Free The Borrowed and Blue Murders (The Zoe Hayes Mysteries) by Merry Jones

been there to push us out of the way. There was no doubt; by whatever circumstances, by chance or coincidence, Bryce Edmond had saved our lives. And for that reason alone, he was now my responsibility. I wasn’t sure what that meant. But at the very least, it meant I would stay there, keeping a vigil for him.
    Luke’s tummy got full, and he fell asleep. I tucked him into his carriage, dug around in the diaper bag for my cell phone and called Nick to tell him where I was and why. Alarmed, he came right over, insisting on taking us home. But I refused to budge. So while Luke napped, Nick and I both took seats opposite the man in the wheelchair, and after I explained to Nick what had happened, we stayed there, cell phones turned off, staring at the wall or the television hanging from the ceiling or the sleeping baby or our joined hands.
    A few hours later when Bryce Edmond’s brother and sister-in- law arrived, we were still sitting in the waiting room, waiting for news.

N INETEEN
    B RYCE FINALLY CAME OUT of surgery, but he was still unconscious, and his condition was critical. Gavin and Petra Edmond thanked us and promised to call as soon as there was any news. And just six hours after I’d begun my walk, Nick, Luke and I headed home. The lump on my head thumped a dull, persistent throb, and my vision was still not right. All I wanted was to disappear upstairs in a steamy scented bath. But as Nick pulled into a parking spot across the street from the house, I realized that the bath would have to wait. Anna, the wedding planner, was standing on the front porch in her high heels and Capri stretch pants, waiting. Even before we got out of the car, she started squawking.
    “Where have you been, Zoe? You were supposed to meet me here forty-five minutes ago!”
    I looked to Nick for support, but he darted out of the car and hid behind the open trunk, getting the carriage out of the Volvo. So I waved at Anna and, pulling myself out the passenger side and Luke out of his baby seat, crossed the street to face her.
    “Have you forgotten that your wedding is just six days away?” Anna met us at the curb, holding up six fingers, to demonstrate the number. “Six days. That’s all. We have deadlines to meet. Weddings don’t just happen by themselves. They take work. The chef needs final numbers. The florist needs a final decision. The cake—my God—you still haven’t chosen the cake. I picked your dress up, but you should try it on again so they can make adjustments if they have to….”
    She ranted on, and I watched her pink lips moving, emitting a jumble of noise. Somehow, I’d become completely detached from the wedding, didn’t even mind saying the word anymore. The wedding was a detail; it wasn’t important. Not when cars could come flying off the curb in an eye blink, not when strangers got filleted in your backyard. But Anna kept on ranting.
    “…unacceptable, Zoe—I’ve never had a bride as uncooperative as you are. If not for your houseguests, I’d have left half an hour ago. I simply can’t work like this. Without your full cooperation, I—”
    “How are you, Anna?” Nick interrupted. Finally, he’d rolled the empty carriage across the street. Eyes on Anna, he took Luke from my arms.
    Anna had stopped her harangue mid-sentence, mouth open. Taken aback by Nick’s good cheer, she tried to curl her bright red snarl into a smile.
    “Fine, just fine, Nick. Except that—”
    “Well, that’s good, Anna. Because, as it happens, Zoe’s not very well. Zoe’s had a rough couple of days, and she can use your support.”
    Anna’s mouth opened as if she were about to speak, but she didn’t.
    Nick lowered his voice and leaned toward her, speaking confidentially. “We’re just coming from the hospital,” I heard him say. And I heard the phrase “hit-and-run.”
    Anna shook her head. “Oh my. How horrible.” She covered her mouth with her French manicured fingers, looking from Nick to me, and back to