Page 86 of Work It Out
Jake was so high on that success he didn’t notice Chad, Zandar, or the woman standing next to him at the top of the rise until it was too late. He wouldn’t have cared if every man, woman, and child in Bigbone saw Rayah carting him around like a side of beef. They’d all know about it before the sun set anyhow. But this woman wasn’t from Bigbone, and judging by the professional-grade camera she lowered from her face, she wasn’t here searching for crystals. No, she was looking for dirt, and they’d handed her a giant clod of it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
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“Did he pass out again?” Chad shouted.
Zandar glared at the big mouth and Jake hissed, “Shit,” under his breath.
That about covered it. That had to be either a journalist or a pap standing next to Zandar, and the last thing Jake needed was some reporter looking into why he might’ve passed out, especially more than once.
Rayah glared at Chad and yelled back, “Don’t be ridiculous. He slipped on a rock in the creek saving Hogrid.”
Zandar’s weathered face scrunched. “Who’s Hogrid?”
As if on cue the piglet tucked against her back let out a heartfelt, ear-piercing squeal.
The old man’s eyes went huge. “You got him!” He rushed down the hill and around her to take Hogrid from Jake.
“What the hell?” another deep voice hollered from atop the rise.
“Here we go.” Jake lightly thumped his forehead against her shoulder.
“Put him down!” Blaine stomped toward them. “What’s wrong with you? You’ll hurt yourself.”
Rayah rolled her eyes. “Does no one remember the squat competition? I’m fine.” Granted, squatting a heavy weight and carrying it were two very different things, but she’d managed. She bent her knees and put him down anyway.
“Straighten slowly,” she whispered. Being on his stomach as long as he had with his head below his heart would be hell on his blood pressure. If he shifted too fast, he’d go down. Wouldn’t that be a great story for their new friend?
The handcuffs tugged at her wrist when he hopped around, trying to keep his weight off his bad ankle. She’d almost forgotten about the cuffs. Up went the camera again.
What a disaster.
Rayah tried to help Jake steady himself, but she really was too short to make a good crutch, and they were connected on the wrong side.
“Key,” Blaine growled. Zandar tucked the piglet against his chest with one arm and dug a small key out of his pocket with the other. That Blaine knew he had it likely explained why he was no longer shackled to Grace. He had Rayah free in a blink, then he threw Jake’s arm over his shoulder.
If she was too short to be a good crutch, Blaine had the opposite problem. Still, the two hobbled up the hill to the med tent. The good doctor must have seen them coming because he bustled around, making room for Jake and gathering supplies. “Help him on the table.”
Heart pounding in her ears, Rayah dithered outside the opening. She wanted to be right there, watching over him, but the odor of antiseptic burned her sinuses and made bile rise in her throat. Jake hopped onto the exam table and looked around. His gaze landed on her. Eyes that had been tight with pain softened as he registered her dilemma. No doubt she looked as freaked out as she felt and every bit as torn.It’s okay, he mouthed.You go. I’m all right.
Wow, that stung her pride. She might’ve recently carried a man twice her size halfway up a hill, but she didn’t feel like a badass. She felt weak. She gave the girl she’d been a pass on most of what she’d suffered. She was grown now, however, and she was done letting a ghost of her past steal from her future.
Jake frowned, then whispered something to Blaine. Blaine’s head shot up, his eyes finding her a second before he stalked her way. “Come on, Ray. Doc’s got him. We can—”
Rayah reached out and took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “I’m good here. Honest.” Her smile couldn’t have been terribly convincing, but no way would she leave Jake hurt and alone. Part of her really wanted to, but she wouldn’t.
Jake thrust out his hand. “Hold me, cupcake. I’m frightened.” His voice quavered. He even eked out a tear.
Blaine scowled at her. “You’re sure you want to stay with this idiot?”
“Hey!” Jake shouted. “I resemble that remark.”
Rayah laughed, tension leaking out of her. She patted Blaine’s arm. “Yeah, I’m sure. He might be an idiot, but he’s my idiot.” For the second time in twenty minutes, she’d laid claim to him. She’d never wanted to claim a man in her life, but she had the sudden urge to make sure the whole world knew this one belonged to her.
