Page 69 of From Rivals to I Do

“Maybe it didn’t start that way,” I interject. “Maybe you didn’t mean for him to find me on there, because you were so sure I’d take you back you didn’t think I’d be on there. But even then, why find work around Thistleberry? Why follow me all the way here and keep harassing me if you weren’t sticking around here to stalk me?” I ask.

“Just keep your mouth shut!” Joseph yells.

“You came to my house, you begged me to take you back, you followed me to the bar when we went on our date. . .” I say. “If you realized that he was dating me. . . No, with how close you got to Eli, you’d easily know that, wouldn’t you?”

“I swear if you don’t shut your mouth, Darla. . .” Joseph growls, and then I feel a hand on my shoulder as Zack steps in front of me, shielding me from Joseph’s growing anger. His face turns as red as a ripened tomato, and the vein near his temple pulses.

“Or what, Mitch?” Zack asks Joseph. “Or should I say Joe? What exactly do you think you’re going to do?”

“Back off, Zack,” Joseph insists. “You’re not part of this.”

“Oh no, I think we are,” Noah says. “It all makes sense now. Constantly talking poorly about Darla, getting angry with Dad every time he’d go out with her. . .”

Noah gets quiet for a moment, and then his eyes widen. “It was you,” he says as he walks in front of Zack, pointing at Joe. “It was you that caused the stampede, you caused Tango to rear up!”

“Have you completely lost your mind, Noah?” Joseph asks, but he is sweating bullets. “Why would I do that?”

“To get to me. . .” I say as I have my own terrible realization that my suspicions were true. “And you’re the one who changed the records at the hospital!”

“No!”

“You’re friends with Joseph Harrison, the head of the hospital, he confirmed it himself,” I say, peering at him from behind the boys. “We had the same hospital system back home. You stole his credentials somehow and changed the info to hurt me and make me think he was dead. . .”

“I’m telling you she’s wrong!”

“You thought I was working maternity, didn’t you?” I ask as all the puzzle pieces fall together in my mind. “You didn’t realize I’d be working the ICU. . .”

“You tried to kill him twice you coward!” Zack yells angrily, launching himself at Joseph and landing a punch to his cheek before the two of them topple to the ground.

“Get off of me!” Joseph howls as they roll around, dirt flying everywhere as Zack’s arm hunkers back and he throws another punch, only for Joseph to block it and toss a handful of dirt in his eyes.

“Zack!” Noah yells as Joseph scrambles to his feet. Noah pursues him, launching his body forward and grabbing Joseph around his legs. As the two of them tussle on the ground, I get out my phone and call the police.

“Hello? Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” the operator asks as I watch Noah and Joseph fight, Noah overpowering Joseph.

“I need a car sent to 641 Texas Rose Lane,” I reply, hands shaking. “My ex-husband tried to kill my current boyfriend! He’s been living in their house and now he’s in a fight with his kids!”

“Ma’am, I don’t understand,” the operator says. “Slow down and—”

“We don’t have time to slow down!” I say. “This man here tried to kill someone! And who knows what he’s going to do next! You have to get hurry while he’s still here!”

“Ma’am—” the operator says, and I watch as Joseph kicks Noah off of him finally, and Noah falls over on his side and grunts in pain.

“You’re going to regret this, Darla,” Joseph says with a snicker. “If I’m going down, I’m going down swinging.”

Joseph rushes to his car, gets in, and quickly pulls off.

“Dang it!” I say as I run toward my car.

“Ma’am? What’s going on?”

“Tell the cops to head to Thistleberry Medical,” I say.

“Previously, you requested—”

“I know what I said dang it,” I say, out of breath as I rush to my car. “He said I’m going to regret this, and I have a patient at the hospital, my boyfriend, that he already tried to kill once in the ICU.”

“Ma’am, I need you to remain calm—”

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