He Shielded Her, So I Left the Club novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: The Swab

Dot's husband brought the president's word to the porch on Sunday morning.

"You can stand at the back wall," he said. "You can't eat, and you can't sit."

"That's fair," I said. "I'm not hungry."

At ten to four, Jared and I walked into the clubhouse together.

He wore a gray T-shirt and no cut, and thirty men looked at the bare place on his shoulders.

Nobody said a word to him.

I took the back wall, under the new window, and he stood beside me with his arms folded.

"Whatever happens, you wait until it's time," I said.

"I've waited four years," he said. "I can wait ten minutes."

The president sat at the head of the long table with the wives and kids down both sides.

Dot stood beside him with a paper bag and a pair of purple gloves.

Gage came in at four on the dot, in his best shirt, with the public smile on.

Delilah walked beside him in a black dress, and Hattie held her other hand.

The girl had her stuffed horse by one ear again.

She looked down the long room and found Jared.

"Uncle Jared!" she said, and waved the horse.

Jared lifted one hand.

Delilah saw it, and her whole face went still.

"Sit down, all of you," the president said. "This won't take long."

Gage sat at his father's right hand, and Delilah stayed on her feet.

"Dot is a nurse," the president said. "She'll swab the child, and she'll swab my son, and a prospect will drive both bags to the lab tonight. Nobody else touches that girl."

"No," Delilah said.

She said it quietly, and then again, louder.

"No. I'm not letting strangers put sticks in my daughter's mouth. Gage, tell him."

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