Page 57 of For Always
“Gabriella, baby, what happened?” he asked as he pushed past the woman and linked his arm around her waist.
He was going to pick her up and carry her when the man beside her spoke.
“I got this,” the man said. “You can get your hands off my sister.”
Tyler froze. “Your sister?”
“The couch,” Dessie intervened. “Get her on the couch then the two of you can exchange names, check I.D.s and do whatever else you feel like doing.”
Tyler didn’t leave her side and neither did the other guy. So they ushered Gabriella to the couch where she quickly lay back against the pillows Dessie had just put there. Dessie shooed both of them away and lifted Gabriella’s feet up onto the chair.
“If one of you don’t get a move on and call that doctor, I swear I’m gonna start swinging,” Dessie yelled.
“I’ll do it,” Jagger said and headed out of the room.
“I’m Monica Lakefield,” the woman whom Tyler had barely noticed said, as she stepped in front of him.
She held out a hand and Tyler hesitated only a second before taking it. “I’m Tyler West. This is my ranch. Gabriella is my…she’s ah, she’s staying here with me.”
“Is that so?” the man asked as he came to stand beside Monica.
“That is so,” Tyler replied. “And who are you?”
“I’m Alex Bennett. Gabriella’s brother,” he said sternly.
Tyler didn’t waver. There would be no handshake exchanged this time.
“So Gabriella is staying with you,” Alex continued. “And who are you to her? Why haven’t I ever heard about you? And if she’s staying here with you, why was she driving erratically on the road causing an accident?”
“I’ll answer your questions out of respect for Gabriella. But don’t forget you’re in my house. So if there’s any interrogating to be done, it will be done by me,” Tyler stated evenly.
Alex opened his mouth to say something else, when Monica touched his arm.
Tyler continued. “Gabriella is redesigning and decorating the ranch and two other properties. She saw something upsetting this morning and drove off before I could stop her.”
“You didn’t say who you were to her,” Alex interjected.
Monica tilted her head as she continued to stare at Tyler. “He’s her boss. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” Tyler responded tightly.
“Tell me why you’re here, Alex,” Gabriella said quietly.
Tyler left them standing there as he went to kneel beside the couch where she lay.
“Are you alright?” he asked and took her hand in his.
She gave him a weak smile. “I have a headache and I’m sorry for running off. But I want to hear what my brother has to say before I explain why I did.”
“Always trying to call the shots,” Alex said from behind Tyler.
“Are you going to answer her question?” Tyler asked without turning to look at the man that he knew was standing protectively behind him.
“We were worried about you,” Alex replied after another moment of silence. “I told Mom and Dad I’d come down here to make sure you were alright.”
With her free hand Gabriella touched the bump on her forehead before hissing in pain. Tyler clenched his teeth. He hated that she’d been hurt.
“Dr. Morrison’s on his way,” Jagger said from somewhere in the room.
