“Bart Camphor.”

“Right.” She touched the sore spot on her head.

“Who were you dumping tonight?” Bart surmised. “Your boss or your boyfriend?” In his mind, neglect was unforgivable. How could she have left the restaurant on her own? There was no way a woman like her would have been left alone unless she had left angry and the man she had been with was leaving her alone to cool off. If the guy was the fiance Bart had seen online, he’d be back.

“Neither. He was… yuck… I can’t even say it.”

“Your fiance?” Bart supplied.

Maisie swallowed. “How did you know that?”

“If you want my advice, and I know you do, you should return his diamonds.” Bart picked up her hand and turned her ring around her finger to hide the shine of the rocks.

“Why? He doesn’t deserve to get them back.”

“For quite a few reasons. If you keep them, it would be like keeping a part of him… like you wanted to keep his money or a reminder of the glint in his eyes… maybe it would even be like keeping a piece of his heart.” Seductive talk of this variety was always on the tip of Bart’s tongue. It seemed innocent, but it never was.

Maisie made a face. “Hearing you say that makes me want to open the window and deposit it outside.”

“Does it? What did he do? You were talking about it a moment ago, but perhaps you didn’t realize who you were talking to?”

“I don’t remember saying anything,” she admitted. “Where are we going?”

“The hospital. That bump on your head is quite impressive. It may need to be drained.”

“Gross,” she muttered, gingerly touching the bump.

“Is there someone I can call to let them know what’s happened? A sister? A friend?”

“Um… I don’t really have anyone like that. I just moved. My fiance… I actually broke up with him three weeks ago, but met him tonight to go over any unfinished business. I should have given him his ring back, but his conversation was so annoying, I didn’t think of it. All my friends live up-island. I’m sure if you take me to the hospital and they give me the green light, I can get myself home afterward.”

Bart was nodding like he agreed with her completely, like he would do anything she asked. In reality, he was planning on ignoring her suggestion. He wanted to talk with her and, so far, he was as impressed with her conversation as he had been with her appearance. She didn’t swear at him, threaten to sue him, cry about how much pain she was in, or fall madly in love with him on the spot. That last one was something that happened so frequently, the cliche was killing him. A woman like her did not appear in front of him every day, or ever. 

He was not about to let her out of his sight even if he had a party cooking at his house without him. He could definitely escort a fine woman like Maisie to the emergency room.