Chapter 9
Amy flinched again as Dr. Young poked and prodded at her toe. It was all she could do to hold back the tears. The last thing she wanted was to bawl in front of Ben’s whole family.
“I think it’s broken,” he said. “We’d better get it x-rayed.”
“I’ll drive her to the hospital,” Robert and Jake said in unison.
Dr. Young straightened from bending over Amy. “Ben can drive Amy to the hospital. I’ll take my car, so I can stay and do my evening rounds. Amy, if you’ll give your keys to Hope, she can bring Kallie and Paige home in your car.”
Ben nodded and pulled the keys from his pocket, so Amy handed her keys over to Hope. Apparently, when Dr. Young spoke, everyone obeyed.
Robert scooped her up off the lounge chair where Jake had deposited her. She protested, but Robert ignored her and walked toward Ben’s truck. He set her on the seat and smiled at Ben behind the wheel. In a dramatic whisper, knowing full well Amy could hear him, he said, “Hey, Ben, bring her around more often. She makes great widow repellent.”
“Yes, and I provide comic relief while doing so,” Amy said in the same whisper.
Robert laughed and stepped back.
Faith tucked an ice pack around her foot before closing the door.
Amy turned to see Ben smiling. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was a nice smile. One that caused her heart to do a somersault.
The cab of the truck grew quiet as they drove, and Amy wracked her brain for something to say. Whenever she thought about Ben this past week, which had been more often than she’d like to admit, she couldn’t help but think about everything he he’d lost, and her heart hurt for him.
“You’re lucky, Ben. I envy you.” She cringed as soon as the words came out. That was not what she meant to say.
His eye widened. “How so?”
“Sorry... that’s not... that didn’t come out right. I mean... I don’t envy... what you’ve been through.” She bit her tongue to make herself shut up.
“So, you envy me for my good looks, then?” A smile teased at his lips making his dimple play peek-a-boo.
“No. I mean, it’s not that you’re not good looking... you are... very good looking. I just...” She clamped her mouth shut again as heat burned her cheeks. She turned her head toward the window, hoping he couldn’t see her face.
His deep, rich laughter filled the cab of the truck, surprising her. “Is it your verbal wit that makes you such good widow repellent?”
Amy let out a groan and hid her face in her hands. Ben’s amusement pleased her, even if it came at her expense. He was usually so serious, and she liked his laugh. She lifted her face from her hands, gave him a flirty smile, and said, “My wit and my grace.”
Ben chuckled again, and a lightness filled Amy’s chest.
“So, what did you and Jake do to drive Debbie away? Stage a public display of affection?”
She gasped, feigning offense. “A PDA? I would never.” Then she smiled, so he would know she was teasing. “Just some frequent flirting and monopolizing Jake’s attention.” She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted Ben to know she wasn’t the type of person to do such things with someone she hardly knew. She let out a dramatic sigh. “But Debbie stormed off in a huff before my grand finale, where I threw myself at Jake’s feet.”
Ben laughed again. “I’m not sure I put a lot of stock in your verbal skills or your gracefulness. You must be quite the flirt. What exactly does that look like?”
She clapped a hand to her chest. “I’m crushed. If you can’t tell, then I’m obviously not very good at that either.”
“On the contrary,” he said under his breath before clearing his throat.
But Amy heard him. She covered her smile of satisfaction. He wasn’t too shabby himself.
They arrived at the hospital to find Dr. Young waiting near the entrance with a wheelchair. Ben insisted on lifting her out of the truck and into the chair. Amy was quickly learning it did no good to argue with the men in this family. As Dr. Young pushed her inside, leaving Ben to park his truck, she caught a glimpse of a smile on the good doctor’s face out of the corner of her eye.
He’d insisted Ben be the one to drive her to the hospital. But why?
* * *
“You’ve gota hairline fracture in your big toe near the joint.” Dr. Young said as he returned to the exam room. “The good news is it should heal in a few weeks as long as you’re careful. But if you don’t stay completely off it for the next two days, you’ll make it worse. Then you’ll be facing surgery.”
