Page 51 of Her Cadillac Cowboy
“Surely, you misunderstood, Lurlene. My father had a heart attack. Doc Biggers ordered round-the-clock care for him.”
“Daddy did no such thing. You’ve got a lot of nerve, Sara Carson, telling me what my daddy did and didn’t do. I should know what he ordered and didn’t order, ‘cause I typed those orders myself.”
“Are you carrying tales again girl?” Doc Biggers’s voice boomed over the partition that separated the booths. Within moments the tall, spare man who tended most of Luville’s ills stood before Sara’s table.
“Why no, Daddy.” It was surprising how soft and quiet Lurlene could sound when she spoke to her father. “Leastways, not to anyone outside the immediate family.”
“I’m glad you remember what I told you about patient confidentiality, daughter. But tell me, are these two gentlemen related to Mr. Carson?”
Lurlene’s eyes widened, and her mouth rounded into an O. “Daddy, I am sorry. I just didn’t think.”
“I’m sure you didn’t, daughter. I told you, if you said one more word outside of the office about a patient, you’d have to find other work.”
The woman’s lower lip trembled. Tears threatened to spill over the heavily mascaraed lashes. Sara recalled seeing the same expression on the face of a child denied a toy.
Jesus on a trolley, the last thing the evening needed was Lurlene crying right here in public. “Please, Doc, don’t fire Lurlene on my account. Everyone here knows how hard a time Dad has had adjusting to being an invalid.”
“If you don’t mind discussing Carl, I’ll tell you I’m not surprised he’s not adjusting, ‘cause he’s not an invalid.”
“What do you mean, Doc? Didn’t you order bed rest and twenty-four-hour hour care for Daddy?”
“I did not. I ordered supervised, mild exercise and a restricted diet. Sounds like Carl’s been pulling a fast one. Your father needs to make his heart stronger, and that won’t happen lying around in bed.”
“So he still needs a nurse?”
“Certainly, but not twenty-four hours a day. Just when he’s up and about, and then only for the next few months.”
Sara’s hands clenched. When she got home she’d blister her father’s ears but good. For now, she had to behave civilly, even to Lurlene. “Then I still have a problem.”
Four pairs of eyes waited for her to explain.
“Daddy’s run off every nurse I’ve hired so far. He’s been so mean to them that the agency said they wouldn’t send anyone else to be abused.”
Doc rubbed his chin. “Sounds like you do have a problem.”
“No, she doesn’t, Doc.”
All eyes turned to Josh.
“Not if we can get a Carson to accept help from a McKinley.”
Sara could see the double-damn dare-you in his eyes.
Stunned expressions on four faces followed a collective gasp.
Too weary of confrontation to fight, Sara dropped her head to her hands. “Right now, I’d accept help from the devil himself.”
Marty, the imp, whispered in her ear, “Careful what you ask for, sugar.”
A frown crossed Josh’s face. “I might qualify as the devil, but Mrs. Masterson is closer to an angel.”
“Who’s Mrs. Masterson?” Sara moaned.
“She’s my nurse.”
A masculine snort sounded from across the table.
“Josh!” his date shrieked.
