to get them away from her face. Gabe’s fingers lightly traced the bruises on her hip and the side of her thigh. The soft contact made everything in her go still.
“You must be in a lot of pain. I’m sorry that son of a bitch did this to you.”
Taken off guard by his sincerity, she put her hand on his hard shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“I’m not done yet.” He snagged the sweatpants and pulled them up her feet and hips.
She read the letters down her leg. Texas A&M University. “I take it these are yours.”
“Even we backwoods hicks go to college.”
“I never said—never mind. Thanks for letting me borrow them,” she finished, not knowing what she’d said to earn that defensive comment.
He stared at her for another long moment. “There’s something different about your eyes.”
She sucked in a breath and held it. People didn’t really notice the subtle difference in her and Lela’s eyes. They could fool just about everyone if they styled their hair the same and wore similar clothing. They resembled each other so closely, but if you looked at their eyes and noted the small flecks of yellow in hers, compared to Lela’s darker green flecks against the jade, you could tell them apart.
How long did Gabe spend with her sister? She swept her gaze over his dark hair, handsome, rugged face, wide shoulders, and lean body. Not exactly her sister’s type. Lela liked cute, shy, geeky guys with a quirky sense of humor.
Ella, on the other hand, liked tall and rugged. Probably why she didn’t date much. Hard to find an outdoorsy guy’s guy like Gabe in the city. Even now, despite everything she’d been through, she felt the tingle of attraction between them.
Dr. Bell knocked and came back in carrying a prescription bottle. Exhaustion and pain took a toll on Ella’s ability to think clearly. She just wanted to sleep and forget this day ever happened.
“Take two of these tonight before bed with something to eat. You’ll probably sleep late. Tomorrow, stick to one every four to six hours. This should get you through the next five days. If you need more, come back and we’ll evaluate your pain level and how well you’re healing.”
“That’s more than enough. Thank you for everything.”
“Stay dry and warm. Get a good night’s sleep. Tina will check you out at the front desk.”
The doctor handed Gabe the paperwork and left to see her next patient. Ella waited for the doctor to leave before she addressed Gabe again. “Listen, if you’ll get my bag from the car, I can pay cash for the bill. I don’t want to use my insurance card.”
“Why don’t you want to use your insurance or credit card, because I know you’ve probably got ten of them—all of them platinum. Who is after you, Lela, and why?”
She opened her mouth to confess everything, but nothing came out. “It’s complicated.”
Gabe’s brows drew together and his eyes filled with suspicions. “Right. In other words, none of my business. Fine,” he snapped, irritation in his voice. “Can you walk?”
“Sure.”
She slid from the table and landed on her good foot. She put her right foot down and applied some of her weight. The brace helped considerably, but her ankle still hurt. She took a step and limped, but she’d make it.
“You got it?”
“No problem,” she assured him.
He held his hand out to her. She hesitated for a second, but took it. He kept his pace slow, allowed for her limping gait to keep up with him. She stood next to him at the counter. He handed Tina the paperwork, but never stopped holding her hand.
“If y’all want to use your insurance we can knock this down quite a bit.”
Scared of being discovered, she grabbed hold of Gabe’s forearm. He looked down at her hand, then back at Tina. “No insurance. I’ll cover it.” He pulled out his wallet with his other hand and handed over his credit card.
“My money is in the truck.”
He gave her a look that said,
“You must be in a lot of pain. I’m sorry that son of a bitch did this to you.”
Taken off guard by his sincerity, she put her hand on his hard shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for taking care of me.”
“I’m not done yet.” He snagged the sweatpants and pulled them up her feet and hips.
She read the letters down her leg. Texas A&M University. “I take it these are yours.”
“Even we backwoods hicks go to college.”
“I never said—never mind. Thanks for letting me borrow them,” she finished, not knowing what she’d said to earn that defensive comment.
He stared at her for another long moment. “There’s something different about your eyes.”
She sucked in a breath and held it. People didn’t really notice the subtle difference in her and Lela’s eyes. They could fool just about everyone if they styled their hair the same and wore similar clothing. They resembled each other so closely, but if you looked at their eyes and noted the small flecks of yellow in hers, compared to Lela’s darker green flecks against the jade, you could tell them apart.
How long did Gabe spend with her sister? She swept her gaze over his dark hair, handsome, rugged face, wide shoulders, and lean body. Not exactly her sister’s type. Lela liked cute, shy, geeky guys with a quirky sense of humor.
Ella, on the other hand, liked tall and rugged. Probably why she didn’t date much. Hard to find an outdoorsy guy’s guy like Gabe in the city. Even now, despite everything she’d been through, she felt the tingle of attraction between them.
Dr. Bell knocked and came back in carrying a prescription bottle. Exhaustion and pain took a toll on Ella’s ability to think clearly. She just wanted to sleep and forget this day ever happened.
“Take two of these tonight before bed with something to eat. You’ll probably sleep late. Tomorrow, stick to one every four to six hours. This should get you through the next five days. If you need more, come back and we’ll evaluate your pain level and how well you’re healing.”
“That’s more than enough. Thank you for everything.”
“Stay dry and warm. Get a good night’s sleep. Tina will check you out at the front desk.”
The doctor handed Gabe the paperwork and left to see her next patient. Ella waited for the doctor to leave before she addressed Gabe again. “Listen, if you’ll get my bag from the car, I can pay cash for the bill. I don’t want to use my insurance card.”
“Why don’t you want to use your insurance or credit card, because I know you’ve probably got ten of them—all of them platinum. Who is after you, Lela, and why?”
She opened her mouth to confess everything, but nothing came out. “It’s complicated.”
Gabe’s brows drew together and his eyes filled with suspicions. “Right. In other words, none of my business. Fine,” he snapped, irritation in his voice. “Can you walk?”
“Sure.”
She slid from the table and landed on her good foot. She put her right foot down and applied some of her weight. The brace helped considerably, but her ankle still hurt. She took a step and limped, but she’d make it.
“You got it?”
“No problem,” she assured him.
He held his hand out to her. She hesitated for a second, but took it. He kept his pace slow, allowed for her limping gait to keep up with him. She stood next to him at the counter. He handed Tina the paperwork, but never stopped holding her hand.
“If y’all want to use your insurance we can knock this down quite a bit.”
Scared of being discovered, she grabbed hold of Gabe’s forearm. He looked down at her hand, then back at Tina. “No insurance. I’ll cover it.” He pulled out his wallet with his other hand and handed over his credit card.
“My money is in the truck.”
He gave her a look that said,
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