don’t ever recall sharing my net worth with you. I suppose that’s something people from Crystal Cove are accustomed to flaunting. Sorry to disappoint.”
She cupped her hands around her nose and mouth, outraged by his insinuation. It wasn’t like Derrick to be coarse and rude. She wasn’t even sure how to respond to his squinted, glaring eyes and superior attitude. Her hands fell from her face. She released a deep breath and clapped her hands to her hips.
“Dr. Sloan, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood me. I only meant that you work too hard. You don’t enjoy life.” He’d better reconsider his assumption about Crystal Cove and its residents.
“I like helping people, Ms. Von Langley.” He ran his hand through his mop of hair. He winced and lowered his arm, massaging at the pain.
“And so do I,” she replied, concerned at the pain watering his eyes.
As a sort of peace offering, she went to him and rubbed at the ache he was trying to reach. She pushed the heel of her hand into his knotted muscle and jumped back when he yelled something that sounded like ouch.
“That hurts. Give it a day or two and then I’ll take you up on a massage.”
She slid her hand under the tails of his button-up shirt and felt a swollen lump. She massaged her fingers into the fleshy mass. Derrick’s head met his shoulder.
“Okay, let’s have a look.”
“I’m fine, really.”
She came to the front of him and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Sparrow…” He grabbed her hands.
“Oh, no, I took my shirt off for you this morning. Obviously, you’re hurt.”
She unfastened the rest of the shirt buttons and pushed it off his shoulders. The large raised and purplish-blue bruise surprised her. “Derrick, what happened?”
“I was out and…”
“And one of those kids attacked you? Unbelievable. I think you’re the one who needs a doctor.” She stepped behind him and continued to examine the knotted wound, touching the soft spot.
“I’m fine. Besides, it’s the kick in the crotch that has me more worried.”
“What? Let me see.”
He spun around and looked at her with large eyes that said, You’re kidding, right? She clasped her hands around her mouth and nose, hiding behind her embarrassment and the laugh bubbling in the back of her throat. Her cheeks grew warm.
“I don’t think so, but maybe I’ll let you massage it in a day or two.” He burst out laughing.
She dropped her hands from her face and laughed with him before she slugged him in the arm. “Nurse Sparrow to the rescue.”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. “I haven’t played doctor in years.”
“Well then, this should be fun. How’s the RV?”
He dropped his hands from around her waist, paced, and dragged his hand back through his ruffled hair. “They raided it looking for methadone while I was on the ground writhing in pain. I got up and started the damn thing with the two of them in it. The boy jumped out the back and the girl who kneed me was standing on the metal bumper. The kid yelled for her to jump. I panicked and stopped the RV so fast she fell off the back too.”
Sparrow’s hands flew over her face, and she gasped, anticipating the worst.
He waved his hand back and forth in the air. “She’s not dead. But she’s hurt. I think she might have broken her ankle. I don’t know.” He ran both of his hands through his hair, squeezing fistfuls of locks at the sides of his head. “I need to find her. I have to know she’s all right.”
“Oh, Derrick.” Sparrow got on her toes and reached up for his hands, pulling them from his skull. She squeezed both of them in hers. “It’s not your fault. She’ll be okay.”
“But what if she isn’t? That’s why I’m here. Will you help me find her?”
“Me? Derrick, I think you should leave well enough alone.”
“Yes. You. She might not spook at the sight of another female. I heard him call her Angel. She’ll trust you. She’s going to think I’m
She cupped her hands around her nose and mouth, outraged by his insinuation. It wasn’t like Derrick to be coarse and rude. She wasn’t even sure how to respond to his squinted, glaring eyes and superior attitude. Her hands fell from her face. She released a deep breath and clapped her hands to her hips.
“Dr. Sloan, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood me. I only meant that you work too hard. You don’t enjoy life.” He’d better reconsider his assumption about Crystal Cove and its residents.
“I like helping people, Ms. Von Langley.” He ran his hand through his mop of hair. He winced and lowered his arm, massaging at the pain.
“And so do I,” she replied, concerned at the pain watering his eyes.
As a sort of peace offering, she went to him and rubbed at the ache he was trying to reach. She pushed the heel of her hand into his knotted muscle and jumped back when he yelled something that sounded like ouch.
“That hurts. Give it a day or two and then I’ll take you up on a massage.”
She slid her hand under the tails of his button-up shirt and felt a swollen lump. She massaged her fingers into the fleshy mass. Derrick’s head met his shoulder.
“Okay, let’s have a look.”
“I’m fine, really.”
She came to the front of him and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “Sparrow…” He grabbed her hands.
“Oh, no, I took my shirt off for you this morning. Obviously, you’re hurt.”
She unfastened the rest of the shirt buttons and pushed it off his shoulders. The large raised and purplish-blue bruise surprised her. “Derrick, what happened?”
“I was out and…”
“And one of those kids attacked you? Unbelievable. I think you’re the one who needs a doctor.” She stepped behind him and continued to examine the knotted wound, touching the soft spot.
“I’m fine. Besides, it’s the kick in the crotch that has me more worried.”
“What? Let me see.”
He spun around and looked at her with large eyes that said, You’re kidding, right? She clasped her hands around her mouth and nose, hiding behind her embarrassment and the laugh bubbling in the back of her throat. Her cheeks grew warm.
“I don’t think so, but maybe I’ll let you massage it in a day or two.” He burst out laughing.
She dropped her hands from her face and laughed with him before she slugged him in the arm. “Nurse Sparrow to the rescue.”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. “I haven’t played doctor in years.”
“Well then, this should be fun. How’s the RV?”
He dropped his hands from around her waist, paced, and dragged his hand back through his ruffled hair. “They raided it looking for methadone while I was on the ground writhing in pain. I got up and started the damn thing with the two of them in it. The boy jumped out the back and the girl who kneed me was standing on the metal bumper. The kid yelled for her to jump. I panicked and stopped the RV so fast she fell off the back too.”
Sparrow’s hands flew over her face, and she gasped, anticipating the worst.
He waved his hand back and forth in the air. “She’s not dead. But she’s hurt. I think she might have broken her ankle. I don’t know.” He ran both of his hands through his hair, squeezing fistfuls of locks at the sides of his head. “I need to find her. I have to know she’s all right.”
“Oh, Derrick.” Sparrow got on her toes and reached up for his hands, pulling them from his skull. She squeezed both of them in hers. “It’s not your fault. She’ll be okay.”
“But what if she isn’t? That’s why I’m here. Will you help me find her?”
“Me? Derrick, I think you should leave well enough alone.”
“Yes. You. She might not spook at the sight of another female. I heard him call her Angel. She’ll trust you. She’s going to think I’m
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