A Promise Of Home (A Lake Howling Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

thought you were; he actually was.”
    Belle whooped with laughter and Doctor McBride chuckled.
    “All done with your head, Branna. Annabelle will take you to get an X-ray on that arm now, to check it doesn’t have more damage than we can see.”
    “Jake didn’t think it was broken, Doctor McBride,” she felt compelled to say, in case it persuaded the doctor to change her mind about the X-ray.
    “He’s probably right, but as I’m still the doctor around here and he insists on wasting his talents by putting those skillful hands of his into a gallon of motor oil each day, then we go with my instructions.”
    Branna’s head hurt too much to wade through the tension behind Doctor McBride’s words, especially as the fingers holding hers tensed briefly before relaxing again. Looking up, she saw that Jake was looking at his mother, his black eyes steady and unreadable.
    “Once she’s done there, Annabelle, get her settled in a bed.”
    “Bed? Why do I need a bed? Do you even have beds here?” She glared at Jake. “You told me this wasn't a hospital.”
    “Hospitals traditionally are big and smell sterile. As you know, this building is the size of a small house. Therefore, it is classed as a medical facility, Rosebud.” Jake helped her to her feet. “And you need a bed because someone will have to monitor you for the night.”
    “You took a bad head knock, Branna,” Doctor McBride added. “Annabelle will run through the instructions I expect you to follow soon, and when you leave, you’ll need to take it easy for a few days too. We’ll get you some pills for the pain, then Annabelle will keep you company through the night.”
    “No!” Branna moved away from Jake and the doctor. “Th-thank you for caring for me Doctor, but I’m not staying here overnight.”
    “Yes,” Jake stepped forward and took her arm before she’d made it to the door. “You’re doing exactly what the doctor tells you to, Branna.”
    She looked at his handsome face, saw the determination and strength and felt her heart sink.
    “I don’t want to.”
    “But you will.” He pushed aside the hair that had fallen over her cheek and his hand felt warm against her skin. “Care to tell me why you don’t want to stay?”
    “Because I—”
    “It’s all right, Branna,” Annabelle stepped forward. “Really, I’ll be here with you and we’ll catch up on the past ten years. You'll grovel some and then I'll forgive you, and we can start being bitchy about the townsfolk; it'll be like old times.”
    Jake released her as Annabelle took her arm and soon she was being directed down the hallway towards X-ray with her old friend at her side and her stomach filled with anxiety.
    She kept her eyes closed throughout the procedure, which didn’t hurt, but still caused the memories she had buried deep inside her to surface. She saw the lights, heard the words, felt the pain of those months she’d spent in the hospital all over again.
    Someone has to tell her soon that her mother’s dead.
    Branna had heard these whispered words while she lay in her hospital bed, her head floating from medication, her body broken.
    “All done Bran, now we’ll get you settled in a bed.” Annabelle took her arm again, and drained of energy, she let herself be led into a small room that had four beds; all had big soft pillows and bright yellow and blue striped covers. Admittedly, it looked nothing like the one that she'd stayed in for so many weeks and unlike then, she wasn't broken inside and out.
    “See, it doesn't look anything like a hospital ward. No machines buzzing and clicking, no trays being wheeled about,” Annabelle said, as she nudged Branna down onto one of the beds. “You know that wrist is going to take a while to heal, Branna, right?”
    “How long?” Branna questioned.
    “Well that's up to you and whether you take Doctor McBride's advice or not.”
    “I have to wear that?” Branna eyed the brace and sling Annabelle placed beside her on