Page 5 of Booth

“How the hell am I supposed to live with me being in here under false pretenses?That woman has me all tied up, and she’s going to have to get me out of this, or else I’m going to take everything she has.I suppose she’s being paid from her hamburger job, right?”He told him what he knew.“Getting married.So she’s been able to go on with her life, and I’m stuck here in jail because of her.”

He waited for his attorney to say that it was his fault again when he knew better.Not only was the shit hitting the fan about his wife but damn it, everything else was going to shit too.He needed to get on the good side of the president so that he’d give him some boosts to his woes.At least make it so that he was getting paid.Something had to be going right in his corner.This was bullshit and he wasn’t going to allow it to mess with him anymore.

“I want you to draft a letter to the president and tell him that I need his help.We used to be good friends, and perhaps he’s been jaded by that woman and her burger job.”He finally told him what she did for a living.“Dancing?What kind of job is dancing?It doesn’t matter, you get a letter drafted to him and tell him that I’m not having a good time here or some shit like that.Tell him that I need something to go my way and if he’d back me out of this crap I’d be his slave for life.Not really, but I do need for him to back me a bit in this so that I can see the end of the tunnel quicker than I am with you as my boot licker.”He asked him if he understood.“Also, you tell my wife that this isn’t a good time for her to get a set of balls.Make it nicer than that, but beg her if you have to, so that I have her on my arm for when I get out.I’m going to need to show a sorrowful man with this, and her being gone isn’t going to help me.”

After he was taken back to his cell, he felt good.Things would go his way now that he’d gotten his stupid boot licker, what he was going to call the attorney from now on, on the right path of getting his ass out of here.He’d do it or so help him, Arnold would come down on his ass so hard that he’d never see the top of the grass again if he could help it.

Chapter 3

Dee was tired, but she was trying her best not to show it.The house was wonderful, and she loved every inch of it, but she’d been up and around in her wheelchair, and she needed a break.It was Booth who wheeled her into the bedroom that they’d set up on the main floor for her.

“Now, no arguing with me.You’re going to take a nap.”She told him she was fine.“No, you’re not.You’re hurting and tired, and a little nap will be good for you.Just let me put you in the bed here, and we’ll leave you alone for a while.The house will still be here, and so will the mess with the towels is going to be when you wake up.Just rest.”

“Can you lie down with me?”He said he’d hoped that she’d say that.“All right.You lock up, and I’ll get into the bed.I am sore and tired, but I’m loving the house.”

“I’m loving you too much to let you be looking like you just want to go back to the hospital.You’ve done too much today, and we don’t want that to happen.My parents will be over tomorrow, along with my brothers and their families.Logan said he has a gift for you, but he’s in no hurry to bring it over until you’re rested.”She’d met Logan the other day when he’d come to her room at the hospital.He was a nice man.“I’ll lock up and you rest here.”

He put her in the bed without any trouble.Then kissed her on the nose.She was almost too exhausted to wait for him to get back, she was that tired.But once he got the house locked up for them, he came back and toed off his shoes while she was waiting for him.

“I’ve had the locks changed.I don’t know why I trust Mr.Millner not to bust into the house, but I felt better just knowing that there aren’t a lot of keys to the house around.”She told him that was a good idea.“Thanks.Also, before I forget, I went out to the barn and there is an old lawnmower out there with some trimming tools.I doubt that it’s been used all that hard, but we will need to replace it soon.It looks really old.Also, there are boxes marked with the names of holidays.I have a call in with Bonnie to find out if that was meant to be left or not.I decided not to touch it in the event that he wants them back.I know my mom has a stash of Christmas decorations that rival most department stores.”

He got into the bed and laid there looking at her from his side.She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and he seemed to understand that.He began talking to her about things in a whisper so that she could rest.

“I went by the school and set up my room yesterday.It looks good.They painted all the walls while we were on summer break.I have five classes this year.Not as many as I’ve had before, but I have lunch duty too, so that’ll keep me at the school during lunch.I was actually thinking that I’d come home and eat, but that can’t happen now.”She closed her eyes, the fight to keep them open winning.“There are cats in the barn, thankfully.They’ll keep the mice out of the house, too.This time next year, we’ll be so moved in here that we’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.”

When she woke up, she was alone in the big bed.It took her a few minutes to figure out where she was, having no idea sent her into a slight panic attack.But when she remembered that she was at home and in her own bed, she laid back down and looked around the room.

The room was going to be her office when she was able to get around.Betty, Booth’s mom, and his grandmas, Milly and Bethy, had invited her to help them out on some projects they had going.Mostly it had to do with the school fundraisers they had yearly, but there was the flower fund for the planters that they filled along Main Street too.It depressed her at times that she wasn’t going to be able to go back to dancing, but she was all right with the change so that she could be with Booth and his family, too.

Getting out of bed, careful where she put her feet, she made her way into the living room, where she found three of the Dixon men arguing about the television that looked bigger than life.Apparently,they wanted to put it higher up on the wall, and two of them wanted it lower.Putting her fingers in her mouth, she whistled to get their attention.

“Who cares where the thing goes?It can be lowered and raised as it needs to be.”They laughed and told her she was right.“Where is Booth?Shouldn’t he be here doing something with you guys?”

“He had to run to the school.And he did run.Something about an alarm going off in his room.None of us could believe that he left you with us either.”She asked if something was wrong.“No, just that you were sleeping so soundly, we weren’t afraid of waking you up.How are you feeling?Do you need anything?”

“Do you suppose one of you could get me something to drink?I’m not good at getting this wheelchair around the dining room yet.”Dallas went to get her something to drink, and he brought her some cookies that were in the kitchen.“Thank you.Now tell me again why you’re hanging our television and not Booth?”

“He was here until the school called.He was there until we showed up and then came home with us.This is a housewarming gift from all of us.Anyway, they told him that there was some kind of alarm going off in his room and that he had to come back and see what it was.To say he was pissed off would have been an understatement.He should be back soon.”She was glad for the tea and cookies as she was suddenly famished.“We’ll be ordering food when he comes back.There’s a pregame on tonight for football, and he had the most empty house that we could come and get dirty with.”

“You need an empty house to watch football?”Dallas told her what was going on.“Oh, I can see that.So your wife is having a baby shower, and you guys have been told to get lost.Understandable.I don’t know that I’d want you all around either if I were having a bunch of women over.She invited me, but I had to decline.I didn’t know if I’d be home as yet today.”

“She said she was going to come over and show you what all she got when the thing is over.Plus, she wants to watch the game.Amy only has one month to go, and she’s feeling it.Christ, I’m going to be a dad.”They all laughed at Dallas, and Booth showed up just as they were thinking about ordering food.Their dad showed up with a gift for Dallas, and she loved it.The little rocking chair was going to be perfect for the little baby when it was about two.“Dad, this is wonderful.Did you make it?”

“I did, as a matter of fact.I’ve decided that I’m going to make one for each grandchild as they come along.I’m even making one for the children at Waylon’s home.His children are just as much my grandchildren as this one will be, and I couldn’t be happier.”They ribbed their father a little bit when he got teary-eyed.But she noticed, too, that Dallas was fighting tears as well.They might be big gorillas, but they were about as soft-hearted as she was.“Let’s get some food.I’m starving.”

The game wasn’t over by the time the women showed up.But the gifts were a lovely way to take some of the pressure off the men, thinking that their team was going to lose.It was funny to see Dallas and the others holding the tiny little sleepers in their hands, and how dwarfed it seemed to be against their hands.They didn’t bring over everything that she’d gotten.But from the pictures, it looked like she did really well in having everything that she was going to need for the little one.She asked if they knew the sex yet.

“No.We want to be surprised.I know it’s silly nowadays to not know what you’re having, but we decided that it won’t change a thing if we know what the gender is, so why go through all that when we can be as surprised as everyone else.Besides, I think the brothers have a bet going on the weight and the date of its birth.I can’t wait to see who gets the closest.”

The food came right at halftime, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect time.Dee couldn’t believe how much food they had ordered, but then she remembered when they came to see her, there were never any leftovers when they were finished either.She was sure to load up her plate because she didn’t want to be left with no seconds when she finished her first plate of food.

“What was the alarm going off in your room?”He rolled his eyes and told her why he’d had to run back to the school.“Well, that’s not right.What if you’d been in the middle of something with me, or we were moving furniture?To bring you in for a faulty wire isn’t right when they could have fixed it.”

“They also had some books for me to approve.I didn’t realize that they were ordering books for my class until then.I usually just send the kids a link, and they can download the book that way.It usually saves the school quite a bit of money not to have to buy all those books.”She asked him if he charged for the download.“I don’t.I suppose that’s as good a reason for them to order them, too.They’re missing out on the funding that goes with it.The government gives them so much money to use, and if they don’t, I don’t know what happens to it.Maybe they don’t get it the following year.I don’t know.”

“I don’t either.”They shared a plate of fresh fruit, and when it was empty, he got up to get them something more.“Do the kids have to purchase their books for class?”

“No, they’re given the books.I see where you’re going with this.If they ordered them, that’s an expense.You’d think that they’d hold off and use the money for something else.That’s why I’ve always used a link to get them their books.Fewer things that have to be carried around, too.”The two of them speculated on the books until the game started back up again, and then there was very little talking but for the game.All the baby things had been put away, too, in favor of the gridiron.

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