Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Zach, the only one left aside from Harrison, turned to Winter. “I’ll check in soon, okay?”
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” Zach was a special human. If Collette hadn’t called and given herself away, Harrison’s brother would have made sure she paid for her crimes anyway. “I don’t know how to repay you, but I am so grateful.”
He strode over to the bed, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead. “You’re family, pretty girl. Any time you need me, I’m here.” He straightened and slapped Harrison on the back. “Take care. We’ll talk soon.”
“Thank you.” A long look passed between the brothers before Zach walked out, leaving Harrison and Winter alone.
* * *
Harrison pulled a chair up to Winter’s bedside. One look at her still pale face and he knew there would be no discussion between them now, either.
“Are you due for medication?” he asked.
“I think so.”
“Be right back.”
Thirty minutes later, because nothing ever happened quickly in a hospital, a nurse arrived with Winter’s pain medicine, and she took the pills. Winter swallowed them quickly and leaned back against the pillows, her eyes closing before he could urge her to rest.
And just like he had last night, Harrison grasped her hand and stayed with her.
Chapter Fourteen
Winter lay in Harrison’s bed, still sore and still in pain. She didn’t feel well and wouldn’t for a long while. The doctor had made that clear. She couldn’t look at a screen or work because of dizziness, the television always sounded too loud, and she generally felt like roadkill.
Harrison took good care of her. Following the doctor’s instructions, he checked on her symptoms and made sure she remained inactive, which wasn’t a hardship given she couldn’t do anything else. He brought ice for her head and made sure she ate despite the queasiness that never left. At this point, she couldn’t distinguish between the concussion and morning sickness, and she wasn’t sure it mattered.
It was the third morning after she’d been discharged from the hospital, and she’d woken up alone. Since Harrison was also on dog duty, she assumed he was feeding Panda. God, he was so good to her. Still, she wondered if he was ready for her to be well enough to go home. He hadn’t once given her the feeling he wanted her gone, but she had definitely taken over his life.
A knock sounded at the open bedroom door. She looked up to see him walk into the room. Wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants that rode low on his hips, the bulge of his cock was easily visible, and she couldn’t help but stare.
“Eyes up here, beautiful. It’s not like we can do anything about it right now.”
She pretended to pout as he strode toward her, Panda prancing at his side. Her dog jumped onto the bed and cuddled at her side. She ran her hand over her soft head, grateful for her little companion.
“What’s going on?” she asked as Harrison sat on the edge of the mattress.
“I have news about Collette.” His tone sounded serious.
“Tell me the police found her, please.” Somehow, the woman had disappeared, and Winter’s only solace was knowing she was safe at Harrison’s Hamptons home with the alarm set and double security guards outside.
He shook his head. “It wasn’t the police. Zach and Remy tracked her down to a rental in Maryland. The company doesn’t ask for licenses to check in. The police were waiting on a warrant and Zach just did his thing and called in the tip. It’s like the woman didn’t even try all that hard to hide.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “She does act like she’s above the law. So she’s in custody?”
Harrison nodded, and all the tension in her body rushed out at once. “It’s really over?” she asked, the relief filling her enormous.
“It’s over.”
Ignoring her body aches and pain in her head, she sat forward. He met her halfway, and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. “I’m so glad.”
He pulled her into him, and she inhaled his delicious musky scent from the soap in his shower and held back a moan.
“I know we haven’t talked about that day yet because I wanted to give you time to heal, but I have never been as panicked as I was when that car drove through the restaurant, right where I’d left you sitting,” he said into her hair.
She sniffed back tears. “I’m sorry I begged you to go to town. I—”
“Stop. Like I said, the only one to blame is Collette.”
Winter pulled back and met his gaze. “Do Nikki and Derek know their mother is in custody?”
He nodded. “And Asher was with Nikki, so don’t worry. Derek is going with your father—is it okay to call him that?”
“I think so,” she murmured. “I started to think of him that way in the hospital room when we were all in there together.”