Page 5 of Claiming My Cocky Boss

When I arrived, the emergency room was buzzing with activity. After delivering the park’s incident report to the EMS team, I was about to leave when a nurse approached me.

“Are you the ranger who helped Liam Archer off the trail?” she asked, motioning toward one of the cubicles.

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. Is he okay?”

“He’s asking for you,” she said with a smile. “Something about his truck keys.”

Surprised, I followed her to Liam’s cubicle. His leg was propped up, wrapped in bandages, and he looked pale under the fluorescent lights, though he still managed a weak smile when he saw me.

“Hey, Chief Ranger Mia,” he rasped, his voice strained.

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

He chuckled, though it turned into a wince. “I am. Just... need a favor.”

I stepped closer, noticing his discomfort. “What kind of favor?”

“Can you park my truck somewhere safe out of harm’s way?” He grimaced as he pulled out his keys.

I took them from him, our fingers brushing. “You’re heading into surgery, right?”

“Yeah, broken ankle,” he said, his tone lightening. “They’ll fix me up, but I’ll be here a while.”

“Don’t worry about the truck. I’ll take care of it,” I reassured him.

“Thanks, Mia. I owe you.”

“Just focus on getting better,” I said with a smile. “We’ll talk favors later.”

As I left, keys jingling in my hand, I couldn’t shake my curiosity. Liam didn’t fit the typical Cedar Cove visitor mold. He felt different, and Tessa’s teasing words about drama came to mind. Maybe this was the start of something I wasn’t ready for.

God, I hope not!

Three

Liam

Waking up after surgery felt like shaking off a fog, my mind slow to catch up with my body. The hospital sounds around me—machines beeping, muffled voices—blurred together, but the sharp ache in my ankle cut through it all. I shifted, wincing as the pain flared. My damned leg was wrapped up and propped on a pillow, reminding me just how quickly things had gone sideways.

Not exactly part of the plan.

I hadn’t come to Cedar Cove to relax or take time off. I was here on a mission—undercover, trying to root out the thief skimming money from Edgewater Securities. My team back in Dallas thought I was holed up working on some “new project,” but the truth was, I was racing against the clock. And now, I had a broken ankle slowing me down.

Just as I started to settle into my thoughts, the door creaked open. A woman in scrubs stepped in, digital tablet in hand, her eyes scanning the files in front of her.

“Mr. Archer?” she asked, glancing up at me.

“Yeah,” I replied, clearing my throat.

“I’m with the hospital’s billing department,” she said, looking down at her notes. “Just need to verify some details about your insurance coverage. It says here you work for Edgewater Securities?”

I tensed slightly but nodded. “That’s right.”

She blinked, her expression shifting. “Wow. I didn’t realize. My cousin works at your company—she’s in the Tampa office.”

A flicker of unease ran through me.Small world.The thought that someone in Cedar Cove, a town this small, had a connection to Edgewater Securities felt unsettling. And even though it was ridiculous, I couldn’t help but wonder if someone in Tampa could be connected to the mess I was dealing with my company. Was there a chance? Could the embezzlement stretch that far?

I forced a smile, trying to brush off the tension creeping into my chest.

---