Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47381 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 237(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
His mom was adamant that he keep up her fluid intake. That was what she’d told him after she’d spluttered in astonishment for about ten minutes when he’d called her.
Really? Was it so hard to believe that he might want to take care of someone who was ill?
He’d also ordered her a few other things that he wasn’t sure were going to go down well. Hmm, he’d see once she woke up.
Now, he was sitting in an armchair in the bedroom, reading through a pamphlet with information on Rawhide Ranch’s activities and programs. He wondered if Josie wanted to do any of those things?
A cough had him glancing over at her. Was she awake? She coughed in her sleep, and he hated that.
His poor girl.
It was strange, but he’d never felt such a surge of… of affection and protection toward anyone else.
She settled back down, and he relaxed. He hadn’t realized that taking care of someone else would involve so much downtime.
He supposed he could get started on some more rules. For a guy who hated living by anyone else’s rules, he sure did enjoy making them for his girl.
He grabbed the notebook he’d also had delivered and started to jot down some more rules.
A vibrating noise had him getting to his feet quickly. Her phone was sitting on the nightstand. Walking over, he picked it up, looking at the name on the screen.
Someone called Bestie was calling.
Hmm. Should he answer? Seemed like the best idea to him. He stepped into the other room and closed the door behind him.
He’d set up the baby monitor he’d also ordered. He grabbed the camera and switched in on so he could still creep on his girl.
Honestly, he was starting to feel like a stalker.
Then he quickly answered the phone, putting in on speaker.
“Jolie’s phone.”
There was silence. Odd.
“Hello? You there? Or are you going to do the whole heavy-breathing thing? Hello? Bestie?” he said.
“Who is this?” a woman asked.
“Who is this?” he demanded.
“Where’s Jolie? What’s going on? Why are you answering her phone? Oh God, I should never have sent her to that Ranch on her own. What was I thinking?”
“Wait. You sent her here to Rawhide Ranch? What were you thinking allowing her to come here alone?” he demanded. “This place could have been filled with a bunch of creeps.”
“Like you?” she asked.
He scowled. “I’m not a creep.”
“You answered her phone! Where is she?”
“Sleeping.”
“Sleeping? What do you mean? It’s early afternoon there!” she said.
“Yes, so?”
“So she never naps. Ever,” the woman said with surety.
“Maybe it’s time she started, then.”
“I… you… is she all right?”
“She’s sick,” he admitted because this woman did seem to genuinely care.
“Sick? Why? What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m not sure I should tell you.”
“You have to tell me; I’m not just her best friend, I’m also her doctor. Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“You know why she needed to come here? Why she needed a break?”
“She said something to you about me?” the woman asked.
“Yes. So what is going on?” he demanded.
“I’m not sure I should tell you,” she said, repeating his own words back to him.
“Touché. We’re at an impasse. Ahh, well, if you don’t have anything interesting to say, I’m going to go.”
“Wait, no! You can’t go!”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because I want to speak to Jolie. I need to make sure she’s going to be all right.”
“Of course she is.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
“Because I’m looking after her and I won’t allow her to be anything else.”
“But who are you?”
“I’m Brand.”
There was more silence.
“Well, goodbye.”
“No, wait! Brand? As in Brand Starr?”
“Ahh, you’ve heard of me,” he drawled.
“Who hasn’t heard of you,” she muttered, not sounding that happy.
“Jolie hasn’t spoken about me?” He felt a bit upset about that. Then again, he also understood.
“No, she has. I know you helped her that last night before you all took a break.”
“I did.”
“Why did you help her? Why… how are you there?” she asked.
“I think those are questions for Jolie. Once she’s feeling better,” he told her firmly.
“How sick is she? Should I come out? Fuck. I should have gone with her.”
He took pity on her. The two of them were obviously close, and it was clear in her voice that she cared for Jolie. Anyone who cared for his girl was all right in his book.
“She’s got bronchitis. She’s being monitored by a medical professional and taking antibiotics, which I’m administering to her.”
“What kind?”
“You really are a doctor?” he asked as he grabbed the prescription bottle.
“Yes, I am. Jolie and I roomed together in college. We’ve been friends a long time. I’m Addison, by the way.”
He rattled off the name of the antibiotic.
“Okay. Good. You… you’re at the Ranch.”
“Are you all right? You seem to be having trouble retaining information.”
“It’s just… you’re there. Jolie’s there. You have her phone. Are you, I mean, Jolie never said, um—”