11. Caro

ELEVEN

Caro

“I’ve got your first patient in exam room B, doc. He’s pretty pissed off. Cut his hand while he was cutting wood.”

Doc rolls his eyes. “Right. Well, I wouldn’t have to see him if he’d done it right. So he better keep the attitude to himself.” He stomps off, muttering to himself.

Hamilton is usually a pretty quiet little town. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any emergencies. This small office covers most of them unless they have to be sent on to the bigger city of Tulsa.

I sit back and pull up the patients’ charts on my computer. I barely get started on entering the doc’s notes when the door to the office slams open and Ricky comes through the doorway, his dark eyes finding me easily in the empty office.

“We need to talk.”

“I’m at work. That’s gonna have to wait!” My whole body quivers as he gives me a stormy look and strides up to the counter.

“There’s no time for that! You need to come with me now! Get your coat and hat. Let’s go.”

I glare at him and cross my arms. “Hell no! Have you lost your mind? I’m working.”

“We need to go get Christopher at school and then you two are coming back home with me.” He stomps around the counter and then reaches under it and grabs my purse, then pitches my coat at me. It hits me in the face and I fight to keep from screaming at him.

“I’m not going anywhere with you right now! You’re acting crazy!”

He stops and he glares at me. “When were you going to tell me that you lost my baby because you were shot, Caro? When were you going to tell me about your sister?”

There’s a soft gasp and doc stands in the doorway with the guy he bandaged. “Ummm. Here’s Leonard’s chart, Caroline.” He studies us and he stops. “Maybe you two need to go somewhere to talk.”

I’m shaking my head even as he grabs my things and then reaches around and picks me up, tossing me like I weigh nothing over his shoulder. I gasp loudly, stunned silent.

Doc smirks. “You okay, Caroline? Need me to call the sheriff?”

“Wanna tell him why Angel’s in trouble, baby girl?”

I freeze, going still as a rabbit facing a wolf. “No. I’m good, doc. I’ll be back later.”

I feel him shake his head at doc. “She won’t. My buddy, Jace is on his way here because Angel is too.”

I gasp. “NO! She isn’t.”

“She is. And most likely whatever trouble got both of you shot is coming with her.”

I say nothing, my head reeling as he stomps out the door, his boot heels ringing loud in the sudden quiet.

He rips the door of his truck open and tosses me on the seat. I move and he stands in front of me, leaning in until his eyes stare right into mine. Pure rage and fear coalesce in his dark gaze. “I am not taking no for an answer on this right now, angel. You’re coming with me and so is Christopher. We’re gonna pick him up and I’m taking you both home with me. My ranch has better security and it’s easier to see someone coming than being in town. Both of you are safer with me.”

I nod my head slightly and he reaches across and grabs the seatbelt, tugging it across me and then he slams the door and comes around the front to get inside. He starts the truck and then just sits there for a second, staring out the front window.

“I cannot believe that you were shot and you didn’t call to tell me, Caro. I may never forgive you for that.” His dark, tortured eyes turn to me and search mine. “I’m gonna make sure you understand that that is never going to happen again. You don’t run from me. You run to me. I will protect you. Not the other way around.”

I huff and cross my arms. I swear I don’t know what to say to that. But I think I’m just gonna save that argument for another day. He’s already pretty pissed. It seems like granny was right. Guys really don’t like it when you cut them off from the protector thing.

He starts the truck and pulls out of the clinic. “Call the school and tell them that you’re picking Christopher up.”

I sigh and call the school, explaining that there’s a family emergency. They immediately offer to get Christopher ready so that we can pick him up in ten minutes or so.

“That would be great! Thank you,” I say, hanging up.

“Who the hell is Jace and why does he know about my sister, Ricky?”

He growls under his breath and shoots me a stoic glare. “He’s the private eye I hired to find out what was going on. He followed her to Vegas.”

I stiffen and glare back at him. “You didn’t have any business getting involved in what’s going on with her.”

He meets me glare for glare, his dark eyes burning fiery gold. “Oh, I beg to differ, baby girl. You were shot and lost something very important to both of us…all because of what your sister is involved in! That makes me a part of whatever the hell all of this is. And the fact that she slipped away from her handlers and she’s on the way here, most likely with whatever the hell she was playing in following along behind her…that threatens both of you. I absolutely refuse to lose you again!”

I shiver at the anger and fear thrumming in his words. “I didn’t do any of this on purpose. I just couldn’t let her get killed.”

He nods his head. “I get that, baby. Really, I do. Family is everything to you and me. But one of these days you and Christopher will be my family and if your sister threatens that with whatever harebrained scheme she’s involved in, she needs to be reined in. For instance, she should have stayed with her handlers in Vegas and waited on the damn trial that Jace mentioned to get started. Now she’s threatening the trial and you and Christopher…again! What the hell is wrong with her?”

I know it’s a rhetorical question that he’s asking but really…I’ve asked myself the same thing. Especially after I got shot.

I know that Angel is selfish. Never more so than right now when she’s betting her boredom against my son’s safety. My mind shrinks when I think about my other lost child.

I will not let anything else threaten my baby! Not even Angel! She needs to learn that my priority is making sure that my family is safe. I love her and I always will but if she loved me…how could she come here knowing what happened last time?

We pull into the school parking lot and he steps out with me. I eye him uncertainly. He lifts a dark brow. “Until this is straightened out, you don’t go anywhere without me. Consider me your shadow, baby girl.”

I grimace but lead the way to the school. Christopher is waiting in the office and darts towards me. He throws himself at Ricky and I and grins. “What’s going on? Are we going to get the tree?”

I shake my head and sign the paperwork to sign him out. The secretary studies the three of us but doesn’t say a word. She just leans over. “Does Margot know yet? I’m sure she’s thrilled!”

I grimace again. “Ummm. No, we’ve been kinda busy. It’s not what you think!”

She smirks at me and winks. “I’m sure you’re trying to keep things quiet for a while. Keep things peaceful for the holidays.”

I snort and cover it with a cough. “Yeah, sure. We’ve got to get going. Thank you so much, Cheryl, for making sure Christopher is ready. We’ve got to get going!”

Then I turn around and practically bolt out the door, Ricky picking up Christopher and following close behind me.