Page 188 of Lavender Lake
I hobbled into the house. My body was a mess of pain and bruises, but I was safe and healthy overall, and so was the baby. I’d been lucky.
“Right into the den, sugar,” Muddy said as she closed the door behind me and Cas.
I sat down onto the couch and Muddy placed a pillow on the coffee table, and then helped me lift my leg.
“How did you know about my knee?” I asked.
“Cas sent a text. I’ve had time to prepare.”
“Uh oh,” I muttered.
“Uh oh? What, uh oh?” Cas asked.
“She’s got salves and compresses,” I explained. “Muddy is kind of a witchy woman.”
Muddy touched Cas’s arm. “Nothing I use will harm the baby. You have my word.”
He let out a breath and nodded. “She refused painkillers.”
“Of course she did.” Muddy grinned. “Because she knew I would take care of her.”
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“Jane is at the clinic with your fox. Your father, damn his hide, is with Clint, in town. Hadley and Declan went with him,” Muddy explained.
“Can’t keep Dad bedridden for long,” I said.
“He’s gotta feel useful,” Muddy said. “I don’t blame him. Cas, why don’t you head into town. Things are kind of a mess. They had to evacuate the animals at Mountain Mutt Rescue.”
“Has anyone been hurt in the fire?” I asked.
“No,” Muddy said. “Thank God. And it’s finally been contained and should be out by morning. Give my love to Gracie, will you? As the wife of a smokejumper, she’s bound to be a bundle of nerves.”
“I’ll tell her,” Cas said. He looked at me. “You’re good?”
“I’m good.”
He kissed me on the lips, squeezed my shoulder, and then left Muddy to tend to me.
“He’s a good man, Salem,” she said. “Good in a crisis, too.”
“Thank God, because I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t found me.” I handed her my phone. “Will you charge this for me?”
“Sure.” She took my phone and plugged it into the charger. “I’m getting you ice and a salve, and then you’re going to tell me where you were and why you were out of cell range.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I sighed.
A few minutes later, Muddy returned with a hoard of supplies and a dark beer bottle.
“The last ginger beer,” she said, handing it to me. “How’s your pain?”
“Knee’s about a five. Ankle is a two. The wrist is an elevendy-squillion.”
“Sounds about right.” She inched up the pajama pants to reveal my leg. “Hot diggity dog. That’s brutal.”
My knee was angry, swollen and red. “It would be nice if this family could stop getting injuries that cause us to be bedridden for days on end.”
“Agreed. So, where were you?”
