Page 27 of Sutton and the CEO Forever

Brian bit off a curse, but Candice wasn’t finished with her story.

“It was then that they peeled off, and when I pressed the brake to try and stop, the car wouldn’t stop. Somehow I managed to hit redial on my phone, and that’s when I called you, Sutton.”

“I want to know who’s going to pay for my barn,” old farmer Johnson said from the hallway.

Before I could rip him a new one, I heard Martha light into him. “That girl nearly lost her life, and you’re worried about your stinky-ass barn? Are you serious? What kind of sick fool cares more about his rotted-out barn than human life.”

Candice winced. “I didn’t mean to destroy his barn.”

“I don’t give a flying rat’s ass about his fucking barn,” Knox said, striding into the room. “I can’t believe I almost lost you.”

Seeing that Candice and Knox clearly could use some privacy. Mark, Brian, and I stepped into the hallway.

“A few brokenribs and a sprained wrist and a broken leg. Young lady, you are lucky to be alive.”

Candice had clearly been through the wringer. Thankfully they had given her enough drugs to dull the pain that had enveloped her.

Knox had stayed with her for hours, but eventually, he had left with Brian on official police business.

“And you, Sutton, you look dead on your feet. When was the last time you slept?”

I glared at Dr. Young, who put his hands in the air in a giving-up gesture.

“I am only saying that to help you avoid getting a room assigned to you. You’re going to need to get some rest, take a shower, and maybe eat something.”

“Someone tried to kill my best friend,” I replied, rubbing my arms as if cold. “It was supposed to be me. What if I had taken my babies with me? What if Candice had died? I’m sorry, Dr. Young, sleep is the last thing on my mind.”

He nodded ruefully. “Well, I have arranged for the nurse to bring a reclining chair in for you. If you must stay, you must put your feet up.”

Candice looked at me, blearily. “I suppose I should tell you to go home. But please don’t leave me, Sutton.”

I fought tears as I moved to her side, taking her good hand. “Nothing could tear me away from you. Certainly not Dr. Young.”

The young doctor shook his head with a soft smile and left the room. A nurse soon brought in the reclining chair and settled it right next to Candice’s bed. Holding her hand, I stayed by her side the rest of the day and into the night. Through every vitals check, I was there. Mark didn’t give one word of complaint either.

It wasn’t until morning that I heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice ringing through the hallways.

“Where is my baby? What kind of place is this?”

Candice stirred groggily, so I patted her hand. “I will find out what’s going on. Just hold on.”

“Mom?” Candice croaked.

“What?” I answered just as the door flew open and a woman in her early sixties came flying into the room.

“Thank God you’re okay!” Making the sign of the cross, the woman raced across the room and nearly knocked me to the floor.

“Mom?” Candice cried out.

Mom? I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to that Candice had a mother, hell, an entire family. Why didn’t I know that?

“You scared us, Candice,” Candice’s mom said as she sobbed at her daughter’s bedside.

“Mom, this is Sutton Williams. Sutton, this is my mother, Leanne. Mom, how did you find me here?”

Leann shuddered. “I don’t know what to think of this godforsaken place. It’s time you came back to the city where you belong.”

Candice shook her head, looking worn and tired. Her voice was thin as she replied, “We have been through this. I am not going back to the city. I love Knox. I’m going to marry him, mom.”

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