Read Online Fire Me Up by Kimberly Kincaid - Free Book Online Page B

readout on the meter with a frown. Her father’s color was the rough equivalent of Elmer’s paste, and he looked like he’d been awake for about a week straight.
    Color first . She reached behind her for a package of cocktail mix, tearing open the bag of pretzels and peanuts and putting a healthy dose in her father’s free hand.
    He sighed, but followed the unspoken order. After a few bites, he said, “I didn’t give Tommy the night off, love. I had to let him go. The day cook and that waitress, too. Things have just been too tight, but the work still needs to be done. It’s just . . . not easy to pay for all the medicine.” His voice coalesced into silence, and understanding trickled into Teagan’s brain.
    Owning a bar and grill gave you lots of things over the years. Health insurance wasn’t one of them. Still, they did well enough that it shouldn’t be that bad.
    Unless she’d missed the memo on that, too.
    Teagan’s last thread of control unraveled in a hard snap. “When were you going to tell me about this? I could’ve helped more! I could’ve—”
    â€œWhat?” her father interrupted, pinning her with a steely stare that reminded her that she came by her fire honestly. “Worked more shifts? Lord, girl, you’re here more often than not as it is. I’m not havin’ you work your fingers to the bone for me. You’ve got a life to live.”
    â€œTaking care of you is more important.” Fear swirled into anger and then slid back into fear, but Teagan slammed a lid over all of it. She’d failed monumentally by missing all of this, but she’d be goddamned if she wasn’t going to take care of it now, no matter what it took. “Your glucose level sucks, and I’m assuming from the way you wanted to let it pass that this isn’t your first dizzy spell. If you’ve been skipping meds to try to conserve, or if your symptoms are getting worse, you need to be seen. You can’t keep working like this.” Teagan pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans, flicking it to life.
    â€œI’m not goin’ to the hospital. Friday’s our busiest night, and we need the cash comin’ in.”
    Nope. No way was her father going to outmuscle her on this one. Not even if she had to sedate him to get him out the door. She pulled up the number for Riverside Hospital, her finger hovering over the send button. “I don’t care. Hypoglycemic shock isn’t a joke, and neither is renal failure. You need IV fluids and insulin. Dr. Riley will probably want to monitor you overnight, just as a precaution.”
    â€œI skipped a meal and a pill or two, and I worked a little too hard, is all. Some of this juice and a coupla more minutes, and I’ll be on my feet.”
    â€œYou don’t understand. This isn’t about one night, Da. Dr. Riley should’ve been more clear about you taking it easy. Seventy-hour workweeks in a high-stress environment aren’t part of a healthy regimen. You can’t keep up a work schedule like this if your diabetes and blood pressure are out of control.” Teagan turned to make the phone call, but the look of stark vulnerability crossing her father’s face glued the argument to her throat.
    â€œDr. Riley was perfectly clear, darlin’, but she just told me what I already know. This place is goin’ ta be the end of me. But I’m not goin’ ta let it be the end of you, too.”

Chapter Six
    Adrian stared absently at the ceiling, wondering how many more minutes would drop from the clock before he went clinically insane. Since only forty-seven had passed between when he’d woken from his painkiller-induced nap and now, making it to a triple-digit time count looked pretty bleak.
    The next six weeks were going to take for freaking ever .
    Adrian blew out a hard breath, ignoring the thudding pain that radiated from shoulder to