“Really, cause there’s this jerk ex-boyfriend I have . . .”
“You point me at him and I’ll teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”
She threw her head back, laughing in delight.
“Max and Savannah are picking your car up from the garage. That’s where it was towed to this morning. I got you an appointment with Doc Harper in fifteen minutes. They had a spot open up.”
“That’s good.” Guilt filled her as she realized Jake would return to find her gone again. She’d gotten the text from Logan as she was waiting impatiently for the sheriff. She’d tried to tell him not to bother finding anyone, but he’d hightailed it out of there like his butt was on fire. She’d only had time to scrawl a quick note, which she’d left at the nurses station, before meeting Logan in the parking lot. She didn’t want to keep him waiting after he’d come out in the storm to get her last night.
She should have stuck around last night, but she’d been cold, tired, and hungry. Miserable. All she’d wanted was a hot shower and a warm bed. After twenty minutes had passed, she’d been certain Jake had forgotten her and she’d started to feel silly sitting there. So, when Savannah rang, she’d blurted out where she was. Logan had picked her up twenty minutes later. There had still been no sign of Jake.
He was really going to be pissed at her now.
“I’ll take you to get that ankle looked at, then we can meet Savannah and Max for lunch. All right?”
She smiled at the big rancher. “Sounds perfect. Thanks for letting me stay, I hope it’s not an inconvenience.”
“Of course it’s not,” Logan replied. “You’re family. You don’t have to keep thanking us.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes. The sun was shining so brightly that if it weren’t for the sodden ground and tree branches strewn about, you might never have known there’d been a storm here last night.
“How was Russ?”
“Good. Awake and coherent. I was so worried about him.”
“I bet you were. That must have been a scary experience for you. You did well, Molly.”
The praise warmed her. Although not in the same way Jake’s words to her last night had.
“The sheriff was at the hospital,” she said casually.
“Jake was there?”
“Yep. Very intense, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. He’s been that way as long as I’ve known him. He’s a good sheriff, though, takes his job seriously and protects the citizens of Haven.”
“Yes, I can see how he’d make a good sheriff. Must be hard on his wife, having him out at all hours, though.”
“Doesn’t have a wife. Or a girlfriend. Can’t even recall him having a long-term relationship.”
“So, he’s single?”
Logan glanced over at her. “Yes, but I don’t think he’s the settling type, Molly.”
That’s okay. She wasn’t looking to settle down. Just have a little fun.
And Mr. Tall, Dark, and Serious might be just the fun she needed.
4
He
was in a damn bad mood and he knew exactly who to blame. When he caught up to that redhead, he was going to teach her a thing or two about doing as she was told. What she needed was to be turned over his knee and . . . woah. He came to a stop right there on the sidewalk. Was he really imagining turning Molly over his knee and spanking her? His guts tightened, need flamed hard and hot. He wanted her.
Well, yeah, he’d already figured that out. It perplexed him. He’d just met her, and she already had him tied up in knots. She was nothing like the type he usually went for. Not that he’d been interested in anyone since Rebecca.
Rebecca had been a gentle, quiet person. Happy to follow his lead. It was what he needed. His job was stressful. He was faced with tough decisions and challenges constantly. He needed life to be restful when he got home.