A Doctor's Trust (Lifeline Air Rescue Book 4)

by Scott, Laura

  Jenna was amazing. For a moment he just watched her, yelling and gesturing for the girls to pick up their man-to-man coverage. From what he could tell, she seemed to be coaching both teams, or maybe it was a case that the coach for the other team hadn’t shown up. There were two referees, both tough-looking guys loaded with tattoos.

  The girls played a mean game, and some of them had unbelievable talent. A tall girl on the red and white team sunk a three-pointer from the far left side. His fingers itched to grab the ball and join the fun—he played college hoops at Marquette University until a knee injury had put him on the bench right before the playoffs.

  He turned to find a spot to stand. There weren’t too many empty spaces. Most of them were occupied with teenage boys. No surprise there. Anytime a group of teenage girls were together, it was a no-brainer to find a slew of guys gathered nearby.

  The guys wore their baggy cargo pants and shorts so low they defied gravity, with multicolored boxers hanging out along the top. Bizarre fashion trend, but what did he know?

  With no place to sit, he leaned against the wall to watch. One of the refs blew his whistle loudly, signaling the end of the quarter. Jenna gestured for the girls to join her. The girl with the ball continued to run, intending to finish her layup but accidentally plowed into someone from the opposing green and blue team, roughly knocking the girl to the floor.

  Her teammates took the shove personally. The tall redhead got right up in the other player’s face. In a heartbeat, both teams swarmed over to the two girls and a large crowd. The refs and Jenna shouted at them to stop, but Zane noticed out of the corner of his eye that many of the guys, obviously feeling protective of the girls, had moved onto the court.

  A full-blown brawl was in the making. Zane headed over to help Jenna and the refs, wondering if he should call the cops or the National Guard. He lost track of Jenna momentarily, then saw her in the middle of the fray, trying to pull the fighting girls apart as the refs continued to blow their shrill whistles.

  “Stay out of it,” he warned the boys and waded in.

  One of the girls shoved Jenna, and she lost her balance, nearly going down. The whistle abruptly stopped. He suspected the referee had gotten shoved, too. Zane raised his voice, strengthening his tone. “Knock it off! Stand back. Break it up!”

  Slowly, amazingly, the group began to break up. A few girls gaped at him, but he didn’t have time to wonder why. The girls who started the whole thing were still going at each other.

  “Stop it, right now. Do you want me to call the cops?” He wasn’t sure if the threat would work. The cops on this side of town might be too busy with homicides to worry about a juvenile fight.

  “Look out!”

  He turned toward Jenna’s voice, then saw a flash of silver. One of the boys had pulled a knife.

  Things had just gotten ugly.

  “Back off!” Zane pinned the young man with a hard gaze, trying to use every ounce of his adult superiority to make the kid listen. “There’s no need for anyone to get hurt.”

  “Drop it, Jovo.” Jenna’s voice came from behind him.

  “You want to play with knives?” Another kid faced the first one, then flipped his own switchblade open. “I’m game.”

  “Stop it! I mean it. You guys know the rules.” Jenna wouldn’t give up. She kept drawing their attention to herself. He wanted to shout at her to get behind him, out of harm’s way, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off the two teens circling each other intently.

  The sound of sirens from outside caught everyone’s attention. The two guys holding knives wore the same deer-in-the-headlights look.

  Help was on the way. Zane relaxed his guard, although a few of the girls were still pushing and shoving each other behind him. He turned the tell them to break it up before the cops came in to arrest them.

  A blinding flash of pain exploded in his head, knocking him off balance.

  His gut reaction was to lift his fists and retaliate, but he caught himself before he could respond in kind. The girl who’d socked him in the eyes stared at him for a moment in horror, then backed off, urged by the rest of her teammates to leave.

  In a heartbeat, the fight was over.

  Gee, that was fun. He reached up to finger the tender area beneath his burning and painful right eye. He tried to open it; the room was a mangled blur. He closed the eye, then tried again. Nope, still blurry.

  A niggle of dread snaked its way through his belly. He hoped and prayed his eye damage wasn’t permanent.

  4

  Jenna couldn’t believe how things had gotten out of control so quickly. One minute they had been a quarter into the game, the next the Milwaukee cops were barging through the door.

  “We were called about a fight.” The older officer leered at her in a way that made her itch to punch him in the eye, exactly how Shayla had socked Zane.

  She forced a smile. “As you can see, everything is fine. But thanks so much for stopping by.”

  Both officers didn’t take their hands off their guns as they glanced around at the kids hightailing it out of the community center. She knew if they so much as saw a knife or any other weapon, the kids would be hauled downtown on assault charges.

  Jenna figured it was best to ignore them. ”Rae, will you find an ice pack for Zane’s eye?”

  “Sure.” For once Rae didn’t give her any lip but hurried over to the bench where a first aid kit was located. Zane remained right beside Jenna. His willingness to stay close earned him a few extra points in her book.

  Not that she was keeping score.

  “Jenna, this is the second call this month.” The older creepy officer stepped closer. It took all her willpower not to back away. “When are you going to give up on this little idea of yours? What if we hadn’t gotten here in time? Someone may have gotten seriously hurt.”

  The intramural basketball games she put together to give the kids something to do in an effort to keep them off the streets wasn’t a little idea, but she forced herself to remain calm.

  “I apologize for the inconvenience, officer.” Keeping her tone polite, she gestured toward the community center’s kitchen area. “May I offer you both a soft drink? I have water, root beer, and cola.”

  “No, thanks.” The younger partner sent her a nervous smile. The radio on his collar beeped. He pressed the button and spoke briefly, then raised his voice. “Hey, Al, we have another call.”

  “Okay, okay.” The older cop gave her one last look, his gaze lingering too long on her legs, before he ambled after his younger partner. “See you later, Jenna.”

  It was both a threat and a promise. She tried not to flinch.

  Determined to put the whole incident out of her mind, she turned to Zane. He was holding the ice pack Rae had given him over his injured eye, but with the other, he watched the cops leave.

  “They were here earlier this month?” He swung toward Jenna, his one-eyed gaze faintly accusing. “This sort of thing happens often?”

  “Not really, this was a fluke.” Sort of. The last fight had been over a girl, too, but not one of her players. As a result of that altercation, she’d banned the offenders from the community center for a month. The two kids who’d pulled knives this time weren’t the same ones as before. The same punishment would have to apply. She’d need to kick them out of the center, too.

  At this rate, there wouldn’t be anyone left to play basketball.

  Jenna stifled a sigh. “Sit down. I want to take a look at your eye. You may need to go to the emergency department at Trinity.”

  Even as she spoke, Zane shook his head, although he did sit down on the bench. “Not for a black eye.”

  “Is your vision blurry?” She removed the ice pack and examined the reddened area around his eye. She gently pressed on his cheekbone, and he winced, but his orbital bone didn’t feel broken. The nearness of his face was disconcerting.

  “A little, yeah, but it’s already better than it was.” Zane grabbed the ice pack from her h
and and placed it back over his eye. “I’m not going to the hospital for a shiner. I’ve had them before, it’s no big deal.”

  She wanted to argue because he was being just as stubborn as she had been the previous night, when she’d refused to let the paramedics get glass out of her foot. It was no secret that doctors, nurses, and in her case, paramedics made the worst patients.

  “Frankly, I’m amazed the cops showed up so fast,” Zane commented as he scanned the now empty basketball court.

  She had to admit the timing of their arrival was perfect. “Yeah, I wonder who called them?”

  Rae fidgeted with the first aid kit in her lap as she sat beside Zane. “Uh—I did,” she said in a quiet voice.

  Surprised, Jenna turned to her sister. “You did? Pretty smart of you, sis. They were able to get here quick enough to prevent anything worse from happening.” She sent a rueful glance at Zane, then added, “Other than your black eye, I mean.”

  Rae’s expression brightened. “So, you’re not, like, mad at me?”

  Jenna’s heart melted. Calling the police had shown signs of maturity, so maybe her sister wasn’t a lost cause after all. Although, they still hadn’t had a chance to discuss her skipping school stunt. “No, of course I’m not mad at you. Calling the police was the right thing to do.” She leaned over and gave her sister a quick hug. “Thanks.”

  Rae shrugged, but a small smile crept over her face. “It’s all good.”

  “So, this is your sister?” Zane turned toward Rae and held out his hand. “Zane Taylor. I work at Lifeline with Jenna. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Yeah. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Bemused, Rae shook Zane’s hand.

  Jenna glanced around the empty community center. Her two volunteer referees, EMTs she’d worked with in the past, had also gone home. “Guess we’re finished here. May as well shut the place down.”

  Zane set the ice pack aside and stood. “I’d better get going, too.”

  “Wait a minute.” She placed her hand on his arm, and the warm skin tingled beneath her fingers. She had to fight not to snatch her hand away. “You can’t drive.”

  Zane hesitated. “I could if you’d put a patch over my injured eye. The blurring is already getting better, but it’s not completely gone. If I keep my injured eye closed, I should be able to see well enough out of the other eye to drive.”

  It was tempting to let him go, mostly because she really didn’t want to let Rae go home alone, but her conscience wouldn’t let her. She hadn’t invited him to the game, but still, he hadn’t hesitated to come to the rescue when things had slid downhill in a hurry. “No way, Zane. I’m not letting you drive.” She turned toward her sister. “Rae, I need you to go straight home. I’ll see you there in a little while, all right?”

  “I suppose.” Rae didn’t seem to care one way or the other. At least her sister’s boyfriend had left with the rest of the crowd. One less thing to worry about.

  Maybe.

  “Actually, Rae could drive your car and follow us, that way she can give you a ride home,” Zane pointed out.

  Ah—no, actually, Rae couldn’t because Jenna didn’t have a car. Well, she did, but it happened to be nonfunctional at the moment. And she was embarrassed for Zane to know she didn’t have the money to get it repaired.

  “Hey, you got our car fixed?” Typical. Rae, not known for her subtlety, spun toward her with an accusing glare. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

  “Because it’s not fixed,” Jenna snapped in exasperation. “I’ll drive Zane home and catch a bus back. No big deal.”

  Zane frowned. “Your car isn’t running?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Is there an echo in here?” She held out a hand, wiggling her fingers to indicate that Zane should hand over the keys. “Let’s go. I’m not letting you drive.”

  “I’m not letting you take the bus.” The stubborn glint was back in his good eye.

  Jenna wanted to laugh. Obviously, Zane had no idea just how often she used public transportation. Or rideshares, but she saved spending that kind of money for winter, rather than during the warm summer months. Her car was broken more than it actually ran. “We can fight about it on the way. Let’s go.”

  Zane rose to his feet, dug into the front pocket of his jeans, and pulled out his car keys. He dropped them into her outstretched palm. “Here. I’m parked on the road. We can give your sister a lift on the way.”

  She curled her fingers around the keys. “Okay.” Her trepidation was ridiculous. Zane already knew where she lived in Barclay Park, the worst area of the city. What was the big deal if he saw her house up close? True, it needed more than a few minor repairs, but the roof was new as of a few years ago, even if she still was paying on the home equity loan she’d taken out to fund it.

  Shaking off the foolish thoughts, Jenna followed Zane down the street to where he left his car. The closer they came to it, the bigger it looked. A Lexis? It was a cross between an SUV and a sports car. Jenna rubbed her damp palms on her denim shorts before climbing into the driver’s seat. How long had it been since she’d driven a car? Two months? Three? And never anything as expensive as this.

  He settled into the passenger’s seat without a word. Once Rae had buckled herself in the back, Jenna pressed the button to start the engine. The headlights flashed on automatically. Still, she took a minute to familiarize herself with the controls.

  “Don’t worry. This thing is indestructible.”

  Ha! Easy for him to say. The payments on this thing were probably higher than her mortgage. Knowing Zane sensed her nervousness was not reassuring. With a deep breath, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no cars were coming and pulled away from the curb.

  Her house wasn’t far, just a few blocks west and one block south. In less than a minute, she pulled into her driveway and glanced back at Rae. “Stay home, all right?”

  “Yeah, whatever.” Acting bored, Rae let herself out of the backseat.

  “Nice meeting you, Rae,” Zane called before her sister could slam the door.

  “It was great meeting you, too, Zane.” Rae winked at Jenna before closing the door.

  Jenna waited until her sister was safely inside the house before backing out of the driveway. She avoided glancing at Zane, not wanting to see pity or disdain in his gaze. Staying alert for any sign of trouble, she took the quickest route through Barclay Park in order to reach the interstate.

  “How long has your car been broken?” Zane asked.

  She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. “Not too long,” she lied. The on-ramp to the freeway loomed ahead, and she pressed on the gas pedal, anxious to get him home. “What in the world made you come down to the MCCT tonight anyway?”

  “I wanted to see you.” Zane’s direct answer shocked her more than anything that had happened earlier in the evening. The steering wheel jerked beneath her hand, and she straightened the car on the road.

  Since she didn’t know what to say, she ignored his comment. “You’ll have to give me directions from here—I don’t know exactly where you live.”

  Zane nodded. “Stay on the freeway for a little while yet. Then take the Riverbend exit.”

  Of course. She should have known Zane lived on The Hill. It was what she had assumed from the very beginning. The differences in their lifestyles couldn’t have been made any clearer. When she’d noticed Zane’s tall, broad-shouldered frame making his way through the crowd of kids, her heart had stuttered in her chest. He was too clean-cut, so obviously out of her realm, with his designer polo shirt and expensive jeans. She had no idea why he decided to slum around in her part of the city.

  To see her? She highly doubted it. And after the fight had broken out, she was sure he’d wished he’d stayed on The Hill where he belonged.

  “How’s your eyesight?” Jenna glanced at him as she approached the Riverbend exit.

  “Still a little blurry,” Zane admitted.

  “If your vision hasn’t cleared by tomorrow, you’d b
etter get it checked out by a physician.” Better to talk about his eye rather than probe the strange tension that seemed to shimmer between them. It was ridiculous. They weren’t even friends, much less anything that resembled a relationship.

  Had he really come to see her?

  “That’s almost funny, coming from you. Take a right at the bottom of the exit ramp.”

  He continued to give her directions to his place until she pulled up in front of a condo complex.

  “Where do you want me to park?” She glanced around in confusion. The decorative condos didn’t seem to have any aboveground garages. There must be an underground parking ramp someplace.

  “I want you to drive the car home, Jenna.” Zane turned toward her and placed his hand on her arm. “Please.”

  He was hard to resist when he was being nice. After a long moment, he moved his hand, and she was stupid enough to miss his touch. She shook off the effect. “And how are you going to get to work tomorrow?”

  “Come and pick me up. We’re both working the night shift.”

  Since when? “Funny, I could swear I’m scheduled to fly with Ethan, not you.” She felt a sense of panic. The one thing she’d made sure of was that she and Zane weren’t flying together anytime soon.

  “Ethan and I switched shifts.” Zane opened his passenger door, and the dome light came on overhead. The area around his injured eye was beginning to darken with a whopper of a bruise. “Ethan’s working my shift tonight, and I’m working his tomorrow so he and Kate can have the same night off.”

  Jenna knew Ethan and Kate were engaged and needed time off together. But that didn’t mean she was happy about the news. Seeing him for a few hours was bad enough. A twelve-hour shift would be interminable. “Zane, your eye looks pretty bad. Maybe you shouldn’t work at all.”

  “Jenna, I won’t work if my vision hasn’t cleared,” he surprised her by saying. He actually sounded wounded. “I would never jeopardize patient care.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it.” She stared at him for a moment. She didn’t want to be responsible for taking Zane’s car home with her. A nice, new Lexus didn’t belong in Barclay Park. It would be just her luck to find the thing stripped down to nothing by morning. The image alone was enough to make her shut off the engine. “I’m not taking your car. If you won’t tell me where to park it, I’ll leave it here. Don’t complain to me if it gets towed.”