“Back off, cowboy. She just tripped.”
I grab the man who’s trying to tower over me. I yank him toward me. “Who are you?”
He tries to swipe at me before his gaze shifts to Monster galloping toward us.
“Answer the question or I’ll throw you to the dog,” I snarl. “Who are you?”
“I’m her boyfriend.”
“Wrong answer.” I punch his face then grab his arm, twist it, and take him down to the ground so his cheek is pressed against the sand. “You want to try that again? Boyfriends don’t throw chairs at their girlfriends. Who are you?”
He tries to kick me, and I crush his knee with my foot.
“Get your hands off me,” he seethes, “or I’ll sue you for all you’ve got and then some. You’re insane.”
I twist his arm harder, and he groans.
“Do you need your knees?” I growl.
“What the hell are you?—”
I crush his other knee with my foot, and he screams in pain.
“You don’t have a very high pain tolerance, do you?”
“Get off me!”
Monster’s standing over Wren, snarling, his eyes fixed on the man.
“Are you her ex or are you some idiot her ex sent?”
“I’m her boyfriend.”
“If youevertouch her again, I will find you, wherever you are, and you will regret it. Even if it’s the last thing I do. It will be worth it. Do you understand?”
“I understand that you’re an idiot.”
“Perhaps I am, but I’m a persistent, possibly insane idiot who always does what I say I’m going to do.” I kick sand in his face, and he shrieks like a toddler. “Oh, and just so both sides match—" I punch him again.
I rush to Wren. Monster hasn’t moved away from her. His ears are still pressed against his head, his haunches low to the ground, but he moves enough to allow me to bend down and slip my arms around her. When I lift her, I see the blood seeping onto the step. I shouldn’t have taken even a second dealing with her ex.
My whole life flashes before me until now. This point in time where I’m holding Wren, and there’s a pool of blood on the step. This point, where everything changes and nothing else matters but getting Wren to the hospital.
I cradle her neck and run to my truck and realize my mom’s been there the whole time waiting. “Mom, I’m sorry but can you get out of the pickup for a second?”
She’s gaping at me and Wren, but she jumps out quickly. “Oh, goodness, John. Get her in there!”
I slide Wren into the bench seat. “Mom, you know how you used to let me ride in the pickup bed? Well, you and Monsterare going to get to do that until we get to Ned’s. It’s less than a minute away.”
I put the lift gate down and pat the bed, but Monster doesn’t jump in, and I realize he’ll follow us wherever we go, as long as Wren’s in the truck. “Please, forgive me Mom.” I lift her up and set her in the back and kiss her on the head. “Hold on tight, both hands. It’s a short distance.”
“I’ll be fine! Get going!”
I call Ned while I drive down the path, swerving around potholes and trying to be as gentle as possible for Wren’s and Mom’s sake. He answers on the first ring. “My video’s been dinging,” he says. “Rena and I just opened it here at my house?—”
“Call 9-1-1. Now. Tell them to meet me anywhere on the way from Heaven to Greene’s Hardware?—”
I hear a sharp intake of breath, and Rena yells out on the other end. “I’m on my phone right now, calling for help! Keep us on speaker.”
