She took his hand. He grasped hers as if she were an old friend. If the contact gave him comfort she was fine with it. Truth to tell, something about this patient seemed familiar enough that she, too, was comforted. Losing a patient was the worst part of her profession, by far, and it looked as if this one was going to make it. That alone was such a relief it brought unshed tears.
She averted her gaze to keep Josh from teasing her about being such a softy. Her reputation on the job was pretty good, if you didn’t count the scoldings Vince had given her for being too impulsive. The fact that he was right didn’t help. She knew she had to get a better grip on her enthusiasm and do things more by the book if she intended to survive her probationary period and be hired as a paramedic when she was fully certified.
The only thing she could not do—would not do—was step back when a life was truly in jeopardy. She might not be a superhero but she was smart enough to know how to act in an emergency. That was a special gift denied to most. When civilians screamed and fell apart, she and those extraordinary people like her kept their cool and did what was necessary. Even as a child she’d been that way. Now that she possessed the right training she felt totally confident and whispered, “Thank You, Jesus.”
The hand she was holding tightened on hers. Once again the patient’s lips moved. She leaned closer to listen. He wasn’t whispering an amen to her prayer. He was saying, “Danger!”
TWO
A trauma team was waiting when they arrived in Paradise and immediately whisked the patient away.
“I’ll help you guys finish restocking supplies before I clock out,” Kaitlin told her partners. “Dee should be here soon to take over for me.”
Vince made a sour face and Josh chuckled at him. “You look like you’d rather have the rookie stick around.”
Vince huffed. “Makes no difference to me.”
Kaitlin joined in the friendly taunting. “Yeah, right. Sheriff Caruthers’s daughter is your favorite teammate.”
“I never said that, either.”
Josh and Kaitlin both laughed. “No kidding.” Her attention was drawn to an arrival in the adjacent parking lot. “Well, well, look who’s here.” Not only was Dee Caruthers arriving, she was being officially escorted by the sheriff himself.
Kaitlin stripped off her gloves and waved at her longtime friend. “Hi, Dee. You missed all the excitement.”
The brunette twentysomething shot a wary glance at her father. “No problem. A peaceful shift is fine with me.”
Kaitlin could hardly hold back her excitement. “Not me. You won’t believe the call we just worked.”
Rolling her eyes, Dee approached. “Gunshot wound. Dad told me. That’s why he came along.” When she got closer she lowered her voice and leaned in. “He’s been giving me fits again about being in a dangerous job. I keep reminding him I’m not law enforcement the way he is.”
Kaitlin grinned. “Does that help?”
“Nope.” She peered into the ambulance. “I guess I waited long enough. You got it cleaned up already.”
“We did,” Kaitlin said, still smiling. She checked the time. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab my purse and run in to see how our patient is doing.” To her chagrin, she felt herself blushing.
Dee picked up on the telltale sign immediately. “Oooh. Is he good-looking?”
“I’m worried about him, that’s all. Don’t you care when you transport a critical case?”
“Sure. And then I set that aside and move on. You’ll have to learn to compartmentalize if you expect to last at this job. You can’t get personally involved. It’ll drive you crazy.”
“I suppose you’re right. But he’s the first really critical patient I’ve worked on since I started here. Besides, there’s something about him that’s a puzzle. I must have seen him before. I just don’t know where or when.”
“Right.” Dee waved Kaitlin off. “Go on. Check on his condition if it will make you feel better. Then go home and get some rest.”
“I know I won’t be able to sleep until the adrenaline wears off. I can’t believe the rush I got. No wonder first responders love their jobs.”
“Most of them do,” Dee replied with a sigh. “I’m beginning to wonder if it’s time for me to get a different one, maybe teaching at a preschool or something safe like that.”
Kaitlin shuddered and shook her head. “Not me, thank you. Kids are scary, sticky, ornery and loud.”
“What are you going to do when you have your own?”
“I’m not. Ever,” Kaitlin vowed. “I know I’d make a lousy parent. I’d probably expect my kids to be doctors or lawyers and stars in their fields, to boot.”
“Yeah, sorry.” Her friend patted her on the arm. “I forgot what you went through.” She brightened. “But look where you ended up. At the top of your EMT class and already halfway to becoming a paramedic. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I know. Thanks.” With a sigh Kaitlin started to turn away. “Take it easy tonight.”
“Will do.” Dee cast a surreptitious glance at the waiting ambulance. “You never told me who your mystery man is. Anybody we know?”
“I don’t know him. I suppose we may have passed on the street, although I think I’d have remembered.” She blushed. “It should be against the law to look that good when you’re bleeding to death.”
Dee smothered a chuckle. “Hah! Well, let me know if he turns out to be interesting. You may not be in the market for a husband, but I am.”
Amusement at her friend’s candid remark stayed with Kaitlin. She located the injured man as they were wheeling him to a room. His leg was bandaged and his pupils were mildly dilated when she checked, meaning he had pain meds on board.
She made small talk with two nurses maneuvering the gurney. “How’s he doing?”
“Better than expected,” one of them said. “It was a through-and-through. Missed the femur. Came close, though.”
“What about a name? Did you get one?”
The other nurse giggled. “Depends on which one you pick. His wallet had two different IDs.”
“Really?” Now Kaitlin was really curious. She eyed the quiescent man. “When I first saw him I thought he looked familiar. What did he actually say?”
“Not much. He sure wasn’t happy when I found a police identification card with his picture on it tucked behind his fake driver’s license.”
“He’s a cop?”
“Apparently. Either that or he stole the wallet.”
Kaitlin stood back until the other two finished with the patient and left, then reached for his chart and began to read. Dave Roark? That didn’t ring any bells. Daniel Ryan? Kaitlin racked her brain. For some reason Daniel sounded right. She stared at his scruffy but appealing face, trying to picture him without the dark stubble. Something was bothering her. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.
“What happened to you?” she asked softly.
The patient looked asleep. It not for a flutter of his eyelids she might have thought he was comatose. Hearing was the last sense to go and she knew there was a chance he was picking up her questions even though he didn’t or couldn’t reply.
Replacing the chart, Kaitlin leaned over him and whispered, “Listen. You’re going to make it. We got to you in time but the next time you call an ambulance, we’d appreciate it if you didn’t take potshots at us. Understand?”
Did he? Judging by the way his right hand fisted the blanket covering him she assumed he was at least aware of her presence. “I’m going to leave you now,” she said. “Rest. Sleep as much as you can. I’ll be back in the morning to check on you. I promise. Daniel.”
As she touched his hand in a farewell gesture, his fingers moved the way they had when she’d thanked the Lord during transport. She gave the back of his hand a quick pat and stopped at the foot of the bed to check hi
s toes. Both feet were equally warm, meaning his wounded leg had adequate circulation. Good.
Moisture gathered in her eyes. She smiled. Her first run with a severely injured trauma patient had been a success. All was well in her world. She wished she could say the same for the shooting victim.
* * *
Daniel peeked from beneath lowered lids to watch the concerned EMT leave the room. Judging by her questions she didn’t remember who he was. But he knew her. How could he forget? He’d broken department rules and received a strict reprimand when he’d allowed her to go home after she’d been caught up in a drug bust involving minors. What he saw now, the useful person Kaitlin had become, proved he’d been right to cut her some slack. Vindication felt good.
He grimaced. Yeah, it felt a lot better than his leg did. Talk about sore. It throbbed in time with his heartbeats and ached plenty in between despite many painkillers. But he was still alive. This might be an era of fantastic modern medical breakthroughs, but a man could still die in mere minutes from one bullet hole. The fact that the ambulance had found him before he’d bled out, in spite of the leather belt he’d tightened above the wound as a tourniquet, added to his sense of awe. And thankfulness.
“So, now what?” What, indeed? Daniel figured he was in the local hospital in Paradise. The problem was, they knew his real name now. If word got back to St. Louis and his whereabouts became common knowledge before he had a chance to make new arrangements, he was in big trouble.
Testing himself, he raised on one elbow. His vision blurred. His thoughts swam. They had him so doped up it was a wonder he was even conscious. The next time he was offered something to dull the pain he must refuse, he told himself. Hurting was better than dying because he was happy and clueless. If it became necessary for him to try to escape he’d need all his wits about him.
Further movement brought a core-deep groan. He gritted his teeth against the thoughts he couldn’t suppress. How far did the influence of the men who had ordered the hit on him spread? Could they have cohorts in Paradise? Maybe even the sheriff or town cops? It was certainly possible.
He trusted a few special officers in his home department, including the chief, but somebody on the inside had to have revealed his hiding place. Otherwise, the guy who’d punched a hole in his leg would never have located him.
Forcing his eyes to stay open, Daniel stared at the door. Anybody or anything could be on the other side. Watching. Waiting for a chance to finish him off. He knew that.
He also knew there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
* * *
Kaitlin phoned the hospital first thing the next morning. Planning a second visit with the man she’d helped rescue gave her an energy boost despite the fact that she’d tossed and turned during the night.
As soon as she was told the patient was awake and alert she donned her uniform to give herself visible authority and started for town. The drive had seemed unending, the hospital corridor miles long. His door was ajar. She rapped, anyway. “May I come in?”
A woman’s voice answered. “If you must.”
Kaitlin gave the door a push. A lithe, raven-haired beauty stood beside the bed, holding Daniel’s hand possessively and eyeing the interloper. “You don’t look like a regular nurse.”
Kaitlin was grinning. “That’s because I’m not. I was on the ambulance that brought the patient in last night.” She focused on only him. “How are you feeling today? Better?”
“Yes, thanks. And thanks for saving my life.”
“I had help, but you’re welcome.”
His dark eyes seemed to bore through her. “You don’t know who I am do you, Ms. Kaitlin North?”
That took her aback. “How do you know my full name? Did my partners tell you last night?”
“No. I was too busy bleeding to ask.”
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth, making her insides tremble. Maybe Dee had been right. Maybe taking a personal interest in patients was foolish. This one was certainly unsettling her.
“The hospital nurses told you about me?” she asked.
“Actually, no.” He drew his hand over his newly shaved cheek and continued to smile at her. “Think again. No beard. St. Louis. Five years ago. That park by the arch. Remember a beat cop hardly dry behind the ears?”
“That was you?” Tears gathered. She blinked them back. “I don’t believe it!”
“Believe it,” Daniel said with tenderness, then quipped, “We have to quit meeting like this.”
The woman standing beside the bed was scowling. “Care to let me in on the joke, darling?” Bitterness colored her query and she drew their clasped hands to her chest as if declaring ownership, daring Kaitlin to interfere.
Although she had no romantic intentions toward the injured man, his companion’s attitude set her on edge.
Apparently, Daniel felt the same because he jerked out of the woman’s grasp and avoided her reach when she tried to reconnect. “This is Letty Montoya, Ms. North. She and I were engaged until she decided she preferred my partner over me.”
“Oh, dear.” Embarrassed, Kaitlin started to withdraw. “So sorry to intrude.”
Daniel stopped her. “Don’t go. I want to know all about how you put your life back together after I drove you to your parents’ place.” He looked her up and down. “You obviously got your health back.”
“Yes. I did.”
“Your mom and dad must have been overjoyed.”
“You could put it that way.”
“No?” He was frowning.
“Do you remember what I told you that night? Well, they weren’t glad enough to have me back to make them change. But I stuck it out. They did pay for rehab and my classes to become an EMT. My prior medical school training made it easy.”
Letty huffed with undisguised disgust. “Lovely. Now, if you’re done reminiscing, Daniel and I have personal matters to discuss. In private.”
Kaitlin shrugged. No way was she going to let herself be thrown out by the likes of that woman. What did Daniel see in her, anyway? Guilt for prejudging a stranger rushed in and convicted Kaitlin before she could think of a snappy retort. The injured man, however, had no such problem.
He pushed himself up and grimaced. “No, Letty. We have nothing to talk about. You made your choice and it wasn’t me. You need to leave.”
Tears began to cascade, mascara running, as Letty sobbed. “It’s all your fault. You owe me.”
“I don’t owe you a thing,” Daniel snapped.
Letty made a grab at him. “Please. I have nobody left, Daniel. You—you have to marry me.” Raising her reddened eyes she looked into his stern face. “There’s a baby coming.”
Kaitlin hoped she hadn’t gasped aloud. This was like watching one of Dee’s soap operas. It was super embarrassing to see but fascinating at the same time. “I really should go,” she said, backing toward the doorway.
“No,” Daniel barked. “It’s not mine and she knows it.”
The weeping waned. “But you love me. You said so. We can get married like you wanted. I’ll make you happy, darling. I promise I will.”
“Out!” he shouted, pointing to the exit. “Now.”
Hands covering her mouth, sobs shaking her shoulders, Letty ran into the hallway.
“Shut the door,” he ordered Kaitlin, then added a softer, “please?”
She tried a smile. “Well, since you asked politely...”
“I’m sorry you had to hear that. Letty broke up with me months ago and I thought all the fighting was over.”
“She seems sorry now.”
“Yeah.” He raked his fingers through his wavy dark hair and shook his head. “She didn’t get what she’d bargained for.”
“The other guy ditched her?”
“No,” Daniel said soberly, sadly. “Levi was murdered.”
“
Whoa! That’s terrible.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his leg through the blankets as if that would hurry the healing. “The police think the bullet that killed him was meant for me.”
Speechless, Kaitlin stared. Daniel’s gaze captured hers and held it. The suffering she saw in his expression was unmistakable. There were so many things she wanted to ask that she didn’t know where to begin. One fact was evident. He had been using an alias for a good reason.
“You were in hiding here in Paradise?”
“Yes. My chief sent me to that old homestead in the hopes my department could break up the gang that was out to get me.”
“There’s really somebody after you? You’re sure?”
“Unless this was a hunting accident, the way your sheriff assumes,” he said with a gesture at his bandaged thigh. “I’m not done for, so I’m not positive. Hit men usually have better aim.”
“Terrific. It’s nice to know they take such pride in their work.”
Shock was quickly replaced by his laugh. “You’re something else, Ms. North. You know that?”
“Call me Kaitlin,” she said. “We saved each other’s lives. We should be on a first-name basis.”
“Agreed.”
“So, Daniel, suppose you fill me in?”
“You already know too much. It’s better if I don’t reveal more.”
“Better for who?”
“For you. Letty’s coming here is bad enough. She could have been followed.”
“What did Sheriff Caruthers say when you told him you’d been attacked?”
“He figured a careless hunter shot me and I didn’t argue.” Daniel waved a hand as if cleaning a dry-erase board. “I don’t trust anybody. Okay? It’s not that I think your sheriff is crooked, it’s just that I can’t be certain who he might talk to.”
Scowling, she reminded him, “He knows your real name. It’s on the chart. There’s a good chance he’s already contacted law enforcement because your girlfriend showed up. Where have you been working?”
“Still in St. Louis. I don’t have anybody special there but I did have friends. And a partner I trusted until he moved in with Letty and paid the ultimate price.” He paused, rubbing his leg and wincing. “That’s why I have to get out of here ASAP.”
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