Page 45 of Gunner

I reached over, pressing the call button.

“I am not leaving without her statement,” Deputy Reed sneered.

The door leading to the hallway opened, and I was never as happy to see the snarky Nurse Sally as I was at that moment.

“What can I do for you, Miss Winters?”

“Nurse Sally, could you please escort the deputy outside? Miss Winters has decided to wait a bit longer before giving her statement.”

Nurse Sally took one look at Aspen before turning on the deputy.

“Did you make that girl cry?”

“I was doing my job. I asked her to tell me what happened.”

Nurse Sally narrowed her eyes at Deputy Reed. “Out. Now.”

“I have a job to do here—”

“Don’t make me call the sheriff! I can’t help flirting with that man, and his new woman scares the shit out of me, especially with all those pregnancy hormones. So, if I have to call him and she beats the hell out of me for flirting with her man, do you know who will pay for that?” She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the deputy. “It won’t be her.”

Deputy Reed had a stare down with Nurse Sally, then, after sending a glare my way, he stomped out the door. There wasn’t a man in Diamond Creek who wouldn’t back down to Nurse Sally.

“Thank you.”

She waved her hand at me. “I can’t stand that man. How he ever got cleared to be a deputy is beyond me.” She fussed over Aspen for a few minutes before leaving us alone.

“Are you ok?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. It’s just... when he walked in, I felt something. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You don’t have to right now. Trust your instincts. When someone makes you wary, you do whatever you need to. Do you think it was him?”

She shook her head violently. “No. I was talking to a guy before I went to the bathroom. But it wasn’t the deputy.”

“Ok, you need to give your statement. We have a couple of options here. I can call the sheriff and find out why he didn’t come himself, which I will do either way. Or we can call Deputy Stilton. She’s a woman. Or I know Deputy Blackwater personally. Known him almost my whole life. He was there for me when my parents passed away in high school. I trust him with my life.”

Aspen chewed her lip and then looked up at me.

“What do you think?”

“I can’t answer this for you, Aspen. I am not inside your head. I don’t know what will make you most comfortable.”

She gave a little huff. “Isn’t that what a shrink is supposed to do? Get inside my head?”

I smiled at her. “Oh, I will. It just takes time.” I winked.

I waited as Aspen mulled over her options. She was a beautiful woman. Her naturally tanned skin and dark hair suggested she might be Native American, or at least her ancestors were. I knew she was from Texas, but no one really knew much about her. I wondered if she was hiding from something. Diamond Creek was barely a dot on any map, which made it a great place for people to disappear and hide.

“Ok, can you call your friend? If you trust him, I think I can, too.”

I nodded and turned to grab my phone from my purse when Aspen grabbed my hand again.

“You’ll stay, right?”

I laid my hand on her arm, giving her a little squeeze. “For as long as you need me.”

I texted Corbin and asked him to come to the hospital.

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