Page 45 of The Cajun Doctor

Aaarrgh! She felt like pulling at her own hair. “Bottom line: Are you expecting me to give you the funds? Is that why you’re here?”

“No, although I could use some cash. Scotland wouldn’t work. That’s the first place he . . . they . . . would look for me . . . um, us. Well, second place, actually. First, they would check Bruce’s house here in Nawleans. And Uncle Wallace’s horse farm would be third. Or maybe that would be your place.”

Someone would follow them all the way to Scotland? Oh, boy, I smell trouble. And she didn’t even want to think about his reference to her home. What is going on? A thought occurred to her then. “Are you on drugs?”

“Hell, no!”

Samantha should have known better than to suggest drugs. After his mother’s untimely death from Oxy, Angus had always had an abhorrence for any kind of drugs. Even something as simple as Tylenol or cough medicine.

If the fool thought she was going to give him money carte blanche, without any explanation, he had another thing coming. She was getting tired of this runaround. “What . . . is . . . it . . . then?” she asked through gritted teeth.

Before he could answer, if he would, Lily Beth walked in and laughed when she saw the pig sleeping between her and Angus. At the same time, she leaned down and petted some of the yipping puppies who encircled her, seeking attention. Then, raising her head, Lily Beth inquired, in a small, embarrassed voice, “Could I take a shower? We’ve been on the run for two days, and I stink lak a skunk.” Still in her bare feet . . . which were not just swollen, but crusted with dirt . . . she wore a high-waisted sundress, white with purple lilacs, exposing thin arms and shoulders, which appeared sunburnt. Her fingers also appeared swollen.

Was that a reason for concern? Samantha wondered. She had been three years old when her father and his second wife Giselle had been pregnant with what ended up being her half brother Wallace. She recalled Giselle complaining, constantly, about edema or something that sounded like that. Her ankles had blown up to the size of her knees, a monumental disaster for Giselle, who’d been fixated on her body, having been a Las Vegas showgirl. But hadn’t there been some worry that the swelling was a precursor to something more serious?

Not my problem, Samantha told herself.

“In fact, I would love ta take a bath. Do ya have a tub?” Lily Beth asked. “If I could relax in a warm bath, I’d be so thankful.”

Now that she mentioned it, Samantha could see that Lily Beth’s blonde hair hung in a limp ponytail, and her thin shoulders slumped with exhaustion. There were dark smudges under her violet eyes. She was rather petite to be carrying such a big belly. It had to be tiring, on top of the stress of whatever problems she and Angus had.

“Sure,” Samantha said, giving Angus a look that said loud and clear that their discussion was not over. She led Lily Beth upstairs to the guest bathroom, where there was a soaking tub as well as a shower. Samantha turned on the warm water and poured in some Jessica McClintock crystals, which immediately filled the air with a flowery fragrance.

“Ahhhh,” Lily Beth said in appreciation.

“Are you sure you can manage getting in and out of a tub?” Samantha asked.

“I’ll be careful.”

Samantha nodded and handed her clean towels and pointed to a basket of small, individually wrapped soaps, toothbrushes, disposable razors, and sample sizes of toothpastes, mouthwashes, deodorants, and finger nail files. “I’ll find some clean clothes for you to wear. They might be too big for you, but—”

“Hah! A tent wouldn’t be too big fer me.”

“How far along are you, honey?”

“Seven months, but it feels lak ten.”

She looked big, even for seven months, but it was probably just the contrast with her petite body. The swelling didn’t help.

Samantha had so many questions, like who was the father? What was Angus’s involvement? On the run for two days? Why? Where were Lily Beth’s parents? For the moment, though, Samantha just said, “Yell if you need help.”

Shortly after, Samantha put a pair of elastic-waisted running shorts and oversized T-shirt with a pair of fuzzy socks on the bathroom sink vanity and picked up the sundress, panties, and bra from the floor. She would toss them in the washing machine. “Come downstairs when you’re done,” she said to Lily Beth who appeared to be basking in bath heaven, her head propped on the back edge of the tub, her eyes closed. She was using her big toe to let more hot water into the tub, making the room steamy.

“I’ll make some soup and sandwiches,” Samantha said finally.

There was a pause and then a weepy sounding, “Thank you.”

When Samantha got down to the sunroom again, she found Angus asleep on the sofa, one of the puppies spread flat out on his chest and the others nestled at his feet. She’d forgotten to put them back in their crate, something she never did. That’s how upset she was by this whole mess. Emily snored away between his ankles, having been bumped by the dogs.

Angus’s cell phone was on the floor. He must have been checking email or texting or whatever. She shook him awake, causing the pups to start yip, yip, yipping, Emily to give her a dirty look, and Clarence to squawk “Holy shit!”

“Go up to my bathroom and take a shower,” she told the groggy Angus as he sat up. “Here’s a pair of sweatpants and a tee that should fit. Bring your dirty clothes down with you afterwards so I can wash them. I’ll make something for you guys to eat.” Meanwhile she was gathering up the puppies to return them to their comfy crate home.

Angus stood, wincing with pain. “But we need to get out of town. Can’t you just—”

“Go!” she ordered. “We’ll talk later. And don’t think you can soft soap me, either.”

“But—”