Page 51 of Saving Veronica
Maggie came up to them, and said, “Ronnie, I know how independent you are. I’m not suggesting this to step on your toes, but would you mind if I held your plate as you go through the line?”
“Not at all.” Ronnie grinned. She knew when to pick her battles. Trying to hold a plate and operating a scooter with one arm, wasn’t one of them.
“Okay, you’re first in line, along with Finn.”
“Let the invalids go first then.” She looked over her shoulder at Finn, and sucked in her breath at his handsomeness. Finn grinned back at her and Ronnie started forward and told her Grandmother what she wanted. Once her plate was full, Maggie took her over to a picnic table and set her plate down.
“There’s enough room for your chair, or you can sit on the bench. It’s up to you.”
Ronnie watched as Finn and Patch joined them. Patch put their plates down and looked at her.
“Do you want to stand?”
“God, I’d love to stand, even if it’s for only five seconds. I never thought I’d miss standing.”
“We’ll help you,” Finn said, and walked up to her side. He checked out how she was positioned, and held out his arm for her to take. Ronnie threw off the small blanket she’d placed over her leg and swung it out. She stood with her hand on Finn’s arm and he told her that Patch had his hands at her back to steady her. When she wobbled, Finn put his hands on her hips and said, “I got you. Take your time.” He waited several moments and when her breathing slowed, he asked, “What do you need?”
“I’m going to put my forehead on your chest, and lift my left arm. Could you pull my sleeve up past my elbow?”
“I can. Patch.”
“Got her.”
She leaned slightly forward and did as she said she was going to do. As she felt the sleeve go above her elbow, she sighed in relief. “Okay, now I can sit down.” Finn and Patch helped her sit, and she swung her leg beneath the table and sighed in relief.
“Do you need a stool?” Finn asked, before he sat. He looked up and saw her grandfather already there with one, and he squatted down, gently picked up her ankle and put her heel on the stool.
“Thanks, Grandpa.”
“You’re welcome, now eat before it gets cold.”
“Yes, sir.” She grinned and turned to her plate and began to dig in. As she slowly filled up, she slowed down. After she cleaned her plate, Patch looked over and asked if she wanted seconds. She declined, but Finn asked for more. Patch rose and went to refill both their plates.
“May I?” Finn asked, as he pointed to her left arm.
“Sure.” She turned slightly toward him and propped it up on her elbow. “They don’t look too bad. The ones on my thigh are worse.” She watched as Finn bent down and inspected the healing claw marks on her forearm.
“The doctor doesn’t want to keep them covered?”
“No, he said they’d heal faster exposed to air. It’s been four weeks and they actually look pretty good.” She watched as he gingerly reached up and lightly ran one finger over one mark. They were joined by Patch then, and he frowned at Finn, but when he saw what he was looking at, he was immediately looking over his shoulder.
“Looking good.” He nodded and went back and sat down.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Ronnie took her arm back and grinned at him. They talked as the men finished eating and talked about what they’d been doing lately.
Ronnie noticed Finn didn’t talk a lot about himself. He mainly stuck to the subject of his dog, or his family. It surprised her that he wasn’t taking the opportunity to spout off about how successful and rich he was. At one point, she looked over at Patch and he only smirked at her, while he nodded his head in Finn’s direction. When Finn turned away, she stuck her tongue out at the doctor, and grinned when he choked on his water.
Chapter 17
“So how was it?” Norm asked, from the other side of her scooter. He had his arm around a pretty blonde woman.
“Good. The meat melted in your mouth. I’ll have to take some home with me, so I can make some sandwiches to take for lunch.”
“There’s plenty. Help yourself. I’d like to introduce you to my wife,” Norm said, and turned to the blonde beside him. He frowned when he looked at her and saw she stared intently at the guy he introduced as Patch.
“Dougie?” she asked, and Norm knew immediately how he recognized the man. It was from pictures his wife said she had of her foster brother. Granted the pictures were of a very young boy, but the bone structure was the same.
“Excuse me?” Patch looked at the woman and frowned.
