Read Online Second Chance Sweethearts (Love Inspired) by Kristen Ethridge - Free Book Online
Authors: Kristen Ethridge
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layers—almost like shedding a very sodden layer of skin. “Thanks, doctor. I’m just going to step into the bathroom across the hall and change. Do you need me for anything?”
She shook her head, making her brown ponytail bounce. “No, we’re good. I’m going to make sure that Mrs. Vasquez and Tanna get a nap, since we still have a few more hours before we can even think about getting them out of here. The best thing for them will just be to rest. For you, too. Why don’t you come lie down on one of the couches in the clinic, too?”
It sounded appealing, Gloria had to admit, since she felt as if she hadn’t truly rested in days. But she knew her body’s signals pretty well and she knew she was still too keyed up to sleep just yet. “Maybe in a little bit. I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” Dr. Stephenson turned and headed back toward her patients in the clinic. Gloria walked to the bathroom and into the handicapped stall to give herself more room to change. The whole outfit was wet and brown and reminded her of nothing but chaos. She discarded it all in a heap on the tile floor, then slid a pair of too-big socks on her feet and wiggled her toes in the warm softness.
When she was done changing, Gloria threw the blanket over her shoulders. She kicked the wet pile of clothes out of the stall with her foot and took her tennis shoes to the hand dryer. She tried to convince herself that a couple of cycles of hot air had made her shoes a little less wet. But she decided against putting them back on just yet. She held them, pinched between two fingers, then awkwardly picked up the stack of wet clothes and shoved them in the trash can.
“Good riddance,” she said as the door shut behind her. “I don’t ever want to see—or smell—you again.”
As she approached the makeshift clinic, she saw Rigo just outside the door. “Looks like everyone is doing well. All three of them are resting, and the doctor said they should be fine. She’s eager to get Tanna and the baby off the island for observation once the coast is clear, though. She’s insisting Tía go, too, because of her age. I don’t want to be the one to tell Tía that when she wakes up.” He laughed and shook his head.
Gloria nodded in agreement, remembering their earlier conversation. Rigo’s
tía
had a will of iron. She would almost assuredly put up a fight and insist that she was perfectly fine. But considering the conditions that would be revealed on the island once the storm passed, it would be better for her health to leave.
“Hey. Nice shirt.” Rigo pointed at the small logo on the front of Gloria’s new clothes.
She’d been so grateful just to have dry clothes that she hadn’t really even paid attention. She was wearing the same design as Rigo, a Port Provident Beach Patrol logo shirt. They looked like twins. Gloria couldn’t stop the loud laugh that popped out of her throat.
“What’s so funny?” Rigo looked at her, slightly sideways.
“Remember junior year when I asked you to the spring dance and we wore those ridiculous matching rainbow-striped rugby jersey shirts?”
Rigo leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. He laughed right along with Gloria. “And the khaki pants with the woven belts and loafers. I hated those dances—no offense. It was bad enough having to wear a penguin suit at prom, but having to dress alike at the spring dance was just too much.”
But then he broke into a grin and bared his front teeth. The white of the enamel stood out brightly, surrounded by his deep black far-more-than-five-o’clock shadow. She felt warmer, all the way down to her chilly toes in the new, dry socks.
“But the company more than made up for it. Thanks again for asking me. We did have some good times, didn’t we, Glo?”
A lot has happened between you and Rigo...
Inez’s recent words rang in Gloria’s ears.
A lot
had
happened. But if she was honest, it wasn’t all bad.
Well, maybe those rugby shirts were.
But they
She shook her head, making her brown ponytail bounce. “No, we’re good. I’m going to make sure that Mrs. Vasquez and Tanna get a nap, since we still have a few more hours before we can even think about getting them out of here. The best thing for them will just be to rest. For you, too. Why don’t you come lie down on one of the couches in the clinic, too?”
It sounded appealing, Gloria had to admit, since she felt as if she hadn’t truly rested in days. But she knew her body’s signals pretty well and she knew she was still too keyed up to sleep just yet. “Maybe in a little bit. I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” Dr. Stephenson turned and headed back toward her patients in the clinic. Gloria walked to the bathroom and into the handicapped stall to give herself more room to change. The whole outfit was wet and brown and reminded her of nothing but chaos. She discarded it all in a heap on the tile floor, then slid a pair of too-big socks on her feet and wiggled her toes in the warm softness.
When she was done changing, Gloria threw the blanket over her shoulders. She kicked the wet pile of clothes out of the stall with her foot and took her tennis shoes to the hand dryer. She tried to convince herself that a couple of cycles of hot air had made her shoes a little less wet. But she decided against putting them back on just yet. She held them, pinched between two fingers, then awkwardly picked up the stack of wet clothes and shoved them in the trash can.
“Good riddance,” she said as the door shut behind her. “I don’t ever want to see—or smell—you again.”
As she approached the makeshift clinic, she saw Rigo just outside the door. “Looks like everyone is doing well. All three of them are resting, and the doctor said they should be fine. She’s eager to get Tanna and the baby off the island for observation once the coast is clear, though. She’s insisting Tía go, too, because of her age. I don’t want to be the one to tell Tía that when she wakes up.” He laughed and shook his head.
Gloria nodded in agreement, remembering their earlier conversation. Rigo’s
tía
had a will of iron. She would almost assuredly put up a fight and insist that she was perfectly fine. But considering the conditions that would be revealed on the island once the storm passed, it would be better for her health to leave.
“Hey. Nice shirt.” Rigo pointed at the small logo on the front of Gloria’s new clothes.
She’d been so grateful just to have dry clothes that she hadn’t really even paid attention. She was wearing the same design as Rigo, a Port Provident Beach Patrol logo shirt. They looked like twins. Gloria couldn’t stop the loud laugh that popped out of her throat.
“What’s so funny?” Rigo looked at her, slightly sideways.
“Remember junior year when I asked you to the spring dance and we wore those ridiculous matching rainbow-striped rugby jersey shirts?”
Rigo leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. He laughed right along with Gloria. “And the khaki pants with the woven belts and loafers. I hated those dances—no offense. It was bad enough having to wear a penguin suit at prom, but having to dress alike at the spring dance was just too much.”
But then he broke into a grin and bared his front teeth. The white of the enamel stood out brightly, surrounded by his deep black far-more-than-five-o’clock shadow. She felt warmer, all the way down to her chilly toes in the new, dry socks.
“But the company more than made up for it. Thanks again for asking me. We did have some good times, didn’t we, Glo?”
A lot has happened between you and Rigo...
Inez’s recent words rang in Gloria’s ears.
A lot
had
happened. But if she was honest, it wasn’t all bad.
Well, maybe those rugby shirts were.
But they
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