Out of the Shadows by Loree Lough

Author:Loree Lough [Lough, Loree]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2002-10-22T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Gus stared out the window behind Wade’s desk, while beside him, Patrice fidgeted with her purse strap. “What’s taking him so long?” she wondered aloud. “How long could it possibly take to read a few—”

“Easy, kiddo,” Gus said, laying a hand on her arm. “He put a rush on the test results—something he’ll pay for till this time next year, probably.”

She met his eyes. “What do you mean, he’ll pay for?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “I heard him on the phone, barking orders at some li’l gal down in the lab. He didn’t go too easy on the fella in radiology, either.” He shook his head. “You’ve worked in this place long enough to understand the pecking order isn’t something to mess with.”

True enough. For all its medical miracles, Ellicott General had its share of bureaucratic red tape; she’d learned long ago that if she wanted something done, correctly and quickly, a honeyed attitude beat a sour one any day of the week. “Oh, great,” she complained. “I can just see us a month from now, cobwebs hanging from our noses, still sitting here waiting to get your test results.”

“Sorry, kiddo, I know how you hate to wait.” Gus patted her hand. “And who can blame you. I guess you’ve done more than your fair share of waiting in your lifetime, haven’t you.”

Patrice hadn’t meant it to sound as though she held Gus responsible for the delay, and started to say so.

Using a bent forefinger, Gus closed her mouth. “If you had a dollar for every hour you sat alone in cold waiting rooms while your mom and I waited for your brother, you’d be a rich young woman.”

“I never minded. I was too worried about Timmy to pay much attention to anything else.”

“I know,” Gus said, smiling. “Which is just one of the thousands of reasons I love you to pieces.”

“I love you, too.” Which was the only reason she’d spent a good part of the night on her knees, begging God to make sure there’d be nothing serious wrong with her dad. This morning, though achy and drowsy, she’d faced the day with a smile. And why wouldn’t she? God had promised that with faith the size of a mustard seed, she could move mountains, hadn’t He?

“Okay, out with it,” Gus said.

She looked up quickly. “Out with what?”

“What’s eatin’ you?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. You’ve been acting…weird ever since you sat down there.” He grabbed her hand, gave it an affectionate squeeze. “I’m gonna be fine, just fine.” He leaned forward, forcing her to meet his eyes. “You know that, right?”

Patrice nodded. “Sure, I do.” She smiled. “You’ve been at the top of my prayer list for…forever. Why wouldn’t you be all right!”

He raised one eyebrow, tucked in one corner of his mouth. “Now, why do I get the feeling my leg’s being pulled?”

She was uncomfortable when he made any reference to “feeling” in his lower body. Shifting position in the chair, she fiddled with her purse strap some more.

“Did I ever tell you the story about the carrot, the egg and the coffee bean?”

Patrice grinned.

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