Page 104 of Perfect Harmony

He ran upstairs. Preacher was still sittingon the side of the bed, and he wiped his mouth with a shaking hand. “Fuck, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Gideon took the bucket fromhim and handed him the bottle of water. “Drink.”

Preacher drank a few sips and Gideon setthe bottle on the nightstand. “Lie down.”

He wrapped the ice pack in the dish towel andplaced it on Preacher’s forehead once he was stretched out on the bed. He tookthe bucket to the bathroom and emptied and rinsed it before returning it to thespare room.

Preacher hadn’t moved and Gideon set thebucket within easy reach on the floor and pulled the covers to Preacher’s waistagain. “The bucket is right beside you.”

Preacher grunted in acknowledgement. Gideonsqueezed his shoulder. “You need to go to the hospital? It looks like a badone.”

“No,” he muttered. “Too loud, too bright.Fucking meds they give won’t do jack shit.”

“Okay. I’ll check on you in an hour or so.Try and get some rest, buddy.”

He closed the door and walked downstairs.Grace was sitting on the deck in his back yard drinking her tea, as Tank laidin the sunshine at her feet. He joined them, sinking into the chair next toGrace’s.

“Should he go to the hospital?” Gracesaid. “He looked really pale.”

“He doesn’t want to go. I’ve only seen himgo once to the hospital and that’s because I forced him to go when he couldn’tstop vomiting.”

“But they have stronger meds and -”

“They don’t really work for him,” Gideonsaid. “He’s tried a bunch of different ones over the years, and nothing helps.”

“Poor Preacher,” Grace said. “I feel reallybad for him. Addie’s mom suffers from migraines and Addison says it’s awful forher. I couldn’t even imagine the pain. How often does he get them?”

“About once or twice a month,” Gideonsaid.

“Does he come over to your place everytime?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s nice of you to take care of him.”Grace reached out and took his hand.

He linked their fingers, studying the pinkpolish on her nails. “He’s my best friend.”

She didn’t say anything, and he glanced upat her. “I know what people say about us being best friends. It was the sameway in New Cassel. I get how different we are, but Preacher is a good man.”

“I know he is,” Grace said. “And who careswhat people think about your friendship?”

“When I ran for sheriff, he tried to end ourfriendship. Said nobody would elect me if I didn’t stop hanging around withhim. I told him to fuck off with that bullshit.”

She laughed. “Good for you. He was beingstupid.”

“Yeah, he was.”

“Kira said Preacher told her once that yousaved his life.”

He didn’t reply and she said, “Did you?”

“Not in the way Kira thinks I did,” hesaid. “I talked him out of a bad decision.”

He hoped she wouldn’t ask him for moredetail. It was Preacher’s story to tell, and his best friend was fiercelyprotective of his privacy.

“How did you meet Preacher?” she said.

He shouldn’t have worried. One of the thingshe loved about Gracie was the way she didn’t pry or ask questions she knew he didn’tfeel right about answering.

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