Page 24 of Fractured Hearts

“What is happening?” Jo asks. I turn to her and see she’s rubbing a spot on the side of her head. Unfortunately, this also gets Martha’s attention.

“And who are you?” she asks Jo, while shooting a disapproving look my way. She definitely thinks I’m cheating on the boyfriend I told her about.

Jo leans over and sticks her hand out to Martha. “I’m Connie, it’s nice to meet you.”

Martha takes her hand even though it looks like the last thing she wants to do, but no one will ever accuse the woman of not having manners. “And who are you to our Ben here?”

“We’re just friends, Martha.”

“Now now, Ben. I’m talking to Miss Connie,” Martha says, patting my hand like I don’t understand what’s going on. I know what it looks like. Jo changed into the extra clothes I brought before we left the house. My clothes. It’s very obvious they’re my clothes with the way they hang off her slim frame.

“We really need to get going on our errands,” I attempt, but Martha acts like I haven’t spoken.

“He’s right. We’re just friends,” Jo says.

“Mmm.” Martha’s lips press into a thin line, clearly not believing us. I’m about to open my mouth to tell her off because who does she think she is? She’s acting like my mother.

“I swear,” Jo says before I can. “Ben here got me out of a bad situation. He’s letting me stay with him at the house. His boyfriend will be joining us as soon as he can.” I did not miss the slight sneer on the word boyfriend, but luckily Martha did. Jo carefully lifts the leg of her sweatpants to show Martha her swollen ankle and burned skin. It’s not the move I would have made, but it definitely stops Martha’s line of questioning in its tracks.

“Oh my,” she gasps. “Darren!” I flinch. Martha screamed directly into my ear. “Darren, get over here!”

A small and slightly round man with a shiny bald head and epic white mustache does a half walk, half jog combination up to Martha’s side.

“What is it?” he asks, out of breath after jogging thirty feet.

“This is Ben. You know Ben. He’s the one that bought that house I decorated.”

“Yes, of course. Nice to see ya again, Ben,” Darren says with a nod.

“This isn’t about Ben,” Martha says, sounding frustrated. I glance over at Jo, and she looks just as confused as I do. “That girl there is Connie, and she needs a doctor.”

“Oh, no. I’m fine, really,” Jo says, shaking her head and slowly moving her back against the door like she can get further away from them.

“Nonsense,” Martha says, waving her hand in front of her face like she can physically brush off the idea. “Darren is the town doctor.”

“I can’t see a doctor,” Jo says, looking at me with panic in her eyes. I get it. We can’t have her on record anywhere, and she already gave them a false name. A name that won’t have any identification to back it up.

“Don’t worry,” Martha reassures her. “I understand your situation and nothing is going on file. Darren can look at your injuries right here and get you whatever you need.”

I lean over to Jo. “You tell me no, and I’ll drive right out of this parking lot,” I whisper to her. I might not be Jo’s biggest fan, but like hell will I let anyone touch her without her permission.

“It’s okay.” Jo unlocks her door and turns to face Darren, who is patiently waiting for her.

“That poor girl. You’re such a good boy to help her out.”

I force a smile. I’m not a good guy. I would’ve left her there in a heartbeat if it meant getting Maverick out. Hell, I’d swap her out for him right now if I didn’t know it would mean Maverick would never speak to me again.

“Those burns are second-degree. I have an antibiotic cream at the clinic that you should put on them twice a day. Martha has an aloe plant she can give you some cuttings from. That should really help. As for your ankle, I believe it’s just a bad sprain. I’ll grab a set of crutches and a brace for you. Make sure to ice it periodically, and you can take some over-the-counter pain meds as needed.”

“Thank you, Dr. Darren,” Jo says politely.

“It’s no problem, my dear. I’m just glad you’re away from whatever situation you were in.” Darren pats Jo gently on the arm. “I’ll head over to the clinic now while you do your shopping. Although, you really should keep the weight off that ankle.”

“I’m staying in the truck.”

“I appreciate your help,” I say, before they ask more questions. “I can meet you at the clinic after I get groceries and more clothes for Connie.”

“Actually, the pants she’s wearing are perfect. Nothing tight around those burns until they fully heal. They may scar, but you can get some scar cream if it comes to that.”