Page 102 of Daybreak

“Whatever,” she said, but it made her happy when he laughed.

* * *

It was just after 10:00 a.m. when they left the house.

At Holly’s insistence, he’d taken a pain pill. Not because he was in that much pain, but she was afraid when they started pulling off bandages, he would be.

When they arrived at the doctors’ building, instead of parking in front, Holly circled the building and parked near a side entrance.

“Why are we parking here?” Gunner asked.

“Because we’re not parading through the main lobby. People keep taking pictures of you and posting them on social media. All that’s going to do is give someone who knew Whistler or that crooked detective the idea that they should finish the job,” she said.

“Damn, girl. You think like a cop.”

“Doctor Raines agreed with me. You’re not sitting in the waiting room, either.”

“You’re calling the shots, darlin’,” he said.

She nodded and sent a quick text. “Okay, out we go,” she said and locked the doors behind them as they entered the building.

They were walking up a long hall when a nurse came around the corner and waved at them. “I’m your escort. Follow me.”

They wound through one hallway after another, past a lab, past X-ray and digital imaging, and then through a door into the area where Doctor Raines’s exam rooms were located.

“You’re in Room 4,” the nurse said. As soon as Gunner was sitting on the exam table, she took his blood pressure and temp. “We’re going to need you to take off your shirt, sir.”

“Right,” Gunner said.

Holly got up without saying a word and helped him pull the T-shirt he was wearing over his head.

The nurse blinked. She’d seen the bandage on his arm and the bruise on his jaw but was not prepared for the rest of it, or the larger bandage on his shoulder. Wisely, she said nothing.

“Dr. Raines will be here shortly,” she said and closed the door on her way out.

Holly sat back in her chair with his shirt on her lap and raised an eyebrow at the charts on the wall. “A hypochondriac would have a meltdown in here,” she muttered.

Gunner nodded. “Very descriptive, but still better than reading autopsy reports. Trust me.”

Holly leaned back against the wall for a more comfortable position. “We never went to the doctor unless we were really sick. With the closest doctor being in Amarillo, it wasn’t convenient.”

“Crossroads is lucky to have Urgent Care and two nurses on staff now, with a once-a-week doctor. It’s not large enough to sustain an actual hospital.”

“It doesn’t really grow, does it?” Holly said.

“No, but that’s due to lack of available jobs and housing. Finding a place to live there is almost impossible,” he said.

Holly’s eyes widened. “You could build an apartment building. Six up and six down, just to see if it would make a difference. If people took to the idea, you’d be in business.”

“That is actually a really good idea. I’ve been thinking about the simpler ways I could make a difference there. I know nothing about leasing or renting homes, but I sure know someone who does. If we did that, it would have to be your business to run. Collecting rent, dealing with problems and repairs.”

Her eyes lit up. “I could do that with my eyes closed,” she said.

“Then that will be our first project,” he said. “My wife, the real estate mogul.”

“Considering the size of Crossroads, mogul might be stretching the point.”

“Gotta start somewhere,” Gunner said, and then the door opened and Doctor Raines walked in, followed by his nurse.