Read Online Small Town Doctor by Marissa Dobson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marissa Dobson
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* * *
The two story brick building that housed On the Rocks stared back at Ella almost in a taunting manner, reminding her of the last time she’d visited the bar and the horrors of that night. Her thoughts took her back, changing the beautiful day into the dark wintery night. Everything crumbled away until it looked like it did then.
She remembered staggering out of the car, her head splitting, blood spilling down her face. The first thing she remembered seeing as she came out of the bar was the little red truck they’d come in parked across from the exit, but Josh’s friends were nowhere in sight. A moment of relief filled her with the knowledge she hadn’t been left behind. That was until she scanned the parking lot and found Josh hunched over the man he had been fighting with in the bar. She’d tried to stop him from following the man to the parking lot, but what she received for her efforts was a punch to the jaw that sent her staggering backward until she fell into the corner of the bar and hit her head. That was when everything went black. While she lay unconscious on the barroom floor, Josh was out in the parking lot fighting. That showed the concern he had for her.
“Josh!” She pushed her way through the crowd when someone grabbed her arm to stop her. She wasn’t sure who had been there that night; the only one she could recall to this day had been the bartender, Daniel. Everyone else was just a blur.
She was trying to fight her way from the guy’s grasp when Josh looked over at her. His face and shirt were covered in blood as he continued to beat the man’s head into the ground. What she saw in his eyes, the pure hatred, rage, and the excitement of what he was doing, scared her enough to recoil, to stop fighting the hold the stranger had on her arm.
Torn between trying to stop Josh and terrified his rage would turn on her, she was frozen in place. Over and over, Josh slammed the man against the pavement. People shrieked for him to stop, but no one dared touch him. She couldn’t figure out why until she saw two others on the ground. One with a bullet hole in his chest and the other with a bleeding skull. What had happened while she was unconscious?
“Mommy?” Abbi shook Ella’s shoulder with her small hand, pulling her back from her thoughts. “Mommy, are you okay?”
“I…” She fought to push the memories away and find her voice. “I’m fine.”
“You’re shivering. Do you want my blanket, Mommy?”
She looked down at her hands and sure enough she was shaking, though it wasn’t from the cold like her daughter thought. It was from the memories, a chill that couldn’t be chased away by turning on the heater or adding an extra layer. “Thanks, sweetie, but I’m okay.”
“Look, he’s coming back.” Abbi pointed to the bar’s main entrance where James and Jordan were struggling to get Gioven out of the bar. He fought them with every step as they practically carried him out.
“Abbi, I want you to stay in this truck. Don’t you dare get out! Do you understand? I’m going to help.” She didn’t wait for Abbi’s answer; she’d always been a well-behaved child who listened when Ella told her something. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slipped from the truck, shut the door behind her, and crossed the parking lot.
“Ella, get back in the truck,” James hollered over Gioven moans.
“Let me help.” She closed the distance between them.
“H-hey, hey, beautiful, care to have a drink with me?” Gioven leaned toward her. “Mmm, you s-smell delicious.”
“Gioven.” James growled, making it clear he was pushing the limits.
She laid her hand on Gioven’s chest to help steady him. “I think you’ve had enough.”
“I’m s-still awake…so I haven’t had enough.” His voice was thick and his words slurred.
They leaned Gioven against the truck as Jordan opened the passenger door. “Oh-oh, b-beautiful, you deserve someone better than me. I’m
* * *
The two story brick building that housed On the Rocks stared back at Ella almost in a taunting manner, reminding her of the last time she’d visited the bar and the horrors of that night. Her thoughts took her back, changing the beautiful day into the dark wintery night. Everything crumbled away until it looked like it did then.
She remembered staggering out of the car, her head splitting, blood spilling down her face. The first thing she remembered seeing as she came out of the bar was the little red truck they’d come in parked across from the exit, but Josh’s friends were nowhere in sight. A moment of relief filled her with the knowledge she hadn’t been left behind. That was until she scanned the parking lot and found Josh hunched over the man he had been fighting with in the bar. She’d tried to stop him from following the man to the parking lot, but what she received for her efforts was a punch to the jaw that sent her staggering backward until she fell into the corner of the bar and hit her head. That was when everything went black. While she lay unconscious on the barroom floor, Josh was out in the parking lot fighting. That showed the concern he had for her.
“Josh!” She pushed her way through the crowd when someone grabbed her arm to stop her. She wasn’t sure who had been there that night; the only one she could recall to this day had been the bartender, Daniel. Everyone else was just a blur.
She was trying to fight her way from the guy’s grasp when Josh looked over at her. His face and shirt were covered in blood as he continued to beat the man’s head into the ground. What she saw in his eyes, the pure hatred, rage, and the excitement of what he was doing, scared her enough to recoil, to stop fighting the hold the stranger had on her arm.
Torn between trying to stop Josh and terrified his rage would turn on her, she was frozen in place. Over and over, Josh slammed the man against the pavement. People shrieked for him to stop, but no one dared touch him. She couldn’t figure out why until she saw two others on the ground. One with a bullet hole in his chest and the other with a bleeding skull. What had happened while she was unconscious?
“Mommy?” Abbi shook Ella’s shoulder with her small hand, pulling her back from her thoughts. “Mommy, are you okay?”
“I…” She fought to push the memories away and find her voice. “I’m fine.”
“You’re shivering. Do you want my blanket, Mommy?”
She looked down at her hands and sure enough she was shaking, though it wasn’t from the cold like her daughter thought. It was from the memories, a chill that couldn’t be chased away by turning on the heater or adding an extra layer. “Thanks, sweetie, but I’m okay.”
“Look, he’s coming back.” Abbi pointed to the bar’s main entrance where James and Jordan were struggling to get Gioven out of the bar. He fought them with every step as they practically carried him out.
“Abbi, I want you to stay in this truck. Don’t you dare get out! Do you understand? I’m going to help.” She didn’t wait for Abbi’s answer; she’d always been a well-behaved child who listened when Ella told her something. Before she could talk herself out of it, she slipped from the truck, shut the door behind her, and crossed the parking lot.
“Ella, get back in the truck,” James hollered over Gioven moans.
“Let me help.” She closed the distance between them.
“H-hey, hey, beautiful, care to have a drink with me?” Gioven leaned toward her. “Mmm, you s-smell delicious.”
“Gioven.” James growled, making it clear he was pushing the limits.
She laid her hand on Gioven’s chest to help steady him. “I think you’ve had enough.”
“I’m s-still awake…so I haven’t had enough.” His voice was thick and his words slurred.
They leaned Gioven against the truck as Jordan opened the passenger door. “Oh-oh, b-beautiful, you deserve someone better than me. I’m
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