chapter FIFTY-ONE
Two weeks later, Friday, April 1
Curtis sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, doing his damnedest to pay attention to the ratty magazine in his hand. Truth was, he didn’t give two shits about any of the articles in Guns and Ammo, though it had been a smidge better than picking up the one with some half-naked woman on the front of it. Then again, he wasn’t interested in any of it anyhow. His mind was off in the room with Lorrie, wishing he could be back there with her while she went through the procedure.
The appointment was to remove the stent in her bladder, along with the Foley catheter she’d been boldly managing for the past two weeks without complaint. She was definitely a better person than he was. No way would he have gone fourteen days with that shit strapped to his body. But he’d never once heard her complain.
Now, the only thing he could do was wait and try to focus on something other than storming through that door to find his wife. Curtis prided himself on his patience—he was, after all, a backwoods country boy at heart—but there was no doubt he wasn’t all that patient when it came to Lorrie. She was the center of his entire world.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he fished it out, squinting down at the screen.
Ethan: How’s the appointment going? You a nervous wreck yet?
His kids knew him too well.
He hated the damn phone, especially the whole texting thing. His fingers were too big to punch those little buttons, which made responding too damn difficult. However, he had to admit, it was a little convenient that he could have a conversation without anyone else in the waiting room hearing all the gory details.
Curtis: When have you ever known me to be nervous?
He waited for a response, watching his phone intently. The first thing to pop up was some little monkey face that looked as though it were laughing at him. He didn’t know how to send all that shit, but his boys sure as hell enjoyed it.
Ethan: I’m gonna go with always.
Curtis: Shouldn’t you be working, boy?
Ethan: I am working. Wanted to check in, that’s all.
Curtis: She’s in with the doctor. Once I know more, I’ll let you know.
Ethan: Okay. Now do us all a favor and relax a bit, would ya?
Easier said than done.
“Mr. Walker?”
Curtis lifted his gaze from his phone. He glanced over at the door to see a nurse standing there, smiling at him. “Mrs. Walker is ready for you to come back now.”
He shot up out of his chair, shoving his phone back in his pocket as he fought the urge to run. His old-ass legs wouldn’t get him there that fast, anyway, but his brain didn’t seem to realize that.
Lorrie felt better than she had in forever. Lighter maybe. Even now, as she positioned herself in the hardback chair, waiting for Curtis to come into the room to get her and for the nurse to return with a prescription for more antibiotics.
The doctor had said it’d all gone well, only a minor hiccup with the procedure, but nothing that she needed to worry about. He’d told her she shouldn’t feel any discomfort while he removed the stent and for her to lie still, which she’d done. So when she’d felt a slight stabbing feeling, she had flinched and cried out. The doctor had looked up at her, his smile forced as he explained that he’d nicked her bladder with whatever tool he’d used to remove the stent, causing a slight tear, but the oral antibiotics she was on would ensure no infection, and he’d get her a refill for a few more days to make sure. Since the doctor didn’t seem worried, neither was she. The only thing she wanted to do was get out of there.
When Curtis walked in, she smiled at him, ensuring he knew she was okay.
“Hey, darlin’,” he greeted, moving toward her slowly as though he was scared she would break. “How’re you feelin’?”
“Perfect,” she told him, getting to her feet. “Better than perfect. I was thinking maybe you could take me to dinner tonight.”
“Anything you want,” he told her, the lines on his face easing somewhat. He glanced around. “Are you all done? Did the doctor say anything?”
“I’m just…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence when the nurse scurried in, handing her a sheet of paper. Lorrie promptly thanked her and was told she was free to go.
“Looks like we’re good to go,” Lorrie told Curtis.
“Well, then.” Curtis’s face lit up as though that was a relief he hadn’t been expecting.
After grabbing her purse from the counter, she allowed Curtis to take her hand and lead her out of the small room. They stopped at the reception desk to ensure they didn’t need to do anything more. The kind woman reminded her that the doctor said to call if she had any issues. Lorrie hoped she wouldn’t have to call. She just wanted this to be behind her. Being sick for months on end had been a nuisance she was ready to be rid of.
Forty-five minutes later, they were seated in a booth at Mama’s Diner, Curtis beside her with glasses of iced tea in front of them. The small restaurant was relatively busy for a Friday afternoon. The sounds of silverware clinking along with the soft drone of conversation were music to her ears. For nearly two weeks, Lorrie hadn’t ventured out of the house unless it was to go to church.
“Are you really feeling better?” Curtis asked as he stacked the menus, pushing them to the far side of the table. Didn’t matter what day they went to the diner, they always ordered the special, so there wasn’t any decision-making necessary.
“Much,” she assured him. And it was no less than the truth. She felt like a brand-new person. No pain, no discomfort. And most of all, no strange medical devices on, or in, her body.
Curtis leaned over and kissed her temple. “I’ll call the boys when we get home. Let ’em know you’re all right.”
“You could just send them a text.” Lorrie knew Curtis wasn’t all that fond of texting, but she liked giving him a hard time about it. She had ensured that she kept up with the times, though Travis still enjoyed giving her crap when she messed things up, sending him texts on accident from time to time. Little did he know, but sometimes she did that on purpose. Accidentally on purpose.
Curtis frowned. “You know I ain’t good with that stuff.”
He would’ve been if he’d ever given it a chance, Lorrie thought. But if Curtis wanted to call the boys and tell them, she would let him.
“You want me to mention Sunday dinner?”
For the past two Sundays, Lorrie hadn’t felt up to having a house full of people, so she’d had to let them all down. She could only remember a handful of Sundays when they hadn’t all gotten together to share a meal since the boys had started moving out, and though it had only been two weeks, Lorrie missed them all terribly.
“Yes. Maybe Zoey can come over and help me cook.”
“I’m sure she’d be happy to.”
“Then it’s settled.” Lorrie was looking forward to things getting back to normal now that she felt better. “Maybe we can go out and check on the horses when we get home.”
Curtis’s gaze held a hint of concern. “You sure?”
“I wouldn’t mention it if I wasn’t.” Lorrie smiled at him. “And then, if you’re nice, maybe I’ll give you a little surprise at home.”
That wicked gleam she’d seen for the past five decades was back, and it still had the same effect on her now. People who claimed sex after a certain age wasn’t possible hadn’t been with a Walker man, that was for sure.
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” he said tenderly.
“You won’t, I promise. I’m all fixed up. The doctor told me so.”
“Then we’ll do whatever you want, darlin’. Whatever you want.”