The Cowbear's Christmas Shotgun Wedding (Curvy Bear Ranch 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

was probably Logan, hanging around just waiting for her to give up on making the repairs herself. Well that wasn’t going to happen.
    She turned back to the window and proceeded to attack the remaining shards of glass. One piece stuck in the frame as if it had been glued in. But when she reached to remove it, the jagged piece dropped. It sliced through her sleeve before driving deep into her arm. She screamed as blood gushed from around the edges of the glass.
    Without thinking, she yanked it out of her arm. She threw it into the snow then clamped a hand over the wound. Crimson droplets landed on the muddy snow at her feet. She swayed, dizzy from the shock of seeing so much blood.
    After sitting down hard, she cried. Snow seeped in to dampen her jeans and steal her warmth. She didn’t care. She couldn’t stop sobbing as the weight of her father’s disappointment rained down on her. She’d never been good enough for him, or for anyone else, and she never would be.
    To think that she’d be able to repair the ranch by herself was just stupid. Logan was right. She needed help, but she couldn’t get her legs to move. The realization that she was utterly alone in the world broke her heart. If she’d been smart, she would have just sold the ranch to the developer and moved on.
    She missed Mittens. She missed her own bed. Screw this place. As soon as she could bandage up her arm, she’d call Mr. Milton and get rid of this albatross.
    A trickle of warm blood ran down her arm. She lifted her hand just enough to get a peek at the wound. A gash, at least six inches long, exposed raw flesh. As a rancher’s daughter, she’d had more than a few accidents, but other than stepping on a nail when she was twelve, she’d never been hurt this badly.
    She struggled to stand. “Stupid glass.”
    After managing to roll onto her knees, she shuffled through the snow. Her half-frozen legs locked in protest, but she fought through the pain. She was just inches from the porch when someone yelled her name.
     
    ***
     
    “What are you doing on the ground?” Logan asked as he ran toward Kate.
    The coppery scent of blood hung in the frozen air. He sniffed. Fresh.
    “Go away,” she said. “I can’t deal with you right now.”
    His gaze shot from her face to her arm. Blood trickled out from beneath her hand. “What the hell happened?”
    “I fought the house. It fought back.”
    “What?”
    “Never mind. I cut myself.”
    “Let me see.” He gently pried her hand away from the wound. Holy shit it was deep. “You need stitches.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “You are not fine. You’re crawling through the snow, bleeding. Stop being stubborn for two seconds and let me help you.”
    “Fine,” she huffed.
    He leaned down and scooped her into his arms.
    She squealed in protest. “Put me down. I can walk.”
    “There’s not enough time to argue. If you lose too much blood, I’m taking you to the hospital.”
    She stiffened in his arms. Good. At least she had the sense to cooperate. Shifters knew better than to go to a hospital unless absolutely necessary. Unusual characteristics in their blood made doctors ask too many questions. Brady and Rachel had been lucky enough to find a shifter-friendly doctor for their son, but that was rare. Most doctors wanted to lock you up and subject you to a million tests.
    “Where’s the first aid kit?” He carried her into the house and kicked the door closed.
    “In the bathroom under the sink.”
    Good, he’d been afraid he’d have to carry her home. Considering how much blood she was losing, he didn’t want to waste a second. After walking down the hall, he strode into the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the bathtub.
    “Don’t move. Keep pressure on it,” he said.
    “Okay.”
    She eyed him warily. She didn’t trust him. Too bad. He’d have to find a way to gain her trust. He didn’t know why he wanted it so badly, but he did. The idea that she could fear him didn’t sit right in his