Bring Me Home for Christmas

Big’s truck.”
    “Are we going to be able to get along?” she asked with a hiccup of emotion. “Because I’m just not in the mood for any more conflict.”
    He nodded. “Absolutely,” he said. “I’ll come back tonight….”
    “That’s all right, you don’t have to—”
    “How bad is it?”
    She shook her head. “It’s throbbing. But it feels far away, like it’s someone else’s foot.”
    A huff of laughter escaped him. He ran a finger along her jaw. “You really scared me with that foot, the way it looked.”
    “Scared you?” she asked, sinking back into her pillows.
    A big orderly pulled back the curtain. “Ready to go for a ride, miss?”
    “I hate to leave you,” Denny said.
    “Just go on. Tell Rich to absolutely not call our parents. Absolutely not.”
    “Don’t you think they’d want to know?” Denny asked.
    “I’m going to take care of that. And tell him I’m sorry about getting the inside of his truck all muddy. He worships that truck. He’s going to marry that truck…”
    “I’ll clean it up,” Denny said. “Try to rest.”
    Before heading to Virgin River, he went through Fortuna, stopped at a full-service gas station and had the truck cleaned up, inside and out. He drove out to Jack’s guesthouse to retrieve his duffel and shaving kit, then went to his room above the Fitchs’ garage and took a shower. Next, he opened Becca’s suitcase and gathered some clothes to take to her. When his hands fell on her silky panties, they lingered there, remembering. God, how he had missed her! Then he folded her bra and panties inside a pair of jeans and a sweater, hiding her lingerie from view. Her camouflage vest was filthy, so he brought a jacket for her.
    Then he went to Jack’s. It was still before five, but the sun was setting and the place was starting to fill up with a few locals and some die-hard hunters and fishermen. Denny sat at the bar.
    Jack came over. “Where’s the rest of your posse?” he asked.
    “I guess they’ll be coming in anytime. I was bringing Becca back here this afternoon and she had a little accident. She fell getting out of her brother’s jacked-up truck and twisted her ankle. Turns out it’s broken. I took her to Valley Hospital for an X-ray, but the doctor says he needs to put a small plate and some screws in it. She has to stay overnight, but she’ll be fine and can be released first thing in the morning.” He looked down. “She’s gonna be on crutches.”
    “Well,” Jack said. “I always said, if they’re running away, just kick their legs out from under them. That’ll slow ’em down.”
    Denny scowled. “That’s not funny.”
    “Not to you, maybe,” he said with an amiable smile.
    “She’s in pain.”
    “I can imagine. Looks like you’re feeling some pain, too. Need a beer?”
    “Beer and a sandwich, if it’s not too much trouble.”
    “Sure you don’t want some of Preacher’s dinner? Stew. Hard rolls. Cake.”
    “As soon as I tell Big where his sister is, I’m heading back to the hospital. She’s fine, but she might wake up and not want to be alone.”
    Jack served him up a draft. “Any chance she could wake up and not want to be with you?”
    “Ah, yeah,” Denny admitted sheepishly. “Always a chance of that. But it’s a chance I’m going to have to take.” Right then the door to the bar opened and his buddies came in. “Jack, would you make that sandwich to go?”
    “You bet, kid,” he said.
    Denny stood up from the bar. “Any luck?” he asked them.
    “Nothing,” Rich said. “But we reserved a couple of ducks for tomorrow.”
    “About tomorrow,” Denny said. “I think you’re going to be on your own. I’ll be tied up. Rich, Becca fell.” And then he explained as best he could, leaving out anything that would implicate him. “Your truck is outside, but I’m going to take her some clothes at the hospital. She’s probably asleep, but I’m going to sit with her so I can bring her back to town as soon as they discharge her. I told her I’d be there for her in case she wakes up during the night.”
    “She did that by falling?” Rich asked.
    “Well…by jumping out of the truck. She must’ve hit it just right. The doctor said it’s not real bad, but a procedure is necessary and she’ll be on crutches for six weeks.”
    “I should probably go,” Rich said, yanking off his cap and running a hand through his hair. “My mother’s going to kill me.”
    “She said not to call your