🔪Doll🔪

Chapter 20

(Aris POV)

A month has passed since Amara told me her story, which I had to unfortunately relay to Ms. Hughes, although she's visited Amara a few times recently.

She said that she still wants to hear everything from Amara's mouth, but that what I've told her will do, for now, in that snippy, clinical, suspicion filled voice of hers that grates on my nerves.

On a lighter note, Amara is doing far better than expected, due to the secret treatments I give her.

My goal is to have her out of here before Christmas...and living with me.

I know that it's going to be an uphill battle – trying to obtain guardianship or custody of Amara, but it's one that I've been preparing myself for...one that I'm willing and ready to fight for with everything I have...

Even if it means ridding the world of Ms. Hughes or anyone else who may try to stand in my way.

I always get what I want.

Always.

I'm pulled from my inner musings by Kate's voice over my office phone's intercom.

"Dr. Sinclair, your ten o'clock is here," she chirps.

"Put them in room two," I push the button and reply before standing, putting my lab coat on.

Lather, rinse, repeat...

After a long, boring day of consultations, I finally get to visit Amara.

"How's my favorite patient today?" I ask with a big smile as I enter her room.

"I'm fine, doctor...I mean Aris," she blushes before looking down at her lap.

"That's always good to hear," I say with a double-entendre as I quickly check her vitals. "You keep healing the way you are, and we can get these casts off and start physical therapy," I tell her encouragingly.

"I can't wait," she sighs. "I ain't never felt so useless in all my life as I have with these things on."

"Hey now...we talked about that," I chide gently, arching my brow. "You're not useless...you're healing."

"I know, but...these last few years have made me feel like that," she admits sadly. "I can't wait to cook again and do all the things I used to...get back to normal," she says with a hint of a small smile.

"You will, I promise," I grin assuringly. "In fact, I have a country house with a big kitchen and horses..." I add temptingly as her eyes slightly widen. "If you want, you could help me care for them."

"Really? Could I?" she asks excitedly.

"Sure," I smile.

"I love horses," she smiles all toothy and happy. "We had horses on our farm – two to plow the fields and one to pull our wagon," she begins. "I named 'em, even though papaw said they wasn't pets. The plow horses were Duke and Minnie, and our wagon horse was Mabel."

"Nice names," I chuckle.

"Yeah...I would sneak 'em some apples from our apple tree sometimes when papaw was busy...wasn't lookin'. He would've been so mad, if he'd knew," she frowns.

"It's a good thing that he didn't then," I tell her conspiratorially.

"I woulda had my hide tanned, for sure," she grimaces.

"Well, they'll be no hide tanning in your future," I assure her while keeping my anger concealed. "You can feed my horses whatever you like," I smile.