start early this morning for Granada. We planned
to take you away from here if you wanted to leave." He paused a moment,
clenching his hand into a fist on his thigh. "I didn't sleep much last
night, getting a cold, I guess, so Holly insisted on driving.
Softhearted little fool swerved to avoid hitting a scruffy old stray
cat. We hit a signpost instead and she was thrown against the steering
wheel. Bruised her up pretty bad but she's all right."
Juliet's face had gone pale. "And the baby?"
"Heartbeat's still strong but for a while there were signs
that Holly might go into labor so the doctor wants her to stay in the
hospital, in bed, for the rest of her pregnancy. Naturally, she's
plenty upset."
Juliet, however, was relieved and she patted Benny's arm
consolingly. "But the baby should be fine if Holly stays in bed, right?
I know it's rotten luck but it could have been so much worse. Try to
remember that."
"We're both trying to," he replied tiredly. "But mostly
I'm worried about her because she's so worried about how much it'll
cost to stay in the hospital so long. I told her I'll get two jobs so
we'll pay the bills somehow."
Juliet dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "You
won't need two jobs and you won't have to worry about the medical
bills. My parents left me some money and I've never spent any of it.
Uncle Will's held it in trust for me but now that I'm twenty-one, I can
do whatever I want with it. So you tell Holly she doesn't have to worry
about paying her hospital bill. I'll take care of that."
"Oh, no you won't," Benny retorted emphatically. "No way.
That's your money and…"
"And you and Holly are my friends and I want so much to
help. Please let me." As Benny argued and Juliet realized how stubborn
he was going to be, she decided a little emotional blackmail would be
justified in these circumstances. She allowed her lower lip to tremble
and tears to fill her eyes. "You've got to let me help. I feel
responsible for the accident since you were on your way here to see me
when it happened. If you don't let me help pay the medical expenses,
I'll feel so guilty. I'll never forgive myself."
Benny's hesitation was his undoing. After a few more
minutes of her fervent pleading he acquiesced. "It's crazy for you to
feel guilty about the accident, but if you do, then I guess I have to
let you
help
with the bills. But you'll just
help. All right? I'll want to pay as much I can. Remember the coffee
house where you and I met last year. I can get a job singing there
again, I'm almost sure. The pay's not terrific but beggars can't be
choosers."
"Where will you stay while Holly's in the hospital?"
"Probably that little hotel where I stayed last year. It
ain't what you'd call grand but it is cheap," Benny said wryly,
sounding more like himself. Then his expression sobered again. "I
shouldn't have loaded all my problems onto your shoulders when you have
enough troubles of your own. How's your uncle?"
"About the same. His doctor says it may take him a while
to recover completely."
"So you're stuck here, huh? And how are things going with
the macho Raul? Is he giving you a hard time?"
Juliet sighed. "I really don't know what to make of him,"
she said softly. "That night I arrived back, he was so hostile he
finally goaded me into telling him what I thought of him for trying to
arrange a marriage between Pablo and me. But I'm sure he still really
thinks I led Pablo on, then dumped him. What bothers me now is that
Raul is being very nice to me, so nice that I'm getting very edgy. He
has to have some devious motive for being that nice." She smiled wryly.
"But even now, with this Mr. Friendly act he's putting on, he keeps
telling me in no uncertain terms that I'm not to see you. He doesn't
quite believe you're married and he thinks you and I are much more to
each other than traveling companions."
Benny's eyebrows lifted. "He's got everything wrong,
hasn't he?" He smiled mischievously. "Boy, if he only knew how willing
I
to take you away from here if you wanted to leave." He paused a moment,
clenching his hand into a fist on his thigh. "I didn't sleep much last
night, getting a cold, I guess, so Holly insisted on driving.
Softhearted little fool swerved to avoid hitting a scruffy old stray
cat. We hit a signpost instead and she was thrown against the steering
wheel. Bruised her up pretty bad but she's all right."
Juliet's face had gone pale. "And the baby?"
"Heartbeat's still strong but for a while there were signs
that Holly might go into labor so the doctor wants her to stay in the
hospital, in bed, for the rest of her pregnancy. Naturally, she's
plenty upset."
Juliet, however, was relieved and she patted Benny's arm
consolingly. "But the baby should be fine if Holly stays in bed, right?
I know it's rotten luck but it could have been so much worse. Try to
remember that."
"We're both trying to," he replied tiredly. "But mostly
I'm worried about her because she's so worried about how much it'll
cost to stay in the hospital so long. I told her I'll get two jobs so
we'll pay the bills somehow."
Juliet dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. "You
won't need two jobs and you won't have to worry about the medical
bills. My parents left me some money and I've never spent any of it.
Uncle Will's held it in trust for me but now that I'm twenty-one, I can
do whatever I want with it. So you tell Holly she doesn't have to worry
about paying her hospital bill. I'll take care of that."
"Oh, no you won't," Benny retorted emphatically. "No way.
That's your money and…"
"And you and Holly are my friends and I want so much to
help. Please let me." As Benny argued and Juliet realized how stubborn
he was going to be, she decided a little emotional blackmail would be
justified in these circumstances. She allowed her lower lip to tremble
and tears to fill her eyes. "You've got to let me help. I feel
responsible for the accident since you were on your way here to see me
when it happened. If you don't let me help pay the medical expenses,
I'll feel so guilty. I'll never forgive myself."
Benny's hesitation was his undoing. After a few more
minutes of her fervent pleading he acquiesced. "It's crazy for you to
feel guilty about the accident, but if you do, then I guess I have to
let you
help
with the bills. But you'll just
help. All right? I'll want to pay as much I can. Remember the coffee
house where you and I met last year. I can get a job singing there
again, I'm almost sure. The pay's not terrific but beggars can't be
choosers."
"Where will you stay while Holly's in the hospital?"
"Probably that little hotel where I stayed last year. It
ain't what you'd call grand but it is cheap," Benny said wryly,
sounding more like himself. Then his expression sobered again. "I
shouldn't have loaded all my problems onto your shoulders when you have
enough troubles of your own. How's your uncle?"
"About the same. His doctor says it may take him a while
to recover completely."
"So you're stuck here, huh? And how are things going with
the macho Raul? Is he giving you a hard time?"
Juliet sighed. "I really don't know what to make of him,"
she said softly. "That night I arrived back, he was so hostile he
finally goaded me into telling him what I thought of him for trying to
arrange a marriage between Pablo and me. But I'm sure he still really
thinks I led Pablo on, then dumped him. What bothers me now is that
Raul is being very nice to me, so nice that I'm getting very edgy. He
has to have some devious motive for being that nice." She smiled wryly.
"But even now, with this Mr. Friendly act he's putting on, he keeps
telling me in no uncertain terms that I'm not to see you. He doesn't
quite believe you're married and he thinks you and I are much more to
each other than traveling companions."
Benny's eyebrows lifted. "He's got everything wrong,
hasn't he?" He smiled mischievously. "Boy, if he only knew how willing
I
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