Thalia: The Widows of Wildcat Ridge Book 7 by Charlene Raddon

Author:Charlene Raddon [Raddon, Charlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

"Cordelia, where have you been? It's been four days. Why did it take you so long to come see me? I've been worried. How is Dinky? I've been afraid to visit."

"He's home. Has been for three days, but he's in bad shape. Sick as a hound with a thousand ticks sucking the blood out of him. Withdrawal. He asked me not to tell you or let you come see him."

"You mean, he's not drinking and doesn't want to see me?" Thalia nearly doubled over with the pain of that.

"Going without liquor is the only thing I know of that causes withdrawal." Cordelia pinned her to her chair with a stern look. "He needs help."

Thalia blanched. "You expect me to do something about it, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Why? You said he doesn't want me there."

"He may say that, but he needs you now more than ever. He'll go through even worse hell before he's capable of going in search of another jug. We got rid of all we found there. He's dry and shuddering with tremors."

Thalia stared at her, feeling a little sick inside. Blast the man, she couldn't stand to think of him hurting. "All right. I'll go."

"Good. Got my horse outside. I'll give you a ride."

She put on sturdy winter boots and her coat and followed the marshal out to her horse. A few minutes later, she slid off the horse's rump in front of the newspaper office where George Tweedie and another man were installing new glass in the window. She let herself in. "Dinky?"

He lay sprawled half on and half off the bed, a puddle of vomit on the floor. Silently, Thalia went to work cleaning up after him.

"Topper?" he mumbled, blurry-eyed.

"I'm here, Dinky."

"You're always here."

"You want me to leave?"

"No. Don’t. Sorry. I'm sorry."

"This is the last and only time I'll do this, Dinky. You get yourself straightened out or you'll never see me cross your threshold again. I'm done with you." Picking up the rags she'd used to clean the floor, she left the room to throw them in the trash.

"Thalia," Dinky called from the bedroom. "Thalia? Don't leave. Please don't leave. I can't do this without you."

Something wrenched inside her heart and her anger dissipated. Not answering, she searched for something from which to make broth. His food shelves were empty. She didn't bother telling him she was leaving, simply let herself out of the building and walked to Tweedie's Mercantile. After dropping off her purchases at the office, she went to Muckelrath's Butcher Shop for some soup bones, reaching there just as Olive was closing shop.

When she got back to the office and climbed the stairs, she found Dinky lying on the floor. Dumping her packages on the table she knelt beside him. "Dinky, what are you doing out here. Get back in bed."

"I thought you left me." He looked and sounded like a whiney little boy. "I thought you'd gone."

"Come on, I'll help you back to bed."

"Will you stay with me?"

She gaped at him.

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