Page 26 of Ghost's Obsession

Heather shakes her head.

“My nurse will be here in a few minutes with your IV bag of fluids and something for the nausea.”

Heather mumbles, “Okay, thanks for seeing me on short notice. I really appreciate it.”

Patch responds warmly, “Anytime, you need anything, call me immediately.” Then his tone shifts just slightly, shooting a glance my way, he asks. “Will the father be involved? The only reason I ask is because I’ll need a signed release of information signed in order to speak to him with you.”

Heather’s head snaps up and her expression turns something close to terrified. “No. I don’t want him anywhere near me or the baby.”

Doc doesn’t press. But I take notice of her words and something in my gut coils tight.

She didn’t just say she doesn’t want him involved. She said she didn’t want him near her child. That answers two pressing questions for me. She wants the baby she’s carrying and there is something going on with the ex. That something sounds like it might involve danger because she said it like she’s scared he might try to get to her baby.

Patch talks to her a little more about her condition and what the warning signs are that she needs to come back to see him or get herself to a hospital and then leaves to make room for his nurse, who makes short work of inserting the IV and gives her anti-nausea medication. I hold her hand while the IV runs. When the nurse comes back to remove the IV, she gives us a discharge sheet with all the instruction Patch gave us verbally,the scripts he talked about and some sample medications to tide her over until we could get the scripts filled.

***

The ride back is quiet. Heather goes back to leaning against the passenger window again, arms wrapped around herself like she’s holding in more than just nausea. Her eyes are open, but she’s not looking at anything. Just staring out at the blur of trees and storefronts like she’s trying to keep her mind somewhere else.

I let the silence spin out between the two of us. She needs time to decompress from all this. I guess she’s got a lot to deal with.

Meanwhile, my brain is spiraling. Her words haunt every corner of my mind.

He won’t be involved. I don’t want him anywhere near me or the baby.

There was fear in her voice when she spoke of her ex. Heather is a strong, independent woman. That fear in her voice tells me everything I need to know about the man who fathered her child.

He hurt her, scared her. I know all too well how controlling and possessive men like that are. And I’d bet my bottom dollar that whoever he is, he might not as far behind her as she wants to believe.

My grip tightens on the steering wheel. Not enough for her to draw her notice. And my jaw locks. I don’t like anything about this ex of hers. I start taking mental notes on how to best protect her while she’s vulnerable. I’ll keep her safely tucked away in my home with the security system armed. When I leave, I’m gonna make sure to send a couple of prospects out to my place to keepan eye on things. Until I figure who this asshole is and am certain she’s safe, she’ll have every bit of protection I can manage for her and her unborn child.

When I pull into the driveway, I do it slowly, so as not to jostle her around. When I turn the truck off, Heather doesn’t move to get out right away. I break the silence.

“Let’s get you settled in my spare room.”

She blinks at me, like I pulled her out of a fog. “I’m sorry you’re getting stuck taking care of me. I’m supposed to be working for you, not the other way around.”

I deadpan back, “I don’t mind one bit. In fact, it’ll be nice to have someone to talk to and cook for besides myself.”

She perks up. “I’ll try not to be a burden and move back to the garage just as soon as I’m feeling better.”

“Nonsense. I asked you to move in last night. The offer applies even when you’re feeling better.”

I get out, go around, open her door and help her out of the truck. She’s moving slowly and that worries me. She should be feeling better after that IV, but I don’t think she is.

Chapter 10

Heather

Iwake up to a bottle of water on the bedside table and the medication samples from Dr. Patch. For once my stomach isn’t churning and I’m not rushing to the bathroom to hurl. I reach for the medication and quickly take it, not wanting the nausea to return. Ghost is the most thoughtful man I’ve ever known. He’s even got my phone charging. I can’t believe I was so wary of him the first time we met.

When I put the bottle back, it lands on a piece of paper. I grab it and discover it’s a note from Ghost. It says:

Don’t get up. I’m heading to town to get your meds. Be right back. There are prospects on the property keeping an eye on things. They won’t come inside the house because I set the security alarm. Left you a muffin in the basket.

Looking at the nightstand table, sure enough, there’s a basket sitting there. When I reach inside, there’s a warm muffin wrapped in a napkin. Jesus, the man must have just left. Feeling incredibly spoiled by the big tatted-up biker, I sit up in bed and nibble on the muffin and sip the cold water.

To be honest, I get lost in my own thoughts and end up snuggling back down under the blankets for another rest. Patch said I was depleted, and I totally feel it. My rest turns into a nap and the next thing I know Ghost is at my bedside.

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