“Lany, I’ve heard of how many times you’ve been hurt. If Sal is always around protecting you and you’ve been hurt that many times, then he’s not doing a very good job of taking care of you.”
“Well, yeah, sure, things happened.” Duh. That was kind of how my life went. “But Sal always comes for me.” I had no doubt he always would.
Eddie shook his head, a little smile on his lips. “It must be amazing to be you, Lany.”
I grinned. “I know, right?”
Very few people were lucky enough to have a life like mine. It wasn’t something to take for granted. I hoped I never did. Maybe I needed to call Sal and let him know just how much I loved him.
Oh wait, I did that all the time.
Well, one more time wouldn’t hurt. You could never say “I love you” enough. That was the philosophy I lived by. That, and I had never met a delivery service I didn’t like. Not wearing white after Labor Day might be another one.
Ohh…don’t crash into circus tents.
That was a big one.
“Hungry?” I asked as I glanced at Eddie. “I can make us some soup and sandwiches or order out for something.”
“Maybe later.” Eddie covered his mouth when he yawned. “I think I just want to take a nap.”
Yeah, he was looking a little pale around the edges.
“Okay, but you have to take your pills in two hours so don’t get mad at me when I wake you up.” I grabbed the blanket from the bottom of the bed, shook it out, and then spread it over Eddie as carefully as I could. I was trying so hard not to jar his injured leg.
I kind of felt responsible for Eddie getting shot. I tended to piss people off, and Eddie had paid for my big mouth.
“I’m really sorry you got shot, Eddie.”
“Wasn’t your fault, Lany.”
“Yeah, maybe, but if I hadn’t—”
“He was going to shoot someone no matter what any of us did, Lany. He needed to establish control, and sometimes the best way to do that is through fear.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Didn’t make me feel any better about Eddie getting shot.
“I’m just glad it was me and not someone else. Some of those waiters and waitresses barely make enough to pay their rent, let alone health insurance. They’d be in debt until they were old and feeble.”
“I don’t plan on becoming feeble.”
It was like a life goal or something.
Eddie chuckled good-naturedly, but I could see that his eyelids were beginning to droop. I reached down and patted him on the shoulder. “Get some rest. I’ll be back in a couple of hours with your pills.”
Eddie’s eyes closed before I even stood up. I stepped out of the guest room and pulled the door almost all the way shut. I wanted to be able to hear Eddie if he needed me for anything. Maybe we needed to get one of those child monitor things. I’d be able to hear Eddie and give him his privacy at the same time.
Sort of.
Walkie-talkies?
Sal would know.
I smiled as I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my honey.
Sal always had the answers.
