Page 34 of One Tough Love

“Nothing's broken but you are pretty badly bruised and you’re going to be really sore for a good week.”

Jo nodded already feeling achy.

“I’m going to prescribe you something for the pain and you’re going to have to spend the night here unless there is someone we can send you home with.”

Jo realized she hadn’t seen her iPhone since the accident. She was sure it had gotten wet in the creek and was probably dead now. She‘d have to buy another one. That was an expense she didn’t need right now.

“Can I call my neighbor?”

“Sure will they be willing to check in on you?”

“Yes.” Jo said hoping Nick was available.

The doctor wrote out a prescription for her and told the nurse to call him if someone came to take her home. He then told Jo that if she was still here in an hour he was finding her a room.

Jo called Nick using a hospital phone and it went right to voice mail. She left him a message saying that she was at General and if he could, she would appreciate it if he would come to get her.

Nick never came and at 11:00pm Dr. Chase had Jo transferred to a room. Jo had been given hospital scrubs to change into and when she was moved into the standard room she fell asleep immediately. Unfortunately because she had a head injury a nurse woke her every two hours, so any rest she got came in small intervals.

Jo woke once again to the nurse checking her eyes once more. She asked Jo how she was feeling and Jo replied honestly that she was pretty sore.

“Can I go home today?” She asked.

“Yup Dr. Chase said as soon as you want, as long as you aren’t dizzy.”

“Nope not dizzy.” Jo said giving the nurse a little smile.

“I have a note out at the desk that an Officer Cook would like you to call him when you are feeling better.”

Jo nodded. “Okay thanks.” Poor Officer Cook had been saddled with her case. She felt sorry for him and she knew she would not call him, hoping to save him from any scrutiny from his police brothers.

“Also Ranger Ron called. He said he found your phone, but it's water logged and the screen is smashed. He said to tell you he was giving it to the police.”

"Crumb." Jo said out loud. She couldn't afford another phone right now. The kindly nurse patted her arm and left the room. Jo turned the morning news on waiting for breakfast. She was going to have to call a cab company to get home. Jo felt sorry for herself that she really had no one to call and in that lucid moment she had a mind-blowing epiphany. She had spent seven years, pouring everything she had into her job at the paper, forgoing any semblance of a normal social life, and what did she have to show for all her sacrifice and hard work? Nothing. She had nothing, no best friends she could call on, and now no job. She had her family and she had a good neighbor, but that was it. The thought sobered her.

Jo used the bathroom and got back into her bed. She turned on the television that was mounted up on the wall. A news anchor was revealing that the mega movie star, Ginger Lola, who was in the area shooting a scene for a movie, has a new love interest. The first clip played and Jo couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Ginger was posing for the paparazzi as bright camera lights flashed around her, but it was the man standing in the background that caught Jo’s attention. Wes stood off to the side smiling at Ginger as she worked the crowd. He looked sinfully hot, dressed in his business suit; his handsome face showed a sexy growth of stubble on it and his light green tie accented his eyes making them noticeably stand out.

Another clip played, this one showed Wes carrying Ginger through a hotels posh lobby. Ginger may have been drunk, but her hand was wound possessively through Wes' dark hair, the same hair that Jo had loved to run her own fingers through.

The anchorwoman then revealed the couple was currently relaxing at a spa in Arizona and that an anonymous source had given Channel 2 another, more intimate video of the star and her new love interest. More footage played on the screen and it was apparent that this video was not professionally taken, judging by the jerky video, it was probably shot on a cell phone. Ginger waved at the person videoing her and then walked saucily forward so her face was close to the camera. She said in a sexy, whispery voice, “Want to meet my new man?” Ginger then turned away from the camera and walked up to a large man whose back was turned to her, but who Jo recognized immediately as Wes. Ginger looked back at the camera following her every move, pointed at Wes’ back and said quietly, ‘He’s hot and he’s all mine.”

Jo saw Wes turn towards the star and then as if her heart had not been trampled enough she watched as Ginger wrapped Wes up in her thin arms planting a kiss on his lips. The video cut and froze at the precise moment leaving Jo and everyone else viewing the broadcast to see Wes lip locked with the beautiful Ginger Lola.

The news cut back to the anchorwoman telling the viewers that Ginger would be in town for at least another week and that her ‘mystery man love interest’ was her personal bodyguard, Wes Tobin. She then made a reference to the movie The Body Guard, and her co-anchor interjected what a handsome couple they made and they wished them all the best.

Holy Shit! Wes was with Ginger Lola. Tears streamed down Jo’s cheeks. She was done with men. She couldn’t handle this crap. How could he have led her on like that? Why would he do this? Why would he be with her when Ginger was at his beck and call? That niggle of doubt that had been plaguing Jo turned out to be her women’s intuition kicking in. Yeah, he had been working all right. What a fool she had been.

Jo clicked off the television and wiped her eyes just as breakfast was being served. She did not even open the lid covering the plate on her tray. She had completely lost her appetite. Jo climbed out of the bed grimacing in pain and used the hospital given comb and toothbrush to make herself presentable. She was just getting ready to call the cab company when Nick flew through her door.

“Holy smokes Jo what the hell?” He was looking her over, head to toe and Jo knew she looked pretty bad from the look on Nick’s face.

“I’m okay.” She said wearily.

“You don’t look okay.”

“Thanks.” Jo said sarcastically.

“What happened?”

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