Kent shrugged. “You saying you haven’t considered it?”
“Yeah, I have. I thought walking away was the best thing. For both of them. But…”
“But you can’t stop thinking about her. Wanting her. You should tell them.” Kent frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t tell Caley right now. She doesn’t need to feel torn between you both. But if you told Doc and he was open to the idea…”
He shook his head. He couldn’t see it happening. “You don’t know about our history. There was a woman…it doesn’t matter.”
“And so you’re prepared to just walk away from her?”
“Shouldn’t you be looking out for Doc’s best interests?”
“I figure you’re already doing that. Maybe it’s not Doc’s interests or yours that I’m thinking of. Maybe it’s hers. She kept asking about you. And when she did manage to get some sleep, it wasn’t just Doc she called for.” Kent turned and walked away.
Fuck.
25
She could hear the whispers. The giggles. She knew something was wrong. Someone spat at her as she walked past a group of people. Spittle hit her cheek. She reached up and wiped it off.
Shock filled her. This was the town she’d grown up in. She knew everyone here.
“You disgust me! You’re filthy!” someone screamed.
She turned, looking in shock at her third-grade teacher. Mrs. Peach was always so nice to everyone. But her face was twisted. Filled with anger. Hate.
Suddenly, Caley knew it wasn’t safe for her here. Not at all. She turned and ran. She knew it was cowardly, but if she stuck around then they might all turn on her. Her breath pounded in and out of her lungs as she raced. She heard a thump of footsteps behind her. Someone yelled but she couldn’t understand what they were saying.
Oh God! They were chasing her! What happened when they caught her?
Suddenly a car pulled up around the corner in front of her. The passenger door opened.
“Get in!” Dave yelled.
She dove in and he took off before she had a chance to shut the door or put on her seatbelt.
“Turn around. Put your belt on and close the door.” His voice was sharp. He’d never snapped at her before. But with the situation they were in, she couldn’t blame him for being snappy.
“Those bastards.” He glanced around as he drove. She wondered where he was taking them.
She was trembling. Her stomach clenching tight. She was a mess. She let out a sob.
“What’s going on? What happened back there?” Tears dripped down her face.
“Someone took photos of us in the motel,” he told her. “They must have a hole in the wall or something. I don’t fucking know.”
Dave never swore. He was always so calm. Then he slammed his fist into the steering wheel. “I got called into headquarters this morning. They fucking fired me.”
“B-because of the photos?”
What would he do? Would he leave and find a job somewhere else? What would she do?
“They said it was because of the DUI the other night, but I’m sure that was only an excuse.”
She rubbed her hand over her face. “What will you do?”
“I have to leave. I can’t stay here. The sheriff warned me I’ll be arrested if I stay.”
What? That was insane. How could the sheriff threaten to arrest him? They hadn’t done anything wrong. “Caley, I want you to come with me.”
Come with him? Leave her home? But was it much of a home? Her parents barely knew she was alive and now it seemed the whole town was out for her blood. She was just spat on and chased.
“I-I don’t know.” She hadn’t known Dave that long. Could she go away with him?
“I’m leaving, Caley. You have two hours to decide.” He stopped outside her parents’ house. “I care about you, Caley. What we’re doing isn’t wrong, but I know that no one here will accept it. If we leave, we’ll have to go somewhere more isolated.”
She nodded, shaking. He was right.
“Come with me, Caley. I’ll take care of you. I have some money saved. You can finally write those books in your head. It will be fun.”
It sounded frightening and freeing at the same time. “I’ll call you.” She climbed out and slowly entered the house. At first, she thought no one else was there. Then she saw movement from the living room. Her mom stood up and turned.
“Mom? I—”
“How dare you!” her mother screeched as she rushed towards her. She swung her arm, slapping her palm against Caley’s cheek.
Pain exploded in her face. She stood there in shock, her cheek stinging. Tears filled her eyes. Her mother had never hit her. She’d never even spanked her. In fact, most of the time she barely noticed Caley was alive.
“George! She’s here!”
Her father thundered down the stairs. Trembles shook her entire body. What was happening?
“You sick little bitch!” Her father yelled. “How dare you shame this family! I was going to run for mayor and now you’ve ruined everything. My reputation. My business.”
“W-what?” Running for mayor? His business? What was he talking about?
“We’re ruined,” her mother wailed. “We’ll be lucky if anyone talks to us again. I had to turn off my phone because of all the calls about you.”
“I never want to see you again. Not in this house. Not this town. Now leave!” Her father’s face was mottled. Her mother looked ill. Her father came towards her, his arm raised.
And Caley knew there was only one choice.
She fled.
“Caley!”
Into a burning building. Fire everywhere. Heat. Smoke.
“Love, wake up.”
She couldn’t breathe.
Issy! Archie! Help!
“Poppet, wake up now!”
She came awake, startled to see Archer leaning over her. Her body was trembling, her lungs burning for air, fear a stench in the air. And there he stood, his face filled with concern.
She lunged at him.
“Hey, hey, easy, love. You’re all right. I’m here. Shh. It was just a nightmare. You’re safe. I have you. You’re safe.”
She was always safe with him. With both him and Issy. Issy was like the ocean. He could be turbulent and rocky but with hidden depths. Archer was a calm, still lake. Always there. Steady. Rock solid.
God, she’d missed him.
“Easy, love. You’re safe. I’m here.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back in long, soothing strokes.
“Sorry. Sorry,” she told him.
“Don’t be sorry,” he replied. “Was your nightmare about the fire?”
“It started off with…with me being run out of Spencerville then it ended with the fire.”
He leaned back, sitting on the bed facing her. She wanted to pull him back, to snuggle in where it was safe.
“Are you all right? Did you hurt your hands? Do you need me to get the nurse?”
“No, I’m all right.”
He frowned. “No offence, poppet, but you don’t look all right to me. Why don’t you tell me about the nightmare? Sometimes it helps. It gives our fears less power when we talk about them.”
Spoken like a therapist. But maybe he was right. She cleared her throat then told him about the dream.
“And you left that same day?” he asked once she’d told him it all. He was right, she did feel better.
“Yes. Once we moved into the cabin, we didn’t often leave. Just when we needed to get supplies and things. It was always just the two of us. And now…the cabin is gone.”
“Oh, poppet. I’m sorry for the way your parents and the rest of that town treated you. You know that it isn’t a reflection on you but them.”
“I-I guess.”
He cupped her face between his warm hands. Safety. Security. A feeling of peace came over her.
“I know,” he said firmly. “You, Caley Jane Ryan are beautiful inside and out. Your parents should have been proud of the amazing person you are. Inst
ead, they only cared about themselves. They didn’t deserve you. Just because people don’t understand something doesn’t give them the right to judge or hurt others. Not everyone is like that. Not everyone will hurt you.”
She took in a shuddering breath. “You’re right.”
He grinned. “Course I am. I’m always right.”
She rolled her eyes. “You sound like Issy.”
Something came over his face. Worry pinched at her. “Archer?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you all right? Is it work? Do you need to get back?”
Please don’t go.
“What? No. No, poppet. I’m not going anywhere. Not until Issy gets here. I was just talking to him while you were napping. He’s on his way.”
“Really?” He’d called and she’d missed it?
“He won’t be here until tomorrow, apparently he wasn’t actually in Colorado. Zander moved them.”
Thank God. She’d missed him so much.
“I should have been more careful. Those appliances weren’t safe. I kept using them, knowing that. One of them probably started the fire. Destroyed everything.”
“Oh, baby. You can’t know what started it.”
He drew her gently against him. Safety surrounded her. His scent engulfed her. Warmth filled her. Being held by Archer felt so right.
And that was why she forced herself to move back.
“Everything I had of Dave is gone. The train set, the village, the little people. His clothes. All of it, gone.” She didn’t care about her stuff; it could be replaced. But that train set…she let out a sob.
“But Dave isn’t gone, love. He lives in you.”
She knew that was true. But she still wished she had more. She still mourned what she’d lost.
“It’s okay to feel sad, love. I know it must feel like losing him again. I know this won’t bring back what you lost, but did you have insurance?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip, feeling like an idiot. “Dave handled that stuff.”
“That’s okay. Whatever you need, Issy and I will replace for you. You don’t need to worry about money.”
She frowned in confusion. “I don’t need you guys to buy stuff for me.”
“Love, I’m not letting your pride get in your way. You need to replace the things you lost. You need clothes at the very least.”
“No, I mean, I have money of my own.”
“You might need that money. Let us do this for you. Save your money for a rainy day.”
“What the hell would I buy with over a million dollars on a rainy day?”
Archer blinked. “What? I thought you were broke?”
Huh? “Why would you think that?”
“Umm, maybe because you were using appliances that should have been thrown out years ago. Because parts of the cabin were falling down. You had barely any firewood!”
“Oh yeah. Those things.”
“Caley,” he said warningly.
“You know I’m not always good at practical things. I get side-tracked and forgetful and I find change hard.”
He sighed and shook his head. Then he started to laugh. He laughed until tears dripped down his cheeks. She loved the sound of his laughter even if she had no idea why he was laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“Sorry, love, just thinking about Issy’s reaction once he finds out.”
“He won’t be mad, will he? I didn’t mean to keep it from him.” She bit her lip worriedly.
He reached out and freed her tortured lip. She froze, her breath trapped in her lungs as a jolt of heat rushed through her.
She slammed back at the same time as he moved away, looking torn and conflicted.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Issy won’t be mad, love. It would be hard for him to be mad at you about anything.”
“I know that honesty is important to him.”
“It’s always important, but maybe more so in a relationship like yours. But this will be fine, so don’t worry about it. Now, that wasn’t a very long nap. The nurses said you didn’t sleep much last night. Every time they checked in on you, the T.V. was on.”
If she could read, she would but she couldn’t hold anything with her hands, so T.V. it was.
“Is there anything I can do to help you sleep?” he asked with concern.
Issy always gives me an orgasm. She blushed at the thought of saying that to Archer.
His eyebrows rose. “Hmm, I’d like to know that thought.”
She shook her head. Nope. He might be able to get most things out of her, but not that.
There was a knock on her door and Kent walked in. She gave him a small smile.
“Hey, Caley. You’re looking…not much better than you were this morning.” Kent gave her a concerned look. Then he turned to Archer. They seemed to have some sort of silent communication and Archer gave him a nod.
What was that about?
“I’ve spoken to Doc. He’s speeding his way here as we speak, so I’m going to head back to Sanctuary. But I did bring you a few gifts.”
He set his bags on her bed and reached into one, pulling out Bumbly.
“Oh!” She cried out, reaching for the toy. He handed it to her, and she unselfconsciously hugged it.
“He was a bit muddy and worse for wear, so I cleaned him up for you. Along with this.” He handed her over her snuggly.
Tears filled her eyes, dripping down her cheeks.
“Hey, poppet,” Archer told her worriedly. “Don’t cry.”
He drew closer and she leaned into his chest, letting him hold her. His hand ran through her hair. “Shh, everything will be all right, Caley. I promise. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Thinking maybe you might sleep a bit better, now? I know Abby would be lost without Bun-bun,” Kent told her.
He spoke so freely about Abby and her Little side. As if it was nothing unusual. And there was always a clear note of affection in his voice. It was obvious he cared about her very much.
“And I also got a few things to tempt you to eat.” He drew out a small box filled with donuts. Two cupcakes, also in individual boxes. As well as an assortment of deli sandwiches. Then he pulled out a chocolate milk and a strawberry milk.
“At least there’s one healthy thing in there,” Archer grumbled, looking over the assortment.
“The sandwiches are for you, man.” Kent winked at her.
“Are you trying to put her into a sugar coma?”
“Just trying to tempt her to eat. I made sure everything was soft for her throat.”
Archer turned to her, giving her a concerned glance. “What would you like to start with, love?”
She really wasn’t hungry. More than that, she wasn’t really comfortable with one of them helping her eat.
“Oh, and I got straws for the milk. Metal ones. Environmentally friendly.”
That surprised a smile out of her. “Chocolate milk.”
“Okay.” Archer reached for the chocolate milk, opening it and putting the straw in. Then he held the straw up to her mouth. She took a long sip, letting out a small sigh of pleasure as it soothed her throat.
Yummy.
Some dribbled down her chin, as she drank too quickly. Mortification filled her. But Archer just calmly reached for the napkin and wiped her face clean.
“All right. What do you want to start with?” He looked down at the food skeptically. “Not sure I would call most of this actual food. Sugar, and additive and fat.”
Kent rolled his eyes. “How about a donut, sweetheart? I’m partial to the jam-filled ones.”
She looked at the donuts. “I’m all right.” But that one with sprinkles and pink icing did look awfully nice.
There was a beat of silence and she glanced up to find Kent staring at Archer.
“How about this one, love?” Archer reached over and tore a piece off the one she’d been looking at. He held it to her lips.
She blushed, feeling shy.
&nb
sp; “You don’t eat it and I’ll have to,” Kent patted his tummy. “Then I’ll have to go home and explain to Abby why I’ve got sprinkles and pink icing all over my shirt.”
She had to smile at the image of the big, tough man covered in sprinkles and pink icing.
She opened her mouth and Archer popped the piece of donut into it. He fed her a couple more bites while the two men talked as though there was nothing out of the ordinary about one of them having to feed her. When she’d had enough, she lay back tiredly.
“Why don’t you rest, love?” Archer asked her. He walked to the sink along one wall and wet a cloth then he came back and gently washed her face.
Ooh, that felt really nice. She hadn’t been able to shower. The nurse had offered to help her shower, but she felt a bit weird about that.
Issy would be here soon. He’d help her.
God, she missed him.
She wrapped her arms awkwardly around Bumbly. She felt her snuggly being pressed to her face.
“I’m just going to say goodbye to Kent then I’ll be back, okay?”
Anxiety filled her at the idea of being alone but she nodded. “Okay.”
Archer walked out of the room behind his brother’s boss. Kent turned to him as he shut the door.
Kent frowned in concern. “She’s okay?”
Archer shook his head. “It’s going to take her a while to recover.”
Kent nodded. “The fire marshal is looking into the fire. But might take a while until they figure it out. You’ll call me if you need anything.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Thank you for everything. I’m sure I’ll see you again sometime.” When he visited Caley and Issy. God, how was he going to do that?
“Oh, I’m sure of that. You know, I could use someone with your skills working for me.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You need a psychiatrist?”
“For everyone on the ranch. Have you ever thought of targeting your services to people in the lifestyle? A lot need some help, yet don’t want to go to a vanilla therapist. So to speak.”
It had been something he’d toyed with.
“Anyway, give it a thought. The offer is there.”
“I can’t move to Sanctuary.”
“Why?”
Heal Me, Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 8) Page 23
