Page 27 of A Small Town Risk

“He’s being operated on now. He’s critical.”

I breathe in. My hands are shaking. I need to get it together.

“I’m forty minutes away. I’ll be there as soon as possible.” I hesitate, and then a thought hits me. “Why are you calling me about him?”

“Does it matter? See you at the hospital.”

“Okay,” I say and hang up.

I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. I need to get my shit together and drive back without getting into an accident. I need to block out any thoughts of Ryan right now. If I keep thinking about him, I won’t make it.

He’ll be fine, though, he’ll be fine, I keep repeating as I start my truck and speed off down the driveway, grasping the steering wheel hard. He can’t die on me. I need to tell him how I feel. I should have talked to him after dinner when I heard about him dating Nancy. I don’t think it’s true. It can’t be.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

RYAN

I’m staring at my phone, wanting it to ring. It doesn’t. I resist the urge to call her.

I didn’t follow her when she left Carson’s house. The way the girls looked at me, made me feel guilty, but I didn’t know why.

The radio goes off—reports of a domestic disturbance.

I lower my feet off the desk, rise out of my chair, grab my jacket, and walk out of the office.

“What’s the address?” I ask Peg.

“1415 19th St.”

She shakes her head.

I hesitate. I know that address. It’s the Pauls’ home. I’ve been out there too many times already.

“Great,” I say, and I’m out the door.

I get in the cruiser and give James a call.“Meet me at the Paul residence. There’s been another disturbance.”

“Again?”

“Just meet me there.”

It doesn’t take long before I pull up in front of their house. They live in a nice, quiet neighborhood. I get out of my car and hear the yelling from the street. This time, I’ll bring both of them in.

Neighbors are standing outside listening. I ignore them and make my way up the sidewalk. I scan the street for James, but he hasn’t appeared yet. I shouldn’t go in without backup.

Yelling escalates, followed by a breaking sound. I need to go in before someone gets hurt.

I knock. “This is Sheriff Ryan,” I say, turning the knob and slowly opening the door. I don’t see anybody right away. I hear a vehicle pull up and glance back. James. Opening the door further, I notice Greg standing against the wall, appearing frightened by something across the room. It must be Tessa, but I’m unsure why he’s scared. The woman can’t weigh a hundred pounds and is timid. That’s why she hasn’t left his sorry ass. I open the door wider so I can get my eyes on her.

James is behind me saying something, but I can’t make it out over the loud bang—a searing pain tears through my chest. I forgot to put on my vest before leaving. I slump to the ground. James shouts. Blood covers my hands. People are talking, but I don’t know what they’re saying. I’m being lifted and moved. They put an oxygen mask on my face after loading me into the ambulance. I’m going to the hospital.

I close my eyes, assessing the damage to myself, but my body feels numb. It can’t be good. During one of my tours, I was shot in the leg. It hurt like a motherfucker, but I lived. This, I know, is much worse.

I must have blacked out because when I regained consciousness, I found myself in a hospital being wheeled down the hall. My eyes are so heavy I can barely keep them open, and my throat is dry. I want to say Parker, but I can’t get my mouth to work. I want her to know how much she means to me. She needs to know how much she means to me.

CHAPTER NINTEEN

PARKER

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