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do.” James reached into the back seat of the truck. “Now tell me about this blood work so you can get back to your family.”
    “The white blood cells were extremely high, as you’d expect. However, it tells us the girl is extremely anemic. It’s low enough that I recommend bagged iron transfusions to bring it up. Then a daily iron pill, possibly for life, but at least for the next six months.”
    “At her age I wouldn’t do the transfusion here, it’s too far from the hospital if she has an adverse reaction.”
    Michael nodded and handed the paperwork to James. “Being that it’s the weekend I thought you could use the office. That’s if you can get her agree to it. No one will be there and you’re close enough that if anything happens you only have to go out to the main hall and up a few floors to the children’s ward.”
    James scanned the printouts. “No wonder Abbi’s been so tired lately, and she’s been suffering with this for some time. I’ll convince Ella this is needed, otherwise it will be hard for the child to recover from pneumonia.”
    “If you convince her, give me a call I’ll come to the office if you need assistance.”
    “Thanks.” He grabbed the last of the supplies from the truck and shut the door. “I’ll let you know and I do appreciate you bringing this stuff up.”
    Michael paused. “James, you’d better know what you’re doing. You could end up doing more harm than good.”
    “I know the risks, but they are worth it.”
    Michael got into the truck, starting the engine, and rolled down the window. “You better be ready for whatever this brings. Even if that means next time Ryan has to remove the girl from her custody because she won’t allow either of us here.”
    James stepped out of the way as Michael turned around and drove back down the mountain. He tried to push the doubts from his mind. The idea he could hurt Ella and Abbi when all he wanted to do was help them made his stomach roil. If he could wrap them up and keep them safe from everything and everyone that could harm them, he would.
    Wait, that’s just what I’m trying to keep them from. Ella needs to see there’s so much more to life. He tried to tell himself he wanted nothing more…but that was a lie, and even his subconscious knew better.

Chapter Five
     
    The truck pulled away from the house and Ella’s temper rocketed through the roof. How dare he think of them as a charity case? She didn’t need anyone’s charity; she’d chosen this life. Damn him for making her think he was any different. For being a man she thought she could trust, then turning out to be just another asshole. It was one thing for someone to let her down—she had been dealing with it most of her life—but she’d be damned if Abbi was hurt. Her daughter was her life, her reason for living, and she didn’t want her to have to deal with the same things she had.
    The last time she spoke to her parents they’d begged her to come to Cheyenne, to make a life there so they could be close to Abbi and then Ella could begin to date again, to make a proper family for the little girl. What her mother didn’t seem to understand is she didn’t want a string of men coming in and out of Abbi’s life. Dating with a small child, not to mention the past they had, was difficult if not nearly impossible. A lot of men ran at the idea of having a step-child. She wouldn’t put her daughter through that, no matter how much she might miss the company of a man. The company of others in general.
    The front door creaked open and James stepped inside. The sight of him had her moving away from the kitchen window, rage coursing through her body. She wanted to scream and fight, to force him to leave, but that would only hurt her daughter. Abbi was still sick and she needed the antibiotics that had just been delivered. To force him to leave could make Abbi sick again, or worse, the decision could mean Ryan would try to take her away. No, she’d wait