Page 40 of The Convict Gets His Girl

Yet he couldn't keep his hands off her. Only if she told him to would he stop.

Their rescue mission complete and the computer whirring, she finally slumped into the chair, her body heavy with fatigue. He sank into the chair beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders and tucking her head onto his chest.

"Have you seen a dog worse off than her?" Chase asked.

She shook her head on his chest, and he kissed her hair softly as she talked about her worst and then her best patients from Houston. He asked more questions, and she opened up about her life there, small anecdotes that painted a picture of what she'd been up to for the past decade. He found himself engrossed in her stories, her voice a soothing balm to the chaos of the night.

She yawned, her words slowing. Eventually her breathing evened out, and Chase watched over her as she slipped into sleep, her face serene in the dim light of the clinic.

He stroked her hair on his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She was safe and secure, and the relief he felt was bone deep. It wasn't long before his own eyelids grew heavy, the adrenaline leaving his system in a silent wave.

The sound of the door swinging open jolted him awake, his arms tightening around the angel in his arms. Gemma stood there, concern etched into her features as she took in the sight of Jewel still asleep, practically sitting in his lap now.

"What are y'all doing here?" Gemma whispered, glancing around the room.

He explained the situation about Andre and the dog, and Gemma opened the kennel's door to inspect the border collie. The dog actually lifted her head a little, which he took as a good sign.

Gemma frowned, the lines on her forehead deepening as she murmured just loud enough for Chase to hear. "Being up like this isn't good for Jewel. I deliberately didn't want her to take any night shifts until she heals," she muttered. "She's pushing herself too hard. I don't like those circles under her eyes."

His head tilted at her tone of voice. "You're worried about her. Why?"

Confusion filled him, unfamiliar with this level of worry for anyone. Maybe it was a sister thing?

Gemma didn't even glance up as she said, "She has Lyme disease. It's why she moved here now instead of waiting until after Destini graduates high school."

It felt like a punch in the gut, and his arms wrapped more tightly around her. She slept like the dead on him, and he was fairly certain there was a drool patch on his shirt.

But there were so many questions going through his mind, he didn't know where to start.

She woke the computer and clicked, then pulled out a new IV bag and went down the hall to a closet before returning with another smaller pouch of medicine. The whole time she moved around, his mind cataloged what he knew about Lyme before he neatly made a line of questions.

"Can you take Jewel home?" Gemma asked quietly as she swapped out the empty IV bag for a new one.

He stroked her cheek and nodded, inhaling the wildflower scent of her hair. "She refused to leave until she knew if the IV needed to come out," he said.

Gemma stood and sighed, bustling softly around the large room to gather supplies. "She's not supposed to work today. I'll take care of the dog if you'll take care of her and make sure she sleeps. I don't need her having another attack."

He frowned, not sure what kind of attack she was talking about but nodded anyway. "I can do that."

"Good," Gemma said with a pointed look. "Now get on out of here before Dad shows up and puts her to work."

Chase nodded solemnly, watching as Gemma quietly left them alone again. The responsibility settled over him, warming him with a sense of purpose. He wouldn't let Jewel down, not today, not ever.

Chase scooped Jewel up, her body limp in his arms, a lightness to her that belied the strength he knew she possessed. Her breath was soft against his neck, a whisper of slumber as he carried her through the dimly lit clinic, past the cages of recovering animals, and out into the cool early morning air.

The truck's door creaked in protest as he eased it open, settling Jewel onto the passenger seat with tender care. She murmured something incomprehensible, a frown briefly knitting her brows before smoothing away as he leaned the seat back. Chase's heart clenched at the sight; she looked like a child wrestling with a dream as she half curled onto her side.

He buckled her in and shut the door, rounding the vehicle and sliding onto the seat. His hands gripped the wheel, and he took a deep breath. He hadn't driven a lot over the past year and never on the highway, just the work truck around his parents' ranch.

The engine turned over, disrupting the silence that had settled over the world around them. He drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting gently on Jewel's knee, grounding her, grounding himself in the here and now instead of in the memories from long ago and worry about her being sick.

The sunrise crested the horizon as the hunting cabin appeared like a shadow within shadows, a darker shape against the growing light over the expanse of land. It hadn't been a conscious thought to bring her here, but he had questions about her disease and wanted to be there when she woke up.

He killed the engine and coasted the last few yards, not wanting to wake her again. Once parked, he gathered Jewel in his arms for the second time that night, stepping over the threshold of what had become his sanctuary.

Inside, Chase maneuvered to the bed, where soft light spilled across the quilted bedspread from the window. He laid her down, drawing the covers up to her chin with a gentleness borne of something more than concern. After he pulled off her boots, she mumbled and tugged the blanket as she turned onto her side.

An ache went through him to see her so at peace.

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