Buchanan: Delicious Part 57

"Some belly you got there," he said when he saw her.

She smiled. "Gee, thanks."

He patted the cus.h.i.+on next to him in the colorful, plant-filled room. "Just trying to distract you. There's no reason to worry."

"So everyone keeps saying. I'm not worried. Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. This is all so strange. Three months ago I hadn't spoken with Cal in ages and now..."

"Now you're in a hospital waiting for him to have a simple procedure that may save the life of a child you never knew about?"

"That's a very nice summary."

Reid leaned back in the sofa and picked up a paper cup of coffee. "Does his willingness to help Lindsey make you mad?"

She considered the question. "Not mad. I want her to be fine. And there was never any choice. Cal's a good man. Of course he would do this."

"But?"

"But...why wasn't he like this with me?"

"When you lost the baby?"

She nodded. Why hadn't he cared more? Why hadn't he been willing to open his heart to their child? "There's so much he didn't tell me, so much he wouldn't say. He's not very forthcoming, emotionally."

"Does that matter?"

It shouldn't. She and Cal weren't together. Not in that way. And yet...

"I don't have an answer," she said. "Let's change the subject."

"Okay. We could talk about how good-looking I am."

"There's a topic that could fill hours."

He smiled smugly. "Yes, it could. It's also one of my favorites. You start."

She laughed. "No, thanks. Have you talked to Naomi lately? She's been off doing stuff. I haven't seen her much."

"She and Walker were in the bar a couple of weeks ago. I haven't seen them since."

"I know she has a lot on her mind. She's mentioned she might be leaving." Penny thought about what Naomi had told her about having a family back in Ohio. "I understand she had a life before she came here, but I don't want her to go. Gee, suddenly everything seems to be about me." She sighed. "I'll miss her."

"She's been a good friend to you."

"I know. You're great, too, but you don't do the girl stuff really well. You never want to talk about pedicures."

"Or body waxing."

Penny smiled. "That, too."

Dani walked into the waiting room. "Has he already gone in?"

"A few minutes ago," Reid said as he stood. "How's my baby sister?"

"I've been better, but I'm surviving." Dani hugged Reid, then smiled at Penny. "So, is that offer still open?"

"Sure. You want to come be my roommate?"

Dani sank down in Reid's seat and nodded. "If you don't mind. I need to get out of the apartment as soon as I can."

"How about right now? We can go get a key made while Cal's still under anesthesia and you can move your stuff this afternoon. I'm going to be staying with him for a couple of days so you'd have the house to yourself while you settle."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It'll be fun."

"Okay, then I say yes. I appreciate this so much."

Penny stood. "Reid, call me if anything happens. I have my cell on."

He raised his eyebrows. "Moving back in together. That's interesting."

"Oh, please. The man is having bone marrow sucked out of his hip. He's going to have bruises the size of Utah and feel like he was. .h.i.t by a truck. I don't think you have to worry about anything happening."

Unfortunately.

CAL TRIED to get comfortable on the chair, but it wasn't happening.

"If you'd take the Tylenol, like the doctor said, you wouldn't be suffering," Penny called from down the hall.

He shook his head. How the h.e.l.l had she known he was in pain? Women were a mystery.

"I'm fine," he yelled back.

"You're lying."

He heard footsteps on the hardwood floor of the hallway, then she stuck her head in the living room. "I'm getting you the pills right now and I'm going to loom over you until you take them. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She grinned. "Respect. I like that. Be right back."

When she returned, she was true to her word, standing over him until he'd dutifully swallowed the two pills.

"I wrote down the time so we'll know when you can take more," she said.