Page 61 of Stripping Bare

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It tookthe ambulance less than four minutes to arrive at the park, and Jonah had never been so fucking glad that he lived in a smalltown.

He’d body-slammed an old lady. Shame made him want to turn his head away to keep from looking at her tiny body splayed out there on the path, but that would be a chickenshit move. So he hunkered down near Mrs. Vanderwinkle, but didn’t touch her. Didn’t let his ham hands nearher.

Of course, the emergency personnel put a C-collar on her and were extra careful when they transitioned her to the gurney and lifted her into the ambulance. It was a small comfort to Jonah that one of the emergency responders was Maggie’s brother,Cash.

Before Cash could swing into the cab of the ambulance, Jonah grabbed his arm. “Is she gonna beokay?”

“I can’t tell you much now, but it’s a good sign that she never lost consciousness. We’re taking her to St. Elizabeth’s if you want to check on herlater.”

Cash climbed in, and the ambulance took off with lights whirling and sirenwhooping.

Jonah sank onto the bench where he’d attacked poor Mrs. Vanderwinkle. This was just proof that he couldn’t control the aggressive impulses insidehim.

She’d be fine if he’d stopped to really look at who he was taking down. If he’d called outinstead.

But no, he’d let loose and hurt a sweetlady.

“It was an accident.” Tessa sat beside him and placed a comforting hand on hisshoulder.

He didn’t want to be soothed. Didn’t want to be forgiven for such a dumbshitmove.

A cop cruiser pulled up and Maggie got out. Her face one huge scowl, she strode up to Jonah and Tessa and planted her hands on her hips, emphasizing the utility belt around her waist. Too bad she couldn’t just pull out her service gun and put him out of his misery. “What the hell happenedhere?”

“It was a mistake…” Tessa started to explain, but Jonah shrugged out from her under hand andstood.

“I jumped Mrs.Vanderwinkle.”

“Is this what you do when you get bored up there on the ridge—come down and wreak havoc on innocent citizens?” Maggie nudged the VR goggles, still lying on the ground, with the toe of her boot. “What’rethese?”

“It’s a longstory.”

“Handy, since I have all the time in the world to hear it,” she said. “You want to do this here out in the cold or come back to the office where you can have a cup of shitty-asscoffee?”

Turning to Tessa, he said, “You can take my car back to the house and Maggie will drop me offlater.”

“Not happening,” Tessa said, her mouth pinchedstubbornly.

“She’s right.” Maggie scooped up the goggles. “I’ll need to talk to her,too.”

“Keys still in the car?” he askedTessa.

“I didn’t take the time to pull themout.”

“Then I’ll ride with Maggie and you canfollow.”

Something flashed in Tessa’s dark eyes, something that looked like hurt. But Jonah couldn’t comfort her right now. Hell, he didn’t deserve to comfort her or to be comforted byher.

It was late afternoon and evening was creeping over the mountains to shadow Steele Ridge by the time Jonah and Tessa finally walked out of the sheriff’soffice.

Maggie had ripped him a new asshole. Said Jonah should’ve come to her the minute he suspected this guy was on herturf.

But in the end, the only crime committed today was by Jonah. Bodilyassault.

Mrs. Vanderwinkle had kindly decided not to press charges, and he needed to make amends. He would track down this bastard, one way or theother.

“I’ll drop you by the house,” he said to Tessa, hearing and hating the clipped tone of his ownvoice.