Hot Enough to Kill (37 page)
Time slowed to a crawl. I watched the purse hurtle through the air toward her head. I saw her eyes widen. I saw her jump to the side. I saw her squeeze the trigger.
Boom!
I stumbled backward a little, watching as Leroy lunged toward Susan.
He knocked her gun arm up and another
boom
blasted through the room
.
Then another.
After the third shot, Leroy staggered and stepped away from Susan. As he did, I saw that he was pointing his gun at her. At some point, he must have grabbed his gun back from her. But what had happened?
A crimson stain began to spread across Susan's chest. Then I saw her face. Eyes wide in stunned disbelief, she crumpled to the floor, falling across Dewayne.
Leroy stepped over and kicked her gun across the room then looked toward Mother and me.
I started to say "good work" or something like that, but his face got all funny looking and his jaw hung slack. I couldn't see that he'd been shot, but something was definitely wrong. I glanced at Mother to make sure she was all right. Her eyes were wide and she looked petrified. I could understand that feeling. "Mom, you okay?"
She started sobbing and pointing at me then spun around and ran to the far end of the room. When she came running back with a towel, I knew something was very wrong. "Leroy," she shrieked, seeming to come out of her shock a little. "Get over here!"
But Leroy was already there beside me, although I didn't know exactly why. "Good Lord, Jolene," he said, his voice quivering. "You've been shot."
What? About then I began to notice that I couldn't move my left arm and a searing pain was creeping up through my shoulder. I ventured a look down. Blood. Lots of it. Mine. "Well, damn."
I felt myself sliding down to the floor and saw Leroy's big old hands grabbing for me.
The next thing I knew, I had a towel wrapped tightly around my upper arm, and Leroy and my mother were standing over me, telling me everything was going to be okay.
I knew it wasn't, though, because they were both crying.
I don't remember that much about the first few days after surgery, except the doctors explaining about the metal rod they had to put in my arm. And the only reason I remember that is because they had a visual aid to enhance their shuddering presentation--a long shiny piece of metal and wicked-looking screws. I would have really preferred not to know.
I had no doubts that my mother had been with me the whole time, even though I hadn't done much except sleep, thanks to heavy duty drugs. But every time I did wake up, there she was. Nice. I also remembered Jerry being there, and my kids--Matt and Sarah--I'd seen them too, maybe. Were they really here or had I just dreamed it all?
I'd been dozing off and on for most of the morning, but I hadn't felt like chatting so I'd just kept my eyes closed. However, in my brief moments of consciousness, I'd felt almost human--a big improvement. Mostly, though, I stayed in that hazy half-awake place where thoughts race around wildly, giving you all sorts of ideas on what you could or should be doing, then vanish into nothingness like wisps of smoke. It seemed like I'd had some kind of revelation during my mental travels, an important one, but I couldn't quite reel it back in.
At some point through the haze, I thought I heard my mother talking to me. She'd been doing that a lot these last few days and so had the kids--or so it seemed. But Mother was here now, I was sure, because I could see her, couldn't I? Or could I just hear her?
"Wake up, Jolene, somebody's here to see you."
I pushed away the fog, and Mother's words began to register, slowly, and I dutifully tried to wedge my eyes open. It took a few blinks, but I finally coaxed my lids to stay halfway open.
Mother was standing beside the bed. So was Jerry, but he wasn't in his uniform. He was in a hospital robe, with an IV rack beside him. He stood for a moment then sat back down in a wheelchair. I was trying to make sense of that, when I saw who was holding the back of his chair. Amy. Amy? What was she doing here?
I wasn't sure if I'd died, or if I wished I had. Jerry and Amy. Here. Together. Heaven, it was not. And Jerry was still in the hospital? I thought he'd gone away with Amy. Damn, but this was confusing.
"Hey, how are you?" Jerry said, his soft Texas drawl a little strained. "We've been really worried about you."
Lucille patted my good shoulder and walked away so the lovely couple could get closer to my hospital bed.
Amy gripped the bed rail and leaned toward me, her perfect blond beauty shimmering out like a delicate light. "I'm just so sorry about all of this, Jolene. I feel so responsible. I thought I knew her. She helped me through some hard times. I'm just so sorry. I can't imagine her being this different person." She blinked and sniffed. "I wish I could undo everything. Oh, Jolene, I'm just so sorry."
So was I. Very, very sorry. "It's okay, Amy. Really." Actually, I didn't know that anything was okay, but it seemed to be the thing to say, especially to Amy. I was the one half-dead, and yet I was still compelled to comfort her. And she's here with Jerry besides. It was enough to send my already spinning head completely into orbit. "Jerry, are you okay? Did you have to come back to the hospital?"
He shook his head. "No, Jo, I never left. I did change rooms--and names, however, when Bob found out Dewayne was on the run."
"I came to see you...." I said pitifully.
"I know," he said, a soft smile curving his lips. "I tried to call and tell you what was going on, but that wasn't something I could say on a cell phone. Just not secure. I'm really sorry about that, Jolene. I hope you weren't worried."
Me? Worried? Ha! I scoff at worry and fear and panic. Speaking of which, just what the hell were these two doing here together anyway? I had mustered up enough courage to ask that very question when Jerry stuck his hand through the bed rail and squeezed my arm.
"I bet you don't know that you're the talk of the county," he said, grinning like the owner of a first prize pig. "You wouldn't believe the newspaper articles that have been written about your heroism."
I groaned, never happy to have an article written about me, particularly in this place. "Kimberlee Fletcher?"
Jerry chuckled and shifted himself in the wheelchair. "It was all good things this time, Jo. Your mother's keeping a scrapbook. When you get to feeling better, you'll see all the good that's come out of this."
"That's right," Amy chirped, like a soft, little snowy dove. "If it hadn't been for you, Jerry and I might never have resolved our problems. We both owe you so much."
Resolved? Owe me? Oh, that sounded grand, just grand. Me, the marriage counselor. I was so proud.
"Amy and I are going to make things work," Jerry said, still smiling broadly. "For the kids' sake. I mean really, Jolene, this whole thing really makes you think about what's most important in life, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it sure does," I said, keeping the "and it's not me" comment to myself. But while we were analyzing priorities, I figured mine ought to be to get right back to Colorado and away from Jerry Don and the glorious Mrs. Jerry Don lest I interfere with their resolution or reconciliation or whatever. I tried to scrunch down into the hard hospital mattress and disappear, but it didn't seem to be working. Where were those ruby slippers when you really needed them?
"Besides," Jerry continued cheerfully. "You and I have been friends for over thirty years, Jo, and it's worked out just fine."
Fine? Oh, yeah, it was working out just dandy. I was in the hospital with a steel rod and matching screws in my arm and he was back together with his ex-wife. Yes, everything was just great. So help me, if they told me they were going to a marriage counselor I was going to scream.
"Jerry's such a good father," Amy said, sniffing just a little and patting his shoulder. She looked so pretty and fragile, and I just wanted to choke her. "I feel so bad about this whole thing," she said softly. "I made some awful mistakes, but there's no reason the kids should suffer for them." She seemed to suck in a new burst of energy and hers eyes sparkled brighter. "Oh, Jolene, you just won't believe what we've worked out. Jerry's going to move back into the house!"
I choked. I coughed. I wanted to cry. Their reconciliation was moving mighty fast and I wasn't taking it well at all. Like a three-year-old to be precise. I tried to suck it up and act mature. "I'm so happy for you both," I said, my teeth clenching reflexively. I'd given it my best shot, really I had, but sincerity did not naturally radiate from the grinding of pearly whites.
"Oh, you're just so sweet," Amy said, natural honey oozing from her voice. "Why, I told Jerry we owe it all to you. And I just want you to know you'll be welcome at our house any time, whether Jerry's there or not. The kids just can't wait for you to tell them about your adventures."
Yeah, sounded lovely. I nodded and tried to look honored. I had no right to expect anything from Jerry. We were just friends. Had always been just friends. I had to be happy for him. He deserved to be happy. So did Amy. So did his kids. So did everybody in the whole stinking world. I took a deep breath and tried again. "Your kids are great," I said, thinking of Rachel and Benjamin. They really did seem like great kids and I'd liked them right off. "Tell them I said hi." It was lame, but I wasn't in top form at the moment.
Amy smiled and reached around Jerry to pat my arm. "I'd better run along now. I've got to get my things out of the house by tomorrow since Jerry should be home by then. Oh, my, Jerry, I almost forgot. I'm going to run by this afternoon and get Rachel's soccer shoes for camp so you won't have to worry about that when the time comes. And Benjamin's going to mow the grass this afternoon so that will all be done before you get there." Amy's smile fluttered angelically across her face as she fluttered to the door. "I know the kids are going to be so happy to have Jerry back in the house. He's such a wonderful father."
I tried to smile but it was halfhearted at best. Yes, he was a wonderful father, and they were a wonderful family. Wonderful. Everything was just freakin' wonderful.
Amy flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "Everyone thinks we're crazy, moving in and out of the house instead of just shuffling the kids back and forth between us, but I think it's worth a try. That way, the kids stay put in their own rooms and have what they need. Kind of like having a different nurse every shift. Only it will just be the two of us swapping out. We'll work it around Jerry's schedule, of course."
Of course. Wait a minute, what was she talking about? "I'm confused." It was a serious understatement.
"I know." Jerry chuckled, then gingerly stood up, leaned over the rail and kissed me, on the lips, right in front of Amy. "But you'll figure it out eventually."
"You take care now, Jolene." Amy smiled sweetly, floated to the door and left the room with a dainty little wave. "I hope we can visit more soon."
While I was trying to make sense of the fact that Jerry had kissed me right in front of Amy, and Amy had acted like all was just peachy, a big hulking thing of flowers came through the door followed by a big hulking thing named Leroy.
He nodded to Jerry, then set the flowers on the shelf by the window and ambled up to the bed. "How ya doing, Jolene?"
Not too well. Not too well at all. If I wasn't confused enough by Jerry and Amy's deal, Leroy pushed me right over the edge. Something was severely out of whack here. I really didn't have the energy to think through the specifics or to say much, so I sighed and let my eyes fall shut. "I'm okay, Leroy. Just tired. Thank you for the flowers."
"Hey," Leroy said, heartily, "it was the least I could do, after all, you saved my butt." He paused for a minute and then laughed--loudly. "Hey, that's kind of funny. Saved my butt. Heh, heh."
I wasn't laughing. I kept my eyes closed and tried to keep that particular image at bay. Nobody seemed to mind my lack of input to the conversation. Leroy just started in telling Jerry about his various in-the-line-of-duty injuries for what was most likely the seventeenth time.
I needed a nap.
"Jolene, honey," Mother said, stepping up to the bed and straightening my pillow. "The kids have already gone back out to the house this morning. They both stayed the night here, you know, but I just called and talked to Sarah. They're on their way back in right now to see you now that you 're awake. You just rest until they get here."
Sarah? My Sarah, and my baby Matt? They were here? For me? I felt the tears well up in my eyes, but I clenched them tight so Mother wouldn't notice.
"I'll be right here if you need me," she said softly. She smoothed the hair back from my forehead just like she had when I was a little girl. It felt really good to be cared for and taken care of for a little while. All this warm fuzzy stuff was kind of nice for a change.
I looked over at Jerry, sitting beside the bed, still holding my hand. It felt so good to have him here with me. In fact, as odd as it sounded, and considering all that had happened--not to mention where we were and why--I figured things weren't all that bad, even for Kickapoo, Texas. It could be worse…
Like Pavlov's dog hearing a bell, I snapped to attention. I knew better than to ever even think those words. Things could always be worse, and around here they invariably they got that way fast. True, we were in a hospital, and I had the sheriff and his second-in-command to guard me, if there was any guarding needed, but I still had this pesky insecure feeling. Even in my debilitated state, I felt on edge, like there was something beyond my control that might blow up at any second. My shoulder twitched reflexively, my eyelids sprung open and my eyes darted around the room. "Mother, where's your purse?"
Conversation stopped and Lucille hurried back to my bedside. "Don't you worry, Jolene. You rest. Everything's just fine and I'll be right here if you need me."