Page 81 of Colton’s Inferno

Lucy started to walk. “Oh?”

“It’s the insurance. Remember last year when we signed up for new policies? Well, now the coverage won’t pay for rehab. And it’s six weeks, Luce. Damn near ten grand a week.”

“Sixty thousand dollars?” She reached the corner and turned around. “Can we set up a payment plan or something?”

“I didn’t ask about that,” said her grandfather. “But I did ask if I could do rehab at home and it’s not an option. I have to do physical therapy and occupational therapy two times a day. It wouldn’t make sense to send someone out to the ranch for all that.”

“It would probably cost just as much for all those home visits.” She stopped at the door to The Eatery. “And you’ll get better care at a facility, too.”

“Nancy might be able to loan me some of the money,” said Rusty. “But I don’t know how I’d pay her back.”

The question Who’s Nancy was caught on the tip of Lucy’s tongue. But then, she remembered her grandfather’s video chat with his lady friend. That brought up another question. “You talked to Nancy about all this before discussing it with me?”

“I wanted to talk through my options with someone who’s, what d’you call it, objective. You are affected by any decision that I make.”

Turning, she continued to pace. As she walked past the restaurant, she glanced through the window. Aiden and Ted still sat at the table. A large bowl filled with salad was in front of Ted. He’d obviously ordered while she’d been outside. Stabbing the lettuce with the tines of his fork, Ted laughed. Aiden smirked and ate a fry. Lucy knew that Aiden had just told a joke, and her chest warmed with affection.

She wanted to begrudge her grandfather’s new relationship with Nancy. But she couldn’t—not when she was falling for Aiden.

“You still there?” asked Rusty.

“Yeah, I’m still here.” She walked to the end of the block and leaned on the crosswalk post. “Are you and Nancy that close? I mean, even half of the money for rehab is still a lot of money.”

“She’s the first woman who’s made me happy since your grandmother died,” he said.

“Gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean.”

The thing was, Lucy did know. She pushed off from the light and strode back toward The Eatery. “Do you love her?”

“I’d like to find out how I feel about her. How she feels about me.”

“Does that mean that she’ll come back to North Dakota?” she asked.

“I was thinking more that I’d go to her in Florida.”

His words hit her like a punch to the middle. Her eyes started to water, and she couldn’t draw a breath.

“For a visit,” she said, her voice a wheeze.

“To start with,” said Rusty. And then, “I don’t want you to feel like I’m abandoning you. But this brush with death…” He blew out a long breath. “Well, I’ve got a few more years of life to live, it seems.”

How was she supposed to keep the ranch running with her grandfather in Florida? She wanted to scream. She wanted to cuss. She thought she might retch. Was it Rusty’s news? Or was Lucy having her first wave of morning sickness? She didn’t know when symptoms started.

Ahead was the restaurant. The window. Ted continued to eat his salad, and she saw her way out.

“Don’t borrow the money from Nancy,” she said with an exhale. There was really only one option left. It didn’t matter if it was the one thing she swore to never do. “I have another plan.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“Let me talk to some people,” she said. “I’ll let you know if it all works out in the morning.”

After ending the call, she shoved her phone into her pocket and walked toward the restaurant. She pulled the door open and stepped inside. The room was hot, and the scent of fried food hung in the air. She walked to the table and sat.

Aiden looked up from his plate. “Everything okay?”

Lucy swallowed and turned her gaze to Ted. “Can you get me a contract that says everything you’ve promised? The animal sanctuary. The access road to the Harris family cemetery. The extra hundred thousand dollars. All of it.”