Shadowed

by Kariss Lynch

  Micah nodded. “Keeping a low profile but there if something happens.”

  Megan stood and rubbed her hands together. “Well, that means I’m going home to sleep in my own bed tonight.” She looked at Kaylan. “See you in a bit?”

  “I’ll be there soon.”

  As Megan left, Micah slipped from the room and Kaylan stood. “Guess I better go pack.”

  “Babe, wait. Talk to me.”

  Kaylan turned on Nick, eyes flashing. “I feel controlled and helpless. But worse than that, I’m scared.”

  “Kayles, I’m so sorry. I promise, we are ending this soon. Please bear with me a little longer. I’m not trying to control you. I just want to protect you.”

  He pulled her into his arms and lowered his lips inches from hers. Her frustration warred with her affection for him. “If anything, anything ever happened to you, Kaylan, I couldn’t handle it. Especially if it was because of me.” He tightened his arms around her until her anger lessened, and she leaned into him, responding to his desperation, needing comfort, wanting to support.

  “You won’t lose me.”

  His lips found hers, soft at first, then became more intense—as if kissing her enough could make the danger and everything else evaporate until nothing existed but the two of them. After a few moments she pulled back to rest in his arms. “You can’t kiss this away. I’m fine.”

  He chuckled and rested his forehead on hers. She felt his chest rise and fall with a heavy sigh as if he carried the weight of the world. “Let’s keep it that way, okay?” She nodded as he kissed her forehead. Despite his strength, she sensed an emotion he fought to keep at bay. She stroked his back, waiting for him to relax.

  “Will you go with me to the hospital?” Nick mumbled against her hair.

  “Oh, babe, Logan’s surgery!” She pulled back to study his face. “How’d it go?”

  “It’s finished. I wish they had found an antibiotic that worked, but it is what it is. He’s back in his room. I called Kim. She said it’s okay if we drop in over the next couple days. He wants to see us.”

  Kaylan had never seen Nick so lost. The famous fixer couldn’t fix anything, and lives were at stake. It terrified him.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I would love to go with you. Who has the kids tonight?”

  “Logan’s mom flew in to stay with them for a few weeks. I think Kim’s mom will come out after that.”

  A low growl sounded behind them. “All right, you two, break it up.” Micah used his arms to pry them apart and walked between them on the way to the living room. “I’m going to record the game tonight, and then I’m ready to hit the road.”

  Thirty minutes later they arrived at the hospital. Micah turned the car off and sat still. “I’m not ready for this.”

  Nick shook his head. “I still can’t believe it came down to this. I thought the antibiotics would clear the infection, and after some therapy, he’d be back with us.” The two exchanged a look, and Kaylan could feel their pain from her seat in the back.

  Kaylan stuck her head between the seats. “Once a SEAL, always a SEAL. It’s still Logan. You didn’t lose the man, just some of the motor skills. Focus on him and all you can help him overcome now. This is your next mission as a team.”

  Nick met her eyes in the rearview mirror, and she saw a measure of peace mixed with the pain. “Now I remember why I’m dating you.”

  Kaylan snorted. “You forgot? I guess I need to remind you more often.”

  “Let’s go, you two.” Micah climbed from the car and slammed the door, Nick and Kaylan following suit.

  Kaylan wove her fingers between Nick’s, and he squeezed tight. After all he did to stand beside her after Sarah Beth passed away, she could and would do this and more for him.

  She leaned in close as they walked to whisper, “I love you. You are not alone in this.”

  He stopped before they entered the doors and kissed her. “When can I marry you?”

  She smiled. “Ask me later.”

  Within a few minutes they stood outside Logan’s door, Micah joking with Kim and Logan inside. She squeezed Nick’s hand as he took a deep breath. Ever the protector, it killed him when someone he loved was in pain and he couldn’t change it.

  They entered the room, and Kaylan struggled to keep her gaze from drifting to the end of the bed where two legs should lie under the sheets. Now one leg stopped short, the sheets abnormally flat next to his other leg. She focused on Kim’s face and the beep of Logan’s monitors.

  Nick approached Logan’s outstretched hand and clasped it tight. “Hey, man, how are you feeling?”

  “Ready for another Hell Week. I could take on the world right now,” he slurred, but his eyes held the humor they all knew and loved. Kaylan continued to be amazed by the strength of the SEALs and their occasional daredevil bents. Very little stopped them. If they couldn’t accomplish a goal one way, they would try a million other options until they achieved success. To Logan and Kim, this surgery just became a challenge to conquer, not a hill to die on. Life remained to be lived.

  “Does it hurt?” Micah asked as he came to stand at Logan’s other side.

  “It’s weird. I still feel like the rest of my leg should be there, but it’s not. I hear phantom pains are a possible issue. But so far I’m too drugged to care. I got to thinking though.” His smile turned mischievous as his eyes drooped. “I need a new nickname: The Triple Threat, Tripod, Trey, something with three.”

  Micah chuckled. “How about you let us choose something less lame? Let’s face it. You’ve never been good at choosing the nicknames.”

  Nick grinned. “I don’t know. I kinda like Tripod. Or we could just go with something like Terminator.”

  “Oh, that’s a good one. Even without a limb I can still whip most of the team.”

  Kaylan and Kim joined the laughter.

  Logan’s tired eyes turned serious. “How am I going to do this?”

  Kaylan stepped forward to the end of the bed. “Did Nick ever tell you I was in Haiti during the earthquake?”

  “He never shared details.”

  “Many lost limbs in the earthquake. Doctors volunteered and have fit many Haitians with prosthetics. This isn’t over. If the Haitians can do it, I’m confident you can overcome this. One step at a time. And we’re here to help with whatever you and Kim need. Besides”—she looped her arm through Kim’s—“I’ve fallen in love with your kids.”

  Kim laughed. “You were an instant hit the moment you gave them ice cream.”

  “I might possibly have intended that to be a bribe. Apparently it worked.”

  Logan’s eyes drooped more.

  “I think we need to go. Don’t worry about anything, Logan. We’re here every step of the way.” Nick reached for Kaylan’s hand as they turned to follow Micah out the door. Nick kissed Kim’s cheek. “Call when you need us.”

  “Thank you. All three of you. I can’t tell you how much it means to know you are a call away.” Kim teared up despite her smile. “We’re going to get through this just fine.”

  Kaylan squeezed her hand. “Yes,
you will. We’re praying.”

  “She’s a keeper, Hawk. Don’t you mess this up, or I will climb out of this bed and beat you with my old leg,” Logan croaked from the bed.

  Nick’s eyes twinkled. “Save your energy, Pops. I’m never letting this one go.”

  As they left the hospital, Kaylan thanked the Lord that their relationship hadn’t been normal. In more ways than one they’d had to support one another in the darkest of times and learned to treasure the sweet moments. Life included the rough moments, and she knew with Nick by her side they could laugh or cry together, no matter the circumstance.

  Chapter 24

  KAYLAN KNEW SHE’D fallen in love when she went over to Nick and Micah’s to clean just because she missed Nick and wanted things to be nice when he got home. She hated cleaning. The guys had been gone two weeks, two very busy weeks for them and two very uneventful weeks for Megan and Kaylan—unless they counted Jay’s frequent and unexpected drop-bys.

  At first, being alone set them both on edge. After a week of quiet they settled back into their old routine. Kaylan still couldn’t quite figure out how to breach Megan’s walls. But she figured a costume party might be fun. With Halloween a couple weeks away, she had time to plan a party with some of the team and their dates. It would be a fun way to laugh the night away and help Megan understand that not all military guys were like her dad. So far Kaylan had run out of luck convincing her.

  “C’mon, Megan. You can be anything you want. Use your imagination.”

  Megan rolled her eyes from her slouched position in the love seat, a copy of The Hobbit in her hand. Kaylan liked to read, but the classics bored her. She didn’t know how Megan managed to enjoy them. “The Grinch.”

  “That’s Christmas. Try again.”

  “A vampire.”

  “Too cliché. Think out of the box, Meg.”

  “I’m cliché? Have you met you—Miss Perfect Life, Perfect Boyfriend, Perfect Family?”

  Kaylan ignored the jab. “Are we really going there again?” Megan pushed people away to protect herself. Kaylan had decided to fight past that. A few bruises along the way were inevitable.

  “Sorry. I’ll drop that. Why can’t I just go Goth?”

  “You wear black all the time. Who did you want to be as a kid? Or who’s your favorite literary character?”

  “Juliet. She dies tragically with her stupid boyfriend.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Fine.” Megan grew quiet and thoughtful. When she finally spoke, she wouldn’t meet Kaylan’s eyes. “I always kind of liked Frodo and Sam from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They left home and set out on this great adventure. And bad things happened, but they succeeded.”

  Kaylan struggled to maintain the seriousness of the moment while smothering a smile. “So . . . you want to dress up as a short person who likes to eat and has furry feet?”

  Megan threw a pillow at Kaylan as Kaylan burst into laughter. “I’m sorry, Meg. I couldn’t help it.”

  “See if I answer any of your questions again.”

  “Don’t be that way. It was a joke. We can figure out a costume for that. You’ll make a cute hobbit.”

  “I said that I like the characters, not that I wanted to be them. Let me guess; you were always a princess growing up.”

  “Not always. I did that more when I was little. Then Sarah Beth and I liked to pick something silly each year. One year we were salt and pepper. In college we dressed up like Google maps, complete with the location dots.”

  “What are you and Nick going as this year?”

  “Well, he hasn’t agreed yet, but we are going as Alice and the Mad Hatter. Maybe you and Micah should talk about this.”

  That got Megan’s attention. She dropped the book in her lap and sat up to look at Kaylan. “Why do I need to talk to Sidekick about this?”

  Kaylan hid behind a pillow as she spoke. “Because Micah is your date for this party?”

  Another pillow flew across the sitting area, colliding with the top of Kaylan’s head. “Hey. Are you out of pillows over there yet?”

  “That depends. Are you out of stupid ideas and comments?”

  “You’re so tough. C’mon. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

  A sly grin spread over Megan’s face, and Kaylan wondered if she should warn Micah.

  “I don’t need to check with Micah. I have the perfect costume in mind.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’ll be a superhero, and he’ll be my sidekick. It will be perfect, especially at a party with all his macho friends. And I’m picking out the costume. I’m thinking tights.”

  Kaylan laughed so hard the armchair shook as she imagined her brother in tights and the looks on people’s faces. It was bad enough that Nick would show up in full costume makeup.

  Megan joined her laughter, and for the first time Kaylan believed they had achieved a breakthrough. Then a movement outside the window startled her. She stood quickly, pillows dropping to the floor as she searched for what had caught her attention. A woman lay crumpled in the yard across the street.

  “Jenna!” Kaylan hit the floor running, throwing open the front door to their porch. Megan ran behind her.

  Kaylan sprinted across the street and fell on her knees next to Jenna, who lay curled on her side, coughing uncontrollably. “Meg, can you get her some water?”

  Jenna shook her head. “Inhaler. Red. Kitchen,” she croaked.

  “Meg, her inhaler. Hurry,” Kaylan insisted. Megan took off into Jenna’s house a few doors down.

  “Jenna, let’s sit up.” Kaylan helped her into a sitting position as the woman struggled to breathe.

  Meg arrived with the inhaler. Jenna’s hands shook as she took a long tug on the inhaler before responding. “Couldn’t catch my breath.”

  “Do you have asthma? Have you been taking your maintenance dose?” Megan took the inhaler back from her as Kaylan helped her to her feet.

  Jenna glared at Megan. “I’ve taken that medicine my whole life. I’m tired of it.”

  Megan held up her hands in surrender. “Your funeral,” she muttered under her breath, and Kaylan glared in her direction.

  “All right. All right.” Kaylan hovered at Jenna’s side as they slowly walked inside her house. Megan trailed behind. “Jenna, can we help you in any way?”

  “My couch. Please.” She ground out the last word.

  She helped Jenna to the couch, trying to ignore the tribal masks that seemed to glare at her from their position on the wall. “Can we get you some water?”

  “Not yet.”

  Megan leaned against the wall, her eyes darting between Kaylan and Jenna as Kaylan sank into a couch across from their neighbor. Kaylan prayed for the right words, hesitant to leave until she knew Jenna was okay. “Jenna, have you seen a doctor lately?”

  “I don’t need to go to my doctor to hear that I need to take my medicine. Air pollution sometimes causes flare-ups.” The corners of her mouth turned upward, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But I can beat this. After all, it hasn’t kept me from doing m
arathons.” She ran a hand over her chest. “Perhaps some water now, Megan?” Her contrite look set Megan into motion.

  Kaylan took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax and fight the flashback that said she was trapped in a building, surrounded by a cloud of dust, and struggling to breathe. “I’m so sorry. Can I help you with anything?”

  “No. I’ll manage.” She sank back in the couch as Megan handed her a cup of water and then stepped back to lean against the wall. “Truth is, I forgot to take my maintenance medication on my trip a few weeks ago, and can’t seem to get back in the habit since.” She took a sip and closed her eyes. “Thank goodness for emergency inhalers. I’ll be fine soon.”

  Kaylan stood to leave, sensing the finality of the conversation. “At least let me bring your dinner.”

  “No. Thank you. I just need rest.”

  Kaylan moved to the door but came to halt at the two stairs leading from the living room to the entryway. For a moment she imagined Jenna collapsed on the floor, unable to breathe, and no one around to help. Terror gripped her at the thought of finding someone else dead. The blood drained from her face. She staggered away from the spot on the floor where her imagination created hallucinations of a lifeless body.

  Megan came forward and steadied Kaylan. “You okay?”

  Kaylan nodded, reminding herself that it was unrealistic to fear everyone near to her dropping dead. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, determined she would help whether Jenna wanted it or not. “I’m sorry your asthma has gotten worse, Jenna. Please let me know if I can help in any way.”

  A small smile played on Megan’s face as she turned to Jenna. “I think you just found yourself a permanent caretaker.”

  Jenna’s gaze darted back and forth between the two. “No. Not necessary.” An edge tainted her voice as her British accent clipped through.