From the Hat Down, page 24
“Yes, actually, I did. I couldn’t figure it out and I felt even weirder about asking Gina about it but I decided I had to because I didn’t want to think that Gina was—”
“Was what?”
“Um, well. . .flirting with me when she was involved with Sharon. That’s not the Gina I knew and it freaked me out. You have no idea how much it freaked me out.”
Mary laughed. “She’s flirting with you already?”
“Well, in that subtle Gina way, you know—I mean, I hope you don’t know, since you’re her sister.” She stopped, flustered. “Shit. Maybe she’s not. Maybe I’m just—”
“Damn, maybe I should worry about you,” Mary said, still laughing. “I know how Gina gets around you. I saw it when you two were together. So she’s flirting with you already. Has she said anything else?”
“No. Yes.” Meg ran a hand through her hair. “Sort of. She said she wants to re-connect, that she’s missed me and she wants to deal with the past and she wants to be friends and see each other a little more.”
“And I just totally let the cat out of the bag,” Mary said with another laugh. “But it’s true. She still has feelings for you but she didn’t want to tell you right away. She wanted to see what would happen when she saw you in person, see if there was still something there.”
Meg started to say something in response when Mary interrupted. “Hey, I’m really sorry, Meg. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. And I am so sorry that you didn’t know. That had to be stressful.”
“Yes, it was. And it’s okay. I was being kind of an asshole because I hadn’t called and I wasn’t sure how to deal with this. I’m actually glad we had this conversation. You have no idea. I am so relieved.”
“To know that Gina’s not a slut?” Mary giggled wickedly, and it helped defuse the rest of the tension from the conversation’s start.
“I wouldn’t put it that way. It was just—shit, I don’t know. Maybe she got into some bad wine over there or something and it fucked her up. I couldn’t figure it out.”
“Bad wine? Oh, my God. Girl, you crack me up!” And she dissolved into shrieks of laughter.
She relaxed more, smiling wider. Gina was single.
“Bad wine.” Mary hooted. “I have to tell Mom that.”
“Your mom? She knows that Gina still—?”
“Well, yeah. C’mon, Meg. We’re loud. We’re Italian. We’re in everybody’s business. Hello.”
“Great,” she murmured, embarrassed.
“Would you stop? Mom’s always liked you. She especially likes how you’re able to go with the flow when you’re around us even though we’re so totally different than what you’re used to. It takes a strong woman to face the Morellis, after all. Speaking of. Do you think now you’ll come to visit?”
“Yes. Next weekend still okay?”
“If that’s cool with you. Or wait a week, if you want to save some money on plane fare.”
“I’ll see what the rates are. And I’ll check in with Gina, see what works for her.”
“Probably a good idea. She’s back and forth to L.A. She might want you to fly in there.”
“I thought she was taking time off from work.”
“She is. Kind of. I think she’s going stir crazy with our folks. Good thing she still has that apartment in L.A.”
“She does?”
“Yeah. But right now, she’s not sure what she’s doing or what she wants to do. I’m sure you two will have lots of interesting conversations about that,” she said in a teasing tone.
Meg ignored the jibe. “I’ll call her and find out if next week still works.”
“Okay. And I’m sorry I called and piled on you like that.”
“It’s all good.” She smiled. “Sorry I’ve been a jerk.”
“Hey, it’s not me you need to say that to. But I do feel better.”
“Same here. Take it easy.”
“Yep. Bye.” She hung up and Meg stood, thoughts pinballing through her head. She called Moonshine and he appeared in the doorway. At some point, he’d already gone inside. He looked at her like she was nuts.
“Sorry, buddy. Thought you were still out here.” She gave him a scratch on the head and closed the door. “Bed time.” He seemed to agree, because he beelined through the kitchen and down the hallway to her bedroom. She stared after him, smiling, and then her smile widened and she wanted to whoop and jump up and down because of what Mary had said. She was still holding her phone, so she texted Gina, hoping that she hadn’t screwed anything up, that she could make this right.
I’m the biggest idiot. Didn’t get email last Oct. @ Sharon. Want to see you. Next weekend still ok? Hope to hear from you. Sorry for mixed messages.
She studied the message for a few moments, heart pounding, then pressed “send.” Would Gina respond? Or was she hurt because Meg had pushed her away? Again. She’d find out, either way. If Gina didn’t respond, then that was an answer, too. One Meg didn’t want, but one she’d have to accept. If nothing else, she’d at least asked.
Her desk chair at work needed to be more comfortable, Meg decided as she sank into it at lunch after a busy morning. She had thirty minutes between appointments, so she checked her phone for messages. She’d been both dreading and obsessing about those since she’d sent the text to Gina the night before and this time was no exception. No calls, but there was a text from Gina. Meg took a deep breath and opened it.
Hiya—on a little assignment. Next wknd is AWESOME. If too expensive, the wknd after. Fly into LAX. I’ll call when I can.
She read it a few more times, just to make sure she wasn’t playing a game of wishful thinking with herself. And then she went to the front desk. Ginny finished the phone call she had taken and looked up at her.
“Is it possible to clear my schedule next weekend? Thursday through Sunday?” Meg used her most hopeful expression.
Ginny’s eyes twinkled and she smiled. “Already done.”
Meg stared at her.
“It’s easier to fill a schedule than clear it. So I took the liberty with yours a couple weeks ago.”
“Is there anything around here that I actually know?”
“’Fraid not,” Anna said as she printed something out. She handed it to an older man with a small leashed Yorkie in his arms that Meg recognized as one of Mark’s patients. “Thanks, Mr. B. See you next time.”
He smiled and set the dog on the floor and took the paperwork.
Meg looked back at Ginny. “Thanks.”
“I had a feeling.” She was still smiling and Meg grinned and shook her head. She returned to her office and called up flight information from Denver to Los Angeles. Gina was probably tired of being with her folks, and she wanted some time alone. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Alone time.
With her.
Oh, God.
Was she ready for that? She wasn’t sure. Where would she stay? With Gina at her apartment? That thought made her both hot and cold, in all kinds of ways. She’d rent a car. That way, she’d have an escape route if something went wrong. She found a flight leaving Thursday afternoon that would have her in L.A. around five at a good price. She chose it and paid, then emailed the itinerary to Gina and then she made a reservation for a car rental. She could always get a hotel room when she got there.
What did Gina expect? What did she herself expect?
What exactly was she doing?
She pushed away from her desk and stood. She wasn’t sure, yet. But right now, things felt pretty good.
“Hey, Doc,” said Kelly from the doorway. “I’ve got your one o’ clock set up. Whenever you’re ready.”
“Well, thanks for making sure I can pretend to be useful.” She smiled and walked after Kelly, glad that she had something else to think about the rest of the day, which went non-stop until nearly six. She collected her things from her office and went back out to the lobby, where Ginny was locking the front door. She put the emergency hours sign up.
“Thanks for everything,” Meg said.
Ginny turned and regarded her with a maternal expression. “I hope things work out.” She returned to the counter.
“We’ll see.” Meg was about to say good night when she glanced through the front windows. Haley stood in the parking lot, talking to a woman she didn’t recognize next to a compact blue SUV. From Haley’s body language and expression, she was tense. The woman’s back was to Meg, but she turned her head to the left, like she was looking for something, then she turned back to Haley. It was long enough for Meg to see her black eye.
“Who’s that outside with Haley?”
Ginny looked up from her computer. “Oh, Lord,” she said, gaze riveted on the windows. “That’s her mother.”
Meg set her satchel on the counter, next to the computer monitor opposite Ginny. She could wait a few minutes. She watched Haley, who was making emphatic gestures, like she was pleading. Laura shook her head, and looked like she was wiping something on her cheek. Tears, Meg guessed.
“Hey, Doc?”
Meg turned at Rick’s voice.
“Can you come back here for a minute? I’m not sure about this chart.”
Meg looked over at Ginny, who gave her a nod signifying she’d keep an eye on things and Meg went into the back. “What’s up?”
“It’s one of Doc Mark’s canine patients. She was spayed today but I’m not sure about something he put on her chart.”
She followed him into the adjoining room, where the recuperative kennels were, and pointed out the dog and handed her the chart. “Is that the right dosage for her pain meds?”
She looked it over. “Oh, here’s the problem. Typical Mark scribble. Give me a pen.”
He took one out of his pocket and handed it over and she clarified the number on the chart. “I checked Daisy earlier, and Mark told me that’s the dosage. He just doesn’t always write it as beautifully as I do.” She smiled and handed the pen back.
“Thanks, Doc.”
Meg nodded and started back to the front, when Ginny burst through the swinging door, expression worried.
“Meg. Bill’s here.” She gestured with her head toward the front entrance and Meg rushed past her into the lobby. A stocky balding man in jeans and a plaid western-cut shirt was facing Haley, and he stabbed his finger at her face, his thick mustache moving with the motion of his lips. She could just hear him shouting through the glass. Laura was standing to the side, crying, arms wrapped around herself. A big pickup truck was parked next to the SUV.
“Give me the keys,” Meg called back to Ginny, who tossed them at her. She caught the set one-handed, found the correct key, and jammed it into the lock. She jerked the door open.
“—Stay away from her,” Bill was saying. “She doesn’t need you corrupting her life.”
“Haley,” Meg said, breaking Bill’s monologue. “Everything okay?”
She didn’t respond, but the look in her eyes told Meg what she needed to know.
“You need to leave.” Meg directed the command at him.
“Who the hell are you?”
“None of your damn business. But you’re not welcome here, so leave.” She glared at him, daring him to challenge her.
“I have as much right to be here as anybody,” he said, and his voice was low and dangerous.
“Please,” Laura said, trying to intervene. “Let’s just go.”
“Mom, you’re not leaving with him.”
“You shut your mouth,” Bill barked. “You’re a damn abomination. You don’t get to tell anybody what to do.”
Haley recoiled as if she’d been slapped.
“That’s enough.” Meg moved, and put herself directly between Haley and Bill. “Time to go,” she said. She added a hard, flat stare. Men like this were the source of years of pain for everybody in their lives. She’d be damned if she’d let him get away with spreading his shit here.
“Doc? Everything okay?” Rick stood in the doorway to the clinic, holding the front door open. Ginny pushed past him.
“It will be, once this gentleman here leaves.” Meg put extra sarcasm on “gentleman” and didn’t take her eyes off his face.
“Laura, come inside,” Ginny said in a tone that left no room for compromise. Bill’s face flushed deeper red.
“Don’t you dare.” He turned to Laura, his fingers curling and uncurling into fists.
“Laura,” Ginny said. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I’m fine.” She wiped her eyes again. Her hand trembled. Ginny went and stood next to her, not taking her gaze off Bill.
“Time to go,” Meg said to him, keeping her voice level though her rising anger made it difficult.
He straightened, as if he could make himself more physically imposing. “You a dyke, too?” The words shot from his mouth like bullets.
“Shut up, Bill,” Haley said.
He ignored her and addressed Meg again. “You are, aren’t you? Fucking dyke. Probably screwing Haley. Probably can’t keep your hands off each other. Homos.”
“That’s enough.” Adrenaline surged through Meg’s veins and she struggled not to punch him. “Get the hell out of here.”
“Dyke.”
“Shut up,” Haley snapped. “Don’t you talk to her—”
Bill lunged past Meg’s shoulder, knocking her out of the way. He grabbed Haley’s arm. “Don’t you talk to me like that.” He released her arm with a hard push and she stumbled backward. He followed, and shoved her again. “Fucking dyke.” He pushed her again before Meg and Rick were able to get between him and Haley. He started swinging and one of his fists caught Rick in the arm. Rick yelped and fell against the one car parked in the front and Bill started toward Haley again.
“Get inside,” Meg directed her, but Bill changed his direction and moved to cut off Haley’s path to the clinic. Both Meg and Ginny responded, and blocked him. Rick took up a position behind him.
“Inside,” Meg said to Haley again, keeping her eyes on Bill. A siren sounded a few blocks away, but nobody moved. Finally, Haley started toward the entrance. The siren sounded closer and Bill dug into his pocket and pulled out keys. He strode over to the pickup truck.
“I’ll see you at home,” he said to Laura as he got in. He slammed the door, gunned the engine a few times, and peeled out of the parking lot.
“You okay?” Meg asked Rick, but Ginny gestured at Haley, who was standing with her back against the clinic’s wall, hands on her thighs, head down.
“I’ll deal with Rick. Go check on her.”
Meg hurried over. “Hey,” she said.
Haley didn’t look up. She just shook her head.
“I’m going to take you to the hospital.”
She jerked her head up. “I’m fine.”
“I’d prefer to hear that from a doctor.”
A police car pulled into the parking lot and Ginny went over to talk to the officer who got out, a big, broad guy with shoulders like a linebacker. Meg had seen him around, a decent local cop. She groaned inwardly. It was about to be a very long evening. Behind her, Laura started crying again.
Chapter 22
Haley gave her statement to Officer Nettles, the cop with the linebacker shoulders. Meg waited for her outside the exam area, listening to their voices, ready to go in if Haley sounded like she needed it. She’d already been X-rayed and checked over, and Meg was glad for the paper trail, but even more appreciative that Ginny had caught what happened with the video function of her phone. The sound wasn’t too great, but at least they had a visual record, too.
Last she checked, Ginny and Laura were seated in the waiting room down the hall with Beth and Meg was glad about that, too, because she wasn’t sure what to say to someone like Laura, who’d been roped into such a bad situation and who might end up right back in it. On the plus side, Laura had given a statement to police, too, and had admitted that her black eye came from Bill. She hadn’t pressed charges, though. And Meg didn’t understand that, had a hard time grasping why so many women didn’t leave their abusers.
They’ve been brainwashed in a way, Ginny had said when Laura was in the bathroom at the clinic cleaning up before Meg took Haley to the hospital. And they’re in the most danger when they do leave.
So Meg had left Laura to Ginny, because what she really wanted to do was drive out to the Lazy R and T and put a few bullets in Bill Northrup and drag his sorry carcass out onto the prairie and leave him to the coyotes and vultures. Which would only start a whole new set of problems, her dad would say, though he’d understand the feeling.
Haley emerged from behind the curtain and she looked so tired and so drained that Meg wondered if she’d be able to walk down the hall.
“Your turn,” she said and she managed a little smile, but it was forced.
“Do you remember where the waiting room is?”
Haley nodded. “See you in a bit.”
A bit translated to about twenty minutes, and then Meg thanked Officer Nettles and left him writing his notes in the hallway, where they’d moved since the ER might need the space Haley had occupied while she was getting checked over.
Ginny got up from her chair as Meg approached and met her a few yards away from the rest of the group. Meg’s had been the last statement Officer Nettles took, and it was nearly nine and she was tired and wrung out, but from Ginny’s expression, there was a little more to say.
“What’s the plan?” Meg asked.
“Laura’s coming to my place.”
She frowned. “Is Trent in town?”
“Yes. And if she stays longer and Trent has to go on the road again, my two big football player nephews are going to stay over and they might bring friends.”
Meg smiled, but it was forced. “Okay. What do you need from me?”
“I think you’ve done enough.”
She looked past Ginny’s shoulder at Haley, who was slumped against Beth, her head on Beth’s shoulder, their fingers entwined. Laura was seated on Haley’s other side, and she looked like she might be sleeping. “You sure?”
Ginny rubbed Meg’s arm, comforting. “Haley will need you later, as a witness. She’s going to file a restraining order against him.”
