Page 24 of Dusty and Dented
Chapter Eighteen
Dagger went down tothe kitchen and tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave, then checked the cabinets for cookies.Andy hadn’t said what kind, so he would bring up whatever they had.If they weren’t to her taste, he’d ask Sandy, one of the mamas who helped keep things around here from becoming a total pig pen, to add them to the next shopping trip.That was mainly a prospect job, but the mamas had found that if one of them didn’t go with whoever was the prospect, then they ended up not getting half of what they wanted or getting the wrong stuff.But Dagger wouldn’t have to worry about that until, and if, Andy wanted something specific.
He took the popcorn from the microwave, opened and dumped it into a bowl, then grabbed the grocery sack he’d stuffed the cookies and drinks into and took it all up to his room.He couldn’t help but look forward to letting her curl against him as he discovered what went on next with these kids.He shook his head as he climbed the stairs, wondering for a moment what his brothers might say if they knew what he was watching, and that he was enjoying it, then decided it didn’t matter.He was trying to make Andy feel better, not his brothers.They could think whatever the fuck they wanted, and he wouldn’t let it change how he dealt with her.
Besides, hadn’t she said Panther had watched them with her?
Reaching the bedroom, he knocked to let her know he was back then opened the door.He froze just inside when he realized the room was empty.He scanned the room, looking for anything out of place or missing that might give him a clue where she went.
Her bag was open on the bed and the bathroom door was closed.He was about to knock on it to be sure she was in there when he heard the shower turn on.He took a deep breath and let some of the tension he’d been holding flow out with the air.Twice coming back to find Andy wasn’t where he’d left her had sent a spear of something he didn’t want to think too hard about through his stomach.
He set the food down, picked up the remote and turned on the TV.If he was fast, he might get the app downloaded and ready by the time she finished in the shower.He listened for the shower to shut off while he worked with the TV, then glanced around the room.What could he do to make her more comfortable?
He opened the mini fridge next to the bed and realized while it still had a good stock of beer, there was no water or any of the soda he knew Andy preferred.He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Hunter to go get a case of water and a case of her soda, and to bring them to his room once he had them.He’d just shoved his phone back in his pocket when the shower shut off.
The open bag on the bed told him she’d probably grabbed clothes, but he called out anyway, not wanting to scare her.
“I’m in here.”
“Thank you!”Her voice was muffled by the door but still clear.
“I’d like to have Freud take a look at you, if you don’t mind.”
“Who’s Freud?”she asked, opening the bathroom door.
“He’s our medic,” Dagger looked at her, planning to just make it a glance so she would know he was talking to her, but when he spotted her in a pair of tiny shorts and a loose t-shirt that almost covered them, he found it hard to look away.
“You have a medic?”
He didn’t know if she was thinking the question that he heard hanging, unspoken, but he heard it—if you have a medic, how did my brother die?Panther had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and by the time the shooting had stopped, and they were figuring out who was hit and who was okay, Panther was already gone.He didn’t answer that.He couldn’t explain it to satisfy her, so he left it alone.
“We do.He’s got his limitations, but there’s a lot he can do.I’d like him to take a look and make sure you’re as okay as you think you are.I want to be sure there’s not something I should be taking you to the hospital for.”
She stared at him for a moment, her expression closed off to the point he had no idea what she was thinking.
“All right,” she said after a moment.
She stepped into the room and looked around.“Is he already close or can we start the movie while we wait?”
