And nauseous. She eyed her IV, hoping it would hurry and right her…whatever-those-things-were-called. “Then I’d best let you go so you can work on it.” A little nudging couldn’t hurt, right?

Another chuckle. “I don’t work on Sundies,” the hillbilly-sounding mechanic said. “Check back’n a day or two or three when I’ll know more.”

“Thank you.” Heavyhearted and light-headed, Amelia hung up and faced the doctor.

He motioned to Reece, asleep in the recliner. “She down for the night?”

“Yes. Nurse Bailey brought blankets and pillows. When it’s bedtime, she’ll sleep anywhere. I can’t count how many times I’ve intercepted her face heading for a dinner plate.”

He chuckled, then his smile straightened as he pulled up a wooden chair and sat beside her bed. Uh-oh. Here it comes.

“Speaking of food, Miss North—”

“Please, call me Amelia.”

“Okay, Amelia. Can we talk candidly a moment?”

She nodded. At least he didn’t start out yelling. Still, tears sprang to her eyes. “Look, before you say anything, I know I’ve done wrong.” She sniffed, hating that she couldn’t make herself not cry. “I also know as a doctor you have to discuss this with me. But I want you to know up front I’m not anorexic.”

He nodded. “I believe you. Your lab work and medical examinations don’t show signs of long-term starvation. But as you know, you were dangerously dehydrated when you came in.”

For the first time, Amelia noticed his name tag.

Oncologist?

Isn’t that a cancer doctor?

Her heart nearly stopped. She sucked in a quick breath.

He followed her gaze. “Oh, sorry I didn’t explain before. Refuge is a small town. We don’t yet have a full-time ER doctor on staff. Until physician recruiters hire one, doctors in town take turns doing ER shifts whether they’re in family practice or are specialists. I was on call when you came in. My background is in oncology but I am Refuge’s trauma surgeon now. I think you’re perfectly healthy other than an electrolyte imbalance secondary to flu and severe dehydration.”

She sank back into the bed. “Oh, good.”

Shuffling sounded as he adjusted papers. “But I want to make certain this won’t happen again.”

She sat up. “It won’t. I promise. My life changed today. My baby, having to see me go down like that, then go for help—” Amelia shivered, shook her head, eyed Reece and swallowed. “I’ll make sure I eat enough and keep myself healthy from now on.”