Page 20 of Second Chances with my Billionaire Bosses

He swung around and shoved me into the cabin wall.

“Our mother never hit her! She never hit anyone. You didn’t hear her right. She would never say that!”

I let him pin me to the wall, both of us breathing hard as we glared at each other.

“She’s coming to our ranch with us. You’ve proven that you can’t take care of her.”

“Hey! Knock it off! Both of you!” Jolene stormed onto the porch and shoved Mills away from me. “What the fuck’s going on? Why are you two idiots out here fighting on Maxie’s porch?”

Mills backed away, hands held in the air.

“Maxie’s sick. She’s running a fever.”

Jolene moved past us, knocking into both of us as she did. I stared at Maxie’s sleeping form as Jolene bent over and checked on her. She was too still, too…far.

“You’re not taking her away from here. She’s our sister and she’s in better hands here. You don’t know anything about her. You’ve been working with her for less than forty-eight hours. You don’t get to come in here and act like you’re her protector.” Mills got in my face again. “I don’t know what’s going on with her right now but it’s for me and my family to figure out and take care of. Not you.”

Jolene stepped back out, closing the door behind her.

“She’s burning up. Would one of you like to stop dragging your knuckles around like baboons and take her to the doctor?”

I didn’t hesitate. Swearing to myself about not doing that right away, I went in and wrapped Maxie in her sad, single blanket before lifting her into my arms. She was so limp against my chest that I panicked a bit. Gently shaking her, I whispered her name, my voice harsh with fear.

She roused just enough to frown and then went limp again. It was enough to have me sprinting out of the cabin and towards my truck.

“I’m taking her to the clinic. You can come or not, Mills, but I’m taking her.”

CHAPTER 16

Shep

I met Rhett at the clinic and slipped into the room behind Mills before he could close me out. Rhett was sitting on the exam table with Maxie in his arms and she looked worse than before. Her skin was paler than I’d ever seen it with bright red splotches on her cheeks from the fever she still hadn’t broken. I felt sick. Had we missed something? Was she sick, more than just the fever? She’d been acting differently than we remembered, but was it a symptom of a bigger illness? Had she hidden something?

I inched closer, needing to see for myself the rise and fall of her chest. The closer I got, the more I noticed, though. Her lips were bruised and looked raw. I watched the doctor pick up Maxie’s hands and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her bloody palms. “What happened?”

The doctor looked over at me and frowned.

“Who are you?”

“Shepherd Winston. We’re going to be taking care of Maxie. What happened to her hands?”

“I’m Doctor Bianca Shawn.” She looked at Mills. “You’re not going to be taking care of Maxie?”

Before Mills could answer, Rhett cut in.

“Does it look like he’s been doing a bang-up job of taking care of her, Doctor? Maxie’s coming home with us. She’ll have someone with her twenty-four seven. Just tell us how to help her.”

I looked between Mills and Rhett and stepped closer to my best friend and brother. Whatever I’d missed between the two of them, it hadn’t been pretty, I was guessing. Rhett was right, though. Maxie had gotten as sick as she was in Mills’ care.

“I don’t have the time or energy in my clinic to entertain testosterone-driven bullshit. I don’t care who takes Maxie home as long as they take care of her. From what you told me, itsounds like she’s under a lot of pressure and is exhausted. Her immune system is probably shot, so being in the rain today was enough to wipe her out. Whoever takes her home needs to be sure to get plenty fluids in her and—”

“I’m okay.” Maxie’s voice was hoarse as she blinked awake. She looked around the room and a crooked grin lifted her mouth on one side. “Is this a party?”

Doctor Bianca cupped Maxie’s face gently and smiled.

“Sure is, honey. A party just for you. I need to ask you a few questions before I prescribe you medicine. Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”

Maxie’s cheeks went even redder as she giggled. She tried to wave her hand and ended up just flopping it down on her leg.

---