“So what’s the plan you have in mind?” she asked.
“Leave that to me, baby. You just be your beautiful, amazing self.”
“Okay.”
He cupped her breasts.
She smiled. “You’re quite the devil, Justin.”
“I’m in no hurry to be anywhere, are you?”
“I guess not until we hear from your brothers about Lucille.” Worry filled her face.
“Shelby, it’s going to be okay. Once Lucille wakes up, she can ID the real attacker and clear your name. Until then, I have something in mind to pass the time.”
“I bet you do.” She grinned so sweetly, and her anxiety vanished.
He traced his fingers over her lips. “You game, baby?”
“I am, but I see you don’t play fair, do you?”
“No, I don’t and never will.” He kissed her deeply, glad to be able to distract her from the shit Byrd had brought to her front door.
Brandon and Alex were in Elko checking on the victim. Hopefully, Lucille would wake and clear Shelby’s name. Once his brothers returned, Justin would fix it so that Brandon got to have a solo date with her. Right now, he wanted to enjoy his alone time with Shelby—his woman.
* * * *
Brandon rushed into Lucille’s hospital room behind Alex and Dr. Tara Vines. His dad and Sheriff Byrd followed him. A nurse was checking Lucille’s IV.
“She went through the surgery fine but I’m worried about her vitals, Dr. Champion.”
Alex looked at Lucille’s chart. “How’s her pulse now?”
The nurse answered, “She’s throwing tons of PVCs.”
“What are those?” Byrd asked.
“Premature ventricular contractions, Sheriff.” Dr. Vines turned back to Alex and continued telling him about Lucille’s condition. “Her pulse goes up to over one hundred eighty and then will fall to thirty beats a minute. Her blood pressure is doing the same. Up and down.”
“What meds have you put her on?” Alex asked Dr. Vines.
As the two doctors continued discussing Lucille’s case, Brandon glanced over at Byrd. The man was frowning. Clearly the asshole wasn’t happy with this turn of events. Why?
“Maybe we should go to the waiting room,” Brandon said to him and his dad. “Leave this to the professionals.”
“That would be a good idea, gentlemen,” the nurse chimed in.
“Helen, I’d like to stay.” Byrd’s sickly sweet tone seemed to mesmerize the middle-aged woman.
“I can understand that,” she said. “You know I was there when Shelby Taylor threatened poor Lucille. You’ve arrested her, haven’t you, Sheriff?”
“It’s premature for that, Helen.” Brandon’s gut tightened into a knot. Shelby was in hot water. Very hot water.
The nurse glared at him. “Brandon Champion, why are you here?”
“I represent Miss Taylor.”
Helen shook her head. “You shouldn’t be involved with that kind of woman, young man.”