office. She headed that way and noticed the light under his door. The office lay empty. She started to turn away, but paused when she spotted a shock of white-blond hair sticking out from behind the desk, near the floor.
“Sam!”
She darted across the room and fell to her knees. Her brother lay crumpled on his side, eyes closed, a grimace on his face as if he were in pain, but it was clear he was unconscious. Had he hit his head? Had someone attacked him? Fear knotted her stomach, and tears sprang to her eyes.
“Sam, can you hear me? Sam!” She called his name over and over and touched his shoulder. As far as she could see, there was no blood, and a quick search with fingers through his hair uncovered no bumps.
She spun to reach for the phone on his desk and heard ringing in Sam’s pocket. His cell phone. She dug it out and saw Fane’s name flash on the screen. After stabbing the connect button, she shouted and sobbed into the receiver.
“Something’s wrong with Sam. I can’t get him to wake up. I’m going to call 911.”
“No,” Fane said. “I’m on my way.”
“What do you mean no? He needs a doctor, Fane.”
“Sam hates hospitals and doctors. Just wait for me. I promise if he needs to go, I’ll take him myself, but let me look at him.”
She prepared to cuss him out, but his calm yet hurried tone somehow helped her to rein in her emotions.
“I will be there in five. Is he breathing?”
Her brother’s chest rose and fell slowly. “Yes.”
She checked his pulse, and to her surprise, it was pretty steady. After relaying the information to Fane, she stood to snatch a throw pillow off the loveseat nearby and placed it under her brother’s head. As soon as she did, pale eyes opened and stared up at her.
“Zuria.”
“Don’t ‘Zuria’ me,” she scolded him. “You’re on the floor, Sam. I’m calling an ambulance.”
“No. Where’s Fane?”
“Fane’s not a doctor, damn it.”
He gave a weak smile. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
She shook her head. “No way. I’ll let a doctor tell me that.” She helped him sit up and get to his chair to sit down. “I’m going to go get your truck. You don’t move.”
She grabbed his keys from the desk and was about to run out when Fane appeared in the doorway and blocked her path. His hair ruffled and his shirt misbuttoned, he held his jacket in his hand, and a tight expression on his face. Zuria darted back a step when he would have reached to steady her. Her mouth fell open and eyes widened. Fane frowned at her. They both knew what she gathered from his state of dress, but she was too worried about her brother to even give Fane the time of day.
“Later,” he said and turned his attention away from her to Sam. “I warned you, Sam.”
Zuria spun toward her brother. “Warned him about what?”
The two men looked at each other, Sam looking like he passed a silent message on to Fane to shut his mouth. Zuria felt like an outsider. Sam was still pale, and he hadn’t spoken since she helped him to the chair.
Fane tossed his jacket on the loveseat and touched knuckles to Sam’s forehead. “He’s working nonstop. He needs to take some time off.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Whose fault is that? If you were here more…”
Fane eyed her but didn’t argue. To be fair, ever since she arrived, Fane had been faithful to work early. One would almost think he did so to see her before she was sleeping at his house, but then there was also the stress of them possibly losing the shop. She had complicated matters by becoming a financial burden on Sam as well. Her heart ached to know she might be more the cause of her brother overworking.
She rushed over to Fane’s side. “Sam, you have to take care of yourself. On my breaks, I’ll go and look for work so I can take care of myself. Meanwhile, I’m decent with numbers. I can help with the books and take on more of the cleanup. If you teach me, I can even do some of the
“Sam!”
She darted across the room and fell to her knees. Her brother lay crumpled on his side, eyes closed, a grimace on his face as if he were in pain, but it was clear he was unconscious. Had he hit his head? Had someone attacked him? Fear knotted her stomach, and tears sprang to her eyes.
“Sam, can you hear me? Sam!” She called his name over and over and touched his shoulder. As far as she could see, there was no blood, and a quick search with fingers through his hair uncovered no bumps.
She spun to reach for the phone on his desk and heard ringing in Sam’s pocket. His cell phone. She dug it out and saw Fane’s name flash on the screen. After stabbing the connect button, she shouted and sobbed into the receiver.
“Something’s wrong with Sam. I can’t get him to wake up. I’m going to call 911.”
“No,” Fane said. “I’m on my way.”
“What do you mean no? He needs a doctor, Fane.”
“Sam hates hospitals and doctors. Just wait for me. I promise if he needs to go, I’ll take him myself, but let me look at him.”
She prepared to cuss him out, but his calm yet hurried tone somehow helped her to rein in her emotions.
“I will be there in five. Is he breathing?”
Her brother’s chest rose and fell slowly. “Yes.”
She checked his pulse, and to her surprise, it was pretty steady. After relaying the information to Fane, she stood to snatch a throw pillow off the loveseat nearby and placed it under her brother’s head. As soon as she did, pale eyes opened and stared up at her.
“Zuria.”
“Don’t ‘Zuria’ me,” she scolded him. “You’re on the floor, Sam. I’m calling an ambulance.”
“No. Where’s Fane?”
“Fane’s not a doctor, damn it.”
He gave a weak smile. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
She shook her head. “No way. I’ll let a doctor tell me that.” She helped him sit up and get to his chair to sit down. “I’m going to go get your truck. You don’t move.”
She grabbed his keys from the desk and was about to run out when Fane appeared in the doorway and blocked her path. His hair ruffled and his shirt misbuttoned, he held his jacket in his hand, and a tight expression on his face. Zuria darted back a step when he would have reached to steady her. Her mouth fell open and eyes widened. Fane frowned at her. They both knew what she gathered from his state of dress, but she was too worried about her brother to even give Fane the time of day.
“Later,” he said and turned his attention away from her to Sam. “I warned you, Sam.”
Zuria spun toward her brother. “Warned him about what?”
The two men looked at each other, Sam looking like he passed a silent message on to Fane to shut his mouth. Zuria felt like an outsider. Sam was still pale, and he hadn’t spoken since she helped him to the chair.
Fane tossed his jacket on the loveseat and touched knuckles to Sam’s forehead. “He’s working nonstop. He needs to take some time off.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Whose fault is that? If you were here more…”
Fane eyed her but didn’t argue. To be fair, ever since she arrived, Fane had been faithful to work early. One would almost think he did so to see her before she was sleeping at his house, but then there was also the stress of them possibly losing the shop. She had complicated matters by becoming a financial burden on Sam as well. Her heart ached to know she might be more the cause of her brother overworking.
She rushed over to Fane’s side. “Sam, you have to take care of yourself. On my breaks, I’ll go and look for work so I can take care of myself. Meanwhile, I’m decent with numbers. I can help with the books and take on more of the cleanup. If you teach me, I can even do some of the
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