“Okay,” Charley said softly and gently squeezed his hand.
“Just to be clear—” Sully began as he studied the gorgeous girl, and then thinking he might be overstepping, he didn’t continue.
“Just to be clear about what, Sully?” she asked. “This is a day for truths, please tell me.”
A hospital employee with different-colored scrubs entered the room with a tray. Her name tag indicated she was from dietary, and she asked, “Mr. Custis?”
“Yes,” Sully said.
“Dinner,” the dietician said. She set the food on his tray and removed the warming lid.
“Thank you,” Sully replied. When she was gone, he looked at Charley. “Just to be clear, I would like to have a child someday.”
“So would I.”
“But with therightwoman. The one I love.”
“Eat.” Charley pulled her hand free. Then, with a hint of a flirt in her voice, she said, “Maybe you’ll meet her.”
“Maybe I have.” Sully grinned as Charley blushed. He twirled pasta around his fork and then ate it as she took his phone and wallet out of her purse. She placed the items on the bed alongside his hip. Looking at them, he asked, “Did I lose those?”
“Yes. Your dad asked Derek to see if he could find your wallet and cell at the scene of the crash. With help from Spike, we did.”
“Thank you, Charley. I’ll thank Derek when I see him,” Sully said as Charley received back-to-back texts on her phone. He watched her frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Frick, also known as Rod, sent me flowers and wants to know if I’ll have lunch with him,” Charley said. Sully knew the use ofFrickwas her way of trying to make light of the texts. “Frack, alias Leon, says he was sick but is feeling better now and wants me to come see him.”
Sully asked, “What doyouwant to do?”
No answerto his most recent text. He had reached out to Charley because she wasn’t reaching out to him. It had been another stab to his heart to see her drive off with the cowboy in the dark of night. He’d been by her apartment. Her car wasn’t there, but he’d knocked on her door anyway. No answer. Her flower shop still had the Closed sign hanging on the door. Thevoices said she was with that rancher in the big truck. Where did that guy live? He was sure they were having sex, and that turned his gut inside out. Charley belonged to him. He needed to step up his game, but with his current level of anxiety he might push her too hard. But having Charley satisfy his needs was an urgent and unrelenting priority. The deadening bliss of another kill lured him. Grabbing a handful of toadflax, he walked into the fading light of day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“I’ll politely text them both no,” Charley told the handsome man in the bed, wearing a frown on his face as he waited for her answer.
Sully grumbled, “Don’t be too polite.”
“You’re my only concern, Sully.” That made him smile and maybe blended a little color back into the healthy tan of his cheeks.
“Where will you be until I can get out of here?” he asked and took another bite of pasta. “It’s dark outside.”
“Chloe invited me to stay with them on Triple C Ranch-West.”
“Yes.” Sully nodded. “Please take her up on that.”
“I will. I have puppy food in my car, and I need to see how Wyatt is doing.”
“Good,” Sully said with a nod. “I’ll be able to rest tonight if I know you’re with the Brevards. Now, tell me about this dog. Where did he come from?”
“I don’t know.” Charley splayed her hands and recounted how she’d heard the noises outside her front door and found the puppy. “He was filthy as if he’d been dumped in the nearby woods, and he’s skin and bones. I was afraid if I didn’t take himin, he’d wander down the hill and into the traffic on Colorado Avenue.”
“I wonder if he belonged to one of the murder victims found in the cave tunnels.”
That hadn’t occurred to Charley, and she tilted her head in thought. “That would explain why he was so dirty and hungry.”
“I’m guessing since you named him, you’re planning to keep him.”
“You and I both like dogs. Maybe I could share him with you,” Charley said, and then feeling vulnerable looked away. “He deserves a safe home.”
