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“It sounds like you’ve made your wishes known,” Blaze said, his gaze dark and penetrating, making Todd bristle with resentment. “Maybe you should stop by and get a restraining order. It’s always good to dot your i’s and cross your t’s when you’re dealing with fools who won’t take a hint.”
“Hey,” Todd said. “I don’t need a two-bit cop getting in my face.”
“Is he really this stupid?” Blaze asked, looking at Zoe.
She sighed. “I’m afraid so. He just doesn’t realize it. Because he’s drawn quite a crowd and I see several people recording this. Which means by tonight it’s going to be all over social media and everyone will know what a lying, cheating thief you are. I’m kind of a big deal, you know?”
“Why you little?—”
Colt stepped in front of her and took the hand Todd had reached out to grab her. She had no idea what Colt had done, but Todd’s face went ashen and an inhuman squeak came out of his mouth.
“Are you feeling all right, sir?” Colt asked, putting his hand on Todd’s shoulder.
To all the world it looked like Colt had stepped in to give Todd a helping hand, but Todd continued to make strange sounds and his steps faltered.
“Maybe you need to come to the clinic and get checked out,” Colt said affably. “I’m a doctor.”
Todd shook his head and sweat had started to bead on his upper lip. “N…no. I’m fine. I was just leaving. I have a plane to catch.”
“Why don’t I have a deputy escort you back to the airport?” Blaze asked. “I’d hate for you to get sick on the way and no one there to help you.”
Todd shook his head, but Blaze powered through. “I insist,” Blaze said. “We take care of people here in Laurel Valley.”
Todd stumbled away, and Zoe saw a deputy peel off from the crowd and follow him back to his car. Simone, Hattie and Raven stood across the way, watching the whole ordeal with several other people. It had been Raven and Hattie who’d been recording the interaction, but she’d noticed they both put their phones down when Colt stepped in. Not like the video would have shown anything. She still didn’t have a clue what Colt had done to him.
Blaze sighed and rested his hand on his weapon out of habit. “I’m glad to say you upgraded this time around,” he told her.
“Agreed,” she said, squeezing Colt’s hand.
“But I’m not kidding about coming by the station and getting a restraining order. A paperwork trail always helps. And it’s something you can send to your attorneys along with the text messages. If that guy knows what’s good for him he’ll leave well enough alone.”
“We’ll swing by after lunch,” Colt told him. “Thanks for the backup.”
Blaze snorted. “Are you kidding me? As soon as that guy jaywalked across the street toward Zoe my phone started ringing. In this case the O’Hara gossip network did some good. But don’t tell my mother I said that. The woman is incorrigible.”
“And determined to find you a wife, I’m told,” Colt said, grinning.
Blaze scowled. “Bite your tongue, cousin. See you two at the station later.”
Colt took her hand and they walked the rest of the way to the clinic while Chewy bit at the snowflakes that had started falling again from the sky.
“Are you going to tell me what you did to him?” Zoe asked as they made their way up to Colt’s old apartment.
“I just wanted to discourage him from visiting again,” Colt said. “We’re friendly here in Laurel Valley. But not that friendly.”
Zoe chuckled. “I’ve never seen anyone turn quite that color before. I thought he was having a stroke.”
“Nah,” Colt said, pulling her into his arms. “I’m a doctor. It would make sense that I would know the places to hurt just as well as the places to heal.”
“You’re like a superhero, choosing to use your powers for good. It was very sexy.”
He leaned down to kiss her, and he lifted her in his arms. “Well, in that case. Why don’t we skip lunch today?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Her heart flipped over in her chest as he kissed her again. “I love you, Colt O’Hara. I’m glad you’re mine.”
