Snakes Among Sweet Flowers (16 page)

Cam looked up and gestured toward the kitchen. “I got some beers if you want one.”

Jackson shook his head. “Still in my uniform and I have to drive home. I’m good.”

Cam nodded to his sofa. “Wanna watch something? I kinda get one channel, or I could put in a movie.”

Jackson laughed as he checked out the old TV and the VCR sitting below it. Did they even release movies on video cassette anymore? “Nah. I really need to get going.” Jackson backed toward the door and found Cam following him. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Jackson hoped that was enough talking and he could escape, but Cam grabbed his arm and pushed him against the wall beside the door.

Once close, Cam smiled, and Jackson was a little spellbound. Cam continued to move in, slow but steady, finally pressing himself full-body to Jackson and leaning in for a gentle kiss. “Relax, Sheriff. Just a little stress relief, right?”

Jackson nodded dumbly and was about to go in for another kiss when his cell phone went off in his pocket, causing him to jump and pull away, not stopping until he had crossed the entire living room like the person calling knew what he was doing or something.
Dammit!

Jackson ran a hand through his hair and answered the phone. “Jackson here.”

“Jackson, it’s Daddy. The Highway Patrol is calling for aid from the department. There’s been a bad accident out on the interstate, just south of our exit. I’m calling in off-duty officers to go help. You up for it?”

He knew his dad was asking if he was sober. That would be about the only reason he would get out of it, and the only reason Jackson would even consider not going. “Yeah, Dad. I can head that way right now unless they need equipment from the station.”

“James is taking the halogen lamps and extra flares. It’s bad from what I hear, Jackson, and the rain is supposed to last all night. Dress warm and be careful, son.”

“Yes, sir. Love you, Daddy.” Jackson hung up and looked up to find Cam listening.

“Is there a problem?” Cam asked.

“A big wreck on the interstate. I got to go,” Jackson answered, already working through what he might need for the evening.

“Hold on.” Cam rushed off up the stairs and Jackson frowned, confused.

“I really have—” Jackson was saying when thumping footsteps came back down the stairs.

Cam handed a couple of thermal undershirts over to Jackson. “I figure everything on top has to be regulation uniform, but this might help underneath. To keep you warm, I mean. And here.” He headed toward the kitchen and came back with a few energy bars and some bottled water.

“Thanks, Cam.” Jackson took the offerings. Thunder rumbled as he turned toward the door, the rain beating harder against the tin roof. It was going to be a long night, and Jackson wasn’t looking forward to it.

As Jackson stepped out on the porch, Cam said, “Be safe, Sheriff.”

Jackson smiled, then ran out into the rain.

CAM YAWNED
as he sat on the side of the bed. The morning was pale and gloomy, with a drizzle still falling after a night of heavy thunderstorms. He stood with a long stretch, then scratched his belly and headed for the shower and the start of his day.

As he made coffee and got down bowls for cereal, he considered what he would do with the kids all day. They would be disappointed they wouldn’t get to ride their bikes, and it was probably too moist in the old house to paint. Maybe he could take them to a movie.

As he watched the rain out the kitchen window over the sink, he remembered that Jackson had been out in the storms the night before. That had to have sucked.
People need to be more considerate and have their accidents in the light of day.
Cam chuckled at his absurdity.

When he heard a car’s tires on the gravel drive, Cam headed for the front door and threw it open. He wondered if Jackson had been home at all or if he was coming straight from whatever scene he’d been working. The kids piled out and ran for the porch, but Cam stood frozen in confusion as a police officer that was obviously not Jackson Rhodes climbed out from behind the wheel and walked toward him.

Cam glanced at the kids, who smiled as they clambered up the stairs. “Officer Rhodes had to work all night,” Luanne offered as she wiped her feet.

Okay, that made sense. Cam released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding and offered his hand to the policeman now stepping onto his porch. “How’s it going? Cam Sanders.”

The man shook his hand. “Leland Simmons. I brought them over.” He gestured to the door of the house, indicating the three who were no longer in sight. “But I don’t think I’ll make it back by to take ’em home. You gonna be able to handle it?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Cam replied. “So Jackson got the day off for his trouble, then?”

Leland frowned and looked down at his highly shined shoes. “Uh… I guess you haven’t been listening to the news or anything?”

Cam felt some body part wedge itself into his throat so tightly he couldn’t swallow, and he was sure he was going to choke. And yet he stood there without showing any sign of distress, just staring until Leland continued.

“They got the injured from the wreck cleared by midnight, but had the scene to work and all the cars to tow, road to sweep of debris, you know?” Leland ticked all the duties on his fingers as he leaned back against the post of the porch railing, but only for the moment it took him to realize the pillar was unstable and would likely dump him out into the muddy yard if he continued.

Cam needed a seat anyway, so he waved the officer to one of the rockers and they both took a load off. Cam waited for him to continue.

“Anyway, some driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his tractor trailer into the mess. It was bad. I don’t know all the details, but there are a few didn’t make it, including the trucker, I hear. Jackson is at Vernon Wiggins Medical Center off Highway 365 and it sounds like he ain’t gonna be transporting kids for a while. You may have to find another way of getting them here, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah, I will,” Cam replied. Right. Jackson Rhodes was just a policeman that ferried kids back and forth to his house, right? “Thanks for bringing them over.”

Leland stood. Cam followed suit and shook his hand again, then the man was gone, running across the lawn to his car. Cam watched as the police car backed out of the drive, then stared at the drizzle tapping against the leaves on the bushes in front of his dilapidated old house.

It was one of the mysteries of life as far as Cam was concerned. How could people like Jackson, the Evanses, and the kids in his house suffer, while people like Harold seemed bulletproof and unstoppable? It was so unfair. But then, he had learned that life was unfair. Cam felt bad for all the times he’d given Jackson a hard time. He imagined Jackson lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a dozen different machines, and his stomach turned.

He was still deep in thought when he heard a soft voice behind him. “Mr. Sanders?” Luanne said. “We already ate. You want us to start painting or something?”

Cam shook off his melancholy and turned toward her. “Nah. It’s too wet to be painting. You guys up for a road trip?” Cam wasn’t at all sure what he was doing, but he knew he needed to do something. “Officer Rhodes got hurt last night, and I thought we’d go visit him at the hospital.”

Luanne seemed shocked at the news, but she nodded quickly. “Okay. I never been to the hospital. Is he okay?”

Cam smiled at Luanne, although he didn’t much feel like it. “Yeah, that officer said he was good. Let’s get ready to go.”

THE HOSPITAL
was nicer than Cam had expected. Of course, his only recent experiences with hospitals were in prison, and those were about as dated as they came. The kids seemed just as interested in their surroundings, and were quiet like they were kinda scared of the big building. Cam had to admit the place was a little intimidating, especially when their footsteps echoed down the hallway as they approached a lady sitting behind a sign that read Information.

They paused in front of the desk with a bank of elevators beyond and found out that Jackson was in a room on the third floor. When they stepped into the elevator, Tony rushed to push the button that would take them to the right floor. In the enclosed space, the kids seemed more animated and obviously excited at this adventure. Cam smiled to see them having fun, even if this wasn’t such a happy occasion.

Signs outside the elevator pointed them in the right direction, but Cam slowed as he saw men in uniform standing around outside several of the rooms. It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong by being there, but he couldn’t simply erase all the old fears. He knew from experience that sometimes cops didn’t need a reason to fuck with someone. He wrapped his arms around the kids’ shoulders and guided them quickly past the officers and to the nurses’ desk farther down.

A harried-looking woman with a tag reading “Sandy” stood behind the counter, her attention on a file she was writing in. She glanced up at Cam, then down to the kids before holding up a finger for them to wait. She continued to scribble a moment before closing the file a little harder than was needed and taking a breath.

“May I help you?” she asked, the words sounding weary.

Cam gave her one of his best smiles and she seemed to perk a little, even smiling back. “Sandy, I brought these kids to visit Jackson Rhodes. They just want to see he’s okay and all.” He left out that he also wanted to see that the officer was alive and well. Cam knew he was leading the nurse to believe the kids were somehow related to Jackson and that was fine by him. Anything he needed to do to get them in.

Sandy took a moment, seeming to consider the request, then nodded. “His parents have been in with him, but I think they went to get some coffee. If you don’t stay long, I think it will be just fine.” She came out from behind the desk and headed for one of the rooms closest to the station. She walked as if she were in a race and planned on winning, causing Cam and the kids to rush to keep up.

But as she pushed the door open to allow them entry, Cam’s steps slowed then came to a halt. The kids stopped too and turned back in question.

“I….” Cam felt a bit panicked. “Is he… okay? For the kids to see, I mean?”

Sandy nodded. “He’s even awake. Well, kinda.” She laughed and walked farther into the room and beyond Cam’s line of sight, but he could hear her say “Mr. Rhodes? You up for some visitors?”

Cam heard a grunt that he could readily recognize as Jackson’s, so he stepped closer to get a look. The kids followed him into the room, and Cam smiled when he got a gander of Jackson all laid up in the bed, his eyes a little unfocused from the pain meds and his right arm in a big white cast.

Jackson gave what might have been a smile in return. He appeared a little embarrassed at his predicament but was trying his best to find the humor, at least the part of him that was aware enough.

“What happened, Sheriff? Wild Bart catch you with your pants down?”

Jackson snorted, and the kids piled a little closer, wanting to hear the story too.

“Truck hit a car and it hit me.” Jackson’s words were more than a little slurred, and Cam turned to the nurse, who was checking some machine, to make sure that was okay.

She nodded and mouthed, “Pain meds.” Then she left them to visit.

“So you broke your arm?” Cam figured that wasn’t really cause to be laid up with all these monitors hooked to him, but what did he know?

Jackson’s eyes popped open as if he’d almost fallen asleep, and he grinned like a lush on a bender. “Spleen was busted. Said I almost died or something. Broke some ribs and popped a lung.” His eyes started to close again, and then with one eye cocked funny, suddenly Jackson said, “Hey, kids! What are you doing here?”

Cam rolled his eyes at how loopy Jackson was. While the kids talked, Cam sat down in one of the chairs in the room and took a deep breath.
Wow!
While it sounded like Jackson had really been hurt, it appeared he was going to be okay. Cam discovered that meant a lot more to him than he thought it would.

“Is that pee?” Tony exclaimed, pointing at the catheter bag hanging off the side of the bed. The other kids turned in fascination and released a chorus of “Oh gross!” while Jackson snort-laughed.

Cam pushed himself out of the chair to tell the kids it was time to leave and stop embarrassing the hell out of Jackson, maybe give him a chance to rest, when the door to the room opened and a man and woman entered. From looks alone, Cam could tell the two were Jackson’s parents, and he felt weird being caught in the room with their son, even though he hadn’t snuck in or anything and he had all his clothes on.

Mr. Rhodes paused when he saw the visitors, then grinned at the kids. Jackson noticed his parents and said, “Mom, Dad, this is Camden Sanders. He brought these guys up to see me.”

Cam found himself the center of attention and gave his best smile. “Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, son. You can call me Walter. Everyone else does. And my wife is Pamela, but some call her Pam.” Mr. Rhodes clapped Cam on the shoulder, then turned back to his own son. “Everything okay in here?”

Mrs. Rhodes smiled and nodded at Cam but was obviously more concerned with Jackson. “How you feeling, darlin’? Need anything?”

“’M good, Momma,” Jackson said, never opening his eyes. “Yeah, just fine.” His lips curled into a close-lipped smile to rival that of a seriously tanked stoner.

“We’re gonna head out,” Cam announced, waving to the kids. Then he turned back to Jackson and his parents. “Think it would be okay if I dropped by again?” Cam wasn’t sure why he asked, what he thought he could do for the man that his own family couldn’t, but it was already out there and he couldn’t much unsay it.

“Actually, Mr. Sanders,” Walter started.

“Don’t you dare, Walter,” Pamela spoke over him. “We’ve discussed this. The trip is cancelled.”

Cam wasn’t sure what either of them was talking about. Jackson seemed to be trying to pry his eyes open to get in on the conversation, but for all Cam knew, he was going to interject something about manatees just being overweight mermaids or how weird the word
sandwich
sounded if you said it over and over.