Blinded by Beauty (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 8)

Jaris leaned in closer to Kaylyn, listening to Doc and Paris take care of her. “Doc, how is she?”

“Doing great. You and Chance did a fantastic job bandaging her wound. Very impressive.”

“It looks to be just a flesh wound, Jaris,” Paris informed. “She’s going to be fine.”

“I agree,” Doc said. “I still want to put her in the ambulance and get her back to the clinic. A few stitches and some antibiotics is all she’ll need. After that, I’m sure she’ll be as good as new.”

“Ambulance?” Kaylyn obviously wasn’t keen on that idea. “Doc, I don’t need to ride to town in an ambulance.”

“The bleeding has stopped but we don’t want to aggravate it and get it started again, Kaylyn.” Doc was a no-nonsense kind of guy, which he admired.

Jaris placed his hand on Kaylyn’s shoulder. She’s safe. Thank God. “Sweetheart, do as Doc says.”

Chapter Four

Jaris just called me “sweetheart.” That’s a first. Kaylyn looked at him still seated behind the wheel of her truck. “No sense in arguing with you, is there?”

“None,” the former cop said.

“Chance, are you on his side on this?” How many times had she heard Chance call her “sweetheart”? Almost every day, but the word to him clearly only meant friendship.

“You bet I am.”

She smiled. “Since I’m so outnumbered, I guess I don’t have a choice.”

They all helped her into the back of the ambulance and onto the stretcher.

“Lyle and I will stay put until the sheriff arrives,” Emmett said. “We’ll find the guy who shot you, Kaylyn.”

“Would you call to check to see if the four dogs returned to the ranch house, please?”

“I already did.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, but there’s been no sign of them.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “Those dogs are highly trained. Even if something got them off track and they couldn’t make it back to the truck they should’ve gone back to the ranch house.”

“Amber will call me if they show up. Don’t forget, those dogs are all chipped. If they somehow make it to another county or town, someone will scan them I’m sure. We’ll have them back soon. Shane and Corey are with her and Belle making sure everything is okay.”

“We better get going,” Paris said.

She and Doc remained with her in the back, and Jaris and Chance went up to the front with Mick, who was going to drive the ambulance.

As the vehicle began to move down the road, her mind started spinning.

Please, God, let the dogs be okay.

Where could they be? What happened to them? What was she going to do if they couldn’t be found? There were four people who would be arriving in Destiny soon who needed Rex, Blue, King, and Rosie.

I just can’t figure this out.

Doc continued examining her wound while Paris placed a blood pressure cuff on her left arm.

I can’t believe I’ve been shot. Did this have anything to do with Kip Lunceford? Obviously it was something all of them were considering. But it didn’t make any sense. The psycho wanted Belle, not her. Why would he shoot me? Or have me shot?

Chance and Jaris had been amazing through all of it, making sure she was okay and safe. She still couldn’t believe they’d made it all the way back to her truck on foot without the dogs. The ranch road wa

sn’t an easy walk for anyone, let alone guys who were blind.

Chance never ceased to surprise her. He could do absolutely anything. Anyone looking on would’ve thought he had his sight. He’d acted quickly and without hesitation, checking to make sure she was okay, getting the first aid kit, dressing her wound, and so much more.