Like Arrows (Cedar Tree #6) (27 page)

"Sorry," I mumble again for good measure and his chin drops to the top of my head while one hand holds me to his chest.

"Hush," is all he says.

-

I
'm having a panic attack. I swear this contrast dye they're running through me intravenously is crawling under my skin and making me nauseated. If this fucking strap is not taken off my head very soon, I'm gonna lose it. My fucking body is lying on a metal 'bed,' wide enough to hold about half of one of my goddamn legs, but no—they want my whole body on there. Then they shove me inside a tube I just about feel brushing up against me. And
then
they tell me to lie still with my arms and legs slipping off the side of the bed and my stomach about to explode. Fuck this.

"Ma'am? You have to lie still, ma'am, or we'll have to start over." The disembodied voice can barely be heard through the headphones they plopped on my head. The noise is too overwhelming.

"Ma'am? Slow down your breathing, you'll start hyperventilating soon."

No shit, Sherlock.

With the threat of having to do this again right from the start, I dig up every ounce of control I have and with Mal's face as my focus, I manage to get through the final five minutes of this hell. Serves me right to refuse the sedative I was offered earlier. Next time they're welcome to knock me the hell out.

"Are you okay?" the hapless technician asks me as he removes the contraption that was holding my head in place like Hannibal fucking Lecter, and looks concerned at my tear-streaked face. Really?

"No, I'm not. I need a—" And before I can finish my sentence, the nausea churning in my stomach wins and I puke all over his shoes.

He screams like a girl.

My torture reaches its peak when Mal, who was grudgingly confined to the waiting room on the other side of the doors, bursts through. "What the fuck is going on?" He takes one look at me and rushes over. Lovely. "You okay, babe?" he says, grabbing a corner of the sheet that was supposed to keep me warm in this sub-zero room, and starts wiping my cheeks and mouth. Giving up, I bury my face in his chest. At this point, what's the point of resisting. "I thought it was you screaming," he mumbles in my hair and despite the totally embarrassing situation, I burst out laughing. What else are you gonna do?

The technician unhappily cleans off his shoes and dismisses me, saying the radiologist will have results to my doctor as soon as possible. Mal leads me to the nearest patient bathroom and deftly cleans me up. I'm beyond caring and just let him do his thing.

"Be back in two seconds, baby. Close the door behind me?" he says before darting out the door.

A few minutes later, I let him back in and he hands me a packaged toothbrush and toothpaste. "Thought this might make you feel a bit better," he says.

That's when I burst into tears again.

"Thank you," I tell Mal as we are leaving the hospital parking lot, followed closely by Neil, who'd been our 'tail' into Cortez. I was mortified to find out he'd been standing guard outside the patient bathroom, while Mal was making his purchases in the small gift shop in the lobby. Mal whispered in my ear as we walked right by him on our way out the door to just ignore him. Not to draw attention to him. So I shoved it from my mind, as I have a tendency to do with unpleasant things.

"No problem, Kimeo." He smiles a little without taking his eyes off the road, but his hand finds mine on my lap and for the rest of the drive home, he doesn't let go.

M
al

I recognize them the minute they walk in the door. Both bottled blondes, compared to Kim's rich brown color. Tall and skinny. Too skinny, that much is clear. The older woman's face is gaunt with skin drawn too tight for someone her age. The younger one looks a bit more fleshed out but wears an ugly distasteful scowl that takes away any attractive appeal she might otherwise have. Kim's mother and sister.

I shouldn't be surprised to see their eyes skim right over Kim to take in the diner before coming back to rest on me, not Kim, who's shrunk in her seat beside me. I'd purposely blocked her in the booth by sitting down next to her before Arlene appeared and took our drink orders. The older woman's eyes are the first to glimpse Kim sitting beside me and shoot right back to meet mine. The younger one never moved her gaze and with a small shiver of disgust I register the veiled heat I see there.

Not gonna happen, blondie. Not on your life.

The moment Kim's mother starts walking toward our table, her other daughter looks confused before she too finds her sister sitting in the booth next to me.

"Seriously, Kim?"

Kim's back straightens underneath the arm I've casually slung around her. I've got to bite my fucking tongue not to take this woman down right this minute, but I'd promised myself I'd let Kim fight her own battle, just providing her security. She needs that.

It helps that Emma stood true to her promise. Everyone, including Clint, Beth and their grandson Max, were sitting at the big round table in the corner. All of them knowing full well what was going down. Only Neil and Joe were outside somewhere, keeping an eye out.

"Mother. Britta. Good to see you both," Kim says as the other two slide into the booth across from us.

"I see you haven't changed much," her sister says with a sneer. No hello from either of them. Un-fucking-believable.

"Thank you. You look well too," Kim says smiling and I can't stifle the chuckle at how she puts them in their place by being deadly polite. They don't even realize it. All eyes shoot to me, Kim's warm and appreciative, the other two irritated at my intrusion.

"And who might you be?" Britta holds out her hand while batting her eyelashes. I reach out my free hand to shake her limp one, letting it drop right away when I feel her thumb brush my palm. Fucking piece of work.

"Sorry, this is Malachi Whitetail, my boyfriend. Mal, this is my mother, Elaine Lowe, and my sister, Britta," Kim says in a strong voice and I have to restrain myself from kissing the stuffing out of her right here and now.

Elaine's lips are drawn in a tight line and Britta's mouth falls open in surprise before she lets out a snort.

"Kidding me, right? This is your boyfriend?" she asks Kim incredulously. Elaine says nothing and before either Kim or I have a chance to respond, Arlene shows back up with our drinks.

"Here you go, lovebirds, a beer and a tea. And what can I get you two ladies?"

Britta's eyes move fast as lightning between Arlene, and Kim and I.

"I'll have a tea also. No milk, no sugar," Elaine says as she watches with disapproval while Kim doctors her tea with both.

"Honey, you ask me, you could do with a little sugar. Both of you," Arlene says, waving her hand between the two blondes. "You've gotta know, real men like a little meat on their women. Just you wait, my Seb will get you set up. He's made one of his specialties tonight: a good hearty shepherd's pie with home made applesauce. That stuff'll stick to your ribs, all right. I don't even have to ask these two, but how about you? Ready for some good country food? Shall I make it four specials?"

The smile Arlene sports is as fake as a three-dollar bill and I can't be positive she won't spit in their food given the chance.

"Just water for me," Britta bites off. "And a house salad, with a light vinaigrette."

"As you wish," Arlene grinds her teeth. "And you, Madam?"

Kim snorts when her mother flinches at the title.

"Just the tea. I'm not very hungry."

"Tea it is, and I'll say a quick prayer that wind they promised for tonight holds off a bit. You're bound to be blown away otherwise."

The chuckles from the table in the corner are evidence the interaction was observed by quite a few eyes, and I'm having a hard time keeping a straight face when Arlene turns on her heels and disappears into the kitchen.

"That woman is rude. I'm surprised you'd invite us to a place like this." Elaine is not good at hiding her distaste, if she even tries.

"What is rude is seeing your daughter after years and the only thing you manage to say is 'Really?' What is rude is sitting down at a table with someone without introducing yourself. What is rude is not responding to your daughter when she welcomes you anyway. And lastly," I say, turning to Britta, "it is extremely rude to not only ignore your sister's existence, but to then come on to her man and to laugh in her face when she gives you the facts. Now, I thought you wanted to have a visit with Kimeo."

With that I turn to Kim and kiss her at the hairline. "Sorry babe, I couldn't hold back," I mumble.

"No problem," she says softly, her face turned to me with the brightest smile before turning to her sister. "So—tell me, how did your meeting go?"

It takes a few seconds before Britta answers. I tune her voice out and let my eyes wander over the table of friends. A wink from Caleb, a thumbs up from Emma and Gus can't hide his chuckle. Beth, Katie and Naomi all smile big. It hits me,
fuck
I'm lucky. Shitty fucked up background, yet I have these people who have my back
and
Kim's. No questions asked. Caleb is my blood but I don't count that against him. These people are all the family I need.

Slowly my attention is drawn back to the conversation at the table and I just catch the last of what Britta says.

"...Charming man. I guess my reputation stretches over state lines because he called the firm and asked for me specifically. It'll definitely be rewarding to work with someone of such good standing." Britta babbles on and I notice how quiet Elaine has gotten when Arlene carries a large tray over to our table. The two women are served their respective drinks and Britta her salad, before Arlene sets two small, steaming oven dishes in front of Kim and I. Two small bowls of chunky applesauce are placed beside them and with a slightly sarcastic
Bon Apetit,
Arlene leaves.

This is the big test.

From the corner of my eye, I see Kim spread her napkin on her lap and pick up her fork. She scoops up a bite, brings it up to her mouth but stops before she turns to her mother. Elaine's eyes are slits as she watches every one of Kim's movements.

"And how did you like Durango, Mother?" she asks, right before closing her lips over the fork and closing her eyes at the rich taste of the food. She deserves a standing ovation.

My girl—she's a goddamn goddess
,
and she's holding her own. Actually, she's wiping the floor with them by not having said one untoward thing. The epitome of class.

"It was fine," Elaine says distractedly, watching every bite that disappears in Kim's mouth. Britta is just toying with her plain salad, not particularly interested in the conversation.

"Pretty drive isn't it? Did you guys see Mesa Verde? Gorgeous right? You should take some time and look around there. It's amazing." Kim babbles, trying to keep the rather awkwardly stilted exchange going. "I've been there several times. I think the last time was last summer, when my friend Kerry and I went for several hikes. There are some great trails to walk."

Her family may not be paying much attention to what she is saying, but I am. I'm taking her into the park this summer if it's the last thing I do, and I can think of a few more spots I'd love to show her.

"Refills?" Arlene stops at our booth, before leaning over and whispering to me, "Trouble coming in the door, I'll try to head her off."

My eyes immediately go to the front, but all I see is Arlene's back, blocking the view of whomever she's trying to warn me about. I have a gut feeling this 'family meal' is about to get a whole lot more uncomfortable.

K
im

Oh my God.

How messed up can one day get?

After my lovely MRI from hell, we'd come home to find Boo on the bed, chewing the styrofoam container that had held ground beef we cooked earlier in the week. He'd dug that container out of the garbage, which was now spread all over the kitchen. When he was a pup he'd sometimes get into the garbage. Usually when I would go back to work after a weekend. We've spoiled him and now he's regressing. I almost cried when I explained to Mal that this was Boo's version of a temper tantrum, but he calmly called Boo, clipped on his leash and took him for a walk, telling me to leave the mess for him. Of course I didn't and by the time he got back I'd cleaned it up.