Kilty Pleasure

by Shelli Stevens

  Dedication

  Thanks to Ana Avery for letting me tap your mind on all things nursing—you’re awesome! On the law enforcement side, a big thanks for your time and info to Deputy Todd Miller (and coworkers) from the King County Sheriff’s Department (you guys seriously wowed me!). And to Deputy Laura Price from the Island County Sheriff’s Department for the tours, info and great insight (and thanks to Vicki Thompson for the introduction!). And, as always, thanks to my editor, Tera, and all my awesome readers!

  Chapter One

  Besides dealing with a drunken farmer firing shotgun rounds into the air, things were pretty quiet on his shift.

  Colin yawned, more than ready to call it a day at his job as a sheriff deputy.

  Right now a pint at his family’s pub sounded pretty fantastic, actually. He was contemplating heading back to the precinct when he spotted a familiar black Porsche racing by, going northbound on the island.

  “Well, hello, you stupid wanker.”

  He pulled a U-turn and flipped on the lights and siren. Being the end of the day, he might’ve let that go, but not with this bloke.

  “I know you see me, asshole,” he muttered when the driver seemed in no hurry to pull over, but made no attempt to speed up either.

  He was about ready to turn on the loudspeaker, when the vehicle finally pulled to the side of the road.

  Walking up to the car a moment later, Colin barely restrained a bitter scowl.

  “License and registration, please.”

  “You’ve got to be shitting me. Seriously?” The driver looked as yuppie as ever in a navy polo shirt and aviator shades.

  “You were speeding, and you’d better watch your mouth.” Colin didn’t bother to hide a hard smile this time. “License and registration.”

  “This is the third time you’ve pulled me over in a year, McLaughlin.”

  “Aye, well this is the third time you’ve been caught speeding in a year. Might want to slow down a bit.”

  Charles Richland scowled as he handed over the required documents. “I think it’s more personal than you keeping the island safe.”

  “I don’t much care to hear your thoughts, Mr. Richland. I’ll be back in a moment.”

  When he returned several minutes later, he handed Charles the ticket and then returned his license and registration.

  “You know what your options are by now for the ticket, I’m certain?”

  Charles just smirked and tossed it on the passenger seat. “I’ll fight the ticket because we both know it’s bullshit. I doubt you clocked me at more than seven over. So forgive me if I don’t take you or your authority seriously.”

  “And one thing to remember, Mr. Richland, is I actually don’t forgive easily.” Colin straightened to his full height and narrowed his eyes. “Have yourself a good evening.”

  Charles’s laugh was loaded with irritation, but he called out, “You be sure to say hi to that sexy sister of yours.”

  Colin’s crisp, unflappable control nearly snapped. Fury spread hot and volatile through every inch of him. The instinct to turn and beat the living shite out of the other man rode him hard.

  Walk away.

  Just barely did he make himself ignore Charles’s parting line and keep walking back to his cruiser. It was bloody unbelievable that the man was even roaming the island free. The fuckin’ bastard had nearly raped Kenzie and gotten away with it.

  Literally. She’d pressed charges, gone to trial, and still he’d walked. All because his daddy was a well-known and respected judge on the island, and had a ridiculous amount of influence and money.

  Maybe a few speeding tickets were petty, but until the day they could nail Charles Richland on something else, it was the best he could do.

  Ah, fuck it all.

  Now that his day had officially gone to crap, that drink at the pub was sounding better by the minute.

  It was Friday. Okay, it was Tuesday, but it was her Friday. And thank God for it.

  Hailey finished adding notes to one of her patients’ charts, hit Save and then took a quick sip from her water bottle. Fifteen minutes ’til her shift ended.

  What sounded amazing was going home, drawing a bubble bath and listening to Mumford and Sons until her mind was empty.

  Her gaze flitted around the floor of the MPC, landing on Doctor Altwood as he stepped into one of her patients’ rooms.

  The temptation to follow him in was strong. The patient, a four-year-old with third-degree burns to his chest, was terribly shy and intimidated by being in the hospital and the constant appearances of staff.

  But the boy had grown to trust Hailey. To the point she was the only one he would often acknowledge or talk to. Even after three days in pediatric care.

  Biting her lip, she made herself go on to her next patient to do a pre-meal blood-sugar check. But she kept her ears open for any distress from the child a few rooms down.

  She was protective of kids by nature—always had been after essentially having to raise her younger brother.

  A sharp wail of fear stopped her in her tracks. Her heart constricted, making her glance back at the door. Two seconds passed before Dr. Altwood’s head popped out of the room. He looked left, then right, and his pinched gaze landed on her.

  “Hailey.” He waved her over. “I’m going to need you in here.”

  With a small nod, she strode briskly to join him in the room. The sight of the small body, partially bandaged, with bright, anxious blue eyes watching the doorway, had her heart twisting.

  “Hey there, Randy.” She kept her tone gentle as she approached the bed. “What’s all the commotion?”

  The little boy’s gaze never left her, but he didn’t reply.

  “Randy knows that we’ll need to examine his wounds and change the dressings, but he’s being a little difficult,” the doctor replied bluntly.

  Asshole. Hailey kept the insult in her head, but her mouth tightened despite her best efforts.

  Doctor Altwood seriously needed to brush up on his bedside manner. Or at the very least not work in the pediatric unit.

  Hailey moved to the boy’s bedside and gently touched his hand—one of the areas of the body that wasn’t bruised. She crouched down a bit, to be closer to his level, and gave him a small smile.

  “I know it’s superscary, but it’s something that we really need to do. We need to make sure you’re healing nicely and there’s no infection.”

  His only reply was a slight whimper of fear. There were no tears. No plea for his mother—then again, his mother had never been a source of comfort, it seemed. As for a father, there was none on record.

  Maybe that’s why this boy tugged at her heart so much. He reminded her of herself when she was his age. At least a little bit.

  “Would you like me to stay with you?” she offered.

  “You’re off your shift in a few minutes,” the doctor cut in, the warning in his voice clear.

  This time she couldn’t help casting him a look of disbelief. “I’m staying.”

  And if you don’t like it, you can fire me. She knew her silent words were conveyed, because the doctor nodded and heaved a sigh.

  “All right, then,” he said as he approached the bed. “Let’s get a look at that wound, Randy.”

  Hailey set her name badge with everything else in her locker and closed the door.

  She pressed her forehead against the cool metal and let out a heavy sigh.

  “Hey, girl. Did you want to catch a ride with me tonight?”

  Lifting her head, she frowned at Tanesha, another nurse and friend who’d apparently hung around after her shift.

  “Tonight?” What was she forgetting? Shit. Apparently something, by the way Tanesha looked.

  Her normally black, curly hair wa
s flat ironed into a sleek style, while she was dressed up in skinny jeans, a low-cut top and sparkly heels.

  “What’s tonight?”

  “That crazy of a day, huh?” Tanesha adjusted her purse over her shoulder and arched a brow. “Wendy’s fortieth? Girl, it’s your Friday. You have no reason why you can’t go and drink a few.”

  “Oh right. Wendy’s fortieth.” Ugh. She’d forgotten the day after getting and accepting the invite to her supervisor’s birthday. “I…”

  “…have skipped out on nearly every social gathering your coworkers and friends have planned,” Tanesha finished for her. “You’re not really going to do it again, are you?”

  “No.” Not with the guilt ripping through her after that last comment. She wasn’t big on social situations and tended to prefer being alone. “I’ll go. I just… Can you give me five minutes to stop by my house and change?”

  Tanesha shrugged. “Sure. We’re already running late, what’s another five?”

  “Thanks.” So much for the bubble bath and Mumford and Sons.

  Thirty minutes later Hailey was dressed and riding in the passenger seat as they were on their way to the party.

  “I don’t see you out of your scrubs much, Hailey, but you clean up well.” Tanesha flashed her a big grin. “You just might pick yourself up a man tonight.”

  Hailey shifted in her seat, a little self-conscious in her outfit. The jeans were normal, but she’d had a moment of spontaneity and pulled on a purple tank top that had some lace and sheer spots.

  In other words, she was showing a lot more flesh than usual. But she’d figured, hey, if she was going out for a legit girls’ night out, maybe she ought to try and make an effort. Try to not be the only one looking tired and washed out from a long shift. So she’d even swiped on some lip-gloss and mascara—which was a complete rarity—and let her hair down.

  But she hadn’t gotten a little fancied up to attract the opposite sex, by any means.

  “I’m not looking for a man,” she drawled.

  “I don’t see why the hell not. You’re, what, not even thirty? Single. Pretty as all get-out. And you want nothing to do with men.” Tanesha gave her another quick look. “Unless men just aren’t your thing?”

  Her lips quirked. “Yes, they’re my thing. When I want them to be. Right now, single is easier.”

  “Hmmph.”

  Right now single was most definitely the better option. Especially after the awful relationship she’d dealt with in the last year.

  And before him, the amount of dates she’d gone on could be counted on one hand. Well, maybe two hands if she counted the twenty minutes of in-depth conversation and mental undressing while she’d been stuck in an elevator with a guy at the mall.

  She stared out the window as they drove down a street lined with cute houses and again her thoughts drifted.

  What was that like? Owning a house? A range of apartments—some shittier than others—were pretty much the only home she’d ever known. Up until a few months ago when she’d found a steal on a house to rent in a cute neighborhood. Unfortunately, the owners needed it back by November when they returned from Arizona. Which meant she’d be back in an apartment, unless she could find another cheap house to rent.

  Not likely.

  She closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion from the day momentarily sweep over her. Tanesha would nudge her if she drifted off once they got to the casino…

  The slight bump and thud of the car had her eyes fluttering open.

  Blinking through the grogginess, she struggled to figure out where they were.

  “Are we on the Deception Pass Bridge?” Hailey sat up straighter, but her question was answered by the setting sun over Puget Sound. “I thought we were going to the casino.”

  “Yeah, that was the plan. But the smoke is bad for Jeanne’s allergies, so we changed party spots.”

  The island. They were going to Whidbey Island. There was only one pub that people went onto the island for.

  “Where’s the party now?” she had to ask, even as her throat went dry.

  Don’t say it, please don’t—

  “McLaughlin’s Pub.” Tanesha changed radio stations. “I don’t know why this is such a surprise. It went out in this morning’s email.”

  Her heart sank and unease swelled to panicky, debilitating levels.

  She hadn’t checked her email since last night. The whole social networking and email thing was something she did after work and before going to bed.

  But nobody really emailed her. Facebook had always made her feel more like the awkward kid standing on the outside of the popular circle.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to beg Tanesha to turn around and take her back. If she’d known leaving Mount Vernon that this was their destination, she’d never have gotten in the car.

  But instead she’d fallen asleep and Tanesha had already put close to a half hour into the drive and they’d be there in about ten minutes.

  “You ever been there? It’s a cool pub. You’ll love it. Run by this Scottish family who moved over here like fifteen years ago or something. The place is authentic.”

  Oh, she knew exactly how authentic it was, because the McLaughlins were no strangers to her.

  Sweat broke out on the back of her neck as they reached the other end of the bridge and drove onto the island. It had been a month and a half since she’d last encountered any of the family, though. And that afternoon would be forever engrained in her head. Her heart.

  Guilt roared through her, leaving her to struggle against the lump it left in her throat.

  Maybe she could slip into a nearby restaurant or bar. Damn, she was so tempted to not even show up at Wendy’s birthday. How much of a bitch would that make her? Not to mention all the explaining she’d have to do as to why she’d come all the way to Oak Harbor with Tanesha, then not gone to the party.

  They pulled into the gravel parking lot and the lump in her throat grew. The parking lot was just over half-full. She recognized most of the cars as being owned by people who worked at the hospital.

  Tanesha turned off the engine and glanced over at her. “You look seriously uncomfortable. Just don’t get out to bars much?”

  It was an answer given to her on a plate, and Hailey ran with it.

  “Exactly. I’m not much for this kind of social scene.” She offered a weak smile. Her heart had yet to slow from its anxious thudding.

  Tanesha grinned and opened her door to slide out. “Come on. You may be surprised with how much fun you have.”

  “Not going to happen,” Hailey muttered under her breath and followed her friend out of the car.

  Not for the first time in her life she found herself wishing for a superpower.

  Only instead of superhuman strength, this time it would be a cloak of invisibility.

  Drawing in one last breath, as if it would be her last, she stepped inside the pub.

  Chapter Two

  Why the bloody hell would she step foot in here?

  Colin froze, pint glass halfway to his mouth, and narrowed his eyes on the woman as she walked quickly to the back of the pub.

  It almost seemed as if Hailey was trying to hide—the way she hung in the shadow of the bigger lady in front of her. Her head was ducked and her gaze was on the floor.

  And then, when she reached the table of women, she seemed to search for the most hidden seat available. But the pair was obviously late to the party, and the only seats left were at the table next to it where a couple women had already spilled over from the group.

  “Is that—”

  “It’s her.”

  Kenzie came to stand beside where he sat at the bar, an empty drink tray dangling from her hand. Colin gave her a cursory glance before shifting his attention back to Hailey.

  It’d been nearly two months since he’d seen her, and before that, over a decade. He really didn’t know her all that well, but she was a hard woman to forget for numerous reasons.

  The obvious
reason being that she was pretty. Really pretty. Small and slender, with subtle curves. And her hair, long and a glossy auburn, kind of made you think of a shampoo commercial. Then there were her eyes—those were what really got you. Big and brown, doe-like, set in a pixie-shaped face.

  She had an overall look that probably made guys line up to be her protector. Though he pitied the man who would be that foolish.

  “Weird that she’d show up here,” Kenzie muttered and shook her head.

  “Aye.” He paused. “Who are these ladies, do you know? It seems they all know each other.”

  “One of the gals is having a birthday. I think most of them are nurses, or have some kind of job over at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.”

  Hailey was a nurse?

  He tried to correlate that bit of info with what he already knew about her. Ironic that someone who was so good at ruining lives had gone into a field where she saved them.

  He frowned at the memory of that afternoon two months ago, and the confrontation that had happened just outside the pub.

  She’d been in scrubs that night. He hadn’t dwelled upon it, though, because he’d been livid by her arbitrary appearance at his family’s quite-personal event. And maybe he’d been a little irritated at himself for being distracted at just how damn pretty she was.

  “I guess I should go take drink orders from her and the other newcomer.”

  Nursing his own beer, Colin gave a humorless smile. “Or you could remember that you have the right to refuse service to anyone.”

  Surprise registered on Kenzie’s face. “Come on now, Colin. Maybe she did something pretty bad, but she did try and make things right.”

  “She’s trouble.” He’d learned later that she’d come to make amends that day. To share the dark secret that apparently she’d been harboring for years. “She’s always been trouble, and always will be.”

  “Hmmph. Well she’s also a paying customer. Now excuse me.”

  He watched as his sister tossed her long braid over her shoulder, lifted her chin and strode over to the table.

  Kenzie’s expression remained polite as she took their order, even as Hailey’s face swept with a combo of mortification and regret.