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There are quite a few trucks and cars parked at the top of Josephine's driveway and in the gravel lot next to the barn, as well as people milling about, cleaning up and working on various projects. Already, the place is looking more like a destination than a home, with paths cleared and the front of the big barn power washed.
I don't bother knocking on Josephine's door. I barge right in. Quietly, in case Cherry's sleeping.
Unfortunately, Josephine's front door opens right into her den, where she's working on what looks like a nativity scene built out of gingerbread. She shrieks loud enough to wake all the devils in hell.
"Xavier," she says. "Why the hell didn't you knock? And why you all red-faced and sweaty?"
"I ran all the way here. Where is she? Is she sleeping?"
"Not anymore," Cherry yells from a nearby room.
I glare at Josephine. "You said she was sleeping. Why isn't she upstairs in a bed?"
"Because I wanted her near me, in case she needs anything." Josephine glares right back.
I don't care about her glares. I'm already heading in the direction of Cherry's voice.
I find her on a couch in another den-like room, about fifty pillows under her head, and her arm in a sling. There's a dark bruise spread over one cheekbone and she looks pale and drawn, her expression tight with pain.
I kneel on the floor next to her couch. "How are you feeling? How bad is it?"
Cherry smiles, then winces. "It's not that bad, Xavier. I just strained a shoulder muscle and bruised my arm really good. I'm going to be fine."
I reach out to touch her cheek, but pull my hand back. "Did you hit your head?"
She grabs my hand with her free one. "I landed on my shoulder and my face. Hard enough to lose consciousness for a few minutes, but I don't have a concussion. I'll just be ugly for a week or so."
"You could never be ugly."
Her eyes drift shut, and it's clear she has to work to force them open again.
"It's okay. You can sleep."
"No. How did your meeting go? What did you think of the…" She blinks sleepily. "My brain isn't working. You know what I mean."
"The location's not going to work. But don't worry about any of that. You should sleep."
"It's all these stupid pain meds," she says. "I told Josephine and the doctor I don't need them, but they insisted. I can't help with anything when I'm too tired to even get off this couch."
"You can't help anyone if you run around injured and hurt yourself worse. Sleep. I'll make sure everything's being done that needs to be done, okay?"
"Thank you." Her eyes fall closed. "Make sure the…" She doesn't finish the sentence, pulled under by the pills and her body's need for rest in order to heal.
My phone rings before I'm all the way out of Cherry's room. There are so many reasons I should check it. It could be a problem at the shop or the town or it could be Mitchell calling about more investors. There's so much I need to do, so many people counting on me, but Cherry matters more than all the rest.
I power off my phone and ask Josephine exactly what the doctor said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Cherry
"Are you sure you're feeling good enough to go to work?" Xavier asks for the five hundredth time as he pulls up Josephine's drive and parks in front of the big barn.
He's been amazing the past three days. He's barely left my side, no matter how many times I've told him I'm feeling better and can get around just fine on my own. I know it's been stressing him out not to be at the candy shop or the mayor's office or answering his phone. He won't tell me what's going on with his candy store expansion, because he says he doesn't want me to worry. So, of course, I'm worrying more. If it's good news, he would have told me.
"I feel great." I unbuckle my seatbelt and twist in the seat to look at him. There are big bags under his eyes and stress lines his face, making him look far older than his actual thirty years. He won't admit it, but I know he's been staying up all night working from home while I've slept.
"Promise you won't overdo it. The doctor says if you re-injure that shoulder, it could take months to heal."
