Free Don't Mess With Texas by Christie Craig

asking for a minute and then spoke into the phone. “Nana? Pick up. Please,” the woman said, sounding almost panicked and then she paused. “Nana, where are you? I didn’t have good reception and the only thing I was able to hear was that there was lots of blood. Is someone hurt? I’m waiting to hear from you. Call me right back.” The woman punched a button on her phone and dropped her hand.
    LeAnn noted that the woman’s complexion looked pale. Well, of course she was sick. She was in a hospital gown. The wind kicked up a bit and the woman’s thin hospital gown shifted in the breeze. That’s when LeAnn noticed the blood dripping from the patient’s wrist.
    “Are you okay?” LeAnn motioned to the bloody appendage.
    “Just the IV,” the woman said. “I sort of forgot about it when I left.” She pointed back to the door. “The connection is bad in there.” She pressed her thumb over herwrist to staunch the bleeding and then stared down at the phone.
    LeAnn eyed the woman’s hand and decided her bleeding wasn’t fatal, but… “Maybe we should get you back inside.”
    “Not until I hear from my grandmother. I think something’s wrong.” The blonde looked up. “You have bird poop right…” She touched her cheek.
    “I know,” LeAnn said. “And you’re still bleeding. We should get you inside.”
    “In a few minutes. I’m sure she’ll call me back.” The woman swayed and quickly sat down on the bench seat. The pigeon in the tree cooed extra loud. The blonde looked up and LeAnn took a step back, not chancing a third hit.
    “I don’t know why they think it’s good luck.” The blonde refocused on her phone.
    “Me, either.” LeAnn wondered if she should get someone to help convince the woman to go back inside. “But I could use some luck.”
    “Me, too.” A hint of desperation sounded in her voice.
    “Bad day?” LeAnn asked.
    “Extra bad.”
    “Same here. I just had to face my estranged husband.” LeAnn wasn’t sure why she offered that information, other than she hoped to get the woman to trust her enough to come inside.
    “I could top that.” The woman closed her eyes. “I found—”
    The door from the hospital building swung open. For a second LeAnn thought it was Tony stepping out the door. Her heart dropped to her stomach, but shequickly recovered when she realized it was Dallas, her bother-in-law. But why was he here?
    “Dallas?” LeAnn said.
    He turned his gaze away from the blonde to LeAnn. “Oh, hey. I was… looking for Nikki.”
    The blonde stood up. But then her phone rang and she whipped around and answered the call. “Nana? What’s wrong? I only could hear part of what you were saying.”
    “You know her?” LeAnn asked Dallas.
    Dallas nodded but his attention stayed on the blonde and her phone conversation. Right then, another gust of wind blew past and flipped open the back of the patient’s hospital gown, exposing her backside.
    LeAnn looked at her brother-in-law, who was staring at the blonde’s ass. Then he glanced at LeAnn and shrugged as if to say he hadn’t meant to see it. But then, in typical male fashion, he cut his gaze back to get a second eyeful.
    Men!
LeAnn cleared her throat. Dallas winced.
    Fortunately, Nikki reached back and caught her gown while she continued talking. “What? I mean… is she okay?” The panic in the other woman’s voice caught LeAnn’s attention, or was it the fact that she swayed on her feet again? Either way, LeAnn, forever the nurse, moved in. But Dallas beat her to the woman’s side.
    “Where?” Nikki asked the caller, then holding a hand out to stop Dallas from grabbing her, she gripped the table. “What hospital?” There was a slight pause and then she turned around and dropped down on the bench’s wooden seat. “Okay. That’s where… I’m here now.”
    “How do you know her?” LeAnn asked Dallas, but he was too busy listening to the phone conversation to answer.
    “Yes,” Nikki continued. “I’ll