The Curl Up and Dye by Sharon Sala Read Free Book Online

classmate and started issuing orders.
    “Lonnie, get me some help! Mike is unconscious!”
    Every angry comment Officer Lonnie Pittman had been planning to deliver shifted into nervous energy as he dashed into the ER, coming back moments later with a doctor, a nurse, and two orderlies pushing a gurney.
    “What happened?” the doctor said, as they dragged Mike’s bloody body out of the car.
    “He fell in the shower. I don’t know how long ago, because he’d lost a lot of blood by the time he called me. It was a bad fall so he may have internal injuries, too. He has cuts and scratches all over his upper torso. Don’t know about the rest of him because he was wearing blue jeans when I showed up. All I know is that the shower door was Plexiglas and it was in pieces.”
    “Are you his wife?” the nurse asked.
    The question startled Lily. She’d never thought of Mike in that way. “No, but…I guess I’m the closest thing to family here in Blessings. We grew up next door to each other and still live in the same houses.”
    “Follow me inside. Maybe you can help with some of his medical history.”
    Her voice was beginning to shake. “I need to move the car.”
    “I’ll do it,” Lonnie offered. “Meet you inside.”
    Lily followed behind as they wheeled Mike in. Her heart was hammering so hard that it was difficult to catch her breath, and she couldn’t look at the blood on her clothes without wanting to cry.
    Mike was the invincible one. Seeing him so pale and still brought back memories of her daddy’s heart attack. He had gone from the emergency room to the funeral home in less than two hours, and this was a horrible reminder of that day.
    After giving them all the pertinent information regarding age, birth date, address, and so on, she referred them to Mike’s family doctor for medical info. It was all she could do. Before she knew it, they were wheeling him into surgery.
    Lonnie Pittman found her in the surgery waiting room. When he handed her the car keys, her hands were shaking so hard that she dropped them twice before she got them in her pocket.
    “I’m sorry I was speeding,” she whispered.
    “Yeah, well, unusual circumstances and all that, but damn it to hell, LilyAnn, don’t ever do that again. Call an ambulance next time.”
    She nodded.
    He sighed. “Is there someone you want me to notify? Does he have a girlfriend? Maybe his pastor?”
    “No girlfriend,” she said, and then frowned. “At least none that I know of. I’ll call his parents as soon as I know what to tell them.”
    “Where do they live?”
    “Denver, Colorado. They moved there after his dad retired. That’s where his sister’s family lives.”
    “Okay. Well, remember what I said.”
    Unaware there were tears on her cheeks, she looked up.
    “I will, and thank you.”
    He patted the top of her head. “You’re welcome, LilyAnn. Hope he’s okay.”
    She didn’t know when Lonnie left. Her gaze was fixed on the doors at the far end of the hall. Mike had to be okay. She couldn’t imagine life without him somewhere in it.

Chapter 4

    In a town the size of Blessings, word spread fast about Mike Dalton’s accident. Within an hour, customers and friends alike began showing up in the waiting room to check on his condition. Seeing LilyAnn sitting there with her clothes covered in blood just made the situation worse. The fear on her face set the tone for the room as silence grew.
    And then Ruby Dye showed up. Someone had asked for prayers for Mike Dalton at her church, and the moment service was over, she had headed for the hospital. When she saw LilyAnn and the shape she was in, Ruby gasped in horror.
    “Honey! What on earth happened? Are you okay? Is any of this yours?”
    It was the sympathy that did Lily in. She started to cry.
    “No, Sister, it’s all Mike’s. He slipped in the shower. He had a bad cut on his head, and they were talking about internal injuries.”
    “Well, bless his heart,” Ruby said. “Soapy