Read Online Hope Springs - 05 - Wedding Cake by Lynne Hinton - Free Book Online Page A

violent cycle that eventually, one way or another, killed them. That aspect of her work, that choice of destruction that was often taken, that decision to go back to a violent way of life, those stories, those and the children, were the hardest parts of the job.
    No matter how long she worked at St. Mary’s, the way the children cowered and played in silence, the way they flinched if someone came too close, the tiny ways violence broke them, that was something Charlotte could never get used to. She looked for signs of hope, possibilities for change, but no matter how she learned to deal with domestic abuse, she could never find a way to be resigned to what happened to the children.
    She slid her shoulder-length hair behind her ears and stopped in the hallway bathroom to take a quick look in the mirror before moving to the front door. Usually not a woman who cared too much about her appearance, since meeting Donovan she found herself applying a little more makeup in the mornings and taking a bit more interest in the clothes she decided to wear. This whole new way of being, of thinking about how she looked, was foreign to her, but so were the feelings she had for the Gallup police officer.
    She was in the hallway just as the doorbell rang, and she opened the door and stood just inside the landing. Donovan was in front and a woman, one she couldn’t yet see, stood behind him in the shadows.
    “Hey,” Donovan said as he dipped his head at Charlotte. He was wearing his uniform, minus the hat, which was securely placed beneath his left arm, which was at his side, while the other rested across his chest.
    Charlotte had never seen him in his uniform. When they first met, when her car had a flat tire and he stopped to help, he was off duty and was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. When they went out for the one date they shared, he was in his civilian clothes as well. She was surprised at how authoritative he looked standing in front of her in the standard Gallup police uniform.
    “Hello,” she responded, and stepped aside so that the two of them could walk in.
    Donovan moved inside and the woman followed him. Charlotte could not get a very good look at her even in the light because she kept her shoulders hunched over and her head to the ground. Once she was in, Charlotte closed the door behind them, and they stood in the landing for a few awkward moments.
    “Carla, this is Charlotte. This is the woman I’ve told you about, and this is St. Mary’s.” He spoke softly.
    “Hello, Carla,” Charlotte chimed in. “It’s nice to meet you,” she added, holding out her hand to shake.
    Carla reached her hand out, and immediately Charlotte noticed the large bruises around her wrist. She had seen marks like that before. It usually meant the perpetrator had held the woman down. It usually was a sign that a rape had occurred. It appeared as if her thumb, swollen and blue, was broken. Charlotte shook the extended hand carefully. The woman didn’t speak but she did look up, and Charlotte tried not to react to the terrible markings on her face.
    Both of her eyes were swollen shut. Her bottom lip was split and had been bleeding. Her nose had been smashed. Everything on her face was cut or bruised, and it was easy to see why Donovan had said that she needed to be at a hospital.
    “Oh my.” Charlotte sighed, trying not to react too strongly. She shook her head. “You’re going to need a couple of stitches on that lip,” she noted. “Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked.
    Carla shook her head slightly. It was obvious that more than a slight movement hurt a great deal.
    “Laurie, our nurse on staff, will be here soon and she’ll take a good look at you, and we’ll do what we can for your injuries here. But you may need an X-ray of your nose and cheeks.” Charlotte had gotten very good at her initial assessments of battered women. She had learned who needed medical attention and even what tests would be appropriate.
    Carla shook her