Live For Me, The Everetts of Tyler, Book 3 **Available Now**
Haleigh Carlisle doesn’t exist, or didn’t six months ago. On the run from her past, she and her daughter Georgia end up in Tyler when Haleigh lands a job at Aylesford Memorial Hospital.
Caleb Everett may not have time to date, but that doesn’t stop him from noticing the new, leggy, blonde physical therapist. Making time in his schedule for the skittish woman is hard, but making a place in his heart is easy.
When Haleigh’s past comes back to haunt her, can Caleb live with the secrets she’s been hiding?
Caleb Everett may not have time to date, but that doesn’t stop him from noticing the new, leggy, blonde physical therapist. Making time in his schedule for the skittish woman is hard, but making a place in his heart is easy.
When Haleigh’s past comes back to haunt her, can Caleb live with the secrets she’s been hiding?
Chapter One
Caleb Everett tore off his scrub top, depositing it in the laundry basket. He'd spent twelve hours in the ER today, and he'd still had to prioritize, taking emergencies and pressing surgeries only. He sighed. He needed a shower, a handful of aspirin, and two fingers of bourbon. He'd buried himself in work, not allowing himself to dwell on his missing sister and the deja vu that caused from his brother's recent kidnapping, and doing what he did best—healing others. He glanced at the clock, briefly allowing himself to worry when his phone rang.
His heart beat double-time when he saw it was Dylan. “You find her?”
“We did. She and Tiffany Morgan are hurt pretty bad, but I'm afraid to bring her to you.” the bounty hunter sounded ragged, and Caleb's mind conjured all kinds of scenarios. If Dylan was afraid to bring the women to Aylesford, he expected something to go down here.
He swallowed the fear that crept up his spine and asked, “Should we evacuate?”
“Probably. Call Aylesford PD.” He blew out a slow breath and Caleb wondered what other bomb he was going to drop on him. “There are two bodyguards there I brought in to protect you. You might recognize them if you see them. I need you to stay close to them, and get out of harm's way.”
He hadn't expected that one, but it made perfect sense. Dylan was crazy about Nugget, and his sister wouldn't let him go unprotected. “Why, Superman, I might believe you care,” he remarked through a laugh.
“Nah, it's an act, but your sister would kill me if I let you get dead, so play along, okay?” Dylan joked back, downplaying the gravity of the situation.
“Aye-aye, sir.” He paused for a beat. “You said I'd know these bodyguards?”
“Yeah, you will. They were just at your brother's house.”
He thought for a second, trying to come up with names and failing miserably. Instead of naming his protectors, he just said, “Ah. You keep my sister safe, and I'll follow directions.”
He pulled on a new set of scrubs, skipping the shower, the aspirin, and woefully the bourbon as well to go speak to the hospital administrators. Trying to evacuate a hospital wasn't as crazy as it used to be considering the ever-looming threat of terrorism, but it would take a lot of logistical planning. He sped up his pace, heading towards administration. If Dylan was right and there was a bomb, they'd have to act fast. Before they would make the drastic decision to evacuate, they would organize a staff search, deciding to take the final step if a device was found. He tamped down the worry eating at him, knowing so many people could be in danger. Granted, Aylesford Memorial was a small hospital, catering to just Ayles county with a staff considered small by most standards, but numbering somewhere in the hundreds nonetheless. His mind spun with the implications, and he decided then to enlist the help of his assigned bodyguards—if they could keep him safe, they could look after those who really needed it.
He was nearly running down the hallway when he turned a corner and almost toppled the new physical therapist, Haleigh Carlisle.
“Dr. Everett?” she questioned, and he wished he had time to really study the beautiful woman before him. She was flushed with embarrassment over slamming straight into him, and it was a look that worked for her.
“Miss Carlisle?”
“Um.... Is something wrong? You look stressed.”
You could say that. He was afraid the hospital was under attack, so stressed might be an understatement. He thought briefly of lying to her, but decided against it. “My sister was beaten and kidnapped early this morning, and now they're afraid we might be in danger here.”
Her big blue eyes went wide as the color leached from her face. “I thought we were safe here. I thought—” her sentence cut off when she fainted.
~*~
Haleigh struggled against the strong arms holding her, not at all sure who had captured her, but she couldn't let him take her, couldn't let herself be carried away.
“Calm down, Miss Carlisle,” a smooth, deep voice soothed. “I didn't want you to end up with a concussion.” She relaxed for a fraction of a second before she felt her face go up in flames. She had passed out and he'd caught her. She pulled free of his arms and scrambled to lean against the wall.
“I,” she stopped. What was she supposed to tell this gorgeous, rich, doctor? She couldn't very well tell him the truth, now could she? She took a breath. “I don't do very well with panic.”
“I can see that,” he agreed, a laugh in his voice.
A small smile tipped his lips and she had to work not to melt into the floor. From the few months she'd been in the hospital, he seemed to be a fair man, a good leader, a man who didn't turn to violence to deal with issues. She also knew every woman in the hospital had a crush on him, and she had to admit she was not an exception to the rule. While the others admired him for his handsome face and cut physique, she was taken in by his gentle, easy-going nature. She swallowed. How long had she been staring at him?
Her thoughts went to what he had said before she'd rudely fainted. “You're afraid we're in danger? What kind of danger?”
He nodded. “It's possible there is a bomb.”
She felt herself get woozy and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “I don't like that idea.”
“I'm not fond of it either.” He knelt in front of her to study her intently, his dark chocolate eyes taking in every inch of her face. “Your pupils are dilated, your breathing erratic. Let's get you somewhere safe.”
Before she could protest, he'd scooped her up, her arms automatically locking behind his head, her nose finding its way into the crook of his neck. He smelled amazing, and she was thankful she could blame her heart rate and breathing on a panic attack. For a moment, she allowed herself to wallow in the connection with another human—a man, no less—her body finally acknowledging that she was a woman after years of being nothing.
Caleb Everett tore off his scrub top, depositing it in the laundry basket. He'd spent twelve hours in the ER today, and he'd still had to prioritize, taking emergencies and pressing surgeries only. He sighed. He needed a shower, a handful of aspirin, and two fingers of bourbon. He'd buried himself in work, not allowing himself to dwell on his missing sister and the deja vu that caused from his brother's recent kidnapping, and doing what he did best—healing others. He glanced at the clock, briefly allowing himself to worry when his phone rang.
His heart beat double-time when he saw it was Dylan. “You find her?”
“We did. She and Tiffany Morgan are hurt pretty bad, but I'm afraid to bring her to you.” the bounty hunter sounded ragged, and Caleb's mind conjured all kinds of scenarios. If Dylan was afraid to bring the women to Aylesford, he expected something to go down here.
He swallowed the fear that crept up his spine and asked, “Should we evacuate?”
“Probably. Call Aylesford PD.” He blew out a slow breath and Caleb wondered what other bomb he was going to drop on him. “There are two bodyguards there I brought in to protect you. You might recognize them if you see them. I need you to stay close to them, and get out of harm's way.”
He hadn't expected that one, but it made perfect sense. Dylan was crazy about Nugget, and his sister wouldn't let him go unprotected. “Why, Superman, I might believe you care,” he remarked through a laugh.
“Nah, it's an act, but your sister would kill me if I let you get dead, so play along, okay?” Dylan joked back, downplaying the gravity of the situation.
“Aye-aye, sir.” He paused for a beat. “You said I'd know these bodyguards?”
“Yeah, you will. They were just at your brother's house.”
He thought for a second, trying to come up with names and failing miserably. Instead of naming his protectors, he just said, “Ah. You keep my sister safe, and I'll follow directions.”
He pulled on a new set of scrubs, skipping the shower, the aspirin, and woefully the bourbon as well to go speak to the hospital administrators. Trying to evacuate a hospital wasn't as crazy as it used to be considering the ever-looming threat of terrorism, but it would take a lot of logistical planning. He sped up his pace, heading towards administration. If Dylan was right and there was a bomb, they'd have to act fast. Before they would make the drastic decision to evacuate, they would organize a staff search, deciding to take the final step if a device was found. He tamped down the worry eating at him, knowing so many people could be in danger. Granted, Aylesford Memorial was a small hospital, catering to just Ayles county with a staff considered small by most standards, but numbering somewhere in the hundreds nonetheless. His mind spun with the implications, and he decided then to enlist the help of his assigned bodyguards—if they could keep him safe, they could look after those who really needed it.
He was nearly running down the hallway when he turned a corner and almost toppled the new physical therapist, Haleigh Carlisle.
“Dr. Everett?” she questioned, and he wished he had time to really study the beautiful woman before him. She was flushed with embarrassment over slamming straight into him, and it was a look that worked for her.
“Miss Carlisle?”
“Um.... Is something wrong? You look stressed.”
You could say that. He was afraid the hospital was under attack, so stressed might be an understatement. He thought briefly of lying to her, but decided against it. “My sister was beaten and kidnapped early this morning, and now they're afraid we might be in danger here.”
Her big blue eyes went wide as the color leached from her face. “I thought we were safe here. I thought—” her sentence cut off when she fainted.
~*~
Haleigh struggled against the strong arms holding her, not at all sure who had captured her, but she couldn't let him take her, couldn't let herself be carried away.
“Calm down, Miss Carlisle,” a smooth, deep voice soothed. “I didn't want you to end up with a concussion.” She relaxed for a fraction of a second before she felt her face go up in flames. She had passed out and he'd caught her. She pulled free of his arms and scrambled to lean against the wall.
“I,” she stopped. What was she supposed to tell this gorgeous, rich, doctor? She couldn't very well tell him the truth, now could she? She took a breath. “I don't do very well with panic.”
“I can see that,” he agreed, a laugh in his voice.
A small smile tipped his lips and she had to work not to melt into the floor. From the few months she'd been in the hospital, he seemed to be a fair man, a good leader, a man who didn't turn to violence to deal with issues. She also knew every woman in the hospital had a crush on him, and she had to admit she was not an exception to the rule. While the others admired him for his handsome face and cut physique, she was taken in by his gentle, easy-going nature. She swallowed. How long had she been staring at him?
Her thoughts went to what he had said before she'd rudely fainted. “You're afraid we're in danger? What kind of danger?”
He nodded. “It's possible there is a bomb.”
She felt herself get woozy and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “I don't like that idea.”
“I'm not fond of it either.” He knelt in front of her to study her intently, his dark chocolate eyes taking in every inch of her face. “Your pupils are dilated, your breathing erratic. Let's get you somewhere safe.”
Before she could protest, he'd scooped her up, her arms automatically locking behind his head, her nose finding its way into the crook of his neck. He smelled amazing, and she was thankful she could blame her heart rate and breathing on a panic attack. For a moment, she allowed herself to wallow in the connection with another human—a man, no less—her body finally acknowledging that she was a woman after years of being nothing.