It Had to Be Him by Tamra Baumann Read Free Book Online Page A

Twilight Zone , but she looked pretty damned serious. He glanced at his wound. Blood trickled steadily down his arm. It was just a flesh wound, but he’d have to find a doctor. He probably couldn’t stitch it up himself.
    He backed up. “Okay, I’m leaving.”
    Just as he stepped off the porch, the sheriff’s car came barreling down the drive. The older man from the diner got out of the passenger side and called out, “Heard the gunshot and figured Ruthie’d done it again. I tried to warn you, Granger.”
    The sheriff appeared by his side and took Josh’s uninjured arm. Without a word, the cop herded Josh into the back of his police car.
    The old lady called out, “Might as well give up. We won’t let you take Haley!”
    Take Haley? Is that what they all thought he was here to do?
    As they drove up the hill, a set of blue eyes met his in the rearview mirror. “You ready to leave town now?”
    “No.” Josh closed his eyes, fighting against the pain. “And I’m not here to take Haley. I just need to talk to Megan.”
    “Suit yourself. We’re almost there.”
    Wherever “there” was. For all he knew, the sheriff would throw him in a ditch and let him bleed to death. “Is that woman senile or something? She could have killed me.”
    “Nope. She holds state shooting records. If she’d wanted you dead, you’d be dead. Under our trespassing laws she had every right to shoot you.”
    Yeah, he knew that. But he hadn’t counted on a sharpshooting granny with a cane. Now he knew why Megan never talked about her wacky family.
    When they pulled up in front of a building with “Anderson Butte Clinic” on the glass doors, relief washed through him. He looked for a handle to open his car door, but there wouldn’t be one because he was in the backseat like a damned criminal. He was usually the one driving.
    When the door flew open, he swung his legs out and stood, hating that he was a little lightheaded. Only a few more feet and he’d be good.
    The sheriff took his uninjured arm again.
    “I don’t need your help.”
    The sheriff kept tugging. “Can’t have you running off before I charge you with stalking and trespassing.” He pulled Josh along and then opened the door to the clinic for him.
    The cop led him to an examining room and guided him to the table. Just as he got settled, the doctor joined them.
    “Hi, I’m Ben Anderson. Hear my grandmother shot you. Any allergies to medications?” The doctor sat on a stool and slid closer.
    “No.” Another Anderson? If he’d had the strength to run, he would have. He started to unbutton his shirt, but the doctor saved him the trouble and cut it off.
    After the doctor poked around a bit he said, “It’s just a flesh wound.” Then he lifted up a needle.
    “That an arsenic injection, Doc?”
    “Nah. If I’d wanted to kill you, I’d just leave the air bubbles in the syringe.” He nudged Josh onto his back and went to work. “We’ll have you fixed right up. Hurts like hell though, right?”
    “Yeah.” But hell might be better than Anderson Butte. “So how are you related to Megan?”
    “I’m her oldest brother. Deputy Dawg over there holding my wall up is her other brother. You’ve met our sister Casey at the hotel. This may sting a bit.”
    He hissed as the needle pierced his skin. “Any others of you I should watch out for?”
    “Our father,” the doctor and the cop said in unison.
    While the doctor filled up another syringe, he said, “I’m going to give you something stronger for the pain and to help you sleep. Where are you staying tonight?”
    He had to think about that for a minute. Then he remembered. “In my truck. There were no rooms at the hotel, evidently.”
    “Maybe something has opened up. I’ll check for you.”
    “Not holding my breath.” Before long the meds kicked in and his mind went to a very happy place.

    While Haley dug into a big piece of pie and ice cream for dessert, Meg stacked dishes into the industrial washer in