Shadow Ridge (7 page)

Chapter Five

B
ethany lay in the bed staring at the warm yellow walls and the ivory curtains hanging from the top of the window down to the floor. She looked at the posh seating area. Private rooms were nice. The fact that the studio was handling all the bills was better.

They had put her mom and Donavan up in a suite at a five star upscale hotel and made sure a private car brought them to the hospital and took them back to the hotel each day.
She felt guilty for not being able to get in touch with Miles for so long. The doctors kept her sedated for a while. They wouldn’t have let her use the phone 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 smoothed his hand over her forehead swiping hair out of her face and trying to comfort her. When she was able to speak comfortably again she looked at him and said, “That’s a bit of overkill.”

“If it keeps you safe I’ll procure full body armor for you.”

“Spoken like a true alpha—protect your woman.” She heard the door open and close. Her mother and Donovan walked in. “Mom, Donovan, this is Miles—my boyfriend—man friend.” She twisted her mouth trying to figure out if boyfriend was the right word given their age. In the business most people just called the other person their partner, but partner had so many different vibes to it that she never liked the use of that word for describing her romantic relationships.

He
r mother smiled. “This is the Miles you’ve been talking about so much?”

Bethany felt heat f
lush to her cheeks. Leave it to mom to embarrass her. “The doctors kept me high,” she blushed more when Miles looked at her.

“She pitched a fit when they wouldn’t let her use the phone.”

“Guilty,” she felt her cheeks warm even more.

“That’s how I knew what you two were starting was serious for her. Your being here assures me it’s serious for you too. But,” she squared her shoulders; “if you hurt her I have the perfect spot of earth to burry you under.”

“Mom!”

Miles chuckled. “I’d deserve it. But I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to never hurt her.”

Her mother’s shoulders relaxed. “Then I will approve of you dating my daughter—for now.”

“And I approve of you dating my aunt. But I know how to use a shovel if Grandma needs my help.” Donovan was such a little man with spirit like his mother and father. “Well I do,” he said. “Steve said he’d move the body for you. I heard the two of you talking that night.”

Bethany lowered her head and shook it while Miles had a hearty laugh. “You have good people looking out for you, Bethany—good people indeed.”

She watched her family welcome Miles with open arms and that made her happy because in her mind he was long term in her life. In her mind she knew this could be forever.

About the Author

Capri Montgomery is an author of multicultural and interracial suspense, science fiction and contemporary romance. Her passion for writing started at a young age and for over twenty years she has been turning the movies playing in her head into written works. She is passionately exploring
worlds one book at a time.

When she’s not writing, Capri enjoys nature—unless the insects are biting her, traveling, old movies, art, photography, playing cello, and exploring emotions and worlds through music.

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