I smiled. “For the gas mileage.”
The hospital workers looked at each other like they knew I was on some bullshit. The doctor started peeling off his gloves, practically done before he had started. “Just put him on a round of antibiotics and get hima tetanus booster and a rabies shot. Clean up the wound and bandage it with an occlusive wrap. We don’t want that neck wound sucking in air. Oh, and we can give him a bag of O neg.”
My mouth watered at the thought. Stress makes me thirsty.
Fifteen minutes later, the chaos was over. Jessica checked his vitals. “He should be fine soon. It looked worse than it was.”
I sagged into a chair, spent from the frenzied race to save his life.
“So…Tyrone, huh?” Jessica said, grinning. She nudged me with her elbow.
“What?”
“He texted me to look out for you and your roommate,” she said. “Although I’m assuming he got the roommate part wrong.”
“Yeah, there was a lot going on. I had to cancel our date.”
“Tyrone won’t mind.” With a barely audible sigh, she said, “He was the last semidecent guy I dated.”
My ears perked up. “You dated?”
“We didn’t get serious or anything.” She smiled as if recalling a fond memory. “I’m happy for you, really.”
I had so many questions now. Why did he look so tortured? Was he good in bed?
“Mr. Jarvis,” Jessica said, interrupting my reverie. “Glad to see you awake again.” The inspector cleared his throat and Jessica turned her attention to his care.
He groaned and reached up to feel the bandage on his neck. “What happened?”
“You were bit by a coyote,” Jessica said in a soothing voice.
The city inspector’s gaze landed on me and his eyes about bugged out of his head. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Tiffany found you and drove you in, Mr. Jarvis. You’re very lucky, sir.”
“Are you kidding me?” He turned to Jessica. “I don’t feel safe around this woman.”
“Who, me?” I blinked innocently, grateful to still be dressed in mywholesome hot-chocolate wear.
“Young lady,” he said, struggling to sit up, “the last thing I remember was arriving at your house, and next thing, I find myself bleeding out at the hospital.”
“Mr. Jarvis,” Jessica addressed him in a calm tone, “I don’t know what happened, but something bit you and Tiffany here drove you to the ED right away and saved your life.”
Mr. Jarvis shook his head, not accepting any of it. “I don’t know what happened, but you are trouble. Your house is a mess. No more second and third chances. I’m tearing that place downtomorrow.”
I gasped. “Tomorrow!”
“I was trying to be nice, dropping by to give you notice personally.” He shook his head.
Fear struck me like a bolt of lightning. Vlad’s warnings that small towns won’t accept anyone different were coming true. First the firefighters and their looks of horror at the burning Jesus painting, and now Mr. Jarvis. I could feel the witch trial coming. If I didn’t get ahold of this situation, I would have to leave Valentine and go…I didn’t know where I’d go.
“Mr. Jarvis, I just arrived in Valentine. This isn’t a second or third chance. I just found out.”
“You’ll fix up that house over my dead body.”
I didn’t mention that had almost happened.
He pointed his finger like one of the Goodies on the stand pointing at an innocent witch. Thirty people—mostly women—were accused of witchcraft in Salem and nineteen were executed, one of them four years old. People could find a woman crazy based on no evidence.
