Best Friends (New Species Book 15) Read online

“No. Do you want to?”

  “I’m here! Move!”

  Snow felt relief when Doc Alli entered. She had gloved up and wore colorful cartoon-print scrubs. She ignored him and focused on Melinda. Chimes stepped to the side to give the doctor room to work.

  “You were shot with a handgun, correct? I’m Dr. Allison. What’s your name?”

  “Mel. Um, Melinda York.” She groaned. “It looked like a .38 but I’m not real good about knowing that stuff, and it’s kind of a blur. It happened too fast. It hurts.”

  Doc Alli pulled back and frowned at Chimes. “Why hasn’t someone given her pain meds yet?”

  “Doc Ted is with Wind. Doc Harris is waiting for the bad humans to arrive. We just got an update that Homeland is sending us more medical help.”

  “Shit. Okay.” Doc Alli leaned in close. “Are you allergic to any medicines?”

  “No, she’s not.” Snow met Doc Alli’s stare.

  “Is she taking any medications? Been drinking? Doing drugs?”

  “Nope, nope, and nope.” Mel paused. “Birth control pills. I almost forgot that.” She rattled off what she took.

  Doc Alli nodded. “I’m on it.” She spun away and returned quickly with a syringe. “You’re going to feel a little pinch in a second.”

  “It’s got to be nothing compared to feeling like my arm is being torn apart by a hungry crow.”

  Snow smothered a grin and stroked Melinda’s hair. “Do crows tear limbs apart often?”

  “Well, no, but they might if you’re bleeding and think you won’t fight back.” She paused when she was given the shot, her face scrunching up slightly. “They’re scavengers. That was nice. It didn’t hurt much.”

  “I’m happy to hear that.” Doc Alli moved away to dispose of the syringe. “It will quickly take effect.”

  “Nighty-night time?”

  Snow’s amusement at the way Melinda spoke grew.

  “No. You’ll be feeling good though.” Doc Alli came back to the bed.

  The female under him relaxed after a few minutes and smiled. “Oh, this is good.”

  “What is?” Snow eased some of his weight off her chest as her body became limp.

  “The drugs.” Mel smiled. “I can’t feel my toes.” She paused. “They are still there, right?”

  He nodded. “I promise you that they are.” He turned his head to address Doc Alli. “Will she be alright?”

  “Yes. She was grazed. She’s going to have a scar but I got the bleeding stopped. I’m about to put in stitches after I finish cleaning the wound. She got lucky. The bullet missed the bone. I don’t even see a crease on it.”

  Snow gazed into Mel’s eyes. He wanted to keep her distracted and focused on him to prevent her from seeing what was about to happen next. He never enjoyed looking at sharp needles, especially if it involved his skin being sewn together. “How long have you lived in town?”

  “Just over a year.” She smiled. “I love your eyes. The color is amazing. They remind me of my favorite kind of summer day. I call you Mr. Blue Eyes. I didn’t know your name.”

  He grinned. “Thank you. Your eyes are quite pretty, too.”

  “Why did you pick your name?”

  He hesitated. “My hair is white and someone said it reminded them of freshly fallen snow. I liked that.”

  She smiled at back.

  “Melinda?” Doc Alli spoke. “I’m going to give you antibiotics. It can nullify the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Your partner will need to use condoms for at least a month, okay?”

  Mel snorted. “Partner? Have you met the guys in town? I dated one of the deputies for a few weeks right after I moved here. He was hot, but good in bed he was not. It was sad. I thought it might be a fluke, but nope. Three strikes and I was done with Deputy Dud. Dang cable television.”

  Snow couldn’t hold back. He laughed. “He watched television while sharing sex with you? That is sad.”

  She shook her head, and her big brown eyes locked onto him. “No. It’s just a theory I have.”

  He was intrigued. “Tell me this theory of yours.”

  “I’m from a small town. We don’t have cable, and what television signals we do get are crappy. Nobody could afford to have those fancy channels anyway, even if they did run the lines that far out. And nobody trusts satellites. They think the government is using them to spy on folks.” She licked her lips. “The boys have nothing to do besides chores and messing around. They get really good at sex, otherwise word spreads fast that they’re bad in bed.” She sighed. “It isn’t worth getting naked if you know it’s going to be disappointing. Men here have cable. Instead of trying to get better at seducing women themselves, they’re all sitting on their backsides, watching people have fake sex, where the women act like they enjoy stuff that actually frustrates and irritates us in real life.”

  Snow clenched his teeth and pressed his lips together to prevent the laughter from escaping. Doc Alli and Chimes didn’t hold back, though. He nodded. “I like that theory.”

  “It’s true. Do you have cable?” Melinda peered at him intently.

  “No,” he lied. He didn’t feel guilty about it, either.

  She smiled. “I hoped you didn’t. That would have bummed me out.”

  “Okay,” Doc Alli cut in. “You might want to go now, Snow. Our friend here is a lightweight with pain meds.”

  He didn’t want to leave her. “I’m not going anywhere. I brought her in, and I’m staying by her side.”

  “You carried me.” Mel released his hand and gripped his arm, rubbing it. “You’re really strong. I like your muscles. You should wear tank tops more often. I loved the gray one you wore last time I saw you. Jeans look really good on you, too. I kind of hate your uniform. It hides your amazing butt since the jacket hangs low.”

  “You think my ass is amazing?” He felt pleased.

  “You have tons of muscles there, too. It’s the best one I’ve ever seen. I bet it feel really nice to touch.”

  “Okay. That’s it.” Doc Alli slapped Snow’s shoulder with the back of her gloved hand. “Out. Now.”

  “It’s just getting interesting,” he protested, grinning at her. “She seems to like me.”

  Doc Alli shot him a disgusted but amused look. “Fine. I’ll have Chimes dose you later, and we can let Melinda stand next to your bedside as you’re spouting things while you’re high as a kite.”

  “Come on, Amazing Ass.” Chimes gripped the back of his belt and yanked hard. “Go out in the waiting area. Otherwise, you’ll be Bruised Ass when I toss you on it. I’m not letting go until you’re at least fifty feet from the other side of the door.”

  He knew the female meant it; she’d literally drag him out. He winked at Mel. “I’ll be close by.”

  “Don’t go!” She reached out toward him.

  He was tempted to stay, but Chimes tugged hard enough to make him flinch. Species females didn’t bluff.

  Chapter Three

  “I have to quit my job.” Mel put a hand over her face since her other arm was in a sling. The nice doctor had asked her to wear it for a few days to prevent her from tearing the stitches. She was supposed to keep her upper arm immobile.

  Mary sat on the couch next to her. “How bad can it be?”

  “I was like a love-sick calf bawling for its mama. I’m pretty sure I screamed ‘come back, Mr. Blue Eyes. I need you.’”

  Mary rubbed her leg in sympathy. “That’s not too bad.”

  “That was after I told him he had a nice butt. It’s kind of foggy, but I’m sure I said something along those lines. They gave me the good drugs. I can’t face him, Mary. He comes into the diner for lunch when they’re in town. I have to get a different job.”

  “I am not letting you quit the diner.”

  “Don’t you understand how embarrassed I am?”

  “You were dopey. I broke my wrist years ago and flashed my ass at the nurses when my dad came to take me home. I wasn’t fit to drive, and my car wasn’t there anywa