Heather Webber - Digging Up Trouble

In an instant Kevin was on his feet, headed toward me. I didn’t even mind when he pulled me into a hug. “He’s fine, Nina.”

I could almost hear Tam’s I told you so.

“Ach,” Brickhouse said to Mr. Cabrera. “Like you care.

Who’s she?”

I heard the jealousy in her voice as Kevin’s hand cupped the back of my head, his fingers gently kneading. He said,

“A little accident.”

I rested my forehead against his chest.

“A neighbor,” Mr. Cabrera said. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his face turn three shades of purple. A neighbor, my foot. I didn’t recognize the woman.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Kevin said.

How could he have betrayed me? How could he have walked away from seven pretty darn good years of marriage? For Ginger Ho. Er, Barlow. Ginger Barlow, his police partner.

I hated her.

And I remembered that I was supposed to hate him too.

I pulled back, out of his hug. Okay, it wasn’t as fast as it could have been, but at least I did it.

Mind over matter and all that.

Oh no. There I went sounding like my mother again.

“Your mother’s on her way,” Ana said as if reading my mind. She came over, took my hand, held it tight. “Mr. Cabrera called her, and she called me. I was closer.”

Half of Freedom probably knew about the accident by now, thanks to Mr. Cabrera’s loose lips.

26

Heather Webber

“Is Riley really okay?” I asked her, not wanting to look at Kevin. I had the uneasy feeling he knew I still loved him.

That maybe, if he waged an all-out please-take-me-back war, I would. Take him back.

Would I?

Then what about Bobby? my inner voice asked.

I told it to please shut up.

That’s me. Nina Colette Polite Ceceri Quinn.

“He’s fine. He might have a broken wrist. He’s in X-ray now.”

“What happened?” I asked.

Mrs. Krauss was giving Mr. Cabrera’s new girlfriend the evil eye. She did it quite well. My mother would be proud of her efforts.

Mr. Cabrera puffed out his chest. “Well, Miz Quinn, it’s like this. Boom-Boom here—”

“Boom-Boom?” Brickhouse and I asked at the same time.

The older woman with sickly blonde hair stepped forward, smiled wide, her teeth as big and as yellow as the dingy locks on her head. I tried not to cringe.

“Boom-Boom Vhrooman,” she said, holding out a hand.

Reluctantly, I took it as she added, “I’m your new neighbor.

I moved into Mrs. Warnicke’s house.”

“Ach.”

“Now Ursula,” Mr. Cabrera tried to soothe.

“Ach,” she boomed.

He shut up.

Mrs. Warnicke had recently died of a heart attack after waking to find a burglar in her house. I wondered if Boom-Boom knew that. Some people might get spooked by living in a place where someone had recently died.

I knew I would.

Ana squeezed my hand. “Seems Boom-Boom and Riley had a head-on collision.”

Digging Up Trouble

27

My gaze whipped to Kevin. He was sitting on Riley’s empty bed and looked as though he were enjoying the play-by-play between Mr. Cabrera and Brickhouse. “And he only has a broken wrist?” I asked. “Are they sure?”

“Riley had his helmet on—”

Thank God.

“—and thankfully, Mrs. Vhrooman—”

“Boom-Boom, please,” she cut in.

Kevin’s mouth twitched. “ Boom-Boom was driving a golf cart.”

“It’s actually not a golf cart,” Boom-Boom supplied. “It’s a motorized vehicle. Helps me get around. Bad heart, you know.” She thumped her huge chest for emphasis.

I didn’t think a woman with a bad heart should be hanging around Mr. Cabrera but kept that thought to myself. However, I noticed a small smile curved Mrs. Krauss’s lips. Apparently she’d had the same thought and was pleased by her conclusion.

A kind-looking nurse stuck her head through the doorway.

She was awfully pretty, with long, slightly curly hair, big brown eyes, and a warm smile. Her name badge read megan little, rn. I checked to see if Kevin was checking her out.

He wasn’t.

It made me feel marginally better.

“Mrs. Krauss,” Megan Little, RN, said, “there you are.

Your daughter is worried sick trying to find you. Come with me.”

Brickhouse looked like she was going to argue, but just arched an eyebrow at Mr. Cabrera, turned, and dragged her IV pole out the door.

“Is she really sick?” Mr. Cabrera asked me. “There is that nasty flu bug going around.”

“She’ll be fine.” No one that mean could stay down long.

“You could go be with her,” I suggested.

28

Heather Webber

Boom-Boom pouted.

Mr. Cabrera shook his head. “Nah. She broke up with me.

I’m not gonna go crawlin’ back.”

I silently added Again. Honestly, he had put up with a lot from her. Though I had to admit, I’d never seen him happier than when he was with her.

And she did have a somewhat valid reason for breaking up with him. I couldn’t imagine it was easy to live with certain death hanging over your head.

Someone coughed from the doorway. I turned and saw a handsome man, early forties, big blue eyes, bright white teeth, standing there wearing a lab coat. A stethoscope hung around his neck. Ana perked up.

“Doctor,” she said, abandoning my hand to rush over to him, “is Riley okay?”

“Coming through,” someone said from the hallway.

Ana and Dr. Feelgood parted, allowing Riley, being pushed in a wheelchair, to enter. He hopped out of the wheelchair and onto the edge of the bed, his legs swinging.

The doctor patted Ana’s hand and smiled at her. “Fine.

The X rays showed no breaks at all.” He looked at Riley.

“With a sprain this severe, however, it’s best you keep it easy for a few days. No skateboarding.”

Riley’s dark blue eyes went wide. “What about work?”

“What do you do?” Dr. Feelgood asked him.

“I work at Growl. Sometimes the register, sometimes with food prep.”

The doctor bit his lip, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at how Ana stared at him.

“It would be best to take a day or two off. The nurse has some paperwork for you, but after that you all are free to go.”

We thanked Dr. Feelgood, and he turned to leave. It was no surprise to see Ana follow him out. Even though she’d Digging Up Trouble

29

been dating riverboat security guard S. Larue—we still didn’t know his first name—off and on for a solid month now, she was always on the prowl.

“I can’t miss work,” Riley said to Kevin.

“They’ll understand.”

Riley scowled. He was a good scowler. “Ebenezer won’t.”

“Ebenezer?” I asked.

Mr. Cabrera said, “Russ Grabinsky.” At my confused look, he added, “Riley’s boss.”

I stared. I didn’t even want to know how Mr. Cabrera knew the man’s name when I didn’t.

“He’ll fire me now for sure,” Riley said. “He doesn’t like me.”

“Your uncle Bill won’t let that happen,” Kevin said, clapping Riley on the back. “I’ll call him tonight.”

It amazed me how the two of them looked so much alike.

Both tall, dark, and brooding.

“I can call him,” Riley said.

It still shocked me when Riley showed signs of maturity.

One of these days I was going to have to get used to it.

“No hard feelings?” Boom-Boom asked Riley.

“Nah,” he said. “Come into Growl sometime. Dinner is on me.”

Boom-Boom beamed and patted his cheek.

Hmmph. He never let me pat his cheek.

Megan Little, RN, poked her head in again. “Nina Quinn?” she asked.

“That’s me,” I said, slightly confused.