Page 69 of Give Me a Reason

“Your cousin?” He drew back in shock. “You mean Anne?”

“Anne? No, she would never think that, much less say that. I meant my other cousin, Tessa.” Bethany hurried to add, “Don’t get me wrong. I love Tessa to pieces. But her definition of ‘doing better’ is getting an advanced degree or making more money, and I just don’t agree with her. I think doing what I love is as good as it gets.”

“I have a feeling your uncle is one of the people who doesn’t approve of your career.” Frederick’s mouth turned down at the corners, remembering the way Jonathan Lee took Anne for granted.

“Ha!” Bethany clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Uncle Jonathan and Juliette couldn’t care less about what I do for a living. They’re too busy praising their own reflections in their many mirrors.”

“Hmm.” Frederick couldn’t believe Anne left her life behind to take care of her family when they were too narcissistic to even notice—much less appreciate—what she’d done for them. Before his thoughts could wander too far, he made a valiant effort to focus on Bethany. “At any rate, I admire you for pursuing your passion. Your students are lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, Frederick.” She reached out and took his hand. “That means a lot to me.”

“Oh.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze, then pulled away. “You’re welcome.”

“I’m glad we got to talk. I like spending time with you.” When he didn’t respond for a second too long, her gaze skittered away, and she bounced on her feet with a nervous giggle. “Gosh, all that sugar from the pie is making me restless. I… I should run it off.”

“Bethany, no.” He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, but hehadn’t known how to respond to her shy confession. It would’ve been wrong to mislead her, but he could’ve changed the subject and spared them both the mortification. “Aww hell.”

She took off at a full sprint before he could stop her. He picked up his pace to follow her and make sure she didn’t hurt herself. The trail had grown even narrower and rockier than at the start. It was too dark to run headlong—

The sharp ring of her scream speared cold dread down his spine, and he ran toward the sound despite the dark trees crowding in on him, blocking the moonlight from reaching the path. He cursed when he saw her figure prone on the ground, her face turned to one side with her arms flanking her head like a lopsided goalpost. She must’ve tried to break her fall and failed. He knelt beside her.

“Bethany, are you all right?” He gingerly maneuvered her onto her back, holding her head steady.

Frederick sucked in a sharp breath when his hand came away wet. He scrambled for his phone and turned on the flashlight.Shit.There was dark blood pooling around her head, soaking into the dirt. He tapped her cheek twice, but her lashes didn’t so much as flutter.

He was a trained EMT—he’d handled countless emergencies—but his mind went blank as guilt twisted his gut. This was his fault. If he hadn’t embarrassed Bethany, she wouldn’t have run off in the dark. He struggled to pull himself together, wishing Anne were with him.Anne.He dialed her number before he realized what he was doing.

“Frederick?” she answered on the first ring. “Is something wrong?”

“Bethany is hurt. She fell and hit her head.” Anne gasped, and he almost dragged a bloody hand down his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Is she… How is she?” Her soft but steady voice washed over him.

“She’s unconscious.” He quickly assessed Bethany’s breathing and checked her pulse. “But her vital signs are stable.”

“Thank God you’re there to help her.” When he didn’t respond right away, Anne prodded, “Frederick?”

“Y-yes, I’m here.” He took a deep breath and shrugged out of his jacket, switching his phone from one hand to the other.

“You’re on the trail by the villa, right? Share your location with me.” Even though she spoke with urgency, Anne sounded calm, and he sent her his location with steady hands. “Take care of her. I’ll be there soon.”

Her confidence in him loosened the knot of panic in his chest. But even as he took strength from her, he didn’t want to be another personshehad to prop up. Too many people relied on her already. She needed someone to rely on for a change, and he wanted to be that person. He gave his head a sharp shake. Now was not the time for those thoughts.

“Thank you, Anne.” With his phone tucked between his chin and shoulder, he bunched up his jacket and elevated Bethany’s head. “And please tell Pete and Joe to put something together to use as a gurney and meet us here.”

“I’ll tell them… And, Frederick?” she said as though something occurred to her. “Should I call an ambulance?”

“No, the villa is too remote.” He decided after a quick consideration. The winding dirt road to the villa was too narrow for a car to turn around. If they met the ambulance partway down, they would both be stuck. “It’ll be faster for us to take her to the ER.”

“Okay.” After the briefest pause, she whispered, “I’m coming, Frederick.”

He held those words close and got to work. He tore off a strip of his shirt to press against the laceration on Bethany’s forehead. It was just past her hairline, so it was difficult to determine the severity, but his first priority was stopping the bleeding. Althoughshe was still unconscious, he murmured reassuring words to her while putting pressure on her wound.

He didn’t know how long it had been when he heard the crunch of footsteps coming down the path. He glanced up and almost fell on his ass with relief when he saw Anne walking toward him, her flashlight lowered to the ground. She looked pale and worried, with her brows drawn together in a deep frown, but she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen—his guardian angel.

“Frederick, I’m here.” Her voice broke on a soft gasp, and she knelt beside Bethany. “You’re going to be okay, sweetie. Joe and Pete will be here soon, and we’ll get you to the hospital. They’re going to fix you right up.”

Bethany stirred on the ground and mumbled incoherently, responding to Anne’s voice. Frederick released a shuddering breath.Thank God.A warm hand squeezed his shoulder, and he met Anne’s steady gaze.

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