A Bride for 100 Days

five: when you have to steal your stuff back

"Queenie, she said yes. Where and when is there an office...mmmhmm....should do. OK, text me, thanks."

He ended the call. "Monday morning we can head over to the county clerk's office."

"OK," I exhaled like I'd just landed a big jump.

"Tuesday, we can pick up Levi. I'll make arrangements with his grandmother. Do you want to walk through the details?" 

"OK. Look, my mind is mush. It's been a long day and I'm still wearing this dress and... a scary spider bit me."

"Fair," he nodded and texted Queenie back. "I suppose you need your paperwork. Your stuff. And the license. Does shower guy have that?"

"Yeah. And are you gonna keep calling him shower guy?"

Jeb looked at me over the top of his phone. "It's the most polite of my options. Do you still have a key?"

I thought about it. "I can't remember. It would be in my..."

He handed me my muddy purse from the shelf.

10 seconds later, I was holding up the shiny duplicate key. 

"Give me the address," he ordered.

A doctor stepped around the curtain. "Alicia? I need to take another look at that bite. If it looks like you're tolerating the venom fairly well then we'll probably be able to discharge you now."

Jeb raised his eyebrows at me as though he'd magically made it happen. Soon enough I was in a wheelchair heading out the glass double-doors to Jeb's pick-up truck. I tried climbing up to the passenger seat myself but failed. Jeb stepped forward and put his hands on my waist to lift me. 

Whoa. Fizzles. Sparkly tickling fizzles where he touched me. 

"Alice? You OK?"

I shook my head. 

"Those pain meds causing you trouble?"

I nodded. "Fizzles."

"Those bad?"

I blushed. "No."

He searched my expression for a moment and turned away and passed the wheelchair off to an aide. 

He climbed in and we began driving. Twenty minutes later, he double parked in front of the apartment complex. There were four guys gathered, including a police officer. What the...?

Jeb helped me down and practically carried me to the sidewalk. 

They all gave me funny looks and I realized what I probably looked like. 

"Why are police here?" I whispered.

"It's called Civil Standby," the officer nodded. "When a situation has the possibility of needing an officer to keep the peace." 

"Oh. Like if I see Finn and decide to..."

Jeb stopped me. "Just a precaution. Captain Kingsley's idea. These three guys work for me at the company and they are here to move your stuff."

"Could you describe your belongings?" the first guy asked me. 

"Uh," I had to think for a long moment. My only furniture was a hot pink bistro table and two chairs that folded and a bookcase. I had my books, clothes, and stuff in packing boxes. There were some suitcases and my laptop bag. The guys listened and nodded. 

Jeb helped me lead the way up to the second floor. The hospital had given me an ugly cane but agony ripped at my leg the moment I put my foot down on the staircase. I could tell it wasn't going to take the weight. "Help."