I lightly touched the knob sprouting on the back of my head. “Really, I’m fine. You just tell me when the room’s ready.” I made to take off toward my vehicle. I didn’t need him. I didn’t need anyone. The last time I was rescued, I was ten years old and my dad had removed me from the orphanage. He’d been the only man I’d ever wanted to rescue me. Not some stranger offering a stupid helping hand when I’d fallen flat on my butt on concrete steps.
I mean, how humiliating. I was better than that. I didn’t need some fancy-pants redneck offering assistance.
His fingers pressed into my shoulder. “You’re coming with me.”
Oh no I wasn’t.
I jerked away. “I’m fine.” I think a ball of fire erupted from my mouth when I said it.
“I’m only trying to help.”
“You’re not helping,” I ground out. “You’re annoying me. I’m fine.”
He shook his head as if to say,Why me?Then he slid his thumb down his jaw.
“You fell on my property. You’re a potential liability. I don’t make sure you’re okay, that’s on me. Let’s go in. Make sure you’re all right.” He raised his palms in surrender. “I promise I won’t touch you once we’re inside.”
He was seriously making it hard to say no, but I could. I had a first-aid kit in the truck with instant ice packs. All I needed was to rip one open and stick it down my pants. I’d feel like a million bucks in no time.
And Mr. Helps-a-Lot could get on with baking bread or whatever B and B owners did.
“Like I said, I’m fine.”
“For someone who’s so small, you’re not exactly soft and snuggly.”
I glared fire arrows of death at him. “I never said I was.”
“Thank goodness, because that would’ve been the lie of the century.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now, are you coming with me or do you want me to pick you up and carry you over my shoulder so the entire town can see?”
He pointed to the street. About twenty people littered the sidewalk, all of them staring in my direction. Great. First I was filmed eating lunch with a ghost, and now I would be known as the caveman B and B’s woman.
Awesome. Way to go under the radar, Bliss. First thing I knew Lucky Strike would know I was on his tail and he’d be gone before I blinked.
I dragged my gaze from the sea of gawkers and glared hot coals at Roan. “Fine. I’ll come with you. But don’t carry me. I can make it on my own.”
“Sunshine, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I sat in the parlor.I guess it was a parlor. There were chairs and a fireplace. It did have a television, so maybe it wasn’t a parlor.
“Here’s some ice.” Roan handed me the bag.
I was stretched out on his couch. Roan nestled into a chair beside me. “Do you need me to put it on your head?”
I placed it slowly on my hairline. “I might be short, but I’m capable.”
His lips twitched. “You sure you don’t want a doctor? I know one that still makes house calls.”
“Does he take chickens for payment, too?”
“I actually gave him eggs one time.”
I stared at him.
“Okay, maybe it was just a ham I had curing in the smokehouse.”
I stared harder.
“I actually chopped his Christmas tree for him and delivered it over my shoulder.”
