Ready-Made Family

God, please put some stability in this child’s life.

Forcing a smile, Ben adapted a lighthearted tone. “But your mom’s better now, so there’s no need for you and Bearby to worry.” Ben ruffled Reece’s hair, then tickled Bearby beneath where he thought the chin might be.

Amelia’s eyes went wild all of a sudden and darted over every surface in the room. “My wallet—”

“Is locked in the safe at the nurses’ station along with all your money,” Ben said.

“Did the doctor say when I could get out? I have to start my new job in another state—” her head tilted toward the wall clock “—a week from Tuesday.”

Eyebrows up, Ben said, “You might want to call them. You’re gonna be a few days late.” Didn’t the girl realize her car wasn’t drivable? “The mechanic said two weeks minimum.”

Amelia’s face paled. “Two weeks?” She threw off the covers and let down the metal rail. “I can’t wait that long. They might not hold the job.” Snapping to her feet, she tried to reach for the IV stand but tottered sideways.

Arms snaked out, Ben lunged forward and steadied her. The contact startled them both. Frozen, they stood face-to-face, staring. Neither moved for the longest instant. Ben couldn’t shake the thought that she felt so right in his arms.

Oh-kay. He definitely needed sleep.

“Take it easy. You’re not leaving Refuge tonight. Certainly not in the next five minutes.” He relaxed his grip on her arms, which were surprisingly more toned than he’d anticipated.

Expression dazed, she slid back to the bed. “But—I need to get to Missouri. We need time to get settled.” Her eyes glazed with moisture but she turned away from Reece and bit her lip. Hands steepled, Amelia pivoted from Reece’s line of sight and unleashed luminous eyes on Ben. “Did you bring me here?”

He shook his head. “Ambulance.”

Her eyes widened. “How much will that cost without insurance?”

“Two or three grand.”

She swallowed, shuttering her expression when she found Reece watching. “Okay, that’s doable.”

Tremors repossessing her hands told a different story. Able to assess body language with microprecision, Ben knew her weak smile was forced. He deducted that a couple grand would devastate their current financial situation. Not counting the cost of car repairs. Again, the urge to help seized him.

In Ben’s experience, when thoughts grew this persistent, God was usually behind the nudging.

Amelia turned on cartoons for Reece then faced Ben. “I need to get something from my car.”

“It’s impounded.”

Head dipped, her lips parted, letting loose a gasp. “Wha—”

Ben leaned in, keeping his voice low on account of Reece. “Registration isn’t in your name. Nor is the insurance up to date.” He’d discovered that while searching the glove compartment to find her parents’ names, which he’d given to Officer Stallings.

“But I gave the money for insurance to my dad and he said he—” She drew a deep breath and fumbled for the call light. “I need to get out of here.” Her thumb pressed the button numerous times as if firing a stream of torpedoes out of a submarine weapons hatch.

“Yes?” A voice broke through a speaker above her bed.

“I’m awake. I need to talk to my nurse, please.”

Crackle. “I’ll send her in.” Click.

“Thank you.”

Crackle. “Welcome.” Click.

Ben checked his phone for a message from Joel, who’d promised to call after getting Hutton’s prescriptions filled. Joel would read the labels and know Hutton had to take his meds with food. His own stomach rumbled at the thought.

Maybe if Stallings was still on duty, he’d let Ben retrieve the items Amelia sought from her car. Question was, would Amelia trust him with the task? His stomach growled audibly this time.

“Hungry?” Amelia stared at his midsection.

“A little.”

She waved a dismissive hand toward the door. “Feel free to go get something to eat. I—I mean, not that I think you have to come back—”

He grinned. “Trying to get rid of me?”

Her eyes widened. Pretty color of brown, like Reece’s. Far lighter than his.

“Of course not. I—I just meant—”

His hand circled her arm gently. “Kidding. Take it easy. I’m here because I want to be. That all right with you?”

She leveled Ben with a look. “Not sure yet.”

He smiled. “Least you’re honest.” She’d gotten so flustered, she was downright adorable.

Her eyes rolled. “And you’re pushy, not to mention bossy.”

“Let’s not forget nosy.” By no means conceited, Ben was humbly confident. “And nice-looking.” He kept a straight face.

Reece covered her chin and giggled.

Amelia dipped her head, but he caught the grin chasing the frown from her mouth. He got the feeling smiles were a rare commodity for her. He couldn’t kick the urge to help her. At least offer. Who knew if she’d be a willing recipient? Only way to find out was test the waters and try to build rapport.

“And according to Reece, I’m strange.” He poked a gentle finger into Reece’s arm. She giggled again, and this time, her smile remained.

Amelia watched the interaction with what he interpreted as guarded interest. “I teach her not to talk to strangers. She gets words mixed up sometimes.”

His wink found Reece. “Happens to the best of us.” He returned his attention to Amelia. “They brought a food tray a few minutes before you woke up. You should try to eat.”

Shame darkened her features as she eyed the room until she found the tray. She started to stand.

Palm up, Ben stopped her. “Please, allow me.”

He wheeled the creaky bedside tray over her knees in the bed. He hit the lever to adjust the table height but it caught. Too high for her to eat on. He fiddled with another lever. The table came down. Hard.

“Yow!”

Heat scorched his face and he lifted the tray off her knees. He cast his best sheepish grin. “Sorry. I never was any good at working those things.”

She rubbed her knee and eyed him through long lashes, much the way Reece had at the mall. “Since you saved my life, I’ll forgive you one little bruised knee.”

He nodded, containing his reaction over seeing a quest for truce enter her eyes. And the hint of a captivating smile that he knew if turned up to full wattage would knock his jump boots off.

Amelia waved Reece close. “Here, try some of this.” She offered what looked and smelled like a tuna salad croissant.

“My tummy’s full, Mommy. Mr. Ben and Miss Harker got me something to eat at the big house. And see what else I got?” She lifted a plastic tiara. “This came with my chicken nuggets.”

“What’s the big house?” Amelia asked.

“Refuge Bed and Breakfast. To my estimation, it houses the best restaurant in town. Country dishes. Real eggs fried in bacon grease. Heart-attack-on-a-plate kind of meals. Though they do offer healthy alternatives.”

Reece bounded on her knees in the bed. “Mommy, you have to go there. They have curly fries as long as your leg.”

Amelia pulled Reece close. “Is that right? Who’s Miss—?”

The door swished open. A nurse with a name tag bearing Bailey, RN scurried in. “Sorry about that. I was tied up with a new admit. Good to see you awake and coherent.” Smiling, she switched out Amelia’s IV fluid.

“You’re hanging another bag?” Amelia eyed the wall clock.

“Yes, ma’am. You were severely depleted. You’re fortunate. When you came in, the electrical conductivity of your heart wasn’t firing well. We’re playing catch-up. We’ll draw blood in the morning. If your potassium’s back on track, you could be discharged Tuesday to rest. The doctor will want to follow up with you Wednesday. Make sure nothing more ominous is going on.”

“But I don’t live here. We’re just passing through town. I’m on my way to a secretarial job in Missouri. Waiting is out of the question.” Panic piggybacked Amelia’s words.

Nurse Bailey raised raven brows. “Tuesday would be the earliest you’d be released. We need to be sure you’re able to keep liquids in and maintain normal potassium ranges on your own. Not only that, Doc Callahan has a strict policy to have hospitalized patients return to his office for a follow-up visit two days after discharge.”

Silence blanketed the room. It was so heavy, Reece must have noticed. Her hand ceased coloring, and she regarded her mom carefully. Amelia’s lazy eye started twitching. Nervous trait, maybe? Other than that, she didn’t reflect the anxiety Ben knew blasted her the second those words left Bailey’s lips.

Amelia brushed her hand down Reece’s back. “We’ll need to find a way around that.” Her voice remained unruffled, but the pulse at her neck fluttered. “Maybe I could follow up with a doctor in Missouri.”

Bailey regulated the IV drip rate. “Not sure that’s an option. Besides, I gather your car’s in worse shape than you.”

Amelia’s eyes sought Ben.

He pocketed his hands, mostly to keep from placing them on her shoulders in comfort. “When you crashed after fainting, your car didn’t fare well.” He paused to let her soak in the news.

Her enthralling eyes watered. She blinked and hid her face from Reece but one tear escaped.

His fingers ached to brush it, and her pain, away. “Once the police release it to a garage, it’ll be in automobile ICU awhile, I’m guessing.”

Bailey cast a kind smile. “And I’m afraid Dr. Callahan won’t release you if he thinks you’re gonna skip town. Maybe your man here can find you all a place to stay for a few nights.”

Amelia’s face flamed. “He’s not, we’re not—”

“I’m a friend,” Ben finished for her, though they’d only just met and weren’t friends. Yet. He wanted to spare her dignity.

The nurse halted and cut him a sour look. “But I assumed you were family, all the questions you were asking.” She peered at Amelia. “You okay with him being in here?”

Properly scolded, Ben nibbled his lip. He felt oddly busted out even though it hadn’t been his idea to stay. Miss Harker apparently had a “tense situation arise” with Amelia’s parents that she didn’t want to solve with Reece in earshot.

“He saved my life and possibly my daughter’s. I think he just wants to make sure we’re going to be okay.”

Head lifted, Ben met and held Amelia’s gaze. “Besides, I was watching Reece for Harker.” He faced the nurse. “She must have gotten hung up.” She’d gone downstairs to talk to Amelia’s family by teleconference with the doctor. Maybe he ought to go investigate the holdup.

Nurse Bailey plumped Amelia’s pillows. “All right, then. I assumed because he came in with you, and your little girl insisted on him staying, that he was family. My apologies for breaking any confidentiality. I’m usually rigorous about checking visitors, but we’ve been swamped this evening.” She cast apologetic, motherly glances at Amelia. Then her smile vanished as she slashed another zesty look at Ben.

Uh-oh. Not even Amelia’s endorsement had gotten him added to Bailey’s friends list. No doubt if Amelia oracled the orders, Bailey’d bounce him right out of here.

“I haven’t properly thanked him anyhow.” Amelia eyed the phone, then Bailey. “Does it cost to use that?”

“Not for local calls. It won’t let you call long distance unless you use a card or it’s added to your bill.”

Amelia’s face fell. Ben spotted her attempt to hide it. He doubted Reece picked up on it since Amelia seemed ultra-mindful of choosing discreet words and controlling facial reactions. She lifted her arm as Bailey approached with a blood pressure cuff.

A beep sounded from the IV machine. Reece’s eyes widened. “What’s that?”

Ben pointed to the puffy cuff. “This gadget hushes flow for a second when it hugs your mom’s arm. This alerts nurses. It’s loud because it doesn’t know when they’re in the room.”

Shards of respect sanded rough edges off Bailey’s expression as she eyed him curiously and chuckled. “He’s right. It hollers at us to find out what’s clogged it from dripping.”

“Hollers, huh? Hmm. Just like Grandpa. Only he’s louder. You can definitely hear him from the other room.”

“Reece, enough,” Amelia warned. Swooshes sounded as the cuff released. Amelia eyed numbers Bailey scribbled on a clipboard. “About the bill. I don’t have insurance. I’m self-pay. Will making payments be a problem?”

“Shouldn’t. You can phone the billing department tomorrow during business hours and make arrangements.”

After the nurse left, Ben tugged out his cell phone and offered it to Amelia. “Here, use this if you want.”

She stared at it as if he’d presented a scorpion.

He flipped open the phone. “Dial, then press that green button to talk. Red hangs up. I have unlimited minutes. No sense paying for calls when you can use my phone for free.”

The fight grew evident in her face as she eyed his phone then the one by her bed. He wished he could tell her he knew how hard it was to be the one needing help. But he wanted to spare her dignity and protect Reece from understanding the gravity of the dire situation she and her mom were in.

He set the phone on the table. “I’ve got to meet someone and grab a bite to eat. I’ll be back tomorrow morning if that’s okay. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Her eyes fluttered with apprehension. So vulnerable.

Maybe if he wasn’t present, she’d feel better about using the phone. Besides, he needed, wanted to spend time with Hutton.

He handed her a note card with his alternate phone number, the Refuge Police Department’s number and the number of the lone car garage in Refuge scribbled on it. “Here, in case you need to reach me, Refuge PD and the garage to check on your car. I pulled strings with law enforcement to get it worked on until you can prove ownership and get it out of impoundment.”

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.”

“That’s good. Your potassium is still borderline. You could use a couple more bags of fluid. I’m not comfortable releasing you tonight. I think the safest thing would be to see how you’re doing tomorrow.” He rose. “So I’ll see you then, okay?”

“Thank you.”

He gave her head an affectionate tap with his papers. “Finish your dinner and get some rest. And by all means, if you want a midnight snack, Nurse Bailey knows where the stash is.” He waved and slipped out through the curtain.

Stuck. She wasn’t going anywhere tonight. Maybe not even tomorrow or the next day or the day after.

But he was right. The safest route meant staying. Job or no job, making sure she was well and here to care for Reece took precedence. Amelia sighed and jabbed her fork prongs to the food, knowing this meal would be the first of a new leaf.

Like the romaine lettuce in her chicken caesar salad, Amelia felt crunched in a catch-22: to ensure eating, she had to have this job. It was her best hope. Having memorized the number of her boss-to-be, Amelia swallowed the last morsel, drew a deep breath and phoned his Missouri home with Ben’s cell.

Four rings later, his gravelly voice answered. She explained her situation. In the wake of silence, she pressed her ear to the receiver. Maybe the call got disconnected. “Hello?”

“I’m here—”

Ominous gruffness hurled across the line with harsh expletives. “Get it together and be here a week from Tuesday or the job’s gone.”

Tuesday! That was nine days from now. The mechanic said two weeks minimum on her car, if it could be repaired.

Amelia took a deep breath and resisted the compulsion to beg, borrow and plead. “I just hope you understand how much I want, need, this job, sir. I’ll do my best to be there.”

Amelia hated that her voice and hands quivered.

“If you can’t be here next Tuesday morning, your best isn’t good enough. I need a secretary’s behind in that office chair at eight that morning. Period.” A click, then cold silence.

Heat flamed Amelia’s face. Not embarrassment. Anger. The words went through her like a hot sword from her past.

Your best isn’t good enough.

How many times had she heard that since she’d turned ten?

Doubt assailed her about this new boss. But Nissa had called in a favor, and Amelia needed a job.

She cradled Ben’s phone in her palm and curled it close, enjoying that it smelled like him. She huffed and rolled over. Hopefully sleep would come swiftly. She drifted with one thing ticker-taping through her mind:

No matter how hard her new boss was to work for, no matter what she had to do to get to that job by next Tuesday, she would make sure it happened.

For the third morning in a row, Amelia watched the southern Illinois sunrise brighten her room but not her mood. The flu virus had suddenly reared its fierce head two nights ago, rendering her unable to hold down food or water without the help of IV meds.

Amelia clutched her pocket planner as if staring at it would add days to the week.

She was running out of time.

Sharp knocks echoed off the door, pulling her attention from the calendar of doom and her nausea.

“Come in,” Amelia called in a low voice, eyeing Reece as she slept.

Wiggling his fingers in what Amelia had come to know as his trademark wave, Ben, who’d been coming faithfully every morning, entered with a beautiful African-American woman. Envy pricked Amelia. She mentally chastised herself for having hoped he was unattached. His unwavering presence had been a bright spot in her days.