Page 18 of A Wilder Wedding

“Either way, the authorities and the EMTs are on their way.”

She shook her head quickly, and I cursed again, knowing what was coming. Because that was Naomi, just as bullheaded as me. It was why we never got along and yet fit so well together. Why I fucking loved her and needed to tell her that. But now wasn’t the time.

“I don’t need anything. I’m fine. No broken bones. No cuts. I’ll be a little sore, but I just want to go home, okay? I just want to forget this ever happened.” She rubbed her hands over her face, but winced when she touched her cheek. My eyes narrowed and I moved forward, grateful when Ridge took a step back. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, I glared at her.

“Either you come with me up to my apartment over the barn back there, or you wait for the EMTs. You’re not going to get a choice in this.”

“Since when do you make my choices for me?” she asked, and this was an echo of our past conversation, though it didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

“You get to make the choice. I’m just giving you the options.”

“I’m fine.”

But she was anything but fine, just like I was.

“Naomi.”

Ridge and Trace didn’t say anything, although I knew they were keeping an eye on our surroundings. I didn’t know where that man had gone, or who he was, but we were going to find out. First though? I was going to make sure Naomi was safe.

“Fine. Your apartment. Then I’m going home.”

“You’re still going to have to talk to the authorities,” Trace put in. “But before that, do you know who it was? Did you see his face? We couldn’t see anything on the screens.”

Naomi blanched, and I realized that she must not have heard him mention the cameras before, and she hadn’t thought of them.

“You saw. Hell. Of course, you saw. Because we try to keep this place safe, and someone just attacked me.” She shook her head. “I don’t know who it was. He was wearing a mask. I didn’t recognize his voice. But the way he talked? It was like he knew me. He knew my name. But that’s all I could think while…” She rubbed her unhurt cheek and sighed. “I just want to get out of here, okay? I’ll talk to whoever I need to. But I just need to get out of here and sit down.”

Before we could go anywhere however, the authorities arrived, and she went over what happened in detail. The team hadn’t been able to find the attacker, nor had the authorities, though they were still canvassing the retreat. Trace had a good relationship with them so they were all working together to figure out who had done this. They’d asked Naomi question after question about what had happened or who she thought could have done this. When they’d mentioned ex boyfriends, she’d only mentioned me, but as I’d been the one to pull the man off her, I didn’t seem to be a suspect, but I’d answered their questions as well.

So many fucking questions and yet there were no answers. She’d waved off the EMTs who had scowled. But since I’d worked with one of them before I’d worked the vines, they’d taken my word that I’d bring her in if there was an issue. Not exactly by the book, but nothing felt like it was these days. I was so fucking tired of people hurting my friends, and I’d be damned if I let anything else happen to Naomi, but I wasn’t sure what else I could do except make sure she was safe in my arms.

They said a few more things, and then I was leading her away from the vines and towards the barn. I had lived in that two-bedroom apartment above the barn since before the Wilders had bought the place. Yes, they had upgraded it since, but this was my place. It came with the job, and I was grateful for it. I didn’t see myself moving anywhere else. Actually, the only time I’d ever thought about moving at all was when Naomi and I had been getting serious.

We were silent on our way back to my place. I knew her mind had to be going a thousand different directions, because honestly mine was doing the same. Although I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to say to each other. There were no right answers. There was no way to make this work. But we had to. I just didn’t know what to say. I had fucked up so many times. And not being with her right then? Not making sure she was safe? Perhaps that was the worst thing I had done. Or at least the worst recently.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” I cleared my throat as we made our way upstairs. “You left a pair of your leggings and a top here so you can change.”

She looked at me and frowned. “And you kept it?”

I sighed and then moved her back into the kitchen. When I lifted her up by her waist, she didn’t stop me. She just looked at me, confused, as I set her on my small kitchen island and went for my first aid kit.

“I didn’t know how to give it back to you. You know I’m not good with goodbyes. Not good with talking. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good at anything.”

“I don’t know if I quite believe that,” she said after a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“I think that you’re good at a lot of things, Amos. I was actually thinking about that today. Before…”

“They’ll figure out who it is, Naomi. They have cameras everywhere. We’ll see who the guy is, or our teams will catch them. They’re good at this. I’m just fucking pissed that anyone got to you at all.”

“It’s a hundred acres. I can’t really give the man an excuse, but I’m so fucking annoyed that it happened.”

I ran a washcloth under the sink and began wiping the dirt from her face, anger riding me hard as I did.

“He hurt you.” I gently wiped her cheek, and she didn’t flinch. She stared at me, and I sighed.

“Naomi. How hurt are you?”

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