Read Online Shadow Ridge by Capri Montgomery - Free Book Online Page B

if she hadn’t put up such a fight to be able to do it. She felt as if she had to beg. She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she realized she had been in and out of consciousness for a while and she hadn’t talked to Miles. She didn’t want him to have the wrong idea about why she hadn’t called. Judging from his words to her she would say he did indeed have the wrong opinion.
    She was looking forward to Christmas with him. She had never celebrated and the thought of waking up to a tree and a pancake breakfast seemed fun to her. She had bought him a pocket watch that had an eagle and a sheriff’s badge on it. She wanted to wrap it before going back so she could surprise him with it on Christmas morning. Clearly that wasn’t going to happen now.
    The knock on her door pulled her out of her contemplative thoughts just before the nurse entered the room. “There’s another officer her e to see you again. I can tell him the doctor would prefer you to rest if you’d like.”
    She sighed. The word “again” was on her tongue but there wasn’t a need to voice it since the nurse seemed just as annoyed as she felt. She had already told them what she could. What else was there to tell? It was an accident. Nobody pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger.
    “No. Send him in.” She pressed the button to elevate the bed so she could sit up a little more than she already was. She was just settling into comfort when she heard the door close and the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.
    Her eyes lifted and she saw him. “Miles!” What was he doing here? “You have to work.” She knew he would be very busy in the days leading up to Christmas because he had told her as much.
    “You’re important to me. I had to come.” He walked steadily over to the bed and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before taking her hand in his.
    She smiled up at him. “Thanks for coming.” He didn’t have to abandon everything to come to her, but he had. His sacrifice warmed her heart.
    “I had to come to you.”
    She felt her eyes watering. She sniffled. “Please pull up a chair and sit with me a while.” She gestured to the plush red round sitting chair with the high back that was strategically placed against the far wall.
    “Where are you staying?” She watched him bring the chair so close to the bed that he could touch her hand freely without having a far reach.
    “I haven’t found a place yet. My focus was just on getting here.”
    “Oh gosh. Hand me the phone. I’ll call the Waverly and get you a room.”
    “Bethany—”
    “I’ll pay; don’t worry.” She tried to reach for the phone but he caught her hand and stopped her.
    “What?”
    “I um…I have plenty of money. I’m in the millionaire status, Bethany.”
    She gasped. She had no idea he had that much money—or any money for that matter. At the poker game she had started watching him after he had won some games, but he also lost it all. She had no clue he was rich.
    “And beyond that, I can book the room. You should be resting.”
    She nodded and settled back against the stacked pillows. “How long are you staying?”
    “I’m spending Christmas wherever you are.”
    Her lips turned upward and parted into a teeth exposing smile.
    “Now what’s this about February?”
    “Oh I’ll be out of here before then—I hope. But the movie in Boston starts shooting just after Christmas and I have to be on set to make sure things start right.”
    He growled. “Are there going to be shots fired in this movie?”
    “Yes.”
    He growled again.
    “This is my job. Sometimes things go wrong, but not…that is this isn’t the norm. You don’t have to worry.”
    “You can’t be talked out of going can you?”
    She shook her head no. She could not be afraid to do her job over this.
    “Okay. Then I’m buying you a vest.”
    She laughed until the pain in her side reminded her why laughing was a bad idea . When the pain hit all she could do was moan in agony. He