Chris gave him a mock salute as he stepped out of the tent. “You got it.”
I moved in closer, wrapping my arms around Beckett’s waist. “The tides are already shifting.”
We’d had a handful of patients this morning—more than I’d expected—and the first-aid station was getting steady business. Somehow, having someone look at a cut or burn felt safer than diagnosing a potential disease, but Beckett would get there. His kindness and no-B.S. attitude would win people over.
Beckett brushed his lips against my temple. “I hope you’re right.”
A woman with gray hair, who looked to be in her fifties, poked her head into the tent. “I heard you were here, but I didn’t believe it.”
It took me a few moments to place the woman in front of me. It was the long, flowing skirt and dozens of jangling necklaces that finally did it. “Ginny?”
Her smile widened, and she stepped inside. “I kept hearing whispers that Allen’s daughter had run off, but I didn’t dare to hope. Then I heard you were helping out some fancy-pants city doctor here today.”
“I’m from Wolf Gap,” Beckett said, amusement lacing his tone.
Ginny shrugged. “You still got a city feel to you.”
Beckett’s brow furrowed as he looked down at me. “I’m not city, am I?”
I chuckled. “Maybe a bit. You do have that fancy motorcycle.”
“Motorcycles aren’t city.”
“Fine, you’re still a little fancy, though.”
He let out a little growl but just shook his head.
Ginny’s gaze jumped back and forth between us. “I can see quite a bit has changed.”
I brought my focus back to the woman who had been my mother’s best friend. Dad had never liked Ginny, so we’d only seen her in town or on days when Mom knew for sure that Dad would be out all day. After my mom had left, Ginny had come by a few times to drop off some food and to check on me, but those visits had come less and less frequently. I didn’t think I’d seen her in over two years now.
That reminder had a little of the smile dropping from my face. I had no idea why Ginny was here now. I didn’t think she was my dad’s fan, but I didn’t trust anyone from my old world when it came to that.
Ginny’s voice dropped. “I’m glad you got away.”
Beckett’s body locked next to mine. “If you’re so glad, why didn’t you try to help her when she was in that hellhole?”
“Beckett—”
Ginny waved me off. “The boy has a point.” She turned to me, her expression full of regret. “I should’ve tried harder.”
She should’ve. Though I didn’t know what it would’ve done. Child Protective Services had come once a couple of years after my mom had left. They’d believed the act my father put on, hook, line, and sinker. And I’d been far too terrified of him to tell them the truth.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” Beckett argued.
I turned to face him, squeezing his arms. “Give me a minute?”
He glared at Ginny, but his expression softened as he brought his focus back to me. “You sure?”
“You’ll be right next door. I’m fine.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Here if you need me.”
“You always are.” That knowledge was both terrifying and comforting. I was beginning to get used to having Beckett to lean on. But neither of us had any idea what the future would hold. Maybe after a couple of years with his family, Beckett would want to leave to travel the world again. I forced myself to release my hold and watch him walk away.
Ginny let out a low whistle. “That’s some young man you’ve got there.”