the urge to destroy Tyree every time the attack entered his head.
He thought back to that afternoon weeks ago when he'd picked up the phone to hear Charlie's sweet voice saying something about her mother being a tough bird when she'd called to talk to his dad about coming. He'd had no idea then that that funny phone call would change all of their lives in such a huge way. From the very second she'd shown up here everything seemed to shift in a positive direction. She had to be the most dynamic and yet real girl he'd ever met and he enjoyed her thoroughly.
He considered how he had felt when he'd realized she and Fo weren't a couple. Then that knowledge had been incredibly frustrating because of his commitment to Lindie. Tonight, so much had happened so soon after they had decided to call off getting married that he hadn't even had a chance to explore his feelings, but nothing had ever felt so right as the hug he had given Charlie tonight when she was so scared and hurt.
Thinking again of what had happened with Tyree made him feel sad and angry all over again, but it had been a sweet balm to that sadness to be able to help her at the hospital and then here at the house tonight. Even hurt and drugged, she was good and kind and grateful and he was pretty sure he'd been permanently swept off his feet by a happy, quirky girl with long legs and blonde curls. Now he just had to figure out how his whole family could continue to function when she went off to law school this fall. He wasn't sure any of them could live without her anymore.
****
Charlie knew the little girls were here with her, but it was hard to cut through the chemicals in her brain that made her so woozy to tell them good morning. She could hear both Madge and Richard quietly encouraging them to let her rest and then she heard Jamie's cute little voice, but she was so tired. After a while she heard Luke's low, sexy voice and even this out of it she could hear the fatigue in it. He had taken such good care of her last night when she was hurt. The attraction she'd been trying to forget all these weeks had blossomed last night into something warm and sweet that made her want to smile even with her pain medicine and the frightening memories. He was a truly good, truly gorgeous man.
****
She had no idea what time of day it was when she finally woke up. It felt like morning, but the sunshine slanting through the blinds wasn't right somehow. And there were no birds. There were usually tons of birds singing in the morning. She groaned and pulled herself upright and began looking around for her clothes. She could remember Luke handing her Angela's night gown, but that was about it and she really didn't want to parade around the house in it.
The throbbing from her shoulder that had finally woken her ratcheted right up to full blown pain when she sat up, and she decided she'd waltz into the kitchen as is anyway to find some pain medicine. Just as she was about to step out into the hall, she glanced into the adjoining bathroom and saw her clothes. She was relieved until she actually got in there and went to put them on. In the ruckus last night, she'd forgotten she'd been showered in pig milk replacer, not to mention having handled multiple piglets. Her clothes were covered with sticky white spots and smelled like a barn yard.
Seeing a robe on the back of the bathroom door, she opted for it and dropped her clothes back into a wad on the tile. She put one arm into the robe and draping the other side over the sling, ran a hand through her wild curls and headed for the kitchen. The house seemed to be abandoned and the way she looked, she was glad for that as she poured a glass of orange juice and added bread to the toaster.
She was just reaching for the ibuprofen when she heard a sound and looked up to see Chase coming up the stairs from the basement. He still gave her his signature come on look and she rolled her eyes as she went to shake out the pills. He advanced into the
He thought back to that afternoon weeks ago when he'd picked up the phone to hear Charlie's sweet voice saying something about her mother being a tough bird when she'd called to talk to his dad about coming. He'd had no idea then that that funny phone call would change all of their lives in such a huge way. From the very second she'd shown up here everything seemed to shift in a positive direction. She had to be the most dynamic and yet real girl he'd ever met and he enjoyed her thoroughly.
He considered how he had felt when he'd realized she and Fo weren't a couple. Then that knowledge had been incredibly frustrating because of his commitment to Lindie. Tonight, so much had happened so soon after they had decided to call off getting married that he hadn't even had a chance to explore his feelings, but nothing had ever felt so right as the hug he had given Charlie tonight when she was so scared and hurt.
Thinking again of what had happened with Tyree made him feel sad and angry all over again, but it had been a sweet balm to that sadness to be able to help her at the hospital and then here at the house tonight. Even hurt and drugged, she was good and kind and grateful and he was pretty sure he'd been permanently swept off his feet by a happy, quirky girl with long legs and blonde curls. Now he just had to figure out how his whole family could continue to function when she went off to law school this fall. He wasn't sure any of them could live without her anymore.
****
Charlie knew the little girls were here with her, but it was hard to cut through the chemicals in her brain that made her so woozy to tell them good morning. She could hear both Madge and Richard quietly encouraging them to let her rest and then she heard Jamie's cute little voice, but she was so tired. After a while she heard Luke's low, sexy voice and even this out of it she could hear the fatigue in it. He had taken such good care of her last night when she was hurt. The attraction she'd been trying to forget all these weeks had blossomed last night into something warm and sweet that made her want to smile even with her pain medicine and the frightening memories. He was a truly good, truly gorgeous man.
****
She had no idea what time of day it was when she finally woke up. It felt like morning, but the sunshine slanting through the blinds wasn't right somehow. And there were no birds. There were usually tons of birds singing in the morning. She groaned and pulled herself upright and began looking around for her clothes. She could remember Luke handing her Angela's night gown, but that was about it and she really didn't want to parade around the house in it.
The throbbing from her shoulder that had finally woken her ratcheted right up to full blown pain when she sat up, and she decided she'd waltz into the kitchen as is anyway to find some pain medicine. Just as she was about to step out into the hall, she glanced into the adjoining bathroom and saw her clothes. She was relieved until she actually got in there and went to put them on. In the ruckus last night, she'd forgotten she'd been showered in pig milk replacer, not to mention having handled multiple piglets. Her clothes were covered with sticky white spots and smelled like a barn yard.
Seeing a robe on the back of the bathroom door, she opted for it and dropped her clothes back into a wad on the tile. She put one arm into the robe and draping the other side over the sling, ran a hand through her wild curls and headed for the kitchen. The house seemed to be abandoned and the way she looked, she was glad for that as she poured a glass of orange juice and added bread to the toaster.
She was just reaching for the ibuprofen when she heard a sound and looked up to see Chase coming up the stairs from the basement. He still gave her his signature come on look and she rolled her eyes as she went to shake out the pills. He advanced into the
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