Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“No, all the roads are cut off.”
Just then, Astrid let out a moan, and she started to come around. He saw the perspiration dotting her brow.
“Is that her?” Blake asked. “Is she okay?”
Astrid let out a sigh. “What happened?”
“Can you stand?” Lord asked.
Blake was still trying to figure out what was going on, and Lord was more interested in Astrid.
“Look, Blake, find some way for me to talk to a doctor. I don’t care how much it costs,” Lord said.
He was trying not to panic, but Astrid didn’t look good at all. He didn’t like this. Hanging up the phone, he dropped it on the floor, and he didn’t wait for Astrid to get to her feet; he picked her up in his arms. She let out a moan and sank against him. She was burning up.
Lord carried her upstairs and lay her against the pillows.
“I’m so cold,” she said.
He pulled the blankets around her and rushed to the windows to check that they were secured. He didn’t want a breeze getting to his woman. They were all secure.
She let out another moan. He went to her and placed the back of his hand against her temple.
“What were you doing?” he asked.
“Cooking you breakfast. I like cooking breakfast.”
“You shouldn’t have come out with me,” he said. “This is because I took you out with me to check on the ranch.”
“I liked helping you. I enjoyed it.” And her teeth chattered in between each word she spoke.
He tried not to panic.
“It doesn’t matter if you enjoyed it, Astrid. You’re sick.”
“I’ll be all right.”
In the distance, he heard his cell phone ringing, and he didn’t want to leave her, but he had to go and get his stupid phone. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten it. Picking it up, he saw there was a call from Blake coming in.
“What?” he asked.
“I’m going to change to a video call. I’m with the doctor,” Blake said.
“You are?”
“You asked, buddy, and I deliver. I know how important Astrid is to you, and you said you didn’t care what it cost.”
Lord looked down at his cell phone and saw a video invite had been sent his way, which he accepted. Blake was there as was an older man, with thick white hair and a nice smile.
“This is Doctor Smith,” Blake said. “He’s a good man. He’s my family’s doctor.”
“Nice to meet you, Lord,” Doctor Smith said.
Lord was not good with pleasantries, but he was not going to be rude to a man willing to help him.
“Thank you for helping me. Astrid is human.”
“Blake has filled me in with the details. Would it be possible for me to see her?”
“I moved her into bed,” he said, walking back upstairs and finding Astrid still where he had left her, leaning against the pillows with the blanket pulled up to her chin.
For the next thirty minutes, Lord did everything the doctor asked of him, and listened as Astrid and the doctor talked. The cold had made Astrid sick, and he had to keep her warm and monitor her for the next twenty-four hours. If her condition worsened, she would need medical attention as it could develop into pneumonia.
Lord had loved the snow when it fell, as it had given him a chance with Astrid. Now, he hated it. All he wanted to do was take care of her.
The doctor ended the call, and Blake said goodbye. Lord went downstairs and started to warm up one of the bags of soup Astrid had premade and stashed in the freezer. The instructions were on the packet, and even though it came from the freezer, he couldn’t deny that it did smell damn good. Astrid was a fine cook.
He tried to distract himself and not think of the warning in the doctor’s voice. If this wasn’t controlled, Astrid was going to end up in the hospital, and he knew humans were at risk when it came to pneumonia. He couldn’t let that happen.
Carrying the tray of soup upstairs, he placed the tray on her lap and then picked up the bowl.
“You don’t have to do this,” Astrid said. “You could go and check on the cattle.”
“I’ll handle everything on this ranch. You don’t worry about a thing, and right now, focus on getting well,” he said.
He was not going to have her worrying about anything.
Slowly, he fed her the soup. She looked way too pale for his liking.
“You cooked,” she said.
“I know how to cook. Before you came along, I was doing a fine job of it.”
She let out a laugh. “I have no doubt.”
“But, I’m not as good a cook as you.”
“Is that why you’re taking care of me, so the ranchers don’t hate you?” There was a smile on her lips, and he looked at her.
“No, I’m taking care of you because I care, Astrid. I don’t want anything to happen to you, and I don’t give a fuck if my ranchers like me or not. I’m the boss. They don’t like it, they can fuck off.”