Part 18 (1/2)

”You'd be surprised. I know of a surgeon who broke his finger and all he did as he was coming down a staircase was casually b.u.mp the banister with his hand.”

Emily Anne had thought that Sheriff Kendall had been displaying an overabundance of caution, sending her here to the clinic. Heck, there was a part of her that thought his orders to come and get checked out had been issued solely to give Billy J a bit of a scare. Except, of course, he hadn't been the least bit scared.

Instead, the sheriff must have been genuinely concerned about her and not completely without cause. Who knew such a simple encounter could have such repercussions?

”Thank you, Doctor Jessop. I appreciate your taking care of me.”

”You're welcome, Emily Anne. There's not much we can do about the bruising you're about to endure. However, please pay attention to the injury. If the area swells, put a bit of ice on it-or a bag of frozen peas. If it begins to hurt more instead of less, or if it becomes excessively tender to the touch, or if it feels as if it's hardening-you come back and see me, immediately.”

”Don't worry, Doctor Jessop. She will.”

Emily Anne looked over to the doorway. Connor and Mel filled the s.p.a.ce, each having to stand a little sideways so they could both see her.

”Hi.”

”Hi yourself, precious.” Mel raised one eyebrow toward Doctor Robert, who nodded. He didn't wait any longer to enter the room, and Connor was right behind him.

”Well my work here is done,” Kelsey said. Then she wrapped her arms around Emily Anne and gave her a hug. ”No more work for you today, my friend. We'll see you tomorrow.”

”Thanks for coming to be with me.”

”You're more than welcome, Emily Anne,” Kelsey said.

Emily Anne couldn't recall a time when anyone had ever put herself out for her the way Kelsey had just done.

l.u.s.ty really was her home in more ways than one.

Both men said a quiet word to Kelsey as she pa.s.sed them, and then they came to her. Connor gently picked up her arm and brushed his thumb over the bruise she had growing there.

She didn't say anything, just let him focus on the mark. ”You're all right?” Connor asked her instead of the doctor, and she appreciated that.

”Yes, I really am. I bopped him one...well, kind of.” She showed him her fist and he smiled. Then he took her hand.

”If you ever have occasion to do so again at any time, please don't tuck your thumb inside that way. You could end up breaking it.” He lifted her closed fist to his lips and kissed it.

”I'll remember.”

Emily Anne leaned into him and laid her head on his chest. Mel smiled and stroked his hand down her back.

She didn't know how it was she understood that Connor was the one who needed the most a.s.surance that she was all right. She suspected, though, it was because of the life he'd led, the danger he'd walked into on behalf of their country, and the losses he'd endured.

In ways only a woman would understand, she knew he was a fragile human being, for all that he was a brave and fierce warrior.

”We tossed a coin. I'm going to take you home while Connor goes over and has a little 'talk' with Billy J.” Mel said that as if he was just announcing a trip to the grocery store.

Emily Anne eased back and looked up at Connor.

”We decided that we didn't want him to know there were two of us. He sounds like the kind of unscrupulous little s.h.i.+t who'd use that sort of information against you.”

”I'm not ashamed of being with you both. Let him do his d.a.m.nedest. I don't care.”

That got a grin out of Connor. ”We know you're not ashamed of being with us, angel eyes. But you haven't had a chance to talk with your family, yet. Let us take care of you the best way we know how, all right?”

She gazed at him for a long moment before she nodded. ”All right. But on one condition.”

He didn't ask, he just raised his right eyebrow.

”When you come back home, you'll have to show us both your double-headed coin.”

She'd been guessing, but judging by the way Connor was struggling to control his smile-and the look of shock on Mel's face-she figured she must have nailed it.

”You know me pretty well, sweetheart, don't you?”

”I guess I do.”

He bent over and gave her a very sweet and way-too-short kiss. He ran his hands up and down her arms, from shoulders to elbow. Then he lifted her bruised forearm and placed a kiss there, too. ”I won't be long,” he said.

He nodded to both Doctors Jessop, clapped Mel on the shoulder, and left the exam room.

”He's sneaky,” Mel said. ”He didn't have to use a trick coin on me. I'd have let him confront the jerk.”

Emily Anne grinned. ”That's just because you think he's scarier looking than you are.”

”It's a h.e.l.l of a thing for an alpha male to admit,” Mel said. Of course his sigh, heavily exaggerated, was designed to make her smile and keep her mind off of what might shortly be taking place at the sheriff's office.

He didn't have to bother. She wasn't really worried. Connor Talbot would go all out against a perceived enemy, she had no doubt of that.

If that enemy was a real threat. She couldn't for one moment think that Connor would view Billy J. Cooper as any kind of threat at all.

He had, however, behaved badly toward her. Emily Anne was beginning to understand just how much she meant to these two men, and how, just maybe, one of the worst things a person could do, in their eyes, was treat her badly.

Emily Anne focused on the man standing in front of her. ”You're wrong, you know. He isn't scarier looking than you at all. You can put on quite the fierce face when you need to, Mr. Richardson.”

Mel looked over at the Doctors Jessop who'd been playing spectators to their personal moment. ”Is she really all right?”

”Absolutely,” Robert said. He repeated the instructions he'd already given her, clearly quite comfortable with the concept that Mel would take better care of her than she would herself.

”Thanks, Doctors. Both of you.” Mel extended his hand to both men. They shook, and then he helped Emily Anne down from the exam table.

He led her out to his car, and she found her gaze tracking over to the sheriff's office on Main Street.

”Connor won't hurt him, as much as he might want to. This time,” Mel said. ”But if the little s.h.i.+t is stupid enough to bother you again, all bets are off.”

”I'm not particularly worried about the little s.h.i.+t,” Emily Anne said. ”I just don't want Connor to get in trouble with the law.”

Mel grinned. ”This is l.u.s.ty. I'm quite certain that Adam has already put the fear of G.o.d into Billy J, and will very willingly stand back as Connor ably gives him a second helping of that.”