Free Don't Mess With Texas by Christie Craig Page A

explain later. I’m fine.” She disconnected. But she sat there and stared at the phone as if trying to cope with some terrible piece of news. Empathy filled LeAnn’s chest. She knew all about trying to cope.
    Nikki looked up at Dallas. “Someone… someone attacked Ellen, my friend. She’s being brought—”
    “I know.” Dallas’s gaze moved to Nikki’s bloody hand. LeAnn saw Dallas’s eyes fill with tenderness and concern. Her throat tightened, as she remembered when Tony had looked at her with the same caring O’Connor expression.
Home
, LeAnn thought. She missed it so damn much.
    Dallas touched Nikki’s arm. “We should get you back inside.”
    “Why would someone do this?” Nikki pressed two fingers over her trembling lips. “I don’t understand any of this. Why?”
    “I think getting her inside is a good idea.” Knowing Dallas would help convince the escaped patient to return to her hospital bed, LeAnn moved in and helped raise Nikki from the bench seat.
    Nikki eased away as if not wanting any help. And because LeAnn knew what it felt like to not want others to pity you or treat you as a basket case, she let go.
    Nikki walked toward the door, but before she walked through, she looked back at Dallas. “You thought I’d run, didn’t you?”
    Run?
LeAnn didn’t understand, but decided now wasn’t the time for inquiries.
    “No,” Dallas answered too quickly. “Not at all.”
    LeAnn didn’t know her brother-in-law that well. He’d been sent to prison right after she’d started dating Tony.But she knew him well enough to know he’d just lied. Plain and simple, O’Connors sucked at lying.
    They walked down the hospital hall and into the ER unit. A familiar voice rang out. Before LeAnn could turn and run, Tony came barreling up.
    “Damn it. Where did you…” He stopped bellowing at Nikki when he spotted LeAnn.
    LeAnn stopped breathing again. Time froze and both Dallas and Nikki stared at Tony.
    “She was making a call.” Dallas broke the awkward silence, and shot Tony a back-off look. Not that Tony noticed. He was still too busy staring at her. And LeAnn’s heart was too busy missing home for her to think straight.
    Tony finally looked at Dallas and grimaced. “So she just yanked out her IV?”
    Dallas frowned. “Maybe what happened was—”
    “Maybe you should ask me,” Nikki said.
    “Okay, I will.” The scowl line between Tony’s brows tightened. “Why did you pull your IV out?”
    LeAnn knew her husband could come off as a hard-ass, and perhaps Tony in cop mode was just that. But beneath that tough exterior was a man who cared deeply—a man who always tried to do the right thing. She knew, because she had been his right thing.
    “I didn’t pull it out,” Nikki said. “I forgot it was in. I got a call from my grandmother and all I could hear was something about blood and then the connection went out. I panicked and left to find a place with better reception.” Nikki frowned. “And I just learned that someone attacked my friend. She’s being brought here in an ambulance. Why is all this happening? You’re a cop, you should—”
    Tony’s scowl line faded. “We’re trying to figure it out.”
    That’s when LeAnn finally figured it out herself. Nikki was the woman Tony thought had killed her ex-husband. LeAnn looked at the accused and decided she didn’t believe it. And seeing as how she’d spent her entire life meeting strangers, she had a knack at reading people—distinguishing the good from the bad. It was part of basic survival. And LeAnn knew that Nikki wasn’t bad. Tony’s gaze landed on LeAnn again. Emotion tightened her chest. “I’m… I need to get back.” She walked away.
    “LeAnn.” Tony’s voice stopped her. She turned around. He touched his cheek. “You have… something.”
    “Bird shit,” she said before she could stop herself. Then for some unknown reason, she continued, “It’s supposed to be good luck.”
    Feeling her face heat with