I was one foot out the door before she finallyspoke.
“Why’d you stay allnight?”
Out of all the things she could have said or asked, that just didn’t seem like the rightquestion.
I turned to her, staring right into her smoky eyes. “Because I didn’t want you to wake up here alone. No one should be alone after what you went through, and to be honest, I selfishly needed to know you were okay. I needed for you to be safe and taken careof.”
She patted the side of her bed. “Want to sit with me for a while,Bear?”
Her voice was meek, and there was a sadness to her that I understood. I had so many questions, so many words I wanted to say—not to comfort her, but to distractmyself.
“Yes, but in onesecond.”
Walking out of her room, I shook Jaxon’s shoulder again. “Head on home,brother.”
His groggy eyes fluttered open and he sucked in a deep breath as he woke upagain.
“You stayin’?” he asked whilestretching.
I turned to look back at the room. “Yeah, for abit.”
“See you at the shoplater.”
I watched Jaxon trudge down the hallway and disappear around the corner before I went back to her bedside. In silence, I took a seat in a cushioned chair under the window, looking right ather.
“Thank you,” she muttered before wiping a tear from hercheek.
Chapter 4
Scarlett
Thankyouseemed like too small a phrase for the appreciation I had for the gruff stranger sitting silent in my room. It should have felt weird or wrong to have him in there, but for some reason, it felt right. When he’d walked back out to the hallway, the room had felt empty without him. Maybe being alone was just not something that was possible for me todo.
After a few minutes, Bear pointed to my ring finger. “Would you like me to call yourhusband?”
I forced a laugh. “He doesn’t deserve to know I’m alive.” Sliding the gold bands off my finger, I held them out for him to take. “These should be able to pay for the repairs on my motorcycle.” He opened his hand, letting my drop the jewelrys into hispalm.
He rolled the diamond ring around in his fingertips. “I have a feeling this rock could buy you two new hogs,darlin’.”
I threw my hands in the air as he tried to hand them back to me. “Those are as good as a noose around my neck. Please, just takethem.”
He slid the bands into the inside pocket of his cut. I was no stranger to outlaws; my father had worn a cut for as long as I could remember. As my mind tripped back to him, Bear’s voice broke through myremembrances.
“I’d settle for just your name,darlin’.”
My eyes snapped to his as they bore holes in me. I was in a slight haze from the morphine drip I was on and the pain I was fighting toignore.
“Scarlett Keen.” I felt my words linger as my tongue formed each syllableindividually.
Bear put his hand on mine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,Scarlett.”
I let my fingers naturally slide between his. The rough, calloused skin of his large hand felt comforting as I rolled my head back, embracing the simple touch of the kind stranger. The rational side of me knew this situation was incredibly strange, knew I should be on high alert with this one-percenter in my presence, but I couldn’t have cared less. There was something all too comforting aboutBear.
With my eyes shut, I sat there with my hand cradled in Bear’s. “What time did you findme?”
“The middle of the night. I’m not quite sure on exactly what time, but it was late as hell,” heanswered.
“I can’t believe that bastard ran me off the road,” I said, more to myself than toBear.