Abby's Passion by Jackie Calhoun

Author:Jackie Calhoun [Calhoun, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2012-01-22T16:00:00+00:00

XVIII

I’d slept in so many beds in the past few days that when I woke disoriented in the night, I had to place myself in the right environs before getting up. I went to the bathroom and was starting back to my room when I saw a light downstairs.

Mona was reading on the sofa. The overhead light made an aura of her reddish-brown hair. “Can’t sleep?” I asked.

“Nope. How about you?”

“I had to pee and saw the light. Figured it was probably you.” I wondered why she wasn’t cleaning or doing something active. She’d never been much for sitting still long enough to read a book. “What are you reading?”

She showed me the cover, a book about bipolar disorder that I had on my shelves. She gave me an ironic smile. “I hate the way I am. I know I’m a rotten sister most of the time. I thought getting married again would be a new start.”

My heart twisted in sympathy, yet I said, “Taking your meds is the best thing you can do to retain normality.”

A flash of irritation crossed her face. “I am. I know. I won’t let Shawn down.”

“You were throwing stuff at him a few hours ago,” I pointed out.

“You’re lucky I’m not throwing stuff at you right now. I was angry. He talked like he wanted out.”

“If he does, it’s better to decide now rather than after the vows have been said.” It only seemed like we were having a normal conversation. It could dissolve any minute when or if Mona decided she’d had enough.

“It’ll be all right. You’ll see. Douglas and I lasted fourteen years.”

“Douglas didn’t want to be a woman.”

Mona’s hand tightened on the book. Her eyes glimmered, and I was sorry I’d put a glitch in her thinking. I sat next to her to tell her so, but she hit me with my book, then pummeled me with her fists.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I said, grabbing her wrists. “I’m just being the devil’s advocate.”

“Let me go,” she warned.

I did, as soon as it was safe, as soon as the strength went out of her arms, I gave her a quick hug and went up to bed.

At work the next day, I checked with Providence House. Anna and Elizabeth were getting along fine. The phone rang after I hung up, but I had to staff with the crisis unit. I let voice mail pick it up.

Karl Jankowski had come up on call the previous night. I dropped into a chair in the phone room, disappointed but not surprised. Karl hadn’t turned up in ER in a while. “I think we should take him off the client list. I don’t want to waste any more time on him. He’s never going to change.”

“I’m with you,” Debbie said.

“I see no reason to continue a policy that hasn’t worked,” Bob agreed. “Maybe if we let him alone, he’ll change his ways.”

“Maybe he won’t,” Mark said. “Maybe he’ll just drink himself to death.”

“That’s what he’s doing right now, with or without our help,” I pointed out.

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