“What were we talking about, before the truck came back?” Dallas asked. That was his first mistake.
“You had the nerve to ask me to marry you. Was that supposed to be a proposal?”
That was his second mistake. Answering would be his third. Dallas held up his hands in surrender. “I take it that’s a no?”
Her jaw dropped and she stood up and walked away. She went ten yards, then back five. “What is wrong with this picture?” She huffed. “I don’t even know where to start!”
Dallas knew it wasn’t funny, but he wanted to laugh. He hadn’t meant for her to take it seriously. Not really. It probably wasn’t a wise decision to admit that right now. “I make jokes when I’m stressed. Bad jokes, maybe,” he said with a shrug. He went closer and touched her arm, but she jerked away. Was she that angry, or was she hurt?
Before they could finished their discussion, a sheriff’s officer stopped by to make sure they were okay. He’d been sent out to look for the truck, and offered them a ride back to Kira’s car. “Thanks anyway, Jarred. Her brother’s already on the way. He should be here soon.”
“I’ll be close by. Call if you need anything,” the deputy told them as he drove off.
Kira’s brother Nick drove up in his unmarked car minutes after the sheriff left. He greeted them with a critical eye and a simple nod. Dallas could tell Kira was still fuming. The muscles in her jaw were strained and her usually plump lips were pulled into a thin line. Her normally light brown skin had a pale ashen look to it. She was covered in dirt, as Dallas was.
“What happened to you two?” Nick asked as he opened the back door.
Dallas waited, but Kira didn’t say a word. “We had a lead on the cell phone, so we came looking for it,” he explained. “Someone else apparently had the same tracking going on, because we had company.”
Kira limped to the car and dropped into the back seat. Dallas knelt next to her, while her brother hovered nearby. “Kira, are you okay?” Dallas asked.
She nodded silently.
Nick tapped him on the head. When Dallas looked up, he saw concern and silent questions on her brother’s face.
Dallas knew one way to determine if she was thinking clearly. “Would you like to go out to dinner and a movie tomorrow night? If I have to hire bodyguards to assure we can enjoy ourselves, I will.” He rocked back on his heels, expecting her reaction.
“I think I’m busy. I’m going to a PTSD group at church. I think I’m going to need it.”
She took his breath away. Even after all she’d been through, she remembered a scheduled meeting. “Let’s get going, honey.” He lifted her legs into the car and closed the door. “I’m going to sit back here with her,” he told Nick. “Let’s stop by the E.R. first, get her checked out.”
“I think that’s wise. What happened?”
As Dallas walked around the car, he filled Nick in on the highlights—the gunfire, the irrigation canal and Kira’s tumble down the embankment. “Maybe she hit her head,” Dallas said as he opened the door.
Kira seemed lethargic when he sat down next to her and tried talking to her. She smiled slightly and slumped against him.
“Make sure she stays conscious,” Nick said. He spun the car out of the farmyard and turned on his siren.
Dallas struggled to get her seat belt fastened around her before he fastened his own. “She seemed okay twenty minutes ago. She did kind of lose her temper with me, but I just figured I had it coming. Maybe that was a reaction to the fall. Let’s stop at the new hospital. I think that will be quicker to get to than going all the way into Fossil Creek.”
Nick agreed. “So what is it you have on this shooter? Did you recognize him?”
Dallas brushed Kira’s hair from her face so he could see her eyes. “We were never close enough to get a good look at him.” He interrupted his discussion with Nick. “Kira? Kira, wake up.” He roused her from her sleep. “Kira, who am I?”
She looked up at him and mumbled his name, then snuggled close again.
“That’s comforting. She remembers who you are,” Nick said.
“You’re telling me!” Dallas hugged her close. “So anyway, we never made direct contact with the shooter, and I only have a lousy picture of the pickup. Hopefully you have better equipment than ours in Antelope Springs. This photo is going to take a lot of cleaning up to read the license plate.”
“I’ll see what my computer geek can do,” Nick said as he pulled up the emergency entrance. They helped Kira into the hospital, and waited for a doctor to examine her.
While the medical staff ran tests, Dallas showed Nick the photo on his phone. “I didn’t want to draw any more attention to Kira and myself, so the picture is pretty blurry. Do you think it can be cleared up enough to run the plates?”
“We’ll see what the lab thinks. They have some new technology that might do it.” Nick called the technician, who suggested they send it to him, and he’d see what he could do while they waited with Kira.
The doctor called Nick into the room, leaving Dallas out in the waiting area. It felt odd for Dallas to realize just how much he loved Kira. And yet because he wasn’t a relative, he wouldn’t be allowed to stay with her. He paced, blaming himself for her being hurt. A few minutes later, he took to the halls, where there was more room to pace, and burn off some of the adrenaline.
God, I beg you to take care of Kira. I was a fool to think I had any say in my future. I think she’s right. I think you knew my heart was broken. I think you knew I was in no shape then to deal with returning to the uniform, let alone a relationship.
Dallas glanced out the window and saw the Rocky Mountains, topped with snow. He placed a fist on the steel frame of the window and leaned his forehead against the glass.
I didn’t expect to find a woman who could empathize with what happened in my past, let alone someone who needs my help just as much as I need hers. Kira knows more than I do what it takes to maintain a relationship in law enforcement. Help her forgive me for how insensitive I was to propose to her in the middle of this case. If you are really preparing us for one another, Father, hit me over the head when it’s the right time to ask her to share my life. Give me the strength not to rush her, Lord.
He took a deep breath, wishing that this case was over so they could enjoy getting to know one another.
Dallas felt a tap on his shoulder. “Kira wants to see you.”
Kira wanted to get back to her normal routine. No, actually, she wanted to move on. She’d been stuck in this rut for months.
She wanted to feel again, to fall in love. Problem was, the man she wanted seemed terrified of letting anyone into his life. He was so afraid of it he made jokes about getting married.
Nick patted her arm. “How’re you doing, sis?”
Kira shrugged, still drowsy. “I feel like I’m caught in a tornado. It just keeps going round and round, and every time I land, something else goes wrong.” Like love.“Who are these crazy people and when are they going to leave me alone? Would you hand me my water?”
Nick helped her get a drink, then sat on the flimsy hospital chair and propped his fingertips together. “Now that Mickey’s gone, there’s got to be something else they’re after. I don’t know. Maybe Mickey had his phone set up to move money from account to account, and the kingpin thinks he can move it electronically.”
“This guy shot at us, more than once. Why is he trying to kill me?”
“I doubt he was trying to kill you,” Nick said quietly. “Just scare you.”
“Well, it worked,” she said. “The guy in the truck wasn’t just watching Dallas and me, he was checking out the Woodses house, too.” Kira looked around. “Where is Dallas?”
“They wouldn’t let him in the room with you. Only relatives. I know you’ve been through a lot together this last few weeks, but—”
“I want him here with me.” She couldn’t explain now.
“Kira,” her brother admonished. “The hospital has rules.”
Nick’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“Would you go get him for me? And don’t say anything yet, Nick. We want to break the news ourselves, in our own time. But that explains why I want him here. Please.”
He stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
The doctor glanced at Kira. “When did this proposal take place?”
“A couple of hours ago, maybe.” She noticed him writing something down. “You don’t think I’m making things up, do you?”
“Well, I was thinking you may have a mild concussion, but if you’re recalling details like that, a concussion is unlikely. That’s the good news.”
“And the bad?” She asked hesitantly.
“A broken scapula, which is pretty rare. You must have hit something directly.”
“A chunk of cement, in an irrigation canal,” she said, recalling the tumble she’d taken. “It hurt, especially when I climbed out of the ditch.”
“You used your arm to climb, after the fall? No wonder you’re in such pain.” He wrote more notes, then looked at her again. “Your brother mentioned you were out of it when they brought you here. I previously thought that must have been a concussion, but it sounds like that was your defense mechanism kicking in. When you didn’t listen to your brain telling you not to use your arm, it kicked into high gear, making you sleep.”
“I thought you were going to wait to go through all of this until we got here,” Nick said, interrupting the doctor. “What did you find?”
Dallas made a beeline for Kira’s bedside. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You’re not feeling any better, are you.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Not so good.”
The doctor nodded. “We’re just discussing how this may have happened. I was asking her questions as a point of reference.”
Dallas looked into her drowsy eyes and brushed dirt from her jaw. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s on some pain medicine that will keep her resting for a while so we can monitor the bruise on her back and shoulder. She cracked her scapula in a fall, apparently.” The doctor looked at Kira. “I’ll need to ask—” he turned to Dallas “—you a few questions to verify she doesn’t have any memory loss or confusion.”
“I’m Dallas Brooks,” he said, extending his hand, “and I’m happy to answer any questions if it will help.”
Nick watched critically as Kira waited.
“How long ago would you say Kira fell?”
Dallas looked at his watch. “Two or three hours ago, I’d guess. We were climbing on some chunks of concrete. I asked if she was okay, and she said she thought so.”
“A broken scapula is very rare. She thinks she hit a sharp corner of the concrete?”
“She might have. I couldn’t see her very well. I was lying across a rickety old foot bridge to help pull her up an embankment. I heard her fall, and it didn’t sound good, but then she popped right back up and climbed out.”
The doctor wrote down a few more things, then looked up again. “You mentioned that she got upset with you at one point, which didn’t seem normal to you.”
Dallas nodded. “The yelling didn’t seem like her, but it wasn’t totally out of line. I was a little insensitive, and mentioned getting married.”
“You think?” Nick mumbled.
“Yeah, I know. I figured she had a right to be upset, since came a little out of the blue. You think her outburst was due to something else?”
He shrugged. “Actually, I thought maybe she had a concussion, but she insisted we let you in, claiming that you’re engaged.”
Chapter Eighteen
EIGHTEEN
Dallas felt his heart beat faster. “Engaged, huh?” He smiled.
“So you really did propose? In the middle of all this? Are you crazy?” Nick asked in disbelief.
He chuckled. “Yeah, but she never said yes. That’s when she started yelling. And I figured she had every right to yell. We’d just been shot at.” He looked admiringly at her sleeping form. “And, well, we haven’t gone through the traditional dating routine.”
The doctor smiled. “Sounds like love at first sight. Congratulations. I hope it works out for you both.” He filled Dallas and Nick in on Kira’s condition, and how he wanted to make sure she stayed calm for a few days before dismissing her. “The break doesn’t look that serious right now, but that bruise is pretty deep. If she’s still in danger, a quiet hospital might be a good place for her to disappear for a few days.”
Dallas couldn’t believe she’d accepted his proposal. His heart swelled with love.
“She’ll also be in pain, especially until we can immobilize that arm. I don’t want to do that until the swelling has gone down. For now we’ve used a light wrapping of bandages to remind her not to move it, and to hold the ice in place. In about forty-eight hours we’ll change that to heat to get the blood flowing through that bruised area again. We want to watch for clotting. In the meantime we’ll give her medicine through her IV—”
“Doctor, sorry to interrupt, but I think you’re going to have to go through all of this again for our parents, anyway. I’m going to call Mom and Dad, see if they can stay with her for the afternoon.” Nick pulled out his cell phone.
“I’ll stay with Kira,” Dallas insisted.
“No way,” Nick said. “You and I are going to find that kid and have a talk with him. If he won’t give us the phone, he’s going in the juvenile detention center. I’ve had it with his games.”
“I’m not leaving her alone yet.” Dallas had the impression that Nick wasn’t in favor of their engagement. He couldn’t blame him for his concerns. Dallas had plenty of his own, which would have to be dealt with another time. “Any word on the truck yet?”
“Yeah, they cleaned up the picture. The truck was stolen two weeks ago from a ranch south of Vail. No help at all.”
Kira groaned, drawing her brother’s attention and Dallas’s. “Don’t let them take Cody and Betsy from Deb and Glen. It wouldn’t be good for the Woodses. And besides, I can’t separate the kids. I promised they would stay together.”
“What do you mean, it wouldn’t be good for Deb and Glen?” her brother asked. “They know this is part of the deal. I mean, kids from good homes aren’t typically sent to foster care, but they can’t be thrilled to have this danger invading their house.” He held up his hand, motioning toward the phone. “Mom, Kira’s been hurt and needs to stay in the hospital. Could you and Dad come stay with her until we can get police protection arranged?”
Their mother apparently hit the ceiling as Nick handed the phone to Kira.
“I’m going to be okay, Mom. Yeah,” she said after a pause. “I know. Love you, too. I’ll see you in a while and I’ll explain it all then.” Kira handed the phone to her brother. “You scared her to death, Nick. And cancel the police protection bit.”
Both Dallas and Nick refused vehemently. Though Dallas felt guilty for arguing with her, he was not about to back down.
She didn’t say a word. Kira didn’t look like she had the energy left to argue.
“Who do we need to talk to in Protective Services to move the kids, Kira?” Nick pressed.
Dallas wondered if her supervisor was still the only person other than Kira who would be aware of Cody and Betsy’s true location. He made a note to talk to her about that after Nick left. She needed to let them know she’d be out of the office, and that it was an injury due to the requirements of the job. When his mind came back to Nick and Kira, they were back to the argument about the Woodses keeping the kids.
“Deb and Glen are the best foster parents we have in the county. They were ready to adopt three siblings they had taken into their foster care. The mother got out of prison a week before the adoption went through, and they’ve spent the last year teaching the mother how to parent. In
stead of fostering the children, they fostered the family.”
Nick wouldn’t let it go. “That’s admirable, but this is different, Kira.”
“Not really. So many times we see well-meaning foster families try to sabotage parents’ efforts to get their kids back. Not this couple. They worked for months with the mother, showing her how to be a mom and create a good home for her children.”
Kira shifted in the bed, wincing when she tried to move the right side of her body. “They took the mother to church with them, and gave their hearts to the family. It took months for them to be ready to open their home again. In spite of our problems with Cody, this is the absolute best place for him. They’ve been working hard with both kids. They won’t stop now.”
Dallas recognized the look on her brother’s face—a mixture of fear and pride. Mostly fear. “I admire your determination to keep Cody and Betsy together, Kira, but it’s gone beyond what’s safe, for anyone. You’re in the hospital with injuries that could have been a lot worse. We need to seriously consider moving Cody to a detention center where he can’t just come and go and disappear like this. Even if it’s only temporary.”
She tried to adjust the pillow behind her, and glared at Dallas. “I should have known you’d argue with me.”
“We’re not arguing with you. We’re being realistic, Kira. I feel for the Woodses. I even feel for Cody,” Nick said.
Kira glanced at Nick, then back to Dallas. “Cody and Betsy couldn’t ask for a better home,” she said defensively.
“We’re not disputing that, Kira,” Dallas said gently as he helped her sit up. He rearranged the pillow behind her. “It’s also putting the foster family at risk. We can’t trust Cody. He turned his own mother in. He’s not being honest with anyone. How can we trust him not to turn on the Woodses?”
“He doesn’t know how to trust anyone. He couldn’t trust his own mother, Dallas.” She stared into his blue eyes, as if hoping to make him understand. “That doesn’t make him any less important in the eyes of God. He’s scared of losing everyone he cares about.”
Guardian of Justice Page 14