Butterfly Bayou (Butterfly Bayou 1)

“Thanks, but I think I’m going to stay here and make a couple of lists of things I’ll need.” She knew Lisa would come get her, and she would likely be more than willing to go and shop, but she couldn’t face her sister right now.

She wondered if she could stay here. There was a perfectly nice on-call room. It wasn’t normally used because the clinic wasn’t open twenty-four-seven, but there was a cot and a bathroom with a shower. There was a fridge and a microwave in the break room.

The bell that let them know someone was at the entrance chimed through the clinic.

It might be her sister. She’d told Lisa she would call when she needed help, but Lisa wasn’t all that great at listening. She moved toward reception, Mabel and Peanut trailing after her.

A familiar young woman stood on the other side of the glass doors, bags in her hands and a stroller at her side. Hallie Rayburn smiled and Lila opened the doors.

“Hey, Hallie. Is everything okay with your mom?” Neither Hallie nor the baby had an appointment. She’d heard Janice was doing well now that she was home from the hospital, though she wasn’t happy about not being able to pour butter over all her vegetables. She’d gotten an earful about fried chicken not being on the list of acceptable foods Lila had given her.

“She’s okay, though I will admit she was easier to deal with when I could tell her I was hungry to get her off my back for a while. Now that she’s on the heart-healthy diet, she’s all about getting in my business. But I’m here for another reason. Me and Seraphina went around and got you some things we thought you might need. Dixie told us you were back in the clinic after last night, and we figured you wouldn’t have time to go shopping. It’s nothing much but it should cover the basics.”

There were a couple of big bags sitting by the stroller. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Oh, it was a ton of fun, and once people heard we were going, they pitched in with some cash. The insurance might take a while, so we all know you’ll need a few things. It can be hard to get adjusters out here quickly. Besides, we got to drive into Houma to go to the new superstore there. I know it’s not anything special, but they have the basics. We got you jeans and undies and bras. I know it sounds weird but I’m excellent at discerning bra size. My husband says I was a perverted man in my last life. You’re a thirty-four B.”

She was. Lila nodded, still trying to figure out what was going on.

Hallie grinned, obviously pleased with herself. “There’s shampoo, conditioner, and Miss Marcelle threw in some anti-frizz gel. We got you some makeup, too. You’re definitely a fall. That was the color palette I got you. I also bought you socks. Socks are important. I hate it when my feet are cold.”

They’d bought her makeup? She didn’t know these women very well, but they’d gone out of their way to ensure she had little comforts? “This is very nice of you.”

“Well, you saved my baby. You also saved my momma’s life. It happened recently enough that I’m still grateful, so bask in the attention, Doc. And there’s also the fact that you’re here. I know I wasn’t easy on you that first day, but I feel better about Gracie’s future knowing that you’re here and you’re going to do everything you can to make sure she stays healthy. If you hadn’t taken over the clinic, we would have to drive an hour to get any kind of care. Thank you.”

The world went watery. No one outside of her siblings had ever done something like this for her. She looked down into the bags. There were jeans and T-shirts, a package of plain white cotton undies and two bras. And there were socks. Fluffy, pink-and-purple unicorn socks.

Nothing designer or flashy. Nothing that said I’m successful.

A whole lot that said someone cares about me.

“We went by the pet section, too. We figure Peanut’s stuff didn’t survive, either,” Hallie explained.

They’d bought food for her dog.

“Hey, the waterworks are starting early,” a deep voice said. Armie. Armie was here and he looked so big and safe.

She threw herself into his arms and wrapped herself around him. “They bought me socks.”

“Does she not like socks, Sheriff?” Hallie asked.

Armie held her close. “I think she likes socks a lot. I bet it’s been a long time since anyone but her siblings tried to take care of her.”

That was wrong. She brought her head up so she could look him in the eyes. “You take care of me.”

The softest look came over his face. “Yes, I do, chérie. It’s all I want to do.”