tail of his shirt.
“Big baby,” Kayla muttered. She felt a little bit sick. The world wasn’t quite as sharp as it should have been. She wanted to tell him but she couldn’t get the words out.
“Can you get up?”
He squatted next to her and peered at her face. His features swam. She tried to shake her head but that resulted in a wave of nausea. Something pressed against the back of her head. She tried to push his hand away but he couldn’t be budged.
“You’re bleeding,” he said.
“I’m going to...” She didn’t say more. The world went dark and the last thing she remembered were strong arms picking her up as he yelled for Lucy to open the door.
* * *
Kayla came to as they were pulling up to the hospital. From a distance, she heard voices. They were discussing her father and being hired to keep her out of trouble. That was all she’d ever been to her father. Trouble. She struggled to sit up, pulling free from the arm that held her close.
“You’re not trouble,” he whispered. The words, the way he said them, took her by surprise. She wanted to believe him.
She sat up, closing her eyes when the world spun a little bit out of control. The back door opened and night air, humid and warm, clashed with the air-conditioned interior of the SUV.
“Come on, sunshine, let’s get you checked out.”
“How do I know you’re not the one I should be afraid of?” She scooted toward the door where he stood.
He gave her a sympathetic look and she noticed that his eyes, dark brown and thick-lashed, were still red and watery from the pepper spray.
“I guess you’ll have to trust me. As a rule, muggers don’t typically take their victims to the emergency room.” He reached for her, holding her steady when she wobbled. His hands were strong, calloused and strangely gentle.
“I’m going to park and I’ll meet you inside,” the woman driving the SUV called out. “Are you going to be okay, Boone?”
“I can’t see much but other than that, great. Don’t be too long,” her rescuer responded.
“Your name is Boone?” Kayla asked as he led her toward the entrance of the ER.
“Boone Wilder.”
“I’ve heard that name before.” She had to stop for a second. Her head was pounding and she felt sick.
“I’m from Martin’s Crossing.” He slipped his hand from hers and put an arm around her back. “Are you going to make it?”
“Of course. I don’t even need to be here.”
“I think we’ll get a second opinion on that.”
“I could refuse treatment,” she said as they headed up the sidewalk toward the entrance.
“Yeah, you could. But it’s hard to refuse treatment if you’re unconscious.”
“How did you become my babysitter, Boone Wilder?” She blinked away the blurriness and kept walking, aware that he was studying her as if he thought she might fall over.
“Your father hired our bodyguard service to keep you out of trouble for the duration of this election. I don’t think he realized you were actually in need of a bodyguard. Any idea who that was back there?”
“Not a clue.”
“But since you were armed with pepper spray, I’m guessing this wasn’t random?”
“It’s been going on for a couple of months.” She stopped as another wave of dizziness hit, making her vision swim.
Without warning she was scooped into his arms. Again.
“You don’t have to carry me,” she protested, albeit weakly.
“No, of course not. But I also don’t want you passing out in the parking lot. Relax. You’re not as light as you look.”
“Charming.”
He flashed white teeth and a dimple. “I try.”
She felt him limp a bit as they headed toward the door. “I can walk.”
“Probably.”
To distract herself she studied his face. Lean and handsome, but rugged. She had never been attracted to the type. As she perused his features she noticed a scar on his cheek. It was a few inches long and jagged. There was a similar scar on his neck, just above his collarbone. Without thinking, she touched it.
He flinched.
“I’m sorry. What happened?” She pulled back, suddenly unsure.
“Nothing personal,” he growled. “But it isn’t any of your business.”
“Of course it isn’t. I’d love to tell you my life isn’t any of your business. But I guess my dad has taken that right from me.”
“And if we hadn’t been there tonight?”
She shivered and his arms tightened. They walked through the doors of the ER and he settled her in a wheelchair that had been left near the entrance. She brought her legs up and huddled tight to warm herself. Boone pushed her to the front desk. There were questions to answer, paperwork to fill out, and then they were directed through double doors where a nurse met them.
“Right this way.” The nurse motioned them to follow her to a room midway down the hall.
“She’s cold. Can you get her a blanket?” Boone said as he pushed her into the room.
“I should call your dad,” he said to her.
“Don’t bother.” Kayla blinked away tears that she told herself were the result of the blow to her head and nothing more. “He’s out of town.”
“Still,” he said, sounding insistent. She wished he’d go away. But if he did, she’d be alone. She was tired of being alone.
What did that say about her life, that she was so lonely she wanted this man, this stranger, to stay with her? There was something comforting about his presence.
“I’ll call your sister, then,” he said. He pulled off his cowboy hat and brushed a hand through short, dark hair. His eyes still watered.
“You should get your eyes cleaned out,” Kayla offered.
The nurse gave him a good look as she helped Kayla onto the bed. “I’ll have an aid flush your eyes out. Right now let’s get you settled. I’ll be right back and we’ll get you changed into a gown.”
Kayla gripped the edge of the bed as another wave of dizziness hit. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this. And for the pepper spray. I’ll pay to replace your contacts.”
“No
