her. She blinked blurrily upward in an attempt to figure out what was happening.
“Come on, baby. We’re home.” Carter leaned into the SUV, hit the latch for her seat belt, and pulled it away from her body.
She tried to get out. She thought she was doing it. But before she knew what was happening, Carter had swung her up into his arms.
With a little sound of surprise, she grabbed for his neck. She was small, and he held her weight easily, but it was so strange to be off the ground like that. “I’m okay. I can walk.” She sounded weirdly groggy.
“I think we’ll make better progress this way,” Carter replied dryly. He carried her into the house, cradled in his arms.
Mrs. Wilson was waiting at the front door as they came in. “Oh dear. Oh dear. This is terrible. Is she really hurt?”
“It’s not serious. A sprained wrist and a concussion.” Carter turned his body sideways so he could get in the front door without knocking Ruth’s head or feet against the frame.
Evidently finding it perfectly natural that Ruth should be carried inside with such minor injuries, Mrs. Wilson fidgeted beside them for a minute, explaining that Ruth should be taken right to her bed and that she would find the best calming music and essential oils to help with a concussion. Assuring Ruth, or maybe herself, that she’d be better in no time, Mrs. Wilson left to collect her healing remedies.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Carter murmured, leaning his head down so it was only inches from Ruth’s. “She really wants to help. I’m afraid you’re going to get music and smelly stuff whether you want it or not.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. She’s so sweet. I love her.” Ruth didn’t mean to say that, but she wasn’t all that good about holding her tongue in the best of circumstances. She wasn’t capable of it at all right now.
Carter felt tense for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and said in a gravelly voice, “Well, she loves you too.”
That made Ruth happy. She smiled and dropped her head against Carter’s shoulder. She liked the way he was holding her. She liked how strong he felt. The way he could so easily support her weight. She tried to enjoy it, but she accidently drifted off, coming back to awareness only when he had laid her on the bed and was taking off her shoes.
“I’m gonna rest here for a little while,” she told him, trying to pull the covers up over her but unable to do so because she was lying on them.
Carter adjusted the bedding so he could cover her up. “I think that’s a good idea. I’m going to call the doctor. I’m a little worried that you’re so out of it.”
“I’m not out of it. Just need a rest.” She couldn’t seem to open her eyes. “Then I need to call about my car.”
“I’ll take care of your car. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really, baby. You rest.”
She had no idea what happened after that.
THE NEXT THING SHE was aware of was Carter’s gentle voice. It wasn’t loud, and she’d always liked the sound of it, but it was breaking into her sleep.
“Mm resting,” she mumbled, trying to turn over to get away from the hands on her shoulders.
“I know. I’m sorry. But I need to check to make sure you can wake up all right. So can you please wake up and talk to me for a few minutes?”
It was the naked concern in his voice that pierced through the fog in her mind. She stopped resisting and blinked until she could see his familiar face above her. “Hi,” she said stupidly.
He gave her a rather wobbly smile. “Hi.”
“You woke me up.”
“I know I did. But when I talked to the doctor, he said I should wake you up every hour or so to make sure you were coherent.”
“That seems kind of mean.”
He gave a huff of amusement and pushed some of her hair back from her face. “It’s not supposed to be mean. You have a concussion. It’s to make sure there isn’t any damage.”
“Oh. I don’t think there is.” She stretched and moved her body around to assess how she felt. “I think I’m okay. I feel better now. Not so out of it. I’m not sure what happened.”
“You have a concussion.”
“So you keep saying.” Even her headache was almost gone now. She felt like herself again. She turned to