Quit Bein' Ugly by Vale, Lynn (best mobile ebook reader .txt) 📕

That made me think bad thoughts—like the idea of slicking some chocolate fudge on his well-defined chest—so I changed the subject.

“I texted the couple that has Danger,” I murmured. “I told them that I’d be about an hour, and that I would be willing to meet them halfway. They’re going to meet me at the Walmart in town.”

“Okay,” he said as he walked to my coffee maker and started to make himself a cup of coffee. “I’m ready when you are…” He paused. “As long as you are the one to run into my office for me. I don’t plan on putting on any more clothes than I have to.”

I snickered. “Don’t get dressed on my account.”

“You’re sure that we’re not going anywhere else?” he asked.

I nodded. “The pharmacy, your office, the gym and the dog. That’s all I have to do, and you don’t have to get out of the car for any of them.”

He nodded his head. “Okay.”

The toaster popped and I pulled my hot Pop-Tarts out and started to eat them, making that ‘hot’ blowy sound with my mouth as it started to burn my tongue.

I washed it down with a drink of Croft’s milk, however, and it was just fine.

When I was finally done, I headed toward the door looking for my keys.

I’d just found them when he came up behind me. “Do you think we can take my truck?”

I frowned. “Yeah, but why?”

“Because it’s easier to get into my truck,” he answered. “And you have a really low-slung car.”

I had a Camry. It wasn’t that low.

But I didn’t see a point in arguing.

“Fine with me,” I said. “I like wasting other people’s gas.”

“I drive a diesel, honey,” he teased. “You will be wasting fuel, not gas.”

I shrugged. “I’ll bet you’re one of those people that call a car a SUV, too.”

“I call a car a car, and an SUV an SUV,” he commented as he called to Lion. “Let’s go, girl.”

Together we walked back across the street to his car. I put Lion inside and grabbed his keys off the counter in the kitchen. After locking up, I met him back outside to find him already in the truck and looking feverish.

“You okay?” I questioned.

“Fine,” he mumbled. “Just didn’t much think about it and used the wrong hand to pull myself up in here.”

I winced.

“Gotta pay more attention,” I ordered.

He snorted and leaned his head against the headrest.

“Seat belt,” I ordered.

He sighed and went to reach for it, freezing before he’d even gotten his hand moving.

“You’re going to have to do it for me,” he grumbled with annoyance.

I snickered and reached for the belt, gently threading it across his body and poking it into the hole, being super duper careful not to touch his body in any way.

The first stop was to the drugstore so I could get his prescription.

The second was to his office where I ran in and got his computer.

Something which Karen most certainly did not want to allow me to do as evidenced by her refusal to give it to me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and walked back outside, heading to the passenger side of the truck.

“Karen won’t let me in,” I told him.

Croft’s eye twitched in annoyance.

Reaching for his phone, he dialed a number and placed it to his ear.

“Cal,” he said. “This is Croft. I have my girl coming in to get my computer. Please see that she gets it. Karen isn’t allowing her inside to do it.” There was a long pause. “Yeah, I know. I’m glad that she’s leaving. Don’t fall for her shit. Thanks, man.”

My brows rose when he hung up. “Don’t fall for her shit?”

“Karen’s a bit annoying,” he admitted. “She’s very in-your-face about everything, and she doesn’t just have little ol’ me in her sights. She has Cal and Justin as well.”

Cal and Justin were the partners that Croft shared the firm with.

Both were also very happily married.

“She sounds like a real peach,” I teased.

He snorted and gestured for me to go back inside.

Just as I turned around, the doors opened and Cal came rushing out.

“I had to come make sure that you were actually okay,” he grimaced. “I can’t fuckin’ believe that you were shot right in our fuckin’ parking lot. Your goddamn blood is still right there.”

We both looked toward the spot that Cal had gestured to, and my stomach pitched.

Cal was right. You could still see the stain of Croft’s blood.

You could also see where he’d rolled across the concrete to hide under the other car, too.

My belly rolled again.

“Thanks, man,” Croft said as he gestured to me to take the computer. “I’d do it myself, but I can barely lift either arm at this point without some considerable pain.”

“It’s fine. Karen’s last day is tomorrow,” Cal muttered. “I can’t fuckin’ wait. Tammy is going to shit a brick when she hears that she’s gone.”

“Same,” Croft grunted. “She’s been handy to have around with the case that we just finished, but seriously, swear to fuckin’ Christ, I can’t goddamn breathe when she’s around. And having her show at the hospital yesterday was the final straw.”

“She asked to keep her job,” Cal chuckled. “Came in this morning and straight-up asked Justin and me. I told her that unfortunately we already filled her position. If she wanted to reapply when we had another opening she could.”

Croft burst out laughing.

Something he immediately stopped doing and pressed his closed fist to his forehead and started to breathe deeply.

“Laughing makes him hurt,” I explained to Cal. “And, sadly, we need to go get some meds in him. I think he has about thirty minutes until he can take some more. He probably needs a nap, too.”

When Croft didn’t contradict me, I knew that he was already waning.

“Take care of my boy.” He paused. “You’re Carmichael, aren’t you?”

I looked at Croft.

Though I knew of Cal, he’d never met me. I hadn’t realized that he even knew of me.

Yet, there he was, proving