“True.” Rooster grins back at her. “I’d just buy you some three-in-one shampoo-conditioner-body-wash combo and call it good.”
I shudder at the thought.
Trinity wraps an arm around my mother’s shoulders. “Your mom gave us some pointers on what you might like.”
My mom gives her a warm smile.
I hadn’t been aware Trinity and my mother had gotten to be buddies while I’d been in and out of consciousness. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Trinity says.
“Just trying to be useful while we’re here,” Heidi adds.
I cast a helpless look at Rooster. How will I ever repay the girls? They took time out of their busy lives to sit around the hospital even though they barely know me. Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and also a little embarrassed.
Finally, the doctor pops in. She flips through pages in her chart, hands my mother a bunch of paperwork, and declares me ready to leave.
Of course, I still have to wait for someone to bring me forms to sign.
“Good grief,” I mutter. “Think they’ll hunt me down if I just run away?” I shove the blanket and sheet off me and swing my legs over the side of the bed.
“Shoot, what am I gonna wear?” I never thought to ask what happened to my clothes or where my cowgirl boots went. If I lost them, I’m going to be so mad.
“There’s stuff in there for you,” Rooster says, pointing to the closet.
“We’ll give you privacy.” Trinity hooks her arm through Heidi’s and hustles toward the door. “Lynn, do you want to grab lunch with us?” she asks over her shoulder.
“Oh.” My mother’s gaze shifts between Trinity and me. “Sure. Are you sure you don’t need me, Shelby?”
“If I forgot how to dress myself, we’ve got problems.” I flap my hand toward the door in a shooing motion. “Go eat. Lord knows how long it’ll be until they release me.”
After they leave, I shuffle over to the slim closet door. Rooster jumps up, shadowing but letting me get there on my own. “Thanks for staying,” I say.
“Of course.” He reaches past me and pulls the long, narrow closet door open. It’s more like a locker than an actual closet.
Inside, my boots are waiting for me. Someone must’ve cleaned the mud off and shined them for me. “Phew. I was worried someone tossed ’em.” I grab them first.
“We’ll need to get you another pair,” Rooster says quietly.
There’s a white plastic bag from a mall store I recognize. I pull it out and peer inside. Plain, simple black yoga pants and a long, blue tunic inside. Simple and comfy.
“Your mom brought that stuff by yesterday,” Rooster explains.
“Ah, she knows me well.” I pull out the bundles, finding a soft, stretchy bra and a pair of plain cotton underwear at the bottom. “I feel so gross but I don’t want to shower here.”
“When we get to the hotel, you can do whatever you want.”
“Shoot, where’s my mom staying?”
“Uh…” He runs his hands through his hair. “I booked her a room at the same place Dawson and everyone else are staying.”
Tears prick my eyes. I reach up on tiptoes and gently kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem. Figured she’d wanna be close to you. And a room at the clubhouse wasn’t gonna impress her too much.” One corner of his mouth hitches up.
“Probably not.” I wobble into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open in case Rooster needs to fish me out of the toilet, and clean up. By the time I slip into the new clothes, I’m exhausted.
“Need help?” Rooster asks from outside the door.
“All done.” My gaze strays to the bed. “Now I need a nap.”
“Go ahead. I’ll get your stuff together so you’re ready when they say you can go.”
ROOSTER
After hours of waiting around, Shelby’s finally released from the hospital. Lynn fusses over her the whole way to the truck.
“Just stick me in the back. I’m ready for a snooze,” Shelby says.
Lynn seems to be dragging too. They’re both quiet on the short drive to the hotel.
“We’re here, chickadee.” I open the door and run my hand over Shelby’s arm. “A shower and comfy bed are minutes away.”
She slowly peels her eyes open. “You’re speakin’ my language now.”
“Need me to carry you?”
“Nope.”
I lift her out of the truck anyway and set her down on the sidewalk, not really caring that Lynn’s watching every move I make with her daughter.
Inside, we run into Greg and Trent, who hug Shelby. “We’re all getting together in one of the banquet rooms downstairs to celebrate you being out,” Trent says.
“Oh, sure.” Shelby glances down at her outfit, then at her mom. “That all right with you?”
Lynn flashes a nervous smile at Greg. “Sure.”
Shelby raises her eyebrow at me.
I’m not about to stop her from hanging out with her band. “If you think you’re up to it.”
“I would like to eat some normal food.”
“Let’s do it.”
Confident she’s safe with her mom, Greg, and Trent, I leave them and run upstairs to our room to drop off her stuff before heading downstairs and following the directions Greg gave me for the room they’ve taken over.
The plush hotel carpet absorbs my steps as I move from one narrow escalator to another before finally landing on the right floor. Outside the room, I run into Dawson.
“Logan! Lots to celebrate tonight.” He holds out his hand and I shake it quickly, eager to find Shelby. “Your buddy’s watching over Shelby and her mom.”
I shoot a questioning eyebrow at him.
“The scary one who looks like he’s thinking about slicing and dicing my nuts off any time I get too close to Shelby,” he adds.
I snort. “That’s Jigsaw.”
He turns his head from side to side, searching the surrounding area. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Nothing would make me happier, Dawson.”
He ignores the sarcasm and pulls me into a quieter corner of the wide corridor running between the different meeting rooms. “I don’t want to bother Shelby with any of this stuff. I talked to Greg and he wanted me to address it with you.”
Interesting. “What is it?”
“Well, I had to let Bane go. I know he thought he was doing the right thing, but Shelby got taken on his watch and I—”
“No complaints from me. If he hadn’t been off playing fireman, he might have stopped Suggs from getting her out of the arena.”
“Exactly. He understood.”
As if I give a shit about Bane’s feelings on the matter.
“I gotta hire someone else. I’m having an expert come in to do a risk assessment. The fire was started by the guy who nabbed Shelby, from what I’ve gathered.”
My, Martin Suggs was busy.
“But he never shoulda been able to get that close to my bus. This whole thing’s costing me a fortune. We’re losing money every damn day we’re stuck here.” He holds up his hands. “I ain’t complaining or blaming Shelby. Had to get my bus repaired and two of my guys were in the hospital. Got injured in the fire.”