Page 15 of The Way Back Home
“Me too, Sheriff. If you need medical assistance, you know where to find me.”
Bill turned, as if to go, then paused. “Aren’t you heading out for Christmas with your family?”
Noah shrugged. Truth was, he’d forgotten all about it. “Yeah, today or tomorrow. Long as I’m there by Christmas Eve, it’s all good.”
Bill nodded, apparently satisfied. “All right then, guess I’d better be off. Thanks for your time, Doc.”
Noah nodded and saw him out. Once the sheriff’s car disappeared from sight, he headed back toward the bedroom.
“It’s safe. He’s gone,” he called out.
There was no answer. An uneasy feeling squirmed in his gut. He quickened his pace, throwing open the bedroom door.
The bed was empty. The blankets tossed. The window shade askew.
And no sign of his injured guest.
CHAPTER EIGHT
NOAH
Noah was about to head out and start tracking, but then the bathroom door opened slowly, and Teagan peeked out.
“He’s gone,” he reiterated, nearly sagging with relief.
“I heard. Thanks for covering for me.”
The door opened further, and she hobbled out. No wonder he’d thought she was a kid from a distance. Standing as she was, his flannel shirt fell to her knees, and she’d rolled the sleeves up several times.
At the time, he’d only been concerned with giving her something clean and warm. Seeing her wearing it now, however, made something deep inside him stir. Something he refused to consider. He hadn’t felt a flicker of interest in years, and it chose now to reappear? Talk about bad timing.
“What’s your name?”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Seems only fair. You know mine.”
She looked away and bit her lip. “Teagan.”
“Nice to meet you, Teagan. How are you feeling?”
“Better.” Her voice was stronger than it had been the night before. “Thank you. For everything.”
“No thanks necessary. It is kind of what I do.”
Her lips quirked at the corners. “You skulk around the woods at night and drag unconscious women back to your lair?”
He couldn’t help but return her smile with a closed-mouth curve of his own. “No. You’re the first.”
Her smile faded, and she nodded. “I’ll be out of your hair soon, I promise.”
Leave? No, she couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not until she had more time to rest and recover and the sheriff wasn’t sniffing around like a hound dog with a scent.
Instead of voicing the sudden and surprisingly vehement inner protest aloud, he shook his head. “Not a good idea.”
There was that defiant glint back in her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, unable to completely hide the wince of pain. “Why not?”
Noah mimicked her stance, his legs shoulder-width apart, arms crossed, and he was a lot bigger. “Well, for one thing, you’re recovering from serious injuries. As your doctor, I suggest you remain here, under observation, for the day.”
