“Miss Murphy, I’ll send someone to the hospital to take your statement. Just get yourself over there and get checked. Don’t worry about anything else just now,” Shane reassured her and Matt closed the doors to the ambulance and stepped back.

“I’ve got to get back to the station. I’ll talk to you later. I didn’t see anything but if you need a statement, you know where I’m at.”

No freaking way did Matt Chase rub up all over her while she lay sprawled in the street like a drunken hobo! Tate couldn’t believe her luck. The closest she’d ever been to the man and of course she had to have a torn shirt, bleeding face and her back-of-the-drawer panties. Special. Well okay, so he didn’t see her panties or anything but she’d known they were on. And she’d noticed, as Tim had insisted on driving her home, she’d spilled something or other on her shirt.

“Tate, honey, I doubt he noticed the stain on your shirt.” Anne laughed as Tate regaled her with the story the following day.

“Well I suppose I should be glad I didn’t toot or have a giant booger or something.”

Anne snorted. “I can’t believe you got hit by a car. What’s the world coming to when teenaged boys shove a woman into the path of an oncoming car?”

“Drama much? They didn’t shove me into the street and Charlie Wilks was doing five miles an hour tops. Which is only two miles an hour slower than he drives at full speed. He’s a hundred-and-fifty years old, I’m just glad he stopped instead of thinking I was a blonde-headed speed bump.”

“I still think you should have pressed charges.”

“Their parents made them come to my house and apologize. Really, Anne, they were sorry. And Tim scowled at them extra hard. You know that face.”

“One of the only helpful things any of us got from Dad,” Anne mumbled.

“I don’t suppose either one of them bothered to call,” Jill called out from her perch in the window seat, looking up from a book.

“Good Lord, go back to school already.” Beth bustled past and put towels at everyone’s stations. “You know they didn’t and thank God for that. Mom is off with some dude in Dallas and Dad is in the bottom of a bottle. I doubt they even know Tate moved out much less got hit by a car.”

“Children, please.” Tate sighed as she shook her head. Jacob and Jill had come back to town immediately when they’d heard about the accident. Jacob was out working with Tim for the day at his plumbing business and Jill was doing some studying.

“Ahh, my ten o’clock is here.” Anne turned and smiled as Polly Chase came click-clacking into the shop. “Good morning, Mrs. Chase! How are you today?”

Polly patted her hair and smiled. “I’m good, sugar. I’ve got a bit of a dent here in the back so I need a good, solid re-do from you. My roots may be in need of a bit of TLC too.” She winked and Tate grinned. If there was a person who could resist Polly Chase, Tate hadn’t met them yet.

“Good morning, Tate, honey. I hear you had a little run-in with Charlie’s front bumper yesterday. You all right?” Polly’s cheeky mood softened into concern. Tate was nearly as short as Polly so it wasn’t hard to let herself get pulled into a hug.

“Oh I’m fine. Just a bump on the head. Both your sons were there to help though.”

Polly brightened. Tate did love that about Mrs. Chase—the way she doted on her family. What she wouldn’t have given to have a mother like her instead of what they all got in Tina.

“Shane’s the one who told me, but I haven’t seen any of my other boys.”

“Matt helped until the ambulance got there. He was very gentle.” And he smelled really good.

“He’s a good boy. They all are. I’m glad you’re all right, honey. I would have called you right away last night but Maggie said she talked with Nathan and all your siblings were on the job. If you need anything at all don’t you hesitate to ask.” Of course, Nathan, Tate’s brother the teacher worked with Maggie and would have told her all about it. Small town gossip moved fast.

“Thank you, Mrs. Chase. I appreciate that.”

Anne helped Polly to the shampoo station. Draping her to protect her clothes, she got to work while Beth went to mix the color they’d need.

Tate had several cuts right in a row and kept busy for the rest of the day, in between her siblings dropping by the shop to check in on her.

At two-thirty she swapped out her teal-blue kitten heel slides for a pair of sneakers. “I’m going to pick Belle, Sally and Danny up from school. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Let me do it,” Jill piped up.

“Look here, missy, you have an exam you need to study for. You shouldn’t even be here. I can walk the four blocks to the grade school and pick them up and take them to William and Cindy’s. Same as I do every Wednesday.”

“You will not.” Anne came into the reception area. “William is picking the kids up. I told you that this morning. Tate, you got hit by a car. A. Car. You can cut yourself a one day break.”

“I made a commitment. They expect Aunt Tate to pick them up every Wednesday. Just as Uncle Nathan picks them up on Tuesdays and Auntie Beth on Fridays and mommies and daddies on other days. That’s what family does. We keep our promises and we don’t let each other down.”

Anne pulled Tate into a hug and said softly into her ear, “You’re not drunk or passed out in some hotel room with a stranger and they’re not starving. Tate, honey, your family never doubts for a millisecond your commitment to them. We know. Belle, Sally, Danny and Shaye know you love them but got hurt yesterday. Let us help you for a change.”