Among the Tulips Read Online Free PDF Page A

change,” she said, embarrassed that a stranger was standing here, helping her and she was dressed in next to nothing.
    He nodded and stepped past the partition, pulling it closed to give her some privacy.
    She took stock of her body. She already had some darkening areas on her chest. And her neck and shoulders hurt too. As a matter of fact, her lower back hurt, she realized as she dropped her skirt over her head and buttoned it around her waist. But the pain was pretty blunted. The medication, which muted the pain, made her woozy as well.
    â€œReady?” Victor called finally.
    â€œReady,” she replied, and thought she was more than ready to sit down as she dropped onto the edge of the bed.
    He returned and ran his gaze over her.
    â€œAmazingly enough, it only hurts when I move,” she quipped.
    â€œYou’re still doped up from all the medication they gave you.”
    She glanced down at her hand and found a small bandage where an IV had once been. “Oh, yuck. I’m a mess.” Her clothes were bloody and on her legs, now bare of hose, she could still see some remnants of blood.
    â€œYou can have a hot bath when we get home. Come on, let me help you.”
    He reached up and slipped his hands under her arms.
    She gasped at the strength in those hands.
    How long had it been since a man had touched her so intimately? The closest she’d been to a man in four years was an occasional hug at church.
    It was very disconcerting.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    She glanced up and realized her face was only inches from his. She couldn’t help but think how handsome he was and how very masculine.
    â€œAre you hurting?” he prompted when she didn’t answer.
    Jarred by the second sentence, she nodded. “Everywhere.”
    He turned with her and helped her into the wheelchair. “I have a housekeeper who’ll help youbathe if you need to. In the meantime, let’s just concentrate on getting you home and rested. I have a feeling you’re going to be hurting a lot more before this is over.”
    â€œI have a feeling you’re right.” She smiled gently.
    The man who had originally woken her up returned with a pair of crutches. He took control of the wheelchair and passed the crutches to Victor. With a smooth motion he turned and wheeled her out of the room. The hall was long, a dingy gray-blue and very old looking. Light bulbs dotted the ceiling along the corridor.
    At the end of the hall they came to electronic doors that opened to a driveway where a car was waiting.
    People with cameras were there, and they immediately started snapping pictures. “Oh, no.” Annie reached up self-consciously and pushed at her hair. “This is awful.”
    She glanced down in embarrassment.
    â€œI’m sorry for this,” Victor said and stepped up to the large dark vehicle that sat at the curb. A man was waiting and pulled the door open.
    Victor slid in and allowed the other person to lift Annie into the car. “Is this the car I hit?” she asked, confused.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œIs this your car?” was her next question. It was a luxurious car with thick plush seats and a window separating the front from the back.
    â€œYes.”
    Annie suddenly had an inkling that this man must have money. No one she knew drove around in a car like this. No one that she knew could afford to. She leaned her head back into the soft seat and sighed as it cupped her sore body. “I guess this was what Cinderella felt like when she got into the coach.”
    The driver got in and started the vehicle. They drove slowly until they were past the people who were snapping pictures.
    He didn’t blink at anything that went on, simply sat next to her as they exited the parking lot.
    Perhaps the locals always reacted this way? Maybe the ones with cameras had simply been the press wanting pictures of the people in the wreck? A few of the photographers looked awfully young to