Page 31 of You Shouldn't Have Come Here

“Oh, Calvin,” he said, looking at me.

“Yeah, Doc.”

“A nice massage would do her good.” Dr. Reed winked at Grace, and she smiled back.

He patted me on the shoulder with a smirk. Doc was still just as sharp and smooth as he was in his forties.

“You can see Patsy up at the front to handle payment.” He gestured to the door. “It was great meeting you, Grace, and I hope you get to enjoy the rest of your time here.”

Dr. Reed looked to me. “And it’s always a pleasure seeing you, Calvin.” He gave a firm handshake. “You take good care of her.”

“I will, and thanks, Doc.”

Patsy, a petite woman in her sixties with thin lips and curly hair, sat at the front desk, knitting something out of navy blue yarn. I had known her since I was a kid and aside from the gray hair, she hadn’t changed.

“Hey, Calvin. Everything okay?” Patsy asked, setting down her knitting needles. She glanced at me and then at Grace, who looked a little off. I couldn’t tell if she was dazed or just worried about the doc’s orders to take it easy the next couple of days.

“Yeah. Just a mild concussion,” I said.

“That’s good—well, not good. But better than... You know what I mean,” Patsy said with a nod. “I’ll just need your insurance card then, sweetheart.” She smiled warmly.

Grace glanced down at her feet and then back at Patsy. “I don’t have my purse with me. I left it back at the ranch.”

“Well, that’s all right. Just write down the insurance company and your information, and I can contact them to submit your claim.” Patsy held out a pad of paper and a pen. Grace took the items from her and wrote out her full name then stopped. She gazed up at the ceiling.

“You all right?” I whispered to her. “Sure you don’t want that MRI?”

Grace’s eyes bounced to me and then back at the pad. She pressed the tip of the pen against the paper. The ink bled, forming a large circle. When you held on to something too long, it always left a mark. The same was true for people.

“No, I just can’t remember the name of my insurance company,” she said.

Patsy gave a worried look and reached for the phone. “Maybe we should get Dr. Reed back up here.”

“No, I’m fine really. I just haven’t had to use it in a while.” Grace studied the paper. She tapped the tip of the pen on the ink blob. “I think it starts with aB.”

I slid the pen from her fingers and set it down on the desk. Her brows drew together and she stared up at me.

“I’ll just pay for it.” I pulled my wallet from my back pocket. “What’s the damage, Patsy?”

She clicked several buttons on her calculator.

“No, Calvin. I’ll take care of it,” Grace urged, putting her hand on my arm. I liked her hand on me.

“Nonsense. My horse. My problem,” I said.

“Two hundred andthirty-onedollars.”

“You really don’t have to.” She gently pulled on my arm.

I could have swum in those blue, blue eyes of hers. “I really do, Grace.” I smiled and handed my card to Patsy.

Her fingers caressed my arm, sending a shiver down my spine. She mouthed,Thank you.

I’d take care of Grace every day of my life if she’d let me and even if she wouldn’t.

17.

Grace