AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do you feel anything for me?”
“Yes.”
“Then…” But he couldn’t finish.
She pulled away from him, and he realized he was neglecting her well-being. “We’ll talk about this later,” he said. “Right now you need medical attention.”
Her body slumped back into the seat. “I’m fine. Just exhausted. I’ve been through…worse.”
He didn’t doubt it, and the thought cut into him like a dagger. Why hadn’t he protected her? Why had he let her go? He sent Jet into the backseat with her.
“Hey, cutie,” she said to the dog. “I’ve missed you.”
But she hadn’t missed him, Dallas thought to himself. He had blown it. Big time.
Yep. FUBAR.
Pushing his pain to the back of his mind, he concentrated on Annie. He drove as fast as he could to the nearest hospital and took her into the emergency room. The local police came soon after and bombarded him with questions. His head throbbed from the interrogation.
Much later, in the early hours of the morning, when Annie had been bandaged and pronounced fit to leave, he led her to his truck. “Come on, Doc. Let’s get you home.”
He peeked in the rearview mirror. Annie dozed fitfully, her arms encircled around Jet’s soft body, as Dallas drove back to Bakersville.
He had learned a long time ago that crying was a waste of time.
He cried anyway.
Chapter Eighteen
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Annie clicked her suitcase shut and turned around to face Dusty. After three days of broth and TLC from her friend, Annie was as good as new except for a few bruises. Riggs hadn’t beaten her nearly as badly as she’d feared. It had seemed worse at the time because it had been so long. She bounced back quickly.
“I can’t stay, Dusty.”
“We need you here.”
“You’ll find another vet.”
“But not another Annie.”
Annie smiled and hugged her friend. “We’ll e-mail.”
“It’s not the same.” Dusty sat down on Annie’s bed and began to sort through a box of books. “He’s hurting.”
Annie sighed. “So am I.”
“But this is silly. Neither one of you needs to be hurting.”
“He hasn’t come by.”
“He thinks you hate him.”
“I don’t hate him.” God no, I don’t hate him.
“He loves you.”
“He told me.”
