Charleston with a Clever Cougar: A Dance with Danger Mystery #6 Read Online Free Page A

That was
a good question, I thought. Forget about that pain. Push it away.
Think of the car insurance and car registration. In the glove
compartment. Your driver’s license. That’s in your wallet in your
pocketbook.
    “It’s okay,” the experienced medic promised
me. “Just rest. We’ll get you to the hospital and the doctors will
patch you up.”
    “The van!” I groaned with dismay. I had the
Henslacker wedding on Saturday. “How am I going to bake my
cakes?”
    “I’m so sorry,” Daisy sobbed.
    “Why?” There it was, that sharp tone again.
The man leaned past me and focused on the young girl. “Don’t you
know it wasn’t your fault? That driver sped up before he struck you
from behind. I saw the whole thing. You did nothing wrong.”
    “Really?” I could hear the hope in her
voice.
    “Really. Here come the EMT’s.”
    Three hours later, I was driven home from the
emergency room by Walter Jackson, my morning guy, the man who came
in to Cady’s Cakes at five every morning to get things going at the
shop. Daisy had insisted on staying with me, and now she wanted to
fuss over me. I just wanted to go to bed and let my head stop
spinning. The doctor had prescribed a muscle relaxant and at the
moment, all my bones had melted, leaving only a Gumby-like
structure to hold up my aching body.
    “I might be a little late,” I warned Walter,
“but I’ll be at work tomorrow.”
    “Boss, I can handle it with Darlene. Why
don’t you take some time to rest?”
    “Too much to do,” I insisted. I was thinking
about the special orders that needed to be filled.
    “Maybe you could come in later in the day,
after you get some rest.”
    “Maybe.” At the moment, the pain was about to
drop me to my knees, and I had only gotten as far as the bottom
step of the front entry. I gritted my teeth, took a deep breath,
and started climbing. Carole joined us just as Daisy produced my
keys from her pocket and opened the door. I couldn’t wait to sink
down on my sofa and just forget about everything. But that was not
to be. Walter and Daisy accompanied me up the stairs to the second
floor.
    “We should get you to bed,” Carole insisted.
“Daisy, find Cady a nightgown. I think we can take it from here,
Walter.”
    “You sure?”
    “Positive,” she responded, sounding quite
confident.
    “Don’t you worry about the shop, Cady. I’ll
take care of everything until you’re back on your feet.”
    “Oh, I’ll be fine in the morning. The doctor
said it was only bruises and contusions.”
    I caught the three of them exchanging
glances. Walter patted my hand on the way out.
    “Trust me, boss. I can handle it. We won’t
embarrass you.”
    “We?”
    “I’m going to help him,” Daisy announced.
    “It’s a school day,” I pointed out. “And you
can’t afford to miss any time. Your education comes first.”
    “I only have half a day tomorrow. School
assembly. I’m not missing anything important. Besides, you need my
help.”
    “How about if I handle the cash register from
eight to eleven?” Carole offered. “I just have to pour coffee and
bag muffins, right? I can handle that, especially if Darlene will
be there. Daisy can take over when she gets out of school.”
    “I can’t ask you to work for me,” I told
Carole, shaking my head. “You’ve got to conserve your energy.”
    “I’m fine. Besides, it’s about time I was
able to do something good for you, after all the help you’ve given
me and my kids. I won’t take no for an answer.”
    I looked at that face and instantly
recognized her expression. She was no longer “Cancer Carole”. She
was a woman on a mission, to help me keep my business afloat. That
purpose gave her strength she hadn’t shown in a long time. Maybe it
wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
    “Only if Darlene is there, too. And Daisy
can’t miss any classes. I don’t want to be responsible for her not
going to college!”
    “You let me worry about my kid and your
shop,” Carole