No More Mister Nice Guy

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  “No, he’s not dead,” he said hastily, easily reading the meaning behind her fear. “But he did suffer a minor heart attack and had to be hospitalized.”

  “Minor…?” She jumped to her feet. “There’s no such thing as a minor heart attack! Why?” The answer came to her as soon as she asked the question. “It was because of my abduction, wasn’t it? He couldn’t handle the shock and collapsed.” For a moment she felt as if she couldn’t catch her breath. “I knew his heart wasn’t strong,” she cried, castigating herself.

  “Hey, it’s not your fault,” he reminded her. “Warren was upset about you, yes, but he was also furious because he wasn’t getting any answers from the law up here. I think he would have come up right away, but I arrived just after he heard about you. Instead, he met me at my plane and collapsed just as I reached him. As soon as he was able to talk to me at the hospital, he gave me the information. I drove up here immediately.”

  Shelby felt torn. Jed was here, but her father was down in L.A. Both men needed her, but deep down, she knew her father needed her more. She got up, walked over to the phone and dialed for an outside line. In no time, she had left a message for her father’s doctor with his answering service, insisting he call her immediately. She dropped back into her chair to wait for the phone to ring.

  Jed watched her with the intensity he was known for.

  He started to ask himself what it would be like to have someone care and watch over him like that, then quickly backpedaled. He’d already heard from the nurse how Shelby had refused to rest until he was out of surgery and how she had fought to see him afterward because she wanted to make sure for herself he was all right. And she had come here as soon as the doctor checked her over. So far today, she had left the room only when the nurse had shooed her out.

  He could see her bruises were starting to fade but were still faintly visible under a careful application of makeup. He commented on them.

  She wrinkled her nose. “I feel as if I look like a patchwork quilt. All purple, blue, black, green and yellow.”

  “What happened after I got shot?”

  “What happened?” She looked confused, then laughed uncertainly. “Jed, you were there.”

  He shook his head, then wished he hadn’t; he was positive rocks were rolling around in it. “A lot of times you lose bits and pieces of your memory when a trauma like that happens to your body.”

  Shelby hesitated. She looked as if the memory she retained was painful.

  “You were able to move in and kill Eric before he killed you,” she said slowly. “Chris went crazy seeing he was dead and he shot you. You obviously realized what he was going to do and threw yourself to one side. The trouble was, you didn’t do it fast enough. He still shot you in the chest.” Pain crossed her features. “I guess it was my turn to go crazy after that. I don’t even remember reaching for the rifle. I kept shooting, and when I finished Chris was dead and Andy was scared he would be next. You were barely conscious but you told me to take Andy’s belt and use it to secure him to the porch railing. After that, I used your cell phone to call for help. By the time a deputy and ambulance arrived, you were unconscious and bleeding badly.”

  She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts and compose herself. “You were very lucky. The doctor said you were obviously a fighter and not willing to give up easily.” Her fingers trembled as they stroked the back of his hand. She stared across his chest at his other hand, anchored down with two IVs, one delivering painkilling drugs and the other giving him much-needed fluid. “I gather it was assumed you wouldn’t make it,” she whispered, fighting tears that threatened to erupt. “Damn!” She pulled a tissue out of the box on his bed table and blew her nose.

  “Hey.” Jed curled his fingers around her hand. “You know what happens when you cry. Your eyes turn all red and swollen and your nose turns even redder. Are you sure you want that nasty color to add to that patchwork skin of yours?” he teased gently.

  She laughed through her sniffles. “You charmer, you.” She stared at the bulky bandage covering most of his chest and suddenly, the enormity of his injuries and her father’s medical condition hit her like a ton of bricks. For someone who hated crying, she found herself unable to stop. She laid her head on the edge of the bed and sobbed uncontrollably. Deep within her, she was stunned she could still cry. For someone who only cried at weddings and movies, she was making up for lost time.

  Jed cursed under his breath at his lack of mobility as he reached out to cup the back of her head with his hand. When he realized none of his soothing was working, he started to panic. Instead of searching for the nurse’s call button, he settled for bellowing.

  “Excuse me, but you don’t happen to be the only patient we have here.” Bridie swept in like a hurricane. She took one look at Shelby and was at her side in a second. She covered Shelby’s shoulders with her small hands and lifted her up.

  “Do something!” Jed ordered, anxiety making his voice harsh.

  “She’s still going through delayed shock,” she said crisply, as she gently forced Shelby to sit back in the chair. “Considering everything she’s gone through the past few days it’s a miracle she hasn’t broken down completely. She must have been running on sheer willpower to do as well as she has done. All right, honey, everything’s all right,” she crooned as if speaking to a small child.

  “I killed a man!” she wailed.

  Bridie looked at Jed over Shelby’s head. “I think I should call one of our counselors to talk with her. Help her calm down. The last thing she needs is any more tranquilizers. They only mask the symptoms instead of helping them.”

  He nodded. “Her father suffered a heart attack right after she was kidnapped. I think she’s trying to take on a load of guilt.”

  “No wonder.” Bridie pulled out another tissue and handed it to Shelby, taking the soggy one out of her hand and tossing it in the wastebasket. “I’ll make the call now. You just keep on talking to her. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Jed’s estimation of the tough-natured nurse rose several notches as Bridie left the room.

  “Shelby, you did what had to be done,” he said urgently, wishing he could take her pain from her and make it his own. He was only too used to the nightmares a situation like this could cause. But Shelby had been lucky enough to have been raised in an atmosphere of love and laughter. Not darkness and danger. “If you hadn’t killed Chris, he would have finished me off, then taken you, and you would never have been seen again. That animal would have dragged you back up that damn mountain and used you in ways I don’t even want to think about. I almost wonder if he wouldn’t have killed his uncle if Eric had killed me instead of my killing him. Living up there so long turned those men into mindless creatures who only thought about their own desires. I just had to look at Chris to know he wanted you— and would have done anything to keep you. If you stop to think about it, you know what I’m saying is true.”

  Shelby raised her head. Her eyes were huge, shimmering emeralds in her pale face.

  “I understand what you’re saying,” she whispered. “He wanted to kill you because he felt you took me from him, and he wanted his possession back. I think he was starting to see his uncle in the same light. They had been up there so long they lived by their own rules.”

  “There was more to it than that,” Jed told her. “Chris was one of those who was just pure mean through and through. It wouldn’t have mattered where he lived, Shelby. He still would have ended up dead sooner or later. Someone like him isn’t meant to live long.”

  “Except I might not have been the one to kill him,” she said, so softly he had to strain his ears to hear.

  Jed patted the edge of the bed and Shelby didn’t hesitate in accepting his unspoken invitation. She settled carefully beside him and rested her cheek against the section of his chest that wasn’t injured. Pretty soon, the comforting warmth of his body was enough to soothe her. They were still curled up together when Bridie returned.

&
nbsp; “Ms. Carlisle?” The nurse appeared in the doorway. “Dr. Ryan will be in her office until six. She suggested you stop by to see her.” She frowned at Jed, who pasted an extremely innocent expression on his face.

  “You suggested I do what I could,” he said in self-defense.

  “That wasn’t exactly what I meant,” she said dryly. “Just make sure she sees the doctor, all right? She can help Ms. Carlisle cope with the pain and guilt she’s experiencing right now.” She pointedly closed the door after her.

  Jed wanted to tell her that he himself would help Shelby. After all, who better to understand what she was going through than someone who had lived most of his life in shadowy parts of the world?

  “I’m so tired,” Shelby mumbled, draping one arm across his waist. She closed her eyes and within moments fell asleep.

  Jed’s arms tightened around her. He ignored the pain making itself known as his medication wore off. All he cared about was Shelby. He focused on ignoring the discomfort and soon fell into a light doze.

  Even while asleep, Jed’s senses had no problem picking up another presence. His eyes snapped open and rested on a woman seated in the chair Shelby had vacated. If she hadn’t been wearing a hospital name badge he wouldn’t have been sure why she was there. He guessed she was a few years older than he was, and keen of mind, if her sharp gaze was anything to go by. In other circumstances, he’d think she was a cop.

  “You the shrink?”

  “That’s what my diploma says.” She smiled, her brown eyes twinkling. “So this is the lady who broke Sheriff Rainey’s nose.”

  “Broke his nose?” he repeated. He wondered what else Shelby had kept from him.

  She nodded. “I’m Liz Ryan. It seems Ms. Carlisle is using sleep as an escape.” She kept her voice low so as not to disturb Shelby.

  Jed looked down at the feminine form in his arms. “Sometimes that’s the best thing to do. Unless she starts dreaming.”

  “I spent a little time talking to Andy Larson,” she explained. “He was a bundle of nerves and the sheriff was afraid he might injure himself. I’d say his uncle and brother had him completely under their power.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Please, don’t bring up that low-self-esteem garbage everyone uses as an excuse nowadays, okay? I watched those three out there for quite a while before I was able to snatch Shelby back. Maybe he didn’t have his hands all over her the way the others did, but he knew what was going on and he allowed it to happen. If he’d had his chance back there he would have shot me. He’s acting like the scared little boy for sympathy, because he’s afraid of going away to prison for the rest of his life. The courts will view him as an accomplice in the kidnapping of at least five women and murder of at least four. I’d say he has a lot to worry about, wouldn’t you?”

  Liz didn’t blink during Jed’s quietly spoken statement.

  “Since I’m not an attorney, I guess I don’t need to worry about replying to that, do I?” Her gaze flicked over Shelby, who still hadn’t stirred. “It’s amazing that a civilian like you could just march up that mountain, find Ms. Carlisle and bring her back down again with little fuss.”

  “There wasn’t a fuss until we ran into the three mountaineers,” he said wryly. “They sort of ruined our idea of a nice leisurely stroll down the mountain. So tell me, how are you related to a cop?”

  Liz smiled at his astute grasp of her questions. “Rick said you have government identification, but you’re not like any Fed he’s ever seen before.”

  “And he’s seen a lot in his long career?” he drawled, with no malice intended.

  She shook her head.

  “Then maybe it’s because I’m not a Fed,” he suggested.

  Liz waited patiently for Jed to say more, but he just as patiently remained silent.

  “I’ve had experience in helping patients cope with delayed stress,” she said finally as she rose from the chair. “I think Ms. Carlisle will need someone to talk to about the shock of the past few days.”

  “Someone such as you?”

  She inclined her head. “Women tend to relate easier to women. Talk more freely. Bridie can get ahold of me when Ms. Carlisle’s ready to talk.” She smiled as she looked down on Shelby’s slumbering figure. “Until then, just give her lots of love and TLC, and for all we know, she may come through with few scars.” She headed for the door.

  “Tell me something,” Jed called out quietly. “How come someone with your savvy is up here in the sticks instead of in the big city raking in the money?”

  Liz stopped with her hand pressed against the door panel. “Maybe because the demons can’t find you as easily up here,” she replied, before walking out.

  Jed shifted his position a bit to ease the discomfort in his shoulder.

  “You can’t stop flirting with women, can you, Hawkins?”

  He looked down. “How long have you been awake?”

  Shelby opened one eye. “Long enough to hear you flirt with the pretty doctor.”

  “I wasn’t flirting,” he groused.

  She carefully sat up so as to not jar his body and ran her finger along his dark brow. “Then why are you frowning? Feeling guilty, are we?”

  He batted her hand away as if it was a pesky fly. “Because you’re saying ridiculous things.”

  “I’m a woman. It’s allowed.” Shelby ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing the matted strands. She lifted her arms over her head and stretched. “And here I thought I’d slept enough.”

  Jed watched her hungrily. He figured either the painkillers had completely worn off or his pain had decided to travel in a southern direction. He adjusted the covers in hopes of covering up his “condition.” It was too late. Shelby’s eyes followed his movements.

  “My, my, isn’t modern medicine wonderful? I’d say you’re getting better by the moment,” she drawled, carefully edging off the bed so she wouldn’t jostle him too badly.

  Jed gritted his teeth against the discomfort in his lower region. At that moment, he would gladly have given his soul for just a few minutes of private time with Shelby. Any pain he would suffer as a consequence would be gladly endured.

  As if reading his thoughts, she smiled.

  “Bridie would probably kick me out of the hospital and make sure I never got back in,” she said softly, trailing her fingertips across the back of his hand.

  He swore under his breath. “Don’t even think I’d let her get away with it.”

  “Are you kidding? That woman runs this place like a drill sergeant.” She’d started to walk to the door when the phone rang. Jed inclined his head, silently asking her to answer it.

  “Mr. Hawkins’s room,” she said crisply, then relaxed when she heard a familiar voice. “Daniel, how are you? And most especially, how is my father? I just heard about it. Yes, I’m fine other than some cuts and bruises. I was very lucky.” She slanted a telling glance at Jed. “I was kept overnight in the hospital for observation, but Jed, the man Daddy sent up here, was shot by one of the kidnappers.” She was silent for a moment. “No, nothing serious, but he’ll be here for a while.”

  “Not if I can help it,” Jed muttered darkly.

  Shelby waggled her fingers to ask him to be quiet. “The tests showed no serious damage then?” She gave Jed a thumbs-up. “Yes, please tell him the good news and that I’ll be there as soon as possible.” She grimaced. “All right, you don’t want him excited. I understand that.”

  “I wouldn’t mind getting a little excited,” Jed muttered. “A lot excited would be even better.”

  She glared at him and returned to her conversation. “But you say his tests are good and he’s doing better?” Her shoulders slumped. “All right, you can tell him. I’ll stay on here for another day or so, then I’ll be back.”

  She hung up, looking more frustrated than ever. “Why can’t I be with my father?” she demanded. “The doctor said Daddy’s better, but he needs to be kept quiet, with no added stress. And while seeing me would be positive,
he’s afraid he’ll get overexcited, so he wants to break the news to him quietly and monitor him first.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make any sense. I thought you told me he only had a minor attack.”

  “That was his condition when I left him,” he explained. Any thoughts of finding a way to tumble her into his bed had disappeared. “The doctor is telling you Warren’s fine, but yet he’s not fine. Which is it?”

  “His health is very precarious,” she said slowly. “The doctor is recommending that he retire as soon as possible. He will not be able to continue with his work.”

  Jed was silent for so long, Shelby began to wonder if he had actually heard her.

  “It won’t be the same without Warren at the helm,” he said quietly.

  “If he retires, what happens?”

  He looked momentarily confused by her question. “Someone would be appointed to take his place.”

  “How? Who?”

  He shook his head. That was an answer he wasn’t going to give her.

  She wandered over to the window and adjusted the blinds so she could look out. The view of the mountains was majestic, but for the moment, Shelby couldn’t find any joy in the postcard picture before her.

  “Would you be considered for the position?” she asked abruptly.

  “Maybe, but there are others who have been around longer than me who would be under consideration,” he replied without thinking.

  She didn’t turn to face him. “But could you apply for it if you wanted to?”

  Jed had never considered himself slow, but he was surprised he hadn’t caught on to her train of thought faster.

  “I could, but I won’t.”

  Shelby’s shoulders stiffened when she heard his reply. She kept her back to him. “Why am I not surprised?” she murmured, more to herself than to him.

  Jed stared at her back. What was he going to say to her now? Where was his glib tongue, which had never failed him before?

  Never failed you before? a little voice in his brain jeered. What about that night in your apartment when she stormed out of there like a hurricane after telling you she never wanted to see you again? If those scum hadn’t kidnapped her, she would have made sure you couldn’t get hold of her. She’d even gone so far as to come up here to make sure she wasn’t around when you got back. So, idiot, what are you going to do about it?