Page 55 of Her Hidden Smile

“And so, it continues,” he smiled and continued to caress my cheek.

I frowned. “Why did you wake me up if you’re just going to pester me? And why don’t I hurt? How did I get here?”

“Can you sit up? Doc Evans wanted to make sure you got plenty of fluids. Then when you were up for it, he wanted me to feed you.”

I rubbed my eyes, trying to come to grips with what was happening around me. Somehow Renzo was here in my bedroom.

“What sounds good to eat?”

I rolled my eyes. “Talk about déjà vu. Aren’t you sick of this? Sick of me? I mean after all, you basically stopped talking to me, so I got the picture.”

I saw him wince.

“That wasn’t on you, that was on me. Now let me help you sit up, and I’ll get you some water.”

“You don’t have to stay here. I feel fine. I can get my own damned water.” I threw back the covers and gasped. I grabbed them back up as fast as I could. My gaze zeroed in on Renzo.

He acted like nothing had happened. But that wasn’t true. I was wearing just my pajama top and a pair of panties, and there was a warm wet towel over my scarred leg and hip, covered by plastic. I recognized the compress. The moist heat was needed to help loosen my overtaxed muscles so that they would relax.

“Who did this? Who undressed me? Who dressed me? Who put on the compress?”

“Lettie Magill came over with Doc Evans. She was the one who undressed you and put you in your pajamas. Doc Evans showed me how to do the compresses before he left.”

I was horrified. There was no other word that could describe my feelings. “How long have you been here?” I choked out the question.

“I’ve been here almost since you called the Down Home Diner. That was fourteen hours ago.”

“So…So…”

“Yes, Millie. I’ve seen your scars. I’ve applied the compresses onto your hip and leg. They didn’t bother me. They didn’t disgust me, like you were worried they would. They’re scars, Cariña. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

I kept looking at him, and he stared back.

“I believe you,” I whispered.

“That’s good because I wouldn’t lie about this. This is too important.”

I wanted to ask him why, but I was scared of what his answer would be.

“I think I’m ready for that water now.”

He bent over and brushed his lips against my forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

Chapter Thirteen

Millie didn’t last much longer after I got some of Down Home’s chicken pot pie into her. Despite all the sleep she’d had, once she had two pain pills, she was out like a light. I couldn’t say the same thing for me. There was just too much on my mind, and damn near all of it centered around the woman in the bedroom across the hall.

I’d had to chuckle when I found out that Millie had a guest bedroom. I’d teased her about it before she fell asleep. She told me that her mother would have been appalled if she hadn’t had a guest room always made up and ready for someone. I just shook my head and smiled, then wished her sweet dreams.

I should have wished myself sweet dreams. I got up out of bed and headed for the living room. I sat down in Millie’s desk chair and looked at the time on my phone. It was still fairly early, so I made my call.

“Hey, Renzo,” Jase answered. “How are you doing? Any more stories about Drake Avery?”

“No, but Simon Clark sure helped me out today.”

“Really? What did he do?”

“He helped me look for a woman who was in distress. He and his partner were able to track her down on her farm.”