Read Online Hope (The Virtues #1) by Davida Lynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Davida Lynn
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school, but only two years left.” I told her, smiling. Up close, she still had a youthful look in her eyes, even though she must have been in her seventies.
Her face lit up. “Only two years left! I knew you could do it. I told everyone you could, and here you are. Dr. Cantwell!”
“I’m not a doctor yet, Mrs. Halburn. Don't you go telling everyone that I am. I’ll be giving out free exams all day.”
She had me by the shoulders, shaking me as she spoke with excitement. “I am going to tell them anyway!” She looked over my shoulder as if noticing Trask for the first time. “And who is that wild thing you brought home?”
I turned back to him. Trask had tucked the gun away, luckily for us. The last thing I needed was Mrs. Halburn raising hell in the trailer park. I gave him a smile, but I turned back to Mrs. Halburn with a confused look on my face.
“You don’t remember Trask? My boyfriend from high school?” I turned back to him. He was leaning against his Harley, watching us from a distance.
She looked past me, then back to me, “No. That’s not Trask Rivers, the varsity so and so? You’re kidding me.” A wry smile grew on her face and she leaned in close. “You know, Carl came back from the Army with all kinds of tattoos, too. I liked it.”
Mrs. Halburn was talking about her late husband in a voice I’d never heard her use. She was saucy .
I laughed, keeping my voice down. “Mrs. Halburn!”
My old babysitter winked at me, “Oh, what? You’re old enough to know how the world works, girlie. Besides, he looks better than ever, right?”
“I know, but still!” It was crazy listening to my old babysitter basically drool over Trask. I knew he was good-looking, but damn, he was turning on the blue hairs!
I turned back to him, and I could see the questioning look on his face. I mouthed, you don’t want to know, but I had no idea if he could understand me. I’d definitely tell him later.
She limped backwards a step and eased herself back down into her chair. “So what are you doin’ back here?”
I kept the details to a minimum, “Oh, just helping my brother with a few things.” She didn’t need to know about his drugs or the horrid state of the family trailer.
She looked back to her right, in the general direction of the trailer. “I hope he’s cleaning up his act, or he’s gonna wake up dead.”
I knelt down to be eye to eye with her, a trick to ease patients in the ER. “How’s he been doing?”
“Not good. I don’t see him much anymore, and when I do, you’d barely recognize him.” She gave a half smile. I was sure it was hard for her to see Nick go down that path since she’d helped give us a decent home in our childhood.
I knew she spent most of her time out on the porch with her Nora Roberts books, so I figured she might have seen something. “Any of his friends that have come by today?”
“I don’t know if you’d call them friends, honey, but there were some people down your street, mmhm. Drove something new.” In trailer park speak, that usually meant someone from outside the park and outside the circle of friends—especially Nick’s friends. The dealer had already sent people by to scope the place out, or maybe to decide that twenty-four hours was just too long to wait.
“Thanks, Mrs. Halburn. We’re going to go try and tidy the place up, a bit.” I started to head back down the rickety stairs of her porch.
“You’ll need more than a bucket and mop in that place. I’d recommend lighter fluid.” She laughed and gave me a wave.
“It was great to see you again.” I turned back to Trask, and he stood up from his bike. I laughed. “She didn’t recognize you.”
“You barely did. Ask if we can leave the bike here.” He gave my side a squeeze. I nodded.
“Mrs. Halburn, do you mind if—”
She cut me off before I could finish. “I ain’t deaf. You can leave that bike of yours anywhere you want, Trask Rivers.” She
Her face lit up. “Only two years left! I knew you could do it. I told everyone you could, and here you are. Dr. Cantwell!”
“I’m not a doctor yet, Mrs. Halburn. Don't you go telling everyone that I am. I’ll be giving out free exams all day.”
She had me by the shoulders, shaking me as she spoke with excitement. “I am going to tell them anyway!” She looked over my shoulder as if noticing Trask for the first time. “And who is that wild thing you brought home?”
I turned back to him. Trask had tucked the gun away, luckily for us. The last thing I needed was Mrs. Halburn raising hell in the trailer park. I gave him a smile, but I turned back to Mrs. Halburn with a confused look on my face.
“You don’t remember Trask? My boyfriend from high school?” I turned back to him. He was leaning against his Harley, watching us from a distance.
She looked past me, then back to me, “No. That’s not Trask Rivers, the varsity so and so? You’re kidding me.” A wry smile grew on her face and she leaned in close. “You know, Carl came back from the Army with all kinds of tattoos, too. I liked it.”
Mrs. Halburn was talking about her late husband in a voice I’d never heard her use. She was saucy .
I laughed, keeping my voice down. “Mrs. Halburn!”
My old babysitter winked at me, “Oh, what? You’re old enough to know how the world works, girlie. Besides, he looks better than ever, right?”
“I know, but still!” It was crazy listening to my old babysitter basically drool over Trask. I knew he was good-looking, but damn, he was turning on the blue hairs!
I turned back to him, and I could see the questioning look on his face. I mouthed, you don’t want to know, but I had no idea if he could understand me. I’d definitely tell him later.
She limped backwards a step and eased herself back down into her chair. “So what are you doin’ back here?”
I kept the details to a minimum, “Oh, just helping my brother with a few things.” She didn’t need to know about his drugs or the horrid state of the family trailer.
She looked back to her right, in the general direction of the trailer. “I hope he’s cleaning up his act, or he’s gonna wake up dead.”
I knelt down to be eye to eye with her, a trick to ease patients in the ER. “How’s he been doing?”
“Not good. I don’t see him much anymore, and when I do, you’d barely recognize him.” She gave a half smile. I was sure it was hard for her to see Nick go down that path since she’d helped give us a decent home in our childhood.
I knew she spent most of her time out on the porch with her Nora Roberts books, so I figured she might have seen something. “Any of his friends that have come by today?”
“I don’t know if you’d call them friends, honey, but there were some people down your street, mmhm. Drove something new.” In trailer park speak, that usually meant someone from outside the park and outside the circle of friends—especially Nick’s friends. The dealer had already sent people by to scope the place out, or maybe to decide that twenty-four hours was just too long to wait.
“Thanks, Mrs. Halburn. We’re going to go try and tidy the place up, a bit.” I started to head back down the rickety stairs of her porch.
“You’ll need more than a bucket and mop in that place. I’d recommend lighter fluid.” She laughed and gave me a wave.
“It was great to see you again.” I turned back to Trask, and he stood up from his bike. I laughed. “She didn’t recognize you.”
“You barely did. Ask if we can leave the bike here.” He gave my side a squeeze. I nodded.
“Mrs. Halburn, do you mind if—”
She cut me off before I could finish. “I ain’t deaf. You can leave that bike of yours anywhere you want, Trask Rivers.” She
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