Page 115 of Lucky Haven

“I didn’t lose consciousness. I was bumped around in the van. I was on the floor.”

West nods and pulls a pen light from his pocket to look in her eyes. Then he gentles his voice. “Other than your wrists and your neck, are there any abrasions anywhere else? On your legs?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can I look?”

She nods, and they get her to lie down.

Jasper’s radio crackles, then he taps me on the shoulder.

I step away from the ambulance so Haven doesn’t have to hear whatever he’s going to say.

“The crime scene team will be here soon, so I’m going to head back to town. I’ll be in touch tomorrow. She’ll be at the ranch?”

For the rest of her God damn life. “Yep.”

“There are victim services she can use.”

I nod.

“Hell of a summer your family is having.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

He gives me a hard look. “Nothing bad. Just saying… You might use some of those resources, too.”

“You go talking to a shrink every time you have a hard day on the job, Sheriff?” I give him a curt nod. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for your concern.”

Back at the ambulance, Haven is sitting up again and shaking her head.

I jog over to her.

“I really don’t want to go to the hospital,” she says firmly. “I want to go home.”

The paramedics look at me. “You’re staying with her tonight?”

“Every night.”

I can feel Haven react to that, her eyes staying locked on me as West gives me instructions for what to watch for and when to take her to the hospital. “Any sign of confusion or worsening pain. Numbness in the fingers, or if those cuts start looking infected—redness, swelling, discharge. If any of that happens, don’t wait. Get her to a doctor.”

“Copy that,” I say.

And then we’re finally free. I scoop Haven in my arms, ignoring her protest that she can walk, and I carry her to my truck.

When we get to the ranch, all the lights are out, which is a relief.

I don’t want to explain to my brothers what happened tonight. I’ll tell them in time, but tonight, I just want to get Haven into a hot shower, and then bed, and hold her the whole way.

I don’t even need to tell her to wait for me. She sits stock still on the passenger side until I come around and open her door.

“I’ve got you,” I say softly as she falls into my arms. “You’re safe now. We’re home.”

She nods woodenly.

“Everything all right?” Ridge emerges from the shadows, his hat low.

Fuck.