Page 36 of Reckless Harmony

“Thanks, Nathan.” Rayna gave him a grateful smile. “Nicole’s deep on the south side, so I’ll be at least thirty minutes.”

“I’ll be here,” Nathan said cheerfully.

Stark followed Rayna into the lobby, lightly taking hold of her arm and bringing her to a stop at the front door. “Hey, you’re driving over to the south side right now?”

“Yes,” she said, glancing pointedly at his hand on her arm.

He didn’t loosen his grip. “That’s too dangerous, Ms. Abrams.”

“I’ll be fine. Let go of me, please.”

He released her, irritation washing over him as she walked out of the clinic without saying another word. He followed her. “You shouldn’t go alone to the south side at this time of night. You’ll be kidnapped or murdered.”

“Okay, drama queen,” she said as she opened the SUV’s driver door and slid inside.

She gaped at him when he opened the passenger door and climbed into the seat. “What are you doing?”

“Going with you,” he said.

“No,” she said.

“Yes,” he said.

“Get out of my car, Stark.”

“Make me,” he said.

“Jesus, I do not have fucking time for this,” she snapped before starting the SUV. He buckled his seat belt as she drove down the driveway. He winced and braced his hand against the roof as they flew over the bumps. “Christ, does this thing have any shocks?”

She didn’t answer, and he glanced at her. “Do you own anything that isn’t thirty years old?”

“No one asked you to get in the car,” she said.

“Like I’m going to let you die on the south side tonight,” he said.

“Only because you know if I die, you’ll never get my property,” she said.

“Precisely,” he snapped.

“Yeah, well, the joke’s on you because you’re not getting it as long as I’m alive either,” she snipped.

“Why aren’t you doing x-rays for that dog?” he asked.

She blinked at the sudden change in subject. “Nathan said they weren’t necessary.”

“No, that isn’t what he said,” Stark said. “What if that dog’s leg is broken?”

She stared stonily at the road. “It’s a chance we’ll have to take.”

“You’re a rescue. Aren’t you supposed to be helping the animals? Why aren’t you doing the x-rays when it’s obvious the poor dog needs them?”

“Because x-rays cost money,” she snarled, her brown eyes spitting sparks. “If I do the x-rays for this dog, then I can’t do the x-rays for Mr. Magoo, who may need them more. Or tomorrow, I might get a call with a dog who definitely has a broken leg, and not doing the x-rays isn’t an option. When you rely solely on donations, you don’t get the luxury of giving every animal the best treatment available. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, and unless you’d like to put your money where your goddamn mouth is and foot the bill tonight, maybe you could do me a favour and quit berating me for the hard fucking choices I have to make.”

She stopped, dragging in a ragged breath, her hands clenched tight around the steering wheel. Feeling like the biggest dickhead in the universe, Stark said, “I apologize for what I said.”

She just nodded, and he looked away from what he was pretty sure was the shine of tears in her eyes. Christ, he really was an asshole.

Stark parked his car in the driveway and climbed out. Rayna was parking her SUV in her driveway. She glanced at him before she disappeared into her house, holding a cat carrier. He walked to his house, stepping into the warmth and kicking off his boots.

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