Sheriff Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 10) by Laylah Roberts (good book club books txt) 📗

“You could have died. That bastard could have done anything to you. If it hadn’t been for that necklace you were wearing, I might never have found you again. You could be dead.”

Fuck. He was making everything worse. She knew he didn’t mean to. Knew he wasn’t angry at her. That he was scared. She got it. But she really just needed him to hold her right now.

“I f-fought him off.” She tried to keep her voice steady. But he didn’t seem to notice the slip-up.

“Jed said when he found you that he was pulling you from that damn tree. If he’d gotten you down,” his voice cracked and that was all that was needed for her to lose it.

A sob escaped, tears tracked down her cheeks. Ed froze then spun around. “Baby. Oh God, baby. Don’t cry. Please. Fuck. Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. I’m not mad at you.” He gathered her against him and then slid her over so he could lie on the bed beside her.

Screw that. She knew where she had to be.

Moving carefully so she didn’t dislodge the electrodes from the heart monitor or her IV, she climbed over him, laying on him chest to chest, her legs on either side of his hips. He moved his hand up to the nape of her neck, massaging the tension free. She started to relax, as much at the feel of him against her, the touch of his hand on her neck, as anything else.

Sobs still escaped but he whispered to her quietly. She couldn’t understand what he was saying, but the even cadence of his voice was all that was needed. Reassurance flooded her. Her cracks started to mend. She was all right.

She had Ed.

She’d always be good with Ed.

He rubbed her bottom. “I love you, my girl. So much. I’m only upset because the thought of losing you . . . it’s more than I can handle.”

“I’m sorry. I just wasn’t thinking.”

He kissed her forehead. “I know. We’ve got to do something about that.”

She nodded. “I was thinking maybe it’s time I saw a therapist. A good one.”

“I think that’s a good idea. There’s actually a therapist who lives at Sanctuary ranch. And he’s a Daddy himself.”

“Really?”

“Yep. But if you don’t want to see him, we can find someone else. Whatever you need, I will be here to help you. No matter what.”

“I know you will.” She lay on him for a long time, both of them quiet then she started squirming.

“What’s wrong? Uncomfortable?”

“Um, not exactly.” Crap. Crap. Oh, just say it, Georgina. “I have to pee. Could you call for a nurse?” she asked as he slid her off him.

He stood. “Why would you need a nurse for that? Unless you’d rather a stranger helped you?”

“You’re going to help me?”

“The doubt in your voice is rather insulting,” he told her dryly.

She flushed. “Sorry. I just didn’t think you’d want to . . .”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Thank you?” she said hesitantly.

“That’s better. Although I do need someone to turn off the heart monitor machine.” He buzzed for a nurse. They arrived quickly, and to her surprise didn’t even argue when Ed said he would help her to the bathroom.

She noticed she was dressed in a pair of lightweight pajamas with smiling sunshines all over them. She didn’t even remember putting these on.

“Where did the pajamas come from?”

“Kiesha brought them in for you. All of your friends were in the waiting room when we came in. Xavier didn’t want them coming through, though. I convinced them all to go home once you were safely asleep, but Kiesha ducked out to get these. Apparently, they’re ones she bought but she decided they weren’t for her.”

“That was so kind of her. I have the best friends here. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I’ve never had friends before.”

“They’re good to you because you’re good to them. They’ll be friends for life, if you let them in.”

She nodded. She got it. She’d been closed off all her life, but she had to learn how to let people in now. She had a feeling if she didn’t, they’d just come at her until she broke. In the nicest way possible.

“You can just set me down and wait outside.”

He snorted. “Yeah, that’s not happening.” He moved her around so she was standing in front of the toilet. He kept one arm around her upper back, anchoring her. Then with his other hand, he started pulling down her bottoms.

“Ed!” She slapped at his hands. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you go potty.”

Oh Lord, did he have to say potty?

“Let Daddy help you, my girl. You’re too shaky to go on your own and I don’t want you to fall and hit your head.”

“Again with the obsession with me hitting my head.”

But she let him get her pants down and put her on the toilet.

“You have to leave while I pee.”

“Not happening, my girl. But I will face the other way if that helps.” He turned on the tap and gave her his back.

Oh, stuff it. She was beyond caring about this. Who cared if he wanted to listen to her pee. She did her business then tidied herself up. Just as she was standing, he turned back.

He crouched down, uncaring that he was kneeling on a bathroom floor.

“Hands on my shoulders,” he commanded as he pulled up her pants.

Tears filled her eyes. Maybe this wasn’t the relationship she thought she would have. This wasn’t the life she thought she would live.

But she had friends who cared about her. A crazy town, where she felt at home. And a man who would pull up her pants when she was feeling weak.

Oh, and he also loved, accepted, and adored her.

A perfectly imperfect life.

And she thought she was the luckiest person in the world.

Epilogue

“Aaaarrrrghhhh, First Mate Daddy, are you ready to plunder the seven seas?”

“Aye-aye, Captain Georgie,” Ed replied, grabbing a cloth and soaping it up.

Georgie