Beef Stolen-Off Read Online Free PDF

time, it seemed as if the entire ballroom of people had packed the lobby, all trying to catch a glimpse of the drama in front of the hotel. Jordan stayed as close toRusty’s side as she could without distracting the technicians, who now had him hooked up to an IV and were loading him onto a gurney.
    “Who’s with this man?” one of the attendants asked.
    All eyes turned to Jordan, and she stepped forward “I am, but…”
    “Jordan?”
    She recognized the voice before she felt the hand on her shoulder. Twisting around, she faced Bella, who was waving her purse in the air, trying to get the attention of their limo driver among the mass of people scurrying around the hotel entrance.
    “We all came to the party with Mr. Morales,” Bella explained to the EMT. “We’ll follow you to the hospital. You’re going to Tarrant County General, right?”
    The technician nodded, then climbed into the driver’s seat and sped off.
    Bella turned toward the hotel entrance and spotted Lucas making his way through the crowd, and she waved. “Lucas is as distraught over this as I am and will want to go straight to the hospital. Rusty’s been with Santana Ranch since he was a young boy, and Lucas has a special place in his heart for him. You can either go with us, or we can call a cab for you.”
    A deep sadness washed over Jordan, thinking about Rusty. “I’d like to stay with you, if that’s all right.” She glanced over at the taxi line that snaked all the way back into the hotel. It would be well into the wee hours of the morning before she got home, anyway. Although there was nothing more she could do for Rusty, not that she’d been any help to him earlier, she felt she owed it to him to be there in case a miracle happened and he regained consciousness.
    Bella patted her shoulder just as Lucas came up behind them, his eyes red and swollen. For a second, Jordan contemplated putting her arm around him to comfort him before remembering his previous behavior toward her. She’d have to empathize with him from a safe distance.
    He fell into Bella’s arms, sobbing.
    “I know how much you love him,” she said, stroking his back. “We have to hope for the best.”
    Jordan’s concentration was diverted when the woman Rusty had called Brenda Sue rushed out of the lobby, screaming hysterically.
    “Ohmygod! It can’t be Rusty. Oh God, not Rusty.”
    The doctor who had been so comforting to Jordan minutes before rushed to Brenda Sue’s side and kept her from running after the ambulance. Seconds later, he handed her over to another man, who cradled her in his arms and whispered something in her ear.
    Jordan was unaware she was studying the couple until the man looked up and met her gaze.
    Is that a hint of a smile tipping his lips?
    Quickly, he looked away and whispered something to Brenda Sue.
    The crowd closed in around Jordan, bombarding her with questions. “What happened? Will he make it?” Over and over, they drilled her until the police arrived.
    The officer in charge addressed the crowd. “Let’s back up, folks, so the drivers can pull up in an orderly fashion and get you all home.” He jerked around when a commotion broke out in the taxi line. One partygoer who’d had one too many was causing a scene trying to cut in front of everyone.
    Just then, the Hummer pulled up, and Jordan followed Bella and a still-sobbing Lucas to the car, where the driver waited with the door opened. Before getting in, Jordantook one final look at Brenda Sue and the man she figured was her husband huddled on the same bench where Rusty had slumped only minutes before. Brenda Sue was still crying, and from the look on the man’s face, he was not too happy about her public display. She’d bet money Brenda Sue and Rusty had been more than friends.
    Rusty with Brenda Sue
and
Carole Anne?
If her gut feeling was right, the man got around.
    Lucas finally stopped crying halfway to Tarrant County General and stared silently out the window. As soon