Read Online Summer's Passing by Randy Mixter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Randy Mixter
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held my tongue. "You ready for lunch?" I said instead.
"Now I am. Between you and Evelyn, I've worked up an appetite."
I walked her into the kitchen.
"How's your book coming, by the way?" She asked me once I had her seated.
"Getting there, slowly but surely," I said as I hit the pantry for sandwich fixings.
"I guess I'm not helping much," Beckie added.
"Actually, you've been a big help," I said.
She didn't follow through, and I said nothing more as I fixed our meal of cold cuts and chips.
18
----
I was partially right about Beckie's reaction to the boot. Though lighter, she still complained of its bulkiness, and appeared to be preparing herself for a tirade of sorts when Doctor Reynolds calmed her by stating that in a couple of weeks she should be able to at least remove it while bathing.
Before we left the hospital, while Beckie talked to a nurse, Reynolds pulled me off to the side.
"How's our patient doing?"
"She's fine. We're walking more each day and the pain seems to be subsiding with time."
"Evelyn Connors seemed to think you might not be strict enough during the cardio sessions."
"I put her through the ropes," I said. I noticed the nurse had stooped down in front of Beckie's chair. The nurse patted Beckie's knee as they talked.
"We all like her here," Reynolds said. "I guess I need to ask you if you intend to take care of her for however long it takes."
"Yes, I plan to do that," I replied.
"And afterwards?" Reynolds asked.
I stared at Beckie and she turned her head to face me. Perhaps something told her I looked her way, or maybe she just wanted to see if I was still there.
"She's a part of my life," I said, not turning from her.
"Sometimes when a person saves another person's life, they feel indebted to that individual. Sometimes the person who was saved feels they owe their savior a great debt," Reynolds continued. "Do you understand this?"
I turned to the doctor. "She thanked me one time for saving her life, and that was not long after I met her. She thanks me now for being there for her. There are no debts owed and currently we're saving each other."
"What did Doctor Reynolds want?" Beckie asked when we were in the car.
"He wanted to tell me Evelyn Connors' psychiatrist informed him she was well on the road to recovery. He expects she'll be fine by next week."
"Very funny," She said. "Home, Monroe, and watch the bumps."
What would a sunset beer on the beach house porch be without a visit from Eric and the tank top twins?
I'd seen them coming and had a cold Coors Light ready for him.
"Something different here," he said as he snatched the brew from my hand.
Eric looked Beckie, sitting next to me, up and down. "Got it!The boot!"
"I had it switched over this morning," Beckie said with a smile.
"Good for you, Becks." He cracked open the beer and chugged a good portion of it from the can.
"Just out of curiosity, what do you do on the nights I'm not here, for the beer I mean," I said.
"I go dry until The Trap," Eric replied.
"Poor thing," Beckie added.
"He's grumpier without his beer," Eve said from the sand.
"What can I say? I like the halfway point brew," Eric said before he jumped off the porch.
"Get better soon Becks, and we'll make it a fivesome to the Trap."
Before Beckie could reply, Eric took off down the beach, following the girls to the surf.
"You know...."
"I'd rather be here with you," I said, anticipating her speech.
"When I'm up to it, I'll walk there with you if you'd like," she said instead.
"Sounds like a plan."
For a while, we said nothing, watching the gulf swallow the sun.
"You never told me if your parents know about me, about us," she said while watching the sky.
"I told them a couple of days ago. They're happy you're okay."
"How about our living arrangement?"
I took a swig of my beer. "I told them about that too. They're fine with it."
"They don't find it odd you're taking care of a girl you just met?"
I turned away from the evening
"Now I am. Between you and Evelyn, I've worked up an appetite."
I walked her into the kitchen.
"How's your book coming, by the way?" She asked me once I had her seated.
"Getting there, slowly but surely," I said as I hit the pantry for sandwich fixings.
"I guess I'm not helping much," Beckie added.
"Actually, you've been a big help," I said.
She didn't follow through, and I said nothing more as I fixed our meal of cold cuts and chips.
18
----
I was partially right about Beckie's reaction to the boot. Though lighter, she still complained of its bulkiness, and appeared to be preparing herself for a tirade of sorts when Doctor Reynolds calmed her by stating that in a couple of weeks she should be able to at least remove it while bathing.
Before we left the hospital, while Beckie talked to a nurse, Reynolds pulled me off to the side.
"How's our patient doing?"
"She's fine. We're walking more each day and the pain seems to be subsiding with time."
"Evelyn Connors seemed to think you might not be strict enough during the cardio sessions."
"I put her through the ropes," I said. I noticed the nurse had stooped down in front of Beckie's chair. The nurse patted Beckie's knee as they talked.
"We all like her here," Reynolds said. "I guess I need to ask you if you intend to take care of her for however long it takes."
"Yes, I plan to do that," I replied.
"And afterwards?" Reynolds asked.
I stared at Beckie and she turned her head to face me. Perhaps something told her I looked her way, or maybe she just wanted to see if I was still there.
"She's a part of my life," I said, not turning from her.
"Sometimes when a person saves another person's life, they feel indebted to that individual. Sometimes the person who was saved feels they owe their savior a great debt," Reynolds continued. "Do you understand this?"
I turned to the doctor. "She thanked me one time for saving her life, and that was not long after I met her. She thanks me now for being there for her. There are no debts owed and currently we're saving each other."
"What did Doctor Reynolds want?" Beckie asked when we were in the car.
"He wanted to tell me Evelyn Connors' psychiatrist informed him she was well on the road to recovery. He expects she'll be fine by next week."
"Very funny," She said. "Home, Monroe, and watch the bumps."
What would a sunset beer on the beach house porch be without a visit from Eric and the tank top twins?
I'd seen them coming and had a cold Coors Light ready for him.
"Something different here," he said as he snatched the brew from my hand.
Eric looked Beckie, sitting next to me, up and down. "Got it!The boot!"
"I had it switched over this morning," Beckie said with a smile.
"Good for you, Becks." He cracked open the beer and chugged a good portion of it from the can.
"Just out of curiosity, what do you do on the nights I'm not here, for the beer I mean," I said.
"I go dry until The Trap," Eric replied.
"Poor thing," Beckie added.
"He's grumpier without his beer," Eve said from the sand.
"What can I say? I like the halfway point brew," Eric said before he jumped off the porch.
"Get better soon Becks, and we'll make it a fivesome to the Trap."
Before Beckie could reply, Eric took off down the beach, following the girls to the surf.
"You know...."
"I'd rather be here with you," I said, anticipating her speech.
"When I'm up to it, I'll walk there with you if you'd like," she said instead.
"Sounds like a plan."
For a while, we said nothing, watching the gulf swallow the sun.
"You never told me if your parents know about me, about us," she said while watching the sky.
"I told them a couple of days ago. They're happy you're okay."
"How about our living arrangement?"
I took a swig of my beer. "I told them about that too. They're fine with it."
"They don't find it odd you're taking care of a girl you just met?"
I turned away from the evening
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