Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
The door opened, and a doctor in a white lab coat came in. Easy recognized him from his previous extended stay. He shook the man’s hand. “Is this your girlfriend?” he asked, taking Sarah’s hand as well.
“No. She’s my sister-in-law.”
Sarah grinned at him.
The doctor pulled up a chair and examined Easy’s prosthetic. “Is your socket hurting you?” he asked. “We’ve been through several already, but if this one’s not working we could try-”
“No, this one’s good,” Easy told him. “A little numb for the long rides but not too bad. It’s the most comfortable so far.”
The doctor nodded, checking the fit of the neoprene sleeve. “So, what are doing today?”
Easy took a deep breath. Sarah squeezed his hand. “I think... I think I’m ready for a custom prosthetic.”
Chapter 32
Daisy woke just before the alarm clock kicked on. Three weeks of early mornings had turned her into an early bird, an irritated early bird who might peck out your eyes. She stumbled to the shower, hoping for hot water. Her mama got off work just as Daisy was going on, and Daisy was faced with either getting up even earlier to shower comfortably or dealing with cold water. Neither option was all that appealing.
Joe was working her like a dog at the Silver Spoon, open to close five days a week. She was grateful, though, that he’d hired her back under the circumstances. And in case she wasn’t, Joe was quick to remind her that she should be. The pay was terrible, and the tips were at least as bad as she remembered. Worse, actually, since now they had the occasional ‘What does five bucks get me?’ written on the side, or similar.
She waffled between taking it or telling them to shove it up their asses. But in the end, practicality won out. The sooner she had some money saved, the sooner she could leave again. At this rate, though, she’d need a second job to be able to afford it. Opportunities were scarce in Delay already and there weren’t enough hours in the day as it was.
Matt had tried, without asking her, to get her a job at the processing plant. She was actually glad it hadn’t worked out, because the last thing she wanted was to feel beholden to the jerk. Her plan was to avoid Matt altogether until she blew town. With all her hours at the Spoon, and his hours at the plant, that actually seemed possible.
She’d ditched her phone when she’d come to town. There was no one left that she wanted to speak to, and mama had been grateful for the upgrade. So grateful, in fact, that she let Daisy stay in her old room basically rent free, although Daisy had to do all the cooking and cleaning to compensate. That wasn’t too bad a deal, until Daisy realized that her mama had apparently done no cleaning at all, possibly in the entire time Daisy had been gone. By the time Daisy got through the mess, she’d likely be ready to move again.
She washed her hair, toweled it dry, and threw on a pair of jean shorts that looked reasonably clean. Mama only let her borrow the car to take clothes to the laundromat just off Main Street, but Daisy couldn’t muster enough energy to go more than once a week. She pulled on her boots and headed out the door. Summer was scorching, but winter would be nice- at least it would be in Colorado. It would be as cold as Nebraska, she figured, but at least there would be more to do.
She trudged out of Vista Valley and down Main Street toward town. It was a decent walk over the train tracks, a little shorter than her daily trek to Maria’s had been. She frowned, not wanting to think about it. She could have made a good life for herself in Rapid City, but she could do that in Denver, too. She crossed the street and opened the door to the Silver. Grease hung thick in the air, and though Joe had banned smoking in the place almost ten years ago, it seemed that the smell of smoke would never truly go away.
She pulled her apron out from the shelf behind the counter and tied it on. Before she even finished, Cole Barton barked out, “Coffee!” as he came through the door.
Daisy refrained from rolling her eyes as she poured him a cup. The good Christian people of Delay, Nebraska had never treated her very well, even before she left. Things had only gotten worse since she’d returned. Tips were bad, even dismal. Last week someone left her a sermon instead of cash.
The farmers and plant workers filtered in, and Joe was too busy to yell at her, so that was something at least. Being busy helped fill the hours, if not her wallet, though the lulls between meals were brutal in their boringness. Daisy wiped down the tables and the counter, while Joe grudgingly fired her up a burger.