Free White Trash Witch by Franny Armstrong

and
winking at Lacy before leaving the room.
    "He's a nice man," Dara said, hissing.
    "Yes, he is. Stay still, Dara. Please try not to
move."
    The nurse came in and gave Dara a pain killer, and
then fiddled with the equipment, taking her blood pressure and
pulse again. By the time she was done, their mother was there.
    "I'll make sure she behaves herself, nurse," she
said, her lip quivering as though she was trying not to cry.
    "Mom, do you want us to stay?" Wiley asked.
    "No. I already ate and had a long nap. I'll be good
for a while. The nurses promised me a cot tonight. You take Lacy
and go with Ryder.
    Ryder waited just beyond the door. When he smiled,
Wiley felt her heart flip, and frowned. After a few quick goodbyes,
Ryder took Wiley and Lacy home to his house. Wiley was afraid of
her feelings for him. After such a short time, they were so strong
that it scared her.
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Chapter 6
Courted by a
hunk!
    "I bought you some things because you didn't have
time to pack. They're on the table in the dining room," Ryder
murmured in her ear as he hugged her.
    Lifting her chin, she said, "I don't want anything
from you. I can buy my own things."
    He let her go and stepped back, surprised that he
felt hurt by her words.
    "There is a toothbrush, hairbrush, some underwear,
whatever you'll need. Just accept it as a loan then. Please,
Wiley."
    "A toothbrush?" she said, running her tongue over her
teeth and grimacing. "Okay, a toothbrush. Maybe a hairbrush, but
that's it," she said firmly.
    Biting back a grin, he led her to the dining room.
She stood at the doorway, her mouth opened wide in shock.
    "You must have spent a fortune on us. I can't accept
all this," she whispered.
    "Since this is an emergency situation, I think you
can be forgiven for accepting help. There are a few things to get
you through the next week or so. Please let me take care of you and
your family," he said quietly.
    "Oh, all right, Ryder, but I'm paying you back in
full."
    "If you wish. You can take your time." He left her
side and went out the kitchen door.
****
    For the next two weeks, Wiley, Lacy, and her mother,
ran back and forth to the hospital in turns. Ryder spent much of
his time taking care of his business, but he always had time for
them.
    In the evenings, Wiley skirted around him, making
sure she didn't fall under his charms and end up in his bed again.
He was alluring, handsome, sexy, rich…all the things she avoided
like the plague. The few times Ryder came close to kissing her, she
made some excuse and raced to the room she shared with Lacy.
    "Aunt Wiley?" Lacy asked in a sleepy voice late one
night.
    They'd been in bed more than an hour, but Wiley was
unable to sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, images of making
wild, passionate love to Ryder flashed through her mind. Her mind
was playing tricks on her, his image switching from the Ryder she'd
first met and the real one.
    "Sorry, sweetie, am I keeping you awake?"
    "Yes, but that's not what I wanted to know. I really
like Ryder. Why don't you give in and give him a second
chance?"
    Shocked that Lacy was aware of the relationship
between Ryder and herself, Wiley avoided answering.
    "I'm going to get myself a drink of milk. Want
something?"
    "No thanks," Lacy said, yawning. She settled down to
sleep before Wiley left the room in her oversized t-shirt. On the
front was a picture of Wylie Coyote falling off a cliff. It was one
of the few things she'd accepted from Ryder. She loved it.
    On bare feet, Wiley padded down the hall and
descended the steps, noting how utterly quiet it was. At two in the
morning it seemed that everyone, except Wiley, was asleep.
    On silent feet, she made her way through the house
and down the hall to the kitchen. Only nightlights lit her way.
When she reached the kitchen, she quietly closed the door behind
her and aimed straight for the fridge, opening it.
    Bent over, she searched through the mountain of food,
and finally came out with a container of cream cheese