And it really was every female. The man didn’t discriminate. Old, young, fat, thin, gorgeous, or homely—they were all charmed by Zep Guidry and his ridiculously bright smile.
“He’s not that bad,” Armie said. “He’s good at playing up his bad reputation, but I don’t think he’s earned it lately.”
“He went to prison, Armie.” She admitted the real reason she worried Zep was a problem. She’d learned about his trouble in Arizona after she’d come to town. It hadn’t stopped her from making the mistake of spending the night with him, but it had added to her guilt.
“He was young and not so smart. Has he ever talked to you about it?”
“I read his sheet.” She’d been so sick when she’d read his storied history with law enforcement.
“You can read someone’s record and not understand the history behind it.”
“He wrote a bunch of hot checks. And they weren’t his checks.”
“Yes, he did something bad and he served a couple of months in jail in Arizona. I think it was actually six weeks with good behavior. I know he sometimes gets in fights or has too much beer or doesn’t pay his tickets, but did you ask why he didn’t pay those tickets?”
“I don’t have to. I’m sure he spent his money on beer.”
“Up until a couple of months ago, he was still helping his sister pay her medical bills from his nephew’s birth. I only know that because Lila’s sister is married to Zep’s brother. The family’s had a rough couple of years, especially on the monetary front. Zep’s put almost everything he’s made into paying off those bills. Just remember that when you deal with him. He’s not so bad.”
She knew he cared about his family. She didn’t like to think about him being selfless. It was far easier to view him the way he seemed to want the world to—as a careless, charming player who ambled through life, but Armie’s revelations were making her think. What if there was an actual heart under all his good looks? That would make him even more dangerous. “I can work with him.”
She wouldn’t have to do it often. She could handle it.
The door opened and Lila walked in. “I’ve got good news and bad news. You do have a concussion, but it’s minor and my brother says the rest of your brain looks great. So you’ll be fine, but I either need to send you to the hospital for observation for the day or someone needs to stay with you.”
“I’ll be fine.” She wasn’t about to go to the hospital. No way. “Just give me some instructions and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll be completely in my hair because, like I said, I need to know someone is watching you for the next twelve hours,” Lila explained. “I can do that by driving you an hour and a half to the hospital, checking you in, and then having someone pick you up late in the evening. Or you can have a friend stay with you today. I would tell you to hang out here at the clinic, but we’re closed this morning. I’m going to Noelle’s science fair. If we can ever trick another NP to come down here, well, we’ll still be closed sometimes.”
It was weird since hospitals didn’t close in New York, but this clinic was the nearest thing they had to a hospital in Papillon. Lila would definitely insist on driving her since she wasn’t even letting her lie on the couch by herself. There was no way Lila would let her get behind the wheel.
“I swear I’ll be cool,” she promised. “I’ll sign one of those forms and everything will be okay. I don’t mind signing it.”
“You want to sign an AMA?” Lila’s eyes had widened slightly but not in a surprised way. Nope. Roxie knew that look. It was the “dumbass said what” look.
“You’re not leaving against medical advice,” Armie declared with a frown.
She didn’t have anyone to call. She quickly went through the short list of people she knew well enough to ask for a favor. She pretty much only knew the guys she worked with. She worked and then went home. She got the occasional beer, and sometimes she hung out with Lila. That was the sum of who she might be able to ask.
Major was working. He would have been called in to take over the rest of her shift and his own. Armie would be at his daughter’s school event. Vince would be working with Major, and the fourth deputy, Chris, had recently hired on and was moving today.
The door opened and Zep walked in, Daisy on a leash, though she obviously wasn’t trained. She squirmed and strained against the leash the minute she got in the room.
“Sorry, I wanted to make sure you were all right before I head into Houma,” he said. “Also wanted to give you the chance to say good-bye to Daisy.”