Page 61 of Keep This Promise
He gets to his feet quickly, pulling out his cell phone. “Give me one second.” I nod, but he’s already moving toward the bar. I’m not sure what to do, so I watch him as he takes the call. After a second, he hangs up and rushes back to me. “We have to go.”
“Is everything okay?”
“We need to go.”
I stand, grabbing my bag, and he helps me with my coat. “Holden, you’re scaring me.”
“That was Emmett. Some girls just showed up at Run to Me, and they need me there as soon as possible to help.”
“I’ll go with you,” I say quickly. “I can help if you need it.”
“Sophie.” He sighs. “I don’t want to take you in there. Trust me, you don’t want to see any of this. Especially since you’re not a medical professional.”
I might not be, but I’ve done a lot of things many would be disgusted by. “No, but I took care of Theo for years. I did a lot of things most nurses did. I can give injections and help with wound care.”
He opens my door for me and then rushes around. “I can drop you off at Mama James’s.”
I place my hand on his forearm. “Let me help. I can at least bring you clean supplies or...just be there.”
His lips form a tight line. “Okay, but just know that I have no idea what I’m walking into. Just that Emmett said to get there immediately.”
“I understand.”
We get in the car and head back to Rose Canyon. We were only a town over, but the drive feels as if it takes ages. Holden is focused on the road, and I rest my hand on his arm. “Holden, we should call Mama James, would you mind if I do so you can drive?” I ask.
“Of course. Yes, please.”
I grab his phone and dial the number. She answers on the second ring. “Hi, Holden. Eden is doing great. She had a snack, and I just got her in her pajamas.”
I smile. “It’s Sophie, and that’s wonderful. I’m glad she’s doing well.”
Her voice lifts as she says my name. “Sophie! Darling, she’s an angel. She and Pickles have played for a bit, and now she’s just doing a puzzle with me. I did want to tell you she had an accident, but it wasn’t a big deal, we cleaned it up and that was that.”
This is happening a lot. “Did she drink a lot?”
“She had a big glass of milk and then she got preoccupied. It was probably my fault for not telling her where the bathroom was. I apologize.”
“No, no, it’s not your fault. She’s had a few accidents this week. I should’ve mentioned it.”
“Don’t you worry. Is everything all right, or were you just calling to check in?”
Holden makes a turn and slows as we approach the office on Main Street. “Holden has a medical emergency, so we’re going to be quite later than we thought.”
“I have Eden. You do whatever you need and please don’t rush on my account. Okay?”
“Okay,” I say before disconnecting, feeling relief at her kindness.
He pulls around to the back of the building where there are two police vehicles and three other cars parked, one I believe is Blakely’s. When we stop, Holden and I get out, and he heads to the boot, pulling out two bags.
“Can you bring this in?” he asks. Gone was the man I was just out to dinner with. This man is calm, determined, and focused.
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m sorry, Sophie,” he says, the mask slipping.
“For?”
“I wanted tonight to end better than with me being called to an emergency for God only knows what. Run to Me is a safe haven, and if everyone is here right now, it’s something serious. I didn’t want to bring you into this. I want to protect you.”
