Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“He might get over it,” the man mutters.
I wheel on him. “And he might not. We have to be sure.”
“I’ll have to check w—”
“No,” I cut in. “There’s no time. I won’t let this happen. You’re taking us to the vet right now.”
“You can’t go.”
“I can, or I’ll tell Blake that you were the one who delayed when his dog needed help. Got it?” I step right up to him, glaring. “Got it?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Blake
“Apparently, she gave Dorman one hell of a time,” Malcolm says from beside me with a soft laugh. “Go easy on him, boss. The way he tells it, she got right in his face and used you as leverage. Told him she’d offer him up on a silver platter to you if anything happened to Archie.”
I shouldn’t grin, but it’s difficult not to feel at least a flicker of pride when I hear about what my woman did. She jumped into the pond to save Archie, dragged him to shore, and then screamed and sassed her way to the vet. I can’t help but smile at the thought of my woman standing up to one of my men.
“I don’t think anyone could’ve stood in her way,” I say.
I’m looking out the window, but I can feel Malcolm’s eyes on me.
“What is it?” I ask.
He knows better than to lie. I’ve always been able to tell when my second-in-command is hiding something.
“I’ve never seen you like this before. That’s all.”
“Like what?”
I turn to find him stroking a hand through his mop of red hair, a tight grimace on his face. “You sound as if you’re… more than a little interested in this young woman.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I say. “Another is to say I’m obsessed. Another is to say I was certain she would be my wife the second I saw her. She belongs to me, Malcolm.”
“She’s Cameron’s daughter,” Malcolm mutters. “Is that going to cause any problems?”
I think back to the last time we properly saw each other, before the phone calls and our friendship became distant and tense.
“I’ve been trying not to think about how he’ll react.”
“That’s strange for you to avoid a problem.”
I laugh. The driver is behind a partition, sound-proofed, meaning we can speak frankly. Malcolm would have to speak more respectfully if my other men were with us.
“Yeah, I can’t deny that, but it’s complicated.”
Malcolm doesn’t press, giving me time to stare out the window and think about last night, my woman pushing me for more information. It was difficult not to let it all out—the truth about her mother. That would mean revealing Cameron’s lie.
It’s not my place to do that, but lying to my woman is wrong.
“I’m so sorry.”
Bonnie rushes to me the second we walk into the reception area. Her shirt and trousers look damp, and the smell of the pond comes with her. Her hair curls as it dries, yet she’s never seemed more beautiful or angelic—the woman who saved my dog.
Dorman stands beside the door, off to the side, as if waiting for Bonnie to run… and then what? He’s been given strict instructions not to touch her.
“Where is he?” I ask.
“The vet’s with him now. They’re giving him a pill to calm him down. They think it was more the panic than an infection, but they’re giving him a once-over, just to be safe.”
I step close, lowering my voice. Dorman and Malcolm move a respectful distance away, sensing I want privacy with my Bonnie.
“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, my voice as soft as possible. “He’s always trying to get into the pond. I should’ve thought to tell you.”
“But if I hadn’t got him out…”
She trembles, her body as much as her voice. There’s so much genuine kindness in her, so much love. It’s easy to imagine her aiming that love at our children, future dogs, and our life filled with it all.
“Relax.” I place my hands on her shoulders, knowing Dorman and Malcolm will find this a strange sight, the boss showing affection, but I can’t leave my woman to drive herself to a panicked mess. “He’s safe. He’s going to recover. You did the right thing. I’m going to check on him. Wait here, okay?”
“Okay.” She breathes shakily, walking over to the chair and dropping. “I’m sorry.”
I look at Dorman. He stares back at me, fear entering his eyes. It’s a necessary skill in my profession to tell when a man is scared. Dorman looks ready to run for the door. I stroll over to him, holding his gaze, lowering my voice so only he can hear.
“What was your plan if she made a run for it?” I ask.
He swallows. “I’d have to let her go, boss, then tell you. I wouldn’t be able to restrain her physically.”
I nod. “That’s the right answer. These were special circumstances. I understand why you acted the way you did. Let’s put it behind us.”