Winds of Fortune Read Free Page A

never be filled if Reese did not come home. “I love you.”
    “Me too,” Reese whispered. Reluctantly, she let Tory go and glanced around the house. “So where’s the party?”
    “Jean is picking up some last minute things at the store,” Kate said, referring to her lover. “Pia called a little while ago and said she and KT were on their way. I assume you know where Bri and Nelson are?”
    “Oh hell,” Tory muttered. “I wonder if anyone called Pia and told her Joey was hurt.”
    “What’s the matter with Joey?” Reese asked, stopping near the closet where she stored her gun belt.
    “I’m not sure, exactly. Deo brought him into the clinic just as I was leaving.” Tory unclipped her cell phone from her waistband. “I’d better track Pia down and let her know.”
    “Let me know what?” Pia Torres said as she came through the door holding hands with her lover, Dr. KT O’Bannon. She hefted the bottle of wine she carried in her other hand. “Let me dump this in the kitchen.”
    KT, tall, dark-haired, and roguishly good-looking, kissed Tory on the cheek. “Hi, Vic.”
    Tory smiled at the old nickname and felt KT studying her. KT could read her face better than anyone in the world except Reese. There had been a time when KT had been her world, before the wild and wildly attractive surgeon had strayed one too many times and finally crushed Tory’s innocence. Now, KT had found Pia, a woman who gave her the freedom she needed never to leave. Pia embraced the dangerous parts of KT that Tory hadn’t been able to, and in recognizing that, Tory had finally been able to accept how much goodness there was in her ex-lover and how much love they still shared.
    “Deo brought Joey into the clinic just as I was leaving,” Tory said as Pia walked over. “He had some kind of accident with a saw at work. Nita’s evaluating him.”
    “Oh my God.” Pia grabbed KT’s arm. “I have to go over there. I don’t want my mother to hear anything until I know what’s going on.”
    “It’s okay, babe. Nita’s good.” KT slid an arm around Pia’s waist, “Come on, we’ll go right now. I’ll drive.”
    “I’ve got the cruiser,” Reese said. “I’ll take you, Pia.”
    “You’ll take us both,” KT corrected.
    “Actually, you’ll take all of us,” Tory said, hurrying to join the group. She called over her shoulder to Kate, “I’ll update you as soon as I can. Keep the ice cream cold.”

Chapter Two

    “Nita,” Tory said quietly from the door. “Can you talk?”
    Surprised, Nita looked up from examining Joey’s hand and swiveled on the short metal stool to face Tory. “Back already? What’s up?”
    “Joey’s sister is here. Do you mind if she comes in to see him?” Tory nodded to Deo. “Hi, Deo.”
    “Crap,” Joey muttered. “I told you we should call her.”
    “Jesus, Joey,” Deo scoffed. “Did you want me to call your mommy too?”
    Ignoring the back-and-forth behind her, Nita gestured to Joey’s hand draped in sterile towels on the table. She had yet to repair the damage and it didn’t look pretty. “She might want to wait until we get him cleaned up a little bit more.”
    “Pia is a hand therapist. She’ll be fine with it,” Tory explained.
    Nita raised her eyebrows. She didn’t mind family in the room when she was working. Medical personnel, however, sometimes took special handling, because they usually wanted to direct the treatment. This sounded like one of those situations.
    “KT’s here too.” Tory looked mildly chagrined.
    “Ah,” Nita said, the pieces suddenly falling into place. She’d worked with KT a few times right after Reese had been captured in Iraq and Tory had needed extra help in the clinic. She recalled now Randy mentioning over lunch one day that KT’s lover was an occupational therapist in town. “Well, you might as well all come on in.”
    After covering Joey’s hand with moist gauze, Nita rose and stripped off her gloves. Then she went to intercept the