by Penny Harmon
Paige just smiled. She’d ask Susan or someone else. If Clark wanted a surprise, he was going to get one and she couldn’t stop her mind thinking of all the possibilities.
Chapter 10
Friday couldn’t go by fast enough for Clark. The day had started out miserably with a car accident that had taken the life of a child. Clark hadn’t been able to keep his mind off the look on the father’s face when he’d had to tell him that his child hadn’t survived.
He still had a half hour to go on his shift when the call came in of a robbery at the convenience store just at the edge of town. It figures, he thought. The day just wasn’t getting any better.
When he got close to the store, he saw the Sheriff’s car was already there and blocking traffic from entering the parking lot. Getting out of his vehicle, he walked around the Sheriff’s car staying low. He didn’t know what the situation was and didn’t want to be within the line of fire if something happened.
The Sheriff was not in his car or anywhere in sight. He quickly radioed into dispatch to find out of the Sheriff had checked in with his location only to be told by dispatch that they hadn’t heard from him since he had first contacted them when he’d arrived. That was five minutes ago.
Clark advised dispatch he was going in to investigate and requested more backup to be sent. As he silenced his radio, he went around the back of his car and took out his rifle. Holding it up, he peered through the scope.
Inside the window of the store, he could see one man holding a gun on Sheriff Tanner and another one standing guard by the door. While things looked pretty calm at the moment, he knew it could change in seconds.
“Shit...shit…shit!” he said aloud. This was not how he wanted to do things, but if he waited for backup, it could be too late. He knew he’d end up taking shit for it. Even if he went in and came out a hero, he’d still get his ass chewed for not waiting for backup. Regardless, Clark could not sit back and wait for whenever help arrived. This is what he was trained for and he was damned well going to use what he learned.
Clark pulled the rifle down and went to the back of the car. As he surveyed the area, he knew it would take a few minutes, but he could easily sneak through the woods and come around the back.
Again, he called dispatch and advised of the situation and what his plans were. Dispatch stated that backup was at least seven minutes away and he needed to wait for them to arrive. Clark knew what could happen in seven minutes and started through the woods.
He stepped into the woods and stopped up short when he heard the first gunshot. Taking off into a run, he didn’t stop to think about anything but getting to Tanner in time. Two more gunshots fired and he quickened his pace.
As he came up toward the back of the store, he stopped for a second to catch his breath and survey the area. His heart was pounding and sweat dripped in his eyes. Nothing looked out of place and, while there was a window in the back, he didn’t think that anyone would be able to see him. He was going to take a chance.
It wasn’t until he had stopped at the back of the dumpster that he realized his mistake. He didn’t see the third man, but he did hear the distinct sound of a revolver being cocked right behind his head.
Holding his breath, he set the rifle down on the ground and put his hands in the air. He didn’t turn around. A rough voice stated, “Put your revolver down there, too.”
With his right hand, Clark carefully pulled his revolver from the holster and put it down on the ground. He’d never been in this situation before and he was having difficulty thinking. Training called for him to await for further instruction, but all he wanted was to turn around and get his hands on the thug.
“Stand up!” the voice commanded.
Clark stood up slowly, his hands still held in the air. The man behind him shoved him toward the back door at the same time it opened. Clark knew it was now or never and grabbed the man that barreled through the door in front of him, whipping him around to the side and using him for cover from the man behind him.
Hoping that the metal door would be a cover, he pushed the man backwards to the other and rushed through the door and straight into the path of the man that had been holding his gun on Tanner.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned,” he thought when the bullet ripped into his side.
“Opening his eyes, Clark groaned. He’d had headaches before, but this one was brutal. He lifted his hand to discover an IV in it.
“Clark! Thank goodness!” His mother’s voice seem to echo inside his head.
“Mom? Do you have to yell?”
“Oh, Clark. We’ve been so worried,” she cried and grabbed his hand.
“What happened?” he asked. The last thing he’d remembered was one of the men coming out of the back of the store with a gun. “Did I get shot?”
His mother nodded her head. “But you’re going to be fine.”
“The Sheriff? Is he okay?” Clark asked.
His father came into the room. “I just left his room. He took a bullet to the shoulder, but he’s going to be fine, Son. Both of you will be.”
Clark let out a sigh of relief. When he’d heard the gunshot, he’d taken off running, trying to get there as quickly as possible.
Clark’s mother reached out and pressed the call button hanging on the bed. “We need to let the nurse know you’re awake. She’ll notify the doctor.”
“Yeah, I need something for this damned headache,” he groaned.
“She’ll get you something for that. When you got shot in the side, you hit your head on the concrete step…at least that’s what they think,” his father stated. “You’re going to be just fine, but it will take some time.”
Clark looked out the window beside his bed. The sun was shining brightly. All he could think was that it should be dark.
“How long have I been out?” he asked.
His mother dabbed her eyes with a tissues. “Since it happened, Dear. It’s Sunday morning. We’ve been worried about you all weekend.”
Sunday? He’d been out for almost two days? No wonder his mother had been in tears. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze.
“When can I go home?” The only thing he wanted was to get out. He hated the smells…the claustrophobic feeling it gave him.
“The doctor will talk to you about that,” his father replied. “You need to listen to what the doctor says, too…don’t be stubborn. I’ve been in your position, Boy. You’re going to hurt like hell for a few days, so you might as well get comfy in that bed.”
Clark was ten when his father had been shot. It was a time in his life that he’d never forgotten. It was, in fact, the reason he was a police officer. That one event had changed his life forever.
Before his father had been shot, his only dream had been to become a famous baseball player. His life was divided by that event. Before his father had been shot and after his father had been shot.
He wondered now if that would change. Would his life be before and after? Before he could come up with an answer, the doctor walked into the room to give him the news that he’d be required to stay in the hospital for at least another five days to ensure infection did not set in.
When his parents left to get something to eat, Clark lay in his bed, frustrated. Definitely not how he’d planned things.
Chapter 11
Saturday morning Paige drove with a smile on her face. She couldn’t wait to see Clark this morning and let him know of the plans she’d come up with for them tonight. She just hoped that he would be up for it.
When she pulled up to the kennel, she was surprised to find Susan’s car in the parking lot. Saturday was the one day that Susan took off from work and told everyone to never contact her unless it was an emergency.
Opening the door, she found Susan just coming out of the office and greeted her with a smile. “Good morning! I wasn’t expecting to see you here this morning.”
“Paige, I actually came in so I could talk to you. Come in my office for a second,” Susan said.
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br /> Paige quickly followed wondering what she had done wrong. Her mind flew through the last few days and she couldn’t come up with anything.
In Susan’s office, Susan smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you’ve done wrong. I just needed to talk to you about Clark.”
“Clark?” Why would she want to talk about Clark? Had somebody said something about them walking dogs together?
“Yes, I wasn’t sure if you had heard or not, but I know Clark was due in this morning to walk the dogs and…well…I know you two have gotten close.”
“He’s not coming?” Paige’s thoughts went crazy. Had she done something to piss him off? She tried to remember their last conversation, but Susan interrupted her thoughts.
“Clark and Sheriff Tanner were both in an altercation on Friday night and they were both shot. Don’t panic. They are both going to be fine from what I understand, but I wasn’t sure if you had heard. By the look on your face, you hadn’t.”
Shot? Clark? Standing up, Paige went to walk out of the office, but stopped in the doorway. Turning back to Susan, she whispered, “Thanks for telling me. I’m going to get to work now.”
Before she could turn around, Susan was standing in front of her and her hands reached out to hold hers. “Paige? Are you okay? I know you and Clark are friends…or dating…it doesn’t matter. Go see him at the hospital and see what you can find out. That’s why I’m here. You take the day off.”
Paige pulled her hands away and took a step back. “No…no…I’m fine. I have work to do. I can check on him…”
“Paige, do you want to talk about it?”
Paige just shook her head and walked out. Hands trembling, she opened the door leading to the dog kennels in the back. If Clark was in the hospital, he was being taken care of…he didn’t need her. The dogs in the kennel needed attention and she was going to give it to them.
The first trip down the trail, she took a lab mix and a terrier mix. She walked along the trail, careful to keep track of the time. She wanted to make sure every dog got enough time out of their kennel and being short one person could make it more difficult.
An hour later, Michael arrived and Paige was left with just Sarah and Sophie to walk. She always saved them for last, hoping to give them something a little bit extra. After all, they were more like her than anyone else she’d met, except they still seemed open to anything that came their way.
One of the things she and Clark had been doing with the two dogs was walking down through the woods to let them loose in field. She’d throw sticks and both would run until they’d tire and flop down beside her in the grass.
Today was no different. Unhooking their leases, she laughed at their barking and dancing around. The anticipation was high and, not wanting to let them down, she threw the stick quickly.
Sitting down on the grass, she watched them play. She and Clark used to talk about everything from their favorite foods to their favorite childhood stories while watching them. She loved to hear him talk about his past and what he wanted for the future.
Now, she was here alone with the dogs and Clark was lying in a hospital bed somewhere with a gunshot wound. She knew that she should go to him, but she didn’t think she could.
When her cell phone rang, she sighed…probably Susan wondering where she was.
“I’ll be back soon. I have Sarah and Sophie with me,” she answered.
“Um…is this Paige?” a female voice asked.
“Yes, it is and I can tell you right now that if you are trying to sell me something, I’m not interested.”
“No, I’m not. I’m Clark’s mother and I have his cell phone. I noticed you both talk a lot on the phone and I wanted to be sure you knew what was going on.”
Paige took a deep breath. Was he bad enough that his mother was making his calls for him? Or was this a ruse to get her to the hospital to see him?
“I know he’s been shot. I just heard about it this morning. Is he okay?”
Paige heard Clark’s mother sigh. “Yes, he is going to be okay…he’s still unconscious, but the doctor…they said he should be okay.”
Paiged asked quietly, “How did you know to call me?”
His mother chuckled. “I’m his mother and I’m nosey. He’ll be the first one to tell you that.”
Paige couldn’t help but smile. That was how mothers were supposed to be. Paige’s mother never really cared too much about what she was doing. She gave Paige all the privacy she ever wanted…even if she didn’t want it.
“When do they think he’ll come to?”
“I don’t know…they haven’t said, but I wanted to let you know in case you want to come see him. I’ll be honest, he hasn’t mentioned you to us, but that’s not surprising. Please stop by room 302 if you get the chance. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you when he comes to.”
“Um…I don’t know if you know this, but we’re just friends…that’s it.”
“He can use some friends right now.”
After Paige hung up the phone, she grabbed the leashes and let out a whistle. Sarah and Sophie came running. They knew the drill even if Clark wasn’t with her. All the way back to the kennel, Paige argued with herself on whether to go see him at the hospital or not.
She would feel bad if she didn’t because she had told Clark’s mother she would.
She didn’t want to see Clark in pain.
How could she go see him when she knew that things had to end between them? No matter how much she cared about him, she didn’t think she could stand being close to him when he risked his life every day. Why would she set herself up for that kind of hurt?
With a big sigh, she made her decision. She would go see him, but she would also tell him that they could be friends. That’s it. Anything more was just out of the question.
Back at the shelter, she locked up the two sisters in their kennel and went into Susan’s office. Susan lifted her gaze to Paige’s and asked, “You okay?”
Paige smiled. “I am now. Do you want to go see Clark at the hospital with me? I thought it would be a nice gesture since he helped so much at the shelter.”
Susan stood up and grabbed her purse. “Ready when you are.”
“Well, that was easy,” Paige laughed. “I thought I was going to have to fight you on it.”
“Nope. I thought I was going to be the one dragging you to see him by your hair.”
Paige grinned. The one thing she loved about Susan was her honesty. She told you what she thought whether you liked it or not.
Chapter 12
Clark had only been conscious for a few hours when he felt the walls closing in on him. It wasn’t until he heard a voice in the hallway that his spirits lifted. Paige. He’d know that deep, sultry voice anywhere.
What was she doing here? He assumed that she wouldn’t have heard about the shooting. It wasn’t like she was Miss Social or anything, but then again, it was a small town.
His mother walked into the room and he thought he must have imagined Paige’s voice. He still hadn’t tried to call her yet to explain why he’d stood her up on Saturday. When she came in after his mother, the only thing he could think was they looked like they were as thick as thieves.
Paige was wearing a pair of jeans with a pink tee and her blonde hair was swept back into a short pony. His mother put her arm around Paige’s shoulder and steered her toward where he lay in the bed.
“Clark. Paige is here. She was here yesterday, too, but you were out. Your father and I are going to leave the two of you alone. We’ll be back in a bit.” In a much lower voice, she said, “I like this one, Clark.”
Clark couldn’t help but smile when he saw the shade of pink creeping into Paige’s face. His mother would never be accused of being subtle.
To his mother, he said, “Thanks. You know where to find me.”
Once she walked out of the room, he looked at Paige. “I am so sorry I missed Saturday. You don’t know how much I was looking forward to it.”
Pai
ge just shrugged her shoulders. “I’m good, but how are you? Are you in pain?”
Clark laughed. “Only when I move.”
Paige sat down in the chair beside his bed. “I couldn’t believe it when Susan told me that you and Sheriff Tanner both got shot.”
He was still having a hard time with that himself. No matter how many times he went back to that moment, he couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. He had to try something to get to Tanner.
“We are both going to be fine. We were lucky. The only thing I wish is that the bastards had been caught.”
Paige’s eyes widened. “They’re still out there?”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. Honestly, if they’d wanted to kill me or Tanner, they would have.”
He watched as Paige held her hand together, twisting her fingers together as if she were nervous. Her back was stiff and her feet firmly on the floor in front of her. Definitely nervous.
“I can’t believe I missed my Saturday morning at the shelter. I look forward to that all week,” he said and watched as her eyes lit up.
“You were missed, too. I took Sophie and Sarah out by myself and they definitely noticed you weren’t there.”
He shook his head. How these two dogs hadn’t been adopted yet he didn’t know. If there was any way possible for him to take them, he would. He just didn’t see how he could with his long hours and, well, now it would time to recuperate. If it were feasible, he would do it in a heartbeat.
“You want them, don’t you?” she asked him and he shrugged his shoulders, wincing at the pain it caused.
“It’s just not possible,” he said.
“Why?”
“I work long hours. I would need to move. I just don’t see how I could make it a good life for them.”
“Lots of people have fulltime jobs and dogs.”
“Yes, but I would need to move, too. I just don’t know if that’s possible, especially now.” He loved the fact that she was passionate about animals, but she also had to understand that right now wasn’t a good time and the thought of moving to Maine was still in the back of his mind.