the morning.”
Layne stood in the doorway of her cabin for a moment and watched Stick disappear into the darkness. She was sweet, good-looking, and definitely interested, and unfortunately, Layne was not.
Chapter 8
Jenny banged loudly on Layne’s cabin door for the third time, wondering if Layne had already risen and trekked to the mess hall. She was about to leave when the door opened a crack, and one bloodshot eyeball stared out at her. “You’re not going,” Jenny said as she put a hand on her hip. “Layne, I was looking forward to having someone commiserate in my misery while Molly and Ronnie drag me through shops of junk.”
“I think the margaritas were made with gasoline,” Layne whispered and opened the door wider as she slowly made her way back to the bed with one hand stretched out in front of her and the other on her stomach. “I’ve never puked so much in my life. This morning before dawn, I think my ribcage flew out and it was on fire.”
“You never drink like that. You should’ve known this would happen.”
Layne sank onto the bed. “Lower your voice, please.”
Jenny went into the bathroom and filled a glass with water. She dug around in Layne’s toiletry bag until she found a bottle of pain relievers. “You need to take a couple of these and empty this glass.”
“Again with the shouting,” Layne rasped and clutched her forehead.
“I think you’d feel better if we can get some food into you. I’ll run over to the mess hall and get you some toast. You wanna chance some bacon, too?”
Layne sat up straight, her face ashen, before she bolted to the bathroom. Jenny grimaced when she heard the retching. “That would be a no on the bacon,” she said as she set the water and bottle of pills on the bedside table.
Layne returned a moment later with a wet cloth draped around the back of her neck. “Sleep is what I need,” she whispered as she crawled back into bed.
“I can’t leave you alone like this.”
“Yes, you can because I’m going to do nothing but lay here.”
“I’m gonna go get Molly.” Jenny walked out despite the whimpered “no” that followed her.
Ronnie and Molly were walking down the trail between the cabins when Jenny met up with them. “Baby, Layne needs your medical expertise. She’s sick big-time.”
Ronnie’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, shit.”
“Nope, that’s not the problem. It’s all headed north.” Jenny clamped her lips tightly together before saying, “You know I can’t handle barf .”
“Okay, you and Ronnie run up to the mess hall and get some toast, crackers, too, if they have them, and a soda, something like Sprite.” Molly headed for Layne’s cabin.
“She puked when I mentioned food.”
“Get it anyway, Jen,” Molly called over her shoulder.
*******
Layne was lying on her side with the washcloth over her face when Molly walked in. “I’m pretty sure this is a hellacious hangover,” Molly said when she removed the cloth and put the backs of her fingers against Layne’s cheek.
“Yes,” Layne mumbled into the pillow.
“Have you been able to keep anything down?”
“I drank half of the glass of water Jenny left. So far, so good.” Layne grimaced when Molly sat on the side of the bed.
“It’s safe to say you won’t be going with us. Since Stick is going to be our driver, I don’t know of anyone to ask to look in on you aside from Stacy.”
Layne opened one eye. “I’ll be fine. There’s no need, and don’t leave Jenny behind. I know you want to spend time with her, and all I’m going to do is sleep.”
Molly stroked Layne’s hair from her face. “I could stay. I remember you sitting with me when I was sick. Sometimes now when I can’t sleep, I miss you reading to me.”
Layne smiled despite the pounding in her head. “You go and have a great time. If Apalachicola is as neat as Stick claims it to be, I can go another day. Besides, everyone says I need to relax, and this is the perfect
Layne stood in the doorway of her cabin for a moment and watched Stick disappear into the darkness. She was sweet, good-looking, and definitely interested, and unfortunately, Layne was not.
Chapter 8
Jenny banged loudly on Layne’s cabin door for the third time, wondering if Layne had already risen and trekked to the mess hall. She was about to leave when the door opened a crack, and one bloodshot eyeball stared out at her. “You’re not going,” Jenny said as she put a hand on her hip. “Layne, I was looking forward to having someone commiserate in my misery while Molly and Ronnie drag me through shops of junk.”
“I think the margaritas were made with gasoline,” Layne whispered and opened the door wider as she slowly made her way back to the bed with one hand stretched out in front of her and the other on her stomach. “I’ve never puked so much in my life. This morning before dawn, I think my ribcage flew out and it was on fire.”
“You never drink like that. You should’ve known this would happen.”
Layne sank onto the bed. “Lower your voice, please.”
Jenny went into the bathroom and filled a glass with water. She dug around in Layne’s toiletry bag until she found a bottle of pain relievers. “You need to take a couple of these and empty this glass.”
“Again with the shouting,” Layne rasped and clutched her forehead.
“I think you’d feel better if we can get some food into you. I’ll run over to the mess hall and get you some toast. You wanna chance some bacon, too?”
Layne sat up straight, her face ashen, before she bolted to the bathroom. Jenny grimaced when she heard the retching. “That would be a no on the bacon,” she said as she set the water and bottle of pills on the bedside table.
Layne returned a moment later with a wet cloth draped around the back of her neck. “Sleep is what I need,” she whispered as she crawled back into bed.
“I can’t leave you alone like this.”
“Yes, you can because I’m going to do nothing but lay here.”
“I’m gonna go get Molly.” Jenny walked out despite the whimpered “no” that followed her.
Ronnie and Molly were walking down the trail between the cabins when Jenny met up with them. “Baby, Layne needs your medical expertise. She’s sick big-time.”
Ronnie’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, shit.”
“Nope, that’s not the problem. It’s all headed north.” Jenny clamped her lips tightly together before saying, “You know I can’t handle barf .”
“Okay, you and Ronnie run up to the mess hall and get some toast, crackers, too, if they have them, and a soda, something like Sprite.” Molly headed for Layne’s cabin.
“She puked when I mentioned food.”
“Get it anyway, Jen,” Molly called over her shoulder.
*******
Layne was lying on her side with the washcloth over her face when Molly walked in. “I’m pretty sure this is a hellacious hangover,” Molly said when she removed the cloth and put the backs of her fingers against Layne’s cheek.
“Yes,” Layne mumbled into the pillow.
“Have you been able to keep anything down?”
“I drank half of the glass of water Jenny left. So far, so good.” Layne grimaced when Molly sat on the side of the bed.
“It’s safe to say you won’t be going with us. Since Stick is going to be our driver, I don’t know of anyone to ask to look in on you aside from Stacy.”
Layne opened one eye. “I’ll be fine. There’s no need, and don’t leave Jenny behind. I know you want to spend time with her, and all I’m going to do is sleep.”
Molly stroked Layne’s hair from her face. “I could stay. I remember you sitting with me when I was sick. Sometimes now when I can’t sleep, I miss you reading to me.”
Layne smiled despite the pounding in her head. “You go and have a great time. If Apalachicola is as neat as Stick claims it to be, I can go another day. Besides, everyone says I need to relax, and this is the perfect
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