Page 67 of Always My Love

When she reached up and shut off the water, he had a towel and her bathrobe waiting for her.

“Want sweats and a sweatshirt?” he asked her.

She nodded as she buried herself in the robe and wrapped her long hair in the towel. “You’re still bleeding.” He motioned towards her head and then lifted her to sit on the countertop so he could clean and bandage the small cut.

Then he pulled out the army sweats she had borrowed that first night she’d slept over. It hadn’t been that long since that first night and yet so much had changed.

“Feeling better?” he asked after she pulled them on and was trying to comb through her hair.

“I’m sort of sick, uneasy stomach,” she said with a slight groan.

“A bump on the head will do that,” he assured her.

“Yeah, I know.” She brushed her teeth. “Maybe some bread or toast?”

He pulled her into his arms. “You don’t think…” He held his breath as she melted in his arms.

“No, I’m not pregnant,” she said into his chest. “I… got a test at the store and checked.”

He closed his eyes and silently wished she was.

Just then his doorbell rang. He heard Tom answer it.

“Sounds like your sister is here.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll show her up and make you something light to eat.”

He met Hailey at the bottom of the stairs. “Last door on the right,” he told her. “She just got out of the shower and is dressed,” he said as she passed him.

He shook Reece’s hand.

“Want to fill me in?” Reece asked as Lucy rushed to sniff Reece.

Obviously, Tom had taken the time to clean the blood off the dog’s fur.

“Simon called from the vet while you were upstairs,” Tom said, holding up his phone. “Blue has a cut on his ear. Nicked a chunk of it off. The vet seems to think he was kicked pretty bad. She’s keeping him overnight.”

Amelia Brogan, Aiden’s mother, had taken over as head veterinarian for the Pride clinic a few years after Nick had started middle school. His family had trusted her with all of their animals growing up. Everyone in town did. Her daughter, Aiden’s sister, Carrie, ran an animal refuge just on the outskirts of town. Carrie’s husband, Josh, ran Internet Security, one of the biggest internet security firms in the state.

“Thanks,” he said as he walked into the kitchen.

“I’m going to head out,” Tom said, as he glanced down at his phone. “It looks like the deer call was a bust. It was a large trash bag.” He shook his head. “Still, Aiden has clocked you out for the next two days and told me to tell you to take care of Harper.”

Nick relaxed and then shook his brother-in-law’s hand. “Thanks for cleaning up Lucy.”

Tom nodded, then slugged Reece on the shoulder playfully and walked out.

“Drink?” he asked Reece when they were alone.

“Sure.” He took a seat at the bar top.

“Harper wants some toast,” he said and started to make her some.

He grabbed a beer for himself and downed a quarter of it.

“Scared you?” Reece asked.

“Hell yeah, it did.” Nick sighed and waited for the toast. “She was freezing. He hit her over the head and then tried to drown her. Who in the hell does that? Why? It’s bullshit if it’s about some stupid insurance money. The company called me earlier today and said they cancelled the policy years ago.”

“So why, then? Why is this guy after them?” Reece asked.