Sighing heavily, Bridget grimaced. “Fine. Is there coffee at least?”

  “Right here.” Eli reached to the nightstand and grabbed a mug.

  “Thank you, sweet Jesus.” It took some maneuvering with only one good arm, but Eli helped a little so she could lean against the headboard. Bridget sipped her coffee while Eli rustled around the duffel bag with all her clothes in it, clothes that were loose fitting and easy to get on. “Grab something that looks nice, will you? I don’t want to look like a slob.”

  “What’s nice? Can’t exactly fit jeans over that thing on your leg yet.”

  Bridget knew the request was stupid as soon as she’d said it. “Maybe a button up?”

  Eli eyed her. “I’d let you use one of mine, but I don’t think you’ll fit.”

  Pursing her lips as she sipped the coffee, Bridget shrugged. “I guess just clean is fine.”

  Eli rummaged some more and came back with her academy t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants. It would have to do. The first week of needing Eli’s help to get dressed was outright embarrassing, but at this point, Bridget had given in to needing help. She could at least maneuver some of the clothes up her body, but she needed to lean on Eli while she finished dragging them into place, and then Eli always finished adjusting so she didn’t look like a slob.

  “Are the guests upstairs?”

  “They went out for the day, so we have the den without them.”

  “Good. I don’t really need anyone else to witness the disaster that’s coming.”

  Eli lightly snorted. “I should hope not. Do you want me to stay the entire time or come in only when you want them gone?”

  “Please stay.” Bridget shifted as Eli pushed the strap of her sling over her head and got everything in place. “I don’t know if I can handle them by myself.”

  “What are friends for, anyway?”

  Bridget made her way upstairs with Eli’s help and collapsed onto the small love seat in front of the fireplace. Eli started the fire and brought over a second mug of coffee, which Bridget thanked her for. She put her leg up to ease the swelling her doctor had complained about from her doing too much. Eli brought over her medications, and Bridget realized she didn’t even know what she was taking. Instead of asking, she just popped them into her mouth and swallowed around her next sip of coffee. Eli wouldn’t do her any harm, ever.

  They were an hour later than they said, but what else was new? Eli let Sharon and Edward into the house and showed them into the den. Bridget attempted to shift to sit up straighter, then chided herself. She didn’t need to do anything for them. Sharon sat on one of the chairs adjacent to the love seat, Edward on the other. Eli stood awkwardly for moment before sliding onto the edge of the sofa with Bridget. Sharon eyed her suspiciously, her lips parted as if she was going to tell Eli to scram.

  “Eli’s staying, Mom.”

  Sharon said nothing about it as she focused on her daughter. “How’s your recovery?”

  “As well as can be expected. I’ve been resting.” Bridget clenched her hand tightly.

  Nodding, Sharon slid a glance to Edward. “We think you should come home, stop putting such a strain on Eli.”

  “She’s no strain at all. In fact, I’m quite enjoying the company.”

  “You have strangers in this house all the time.”

  Eli’s shoulders stiffened. Bridget knew they would. It was an argument Bridget had made to Eli when she’d found out Eli’s plans for a bed-and-breakfast, but Eli wouldn’t hear anything of it. Bridget doubted she’d listen to them now.

  “I think I’ll continue to stay here. The doctors said I can start bearing weight soon, so I’ll be less of a strain on anyone.” Bridget eyed Sharon sharply. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to mess up your schedule.”

  Edward coughed, as though he was trying to cover something up. Bridget narrowed her gaze at him, having to twist to look over her shoulder to see him. Everyone ignored him.

  “It’s not right to put this on strangers,” Sharon tried again.

  “Eli is hardly a stranger. I’ve known her my entire life.” She didn’t add the part about living together in college, since she’d never shared that with her parents, just that she’d had a roommate. She also hadn’t mentioned it had been a one-bedroom apartment where they’d shared the bed. Sharon would no doubt have a heart attack if she knew that.

  “She’s not family.”

  Bridget wrinkled her nose. “She’s more family than a lot of my family.”

  It was probably the closest she would get to outright saying she didn’t really consider them family except that she was biologically related to them and had been forced to live with them until she turned eighteen.

  “How dare you say something like that?” Sharon screeched.

  “Because it’s true.” Bridget raised an eyebrow. “And I’m not going to say more or less about that. I will not go home with you, and if that’s the reason you came here, then feel free to leave.”

  Eli grinned at her like she’d won the lottery, while Sharon shifted in her chair unable to sit in the awkwardness of Bridget standing up for herself. Bridget couldn’t honestly remember a time when she’d actually told her mother to leave, but they were disrupting Eli’s routines, not only by being there, but by being an hour late.

  “Was there anything else?”

  Sharon’s look hardened. “We think it would be best if you came home with us.”

  “You can think that all you want,” Eli chimed in. “Bridget has clearly stated where she wants to stay, and she is welcome here no matter what. We may not have always had the easiest of friendships, but I like to think those small blips don’t matter in the long run. She’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember.”

  Bridget stared wide-eyed at Eli. While she felt the same way, she hadn’t been sure Eli would ever say that out loud, not since they broke up. When Eli faced her, her look softened. Bridget smiled at her, glad to have found someone who was so damn near perfect for her, even if they wouldn’t ever date again.

  “You disgust me,” Sharon snapped. “If you corrupt—”

  “Stop right there.” Eli put her hand out. “If you’re about to say something derogatory about the fact that I’m a lesbian, you can kindly shut up. I don’t want to hear it, and you’re in my house.”

  “It’s unnatural.” Sharon leaned forward. “You’re unnatural.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t bring God into this, because I have been working on a damn good argument for that one.” Eli flashed Sharon a brilliant smile. “Are you done lobbing accusations around?”

  Sharon seemed stunned. It was the first time Bridget had ever witnessed it, though it was also the first time she’d ever seen Eli be so blunt about her sexuality in front of someone who very clearly didn’t support her.

  “Good.” Eli slapped her hands against her thighs. “Now, if you’re done trying to get Bridget to do something she doesn’t want to, you are free to leave. Bridget has stated she doesn’t want you here any longer.”

  Sharon took a second before she stood up, huffed, and stormed out the front door. Edward, however, stayed put, eyeing the two of them with his lips thinned. “I hope I don’t find out the two of you are together.”

  Bridget’s stomach sank. She flicked a glance at Eli, who didn’t look at her but stared at him, nothing revealed on her face. Damn, she wished she could do that. Eli was so much stronger than she was, able to be out and proud in a town and part of the country that would almost never be supportive. At least not in their lifetime. Bridget had seen the devastation that had come to those who were out. Their old teacher, Azalea, being one of those who had felt her parents’ wrath.

  “We’re not together. However, I don’t think that’s any of your business. You’re making quite the assumption about your daughter.”

  “I know you two dated, went against God.”

  Eli curled her lips up as if he’d just invited her into the best debate ever.

  Bridget interjected, not wanting to cause more conflict than necessary. “Daddy, we’re not together. Eli is helping me recover in a calm and quiet environment, which you know wouldn’t happen if I went home with you.”

  He nodded at her firmly. “I will agree with you on that. But I also don’t think this is the best situation.”

  “I promise you it is.” Bridget held her ground. “I’ll see you around, Daddy.”

  When he stood up, Eli escorted him out of the house, shutting the door. She came back, sitting in Sharon’s vacant spot and sighed heavily. Bridget cocked her head in Eli’s direction. “That could honestly have gone worse.”

  “Sure.” Eli pinched the bridge of her nose. “Does everyone really think I’m going to take advantage of you?”

  Laughing, Bridget grinned. “No, only them. I promise. No one else would ever dream of it.”

  “Did you know that he knew we dated?”

  “No.” Bridget raised her eyebrows. “Not a clue, and I’m not sure he actually knows we did or not, but this is a small town. Maybe he heard a rumor?”

  “We were so careful.”

  “We were, but your parents knew, and your sister knew. We didn’t hide it in school.”

  “No, but we did here.”

  “It’s a small town,” Bridget tried again. “Rumors are just rumors.”

  “But these ones are true.”

  “Yeah.” Bridget trailed off, not sure how to continue arguing. “Thank you, for staying through that. I didn’t think they’d start attacking you.”

  “I had a pretty good idea.” Eli stood up sharply. “I’ve got to check the cattle.”

  “Right.” The silence was loud as Eli left the house and loneliness seeped into her chest, an unwelcome companion.

  She’d sat on the sofa in the den for hours before managing to make her way into the kitchen for lunch. It wasn’t easy to maneuver around, but she was able to. The worst part was holding onto the plate while trying to find a place to sit down. It took everything in her to make it to the head of the dining room table.

  She was halfway through her meal when her phone rang. She recognized the number even though she hadn’t input a contact for it. Jerica. She’d called and texted several times over the last week, and Bridget hadn’t answered any of them. Then they’d seen her the day before at the hospital, and Bridget had missed her call later that night, unable to get her to her phone in time.

  Honestly, she couldn’t say why she was avoiding. Eli had asked her that very question, but she hadn’t been able to find an answer. Her heart thundered as she reached for her phone, once again locked in a great debate of whether to answer or not. After the incident with her parents that morning, and Eli’s sudden departure from the house, she really needed someone to talk to, someone so she wasn’t alone in this massive house.

  Bridget lifted the phone to her ear, hesitation filling her voice. “Hello?”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d answer.” There was happiness in Jerica’s tone, filling each word, but also an underlying hesitation and worry. “You haven’t answered yet.”

  “I missed your call last night. My phone was not nearby, and as you may well know, I don’t move as quickly as I used to.” Bridget locked the phone against her shoulder and ear, moving the half of her sandwich around her plate.

  “But you didn’t call back.”

  Bridget frowned. Jerica was right about that. All the phone calls and texts and she hadn’t returned a single one of them. Yet, for some reason, Jerica kept trying to get hold of her.

  “I didn’t. I’m sorry. I should have. I wanted to.” The jumble of words fell from her lips. She sighed and pushed back into the chair before putting the phone on speaker and setting in on the table. Talking on the phone was not super comfortable when she was already restricted in her movements.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” Bridget looked out the window, wondering if she could see Eli coming in for a meal.

  “Why didn’t you call me back?”

  She wasn’t sure she could answer that, even if she wanted to. “I don’t know.”

  “Bridget, if you don’t want to go on a date with me—”

  “I do. I do want to go on a date with you. I just…it might be bad timing.” Bridget fiddled with her plate.

  “You do have a lot going on.” Disappointment echoed through the line. “But life isn’t generally full of good timing. If you hadn’t landed yourself in the ER, I would have never met you.”

  “You’re right about that. I still don’t even know what happened.”

  “You haven’t read the report yet?”

  “They’re withholding it, unofficially, I think, and I don’t have access to a computer to get it.” Bridget picked up her phone. “It’s not just the accident, though.”

  It was the first step to opening up, something she knew she needed to do, but she also didn’t want to weigh down a new relationship with all the drama going on in her life.

  Bridget clenched her eyes shut as she chickened out. “I just have a lot going on.”

  “You know I am here to listen, if you want to talk. I know we don’t know each other well, but I would like to get to know you.”

  Bridget warmed at just the thought. She found herself smiling even though she hadn’t fully realized she was doing it. “I want to get to know you, too.”

  “Good. I’m glad we’re in agreement there.” Jerica laughed lightly. “Everyone has their own demons, Bridget. I hope you know that. I’ve got some, you’ve got some, and I’m pretty sure your friend Eli has some too, despite her strange ability to seem to ignore them.”

  “Her life is pretty perfect, if you ask me. It always has been.”

  “No one’s life is perfect.”

  Bridget could agree with that, but in terms of good families, Eli had gotten the better end of the deal. “My parents were here, and to say I don’t have the best relationship with them is an understatement.”

  “I met them.”

  “Oh.”

  “I was the one who brought them in when you were being transferred. It wasn’t my job, but…I seem to have an affinity for you that I can’t quite get rid of.” Jerica sounded like she was smiling, but Bridget couldn’t tell. She wished they were together in the same room, then she would be able to figure it out.

  “Well, thank you, and I’m equally sorry.”

  “Don’t be. They were scared for you.”

  Bridget had her doubts of that, but it was a nice sentiment to think about. She would never be the daughter they wanted, but then again, they had the perfect daughter and son. Bridget was the black sheep and would never be anything else. Perhaps it was time she lived into that title. “I’m not sure that’s what they were afraid of, but I’ll let you think that.”

  “What else would they have been scared of?”

  Bridget sighed. “My parents…I don’t exactly live up to their standards. Having their daughter be a cop was a pretty big problem for them. Having their daughter die in the line of duty would be a scar they’d never escape from.”

  “I agree with you there, but I think we’re talking about two different things.”

  “Probably.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Bridget sighed, debating whether or not to share even more. Pulling back, she stared out the window at Eli’s old farm truck bumbling along the dirt road. “That’s probably a story for another day. I do thank you for taking such good care of them, and me.”

  “It’s what I do,” Jerica answered, a wistful tone. “But I enjoyed taking care of you.”

  Bridget smiled again, pleased that Jerica could so easily pull that from her. “Did you know, I think I’ve smiled more in this one conversation than I have all week.”

  “Really?” Jerica seemed surprised.

  “Yes. Eli and I…it’s not always been easy, and until I called her when I was in the hospital, I hadn’t really talked to her in years.”

  “How could you not talk to your best friend?”

  “She’s also my ex-girlfriend.”

  “Oh.” Jerica’s tone dropped.

  Bridget winced. She could have introduced that concept a little easier. “Nothing’s going on now, but it made it tough for a few years.”

  “I can imagine. It’s hard to fall out with your best friend.”

  “It is.” Bridget played with her plate again. “I know this might be forward of me, but when can I see you again?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Bridget had thought for a moment she wouldn’t, but she did want to see Jerica, see those beautiful hazel eyes and the freckles on her face. She wanted to, as Jerica had said, get to know her better.

  “You’ll have to come here, I’m afraid, unless I can convince Eli to bring me to town.” Bridget stared down at the barn, barely able to make out Eli’s truck. “Though I have a feeling she wouldn’t mind.”

  “Really?”

  “She likes to go to town sometimes, and I think Sarah is coming soon.”

  “What if I come up there on my next day off?”

  “When will that be?” Bridget pulled her sandwich closer, suddenly finding some interest in it again.

  “In four days? Today is my only day off, and then I have four days of work.”

  “Well, I’m suddenly out of work for the immediate future, so my schedule is wide open.”

  “Minus all your follow-ups.”

  “Yeah, those.” Bridget rolled her eyes. “Is it really necessary to be checked over every week? I mean…it’s a long drive into town.”

  “What if I promise to see you when you come through next time?”

  Another smile. Bridget could easily get used to this if Jerica were to become something regular in her life. Pressing her lips together, Bridget rolled her eyes at how ridiculous she was being, but she was giddy with joy. “I’d like that.”

  “Good. Text me when your appointment is, and if there’s no emergency going on, I’ll try to catch you on your way in or out.”

  “Seems fair. Will you come up here then?”