by Hope White
He’d made himself a promise never to go there with her, no matter how much his heart ached to have this special woman in his life. He simply didn’t deserve that kind of goodness, and she surely deserved better than a blackguard like Quinn.
“Quinn?”
Quinn spotted his friend Aiden with his sister, Bree, heading in his direction. The tall, sandy-haired Aiden had become a good friend after they’d met on a search-and-rescue mission a few years ago. They’d bonded over their military service and love of hiking.
“Hey, man, thanks for the call,” Quinn said as they shook hands. He never would have made it to Billie as quickly as he had if Aiden hadn’t called him. “Hi, Bree.”
“Oh, Quinn, I’m so sorry. I got here as soon as I could.” She hugged him and Quinn glanced at his friend, questioning the emotional moment. Aiden shrugged.
“How is Billie?” Aiden asked.
“Banged up and cranky.”
“Billie, cranky?” Bree said, breaking the hug. “She must be hurting.”
“She’s putting on a good front, playing tough. But I sense she’s in a dark place.”
“And probably not only because of the fall,” Bree said.
Quinn studied her for a second, trying to figure out the meaning of her words.
“We’ve become friends,” Bree explained. “So I know a lot about her past, her marriage, stuff like that.”
Quinn wondered what “stuff” she knew about him.
“I’m so glad she activated the locator beacon and I got the emergency text,” Bree said. “She almost didn’t get the device, but I insisted.”
Quinn studied the twenty-seven-year-old search-and-rescue K9 team member. “Did you know she was going into the mountains by herself?”
“I did,” Bree said.
“Why did you let her go alone?”
“She’s an experienced hiker,” Bree offered. “She knew what she was doing.”
“That’s not the point,” Quinn said.
“Billie is a grown woman. She’s not your little sister,” Bree said. “She’s extremely capable. She’s joined the SAR team and last month helped locate an Alzheimer’s patient who went missing.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“She said you two hadn’t spoken in months. Anyway, she needed to go into the mountains for—”
“Closure, I get it,” he said, a little impatient.
“Really, Quinn? Because I doubt you’ve ever sought closure for any of your brief relationships.”
“Bree,” Aiden warned.
Her sharp words stung, but were not untrue.
“I’m going to see Billie.” Bree brushed past the men and went into the E.R. examining area.
“Sorry, man, she can be snappy when she’s worried about a friend,” Aiden said.
“It’s okay, I probably deserved it.”
“A few SAR members have been texting me about Billie, wanting to know if they can visit, bring flowers or something.”
“Maybe when we get her home. Right now she needs peace and quiet.”
“So, what happened? She’s a solid hiker.”
Quinn looked at Aiden. “She was assaulted.”
“What?”
Quinn led Aiden to a visitor waiting area where they could speak privately. “Some guy on the trail threatened her. In an effort to get away it seems she fell off the trail.”
“She must have been terrified,” Aiden said.
Quinn’s gut clenched at the thought. “She’s not safe, not until we find out what her husband was into.”
“My cousin Tyler is a sheriff’s deputy. Want me to call him?”
“No, Officer Vanguard already took her statement, but thanks.”
“Are you staying with her?”
Quinn glanced down the hall toward the examining area. “Yes, even if I have to camp outside her hospital room.”
“You should ask to stay in her room tonight,” Aiden suggested.
“She’d never allow it.” Quinn glanced at his friend. “I think it’s a pride thing.”
“Well, someone’s got to stay with her. Maybe Bree can stay.”
“No. I don’t want to put your sister in danger.”
“You think it’s that bad?”
“I won’t know what to think until I have more information. I need to get my clothes and laptop from the car. Can you hang out here for a few minutes and keep watch?”
“Sure. Go ahead, I’ll check in on Billie.”
Aiden walked away. Quinn didn’t move for a few seconds. Even in a hospital full of doctors and nurses Quinn worried about Billie’s safety.
Now he was overreacting. Her attacker wouldn’t wander into a hospital to do her harm. She could identify him since she’d seen his face.
Which only put her in more danger.
Quinn headed to his car, focusing on the next three steps to achieve his goal. His organized mind had served him well, both in business and the military. He’d created the term the next three to help his staff stay focused on the prioritized projects of the day.
In staff meetings he’d remind everyone about the importance of focus, yet today his focus had been blown to bits the second he saw Billie’s still body lying on the plateau below the trail.
Jogging to his car, he reminded himself that Aiden was a capable man and between him and hospital security, no harm would come to Billie in the next ten minutes, the time it would take Quinn to change clothes.
Quinn had been very appreciative when Aiden offered Billie a job at Echo Mountain Resort months ago. Aiden said the favor was the least he could do considering Quinn designated the barn on the resort property as Search and Rescue headquarters for folks in their part of the county.
Even though Quinn owned the resort, he rarely meddled in Aiden’s management of the business. Sure he’d hoped Aiden would hire Billie. She needed to get away from Quinn and their dysfunctional relationship to start a new life, which she had as a hostess for the resort’s four-star restaurant. Quinn knew firsthand what a gracious hostess Billie could be since she’d planned plenty of dinners for Quinn and his business associates.
But those weren’t the only people he’d entertained at his lake house, and whenever he’d bring a woman to his place, Billie would serve a four-course, delicious meal. She’d smile and explain what ingredients were in the dishes she was about to serve, a smile that never seemed to reach her eyes.
Every time he brought home a date he sensed he was breaking Billie’s heart, even though he’d been clear that he and Billie could never be more than friends.
Quinn got his duffel out of the trunk and slammed it shut. He’d never meant to hurt her. Subconsciously he’d brought dates to the lake house so Billie would see what a jerk he was and keep her emotional distance.
Instead she’d always looked at him with those compassionate eyes that saw straight through to his soul.
“The next three things,” he reminded himself.
He’d change clothes, contact his P.I. friend, Cody, about digging into Rick Bronson’s accounts and find a quiet spot to do some work close to Billie’s room.
Because there was no way he’d let anyone hurt her again.
* * *
Spending the night in a hospital was dreary to say the least. It was nearly midnight and Billie lay wide awake, alone and disappointed: in Rick for making bad choices, in herself for not admitting the truth sooner about their failed marriage and...
She was disappointed in Quinn.
There, she admitted that she’d secretly hoped he would have stayed close to keep an eye on her even though she’d demanded he leave.
“Talk about mixed messages,” she whispered to herself.
A young, blond nurse breezed into her room. �
�Hi, Billie, I’m nurse Beth. Sorry I’m running late for the eleven-o’clock vitals check.”
“No problem. My dance class doesn’t start for another hour,” she joked.
Nurse Beth smiled. “How’s the pain on a scale of one to ten?” She took Billie’s pulse.
“About a four. I’m basically sore all over.”
“Are your ribs worse than they were this afternoon?”
“Not really.”
“Good.” Nurse Beth took Billie’s temperature. “A-okay.”
A male orderly in his mid-twenties with coal-black hair brought a wheelchair into the room. “Doctor wants another CT scan.”
“I didn’t see that order,” Nurse Beth said.
The orderly handed her a piece of paper.
“Huh, okay.” She looked at Billie. “Let me help you.”
Nurse Beth helped Billie slide out of bed. A little light-headed, Billie plopped quickly down into the wheelchair.
“Take good care of her,” Nurse Beth said, hooking the IV bag to the wheelchair.
“Will do.”
The orderly pushed her out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. Although she’d been unable to sleep in her hospital bed, she felt drowsy from the meds they’d given her to manage the pain.
“So, head injury, huh?” the orderly said, pressing the down button on the elevator.
“And ribs and wrist. I decided to tumble down a mountainside for fun.”
“Whoa.”
“So, what’s your name?” she asked.
“Dylan.”
“I’m Billie.”
“Nice name.”
“Thanks.”
He wheeled her into the elevator and the doors closed.
“Needless to say, I won’t be hiking for a while,” she said.
“I used to love to hike.”
“Used to?”
“No time. I work at the hospital, plus go to community college and help out with the family business.”
“Which is...?”
“Restaurant.”
“What kind?”
The elevator doors opened to the imaging department.
“It’s called Healthy Eats. Sustainable living, organic ingredients, stuff like that.”
“Oh, I heard about that opening up. Interesting concept.”
“Yeah, Mom had some health issues a few years ago so she and Dad changed our entire menu to be more health oriented.”
“So no cheeseburgers, then?”
“Sure, but we use grass-fed beef,” he said.
He wheeled her into the imaging room for the CT scan and looked around. “Huh, the tech was supposed to be waiting for us. You okay here for a second? I’ll go find him.”
“Sure.”
He locked the wheels and went in search of the technician. She studied the CT machine, which looked like a large doughnut. That thought made her tummy grumble and she realized she hadn’t eaten anything substantial since breakfast.
“Hey!” a male voice shouted.
A crash echoed in the hallway.
She heard grunting and a squeak, like rubber soles kicking against vinyl flooring.
The hair bristled at the back of her neck.
It couldn’t be what it sounded like. No, low blood sugar was sending her imagination into overdrive. Dylan would be back shortly with the tech and everything would be fine.
Her gaze darted to the wall phone. If she’d learned anything from being married to Rick, it was to listen to her gut.
Billie grabbed her IV bag off the hook and shuffled to the wall, grabbed the phone—
A pop resounded from the hallway, then silence. She frantically pressed buttons, trying to focus, trying to press the right button to call security, the operator, someone who could help her.
Suddenly the lights went out, plunging her into complete darkness.
THREE
Quinn had done a pretty good job of maintaining his distance while keeping an eye on Billie’s hospital room. Luckily he’d been able to convince the nurse to let him stay close by, explaining that he was worried about Billie’s safety.
Which is why he didn’t like having to go outside to take a business call. But there was a crisis at Decker’s Resort and he had to find a solution before guests were inconvenienced. Being a closet computer genius, Quinn talked the manager through a couple of troubleshooting protocols and they got the system up and running again.
Although he’d done his best to keep the call brief, it had taken half an hour to resolve the issue. As he headed into the hospital, he decided to take a chance and peek into Billie’s room for peace of mind. She’d surely be asleep by now so it would be safe to check in on her without being caught. Maybe that would ease the knot in his chest.
He wandered down the hall, stepped into her doorway and froze. The bed was empty. Her sheet and light blanket were crumpled into a ball at the foot of her bed.
Fighting the panic gnawing at his gut, Quinn strode to the nurses’ station.
“I still think it’s a mistake,” a middle-age nurse said to a young blond nurse.
The blond nurse handed a piece of paper to her counterpart. “Maybe scheduling meant 11:45 a.m. not p.m.”
“Excuse me,” Quinn interrupted. “I’m looking for the patient in room 210?”
“An orderly took her to imaging,” the blond nurse offered.
“Give her a minute. She’ll be right back,” the other nurse said.
“It takes more than a minute,” the blond nurse countered.
“I’m telling you, it’s a mistake. Dr. Green wanted her to get a good night’s sleep. He wouldn’t have ordered a scan in the middle of the night.”
“Well, somebody ordered it,” the blonde said.
“Probably for tomorrow.” The older nurse typed something into the computer and frowned. “Huh.”
“What?” Quinn asked.
“I see the scan request for tonight, but I have no idea who ordered it. I’ve never seen this doctor’s name before.”
“Where’s imaging?” Quinn said.
“Basement.”
Quinn took off.
“Down the elevator to the left,” the blonde called after him.
He didn’t have the patience for the elevator. He took the stairs two at a time and swung open the door to the basement level.
Pitch blackness greeted him. Instincts on full alert, he pulled out his smartphone and clicked on its flashlight application. Fighting to calm the adrenaline pouring through his body, he aimed the light down the hallway, slowly making his way to imaging.
The deafening silence spiked panic in his chest as he took slow, determined steps. Then he had a thought: if someone was down here planning to harm Billie, Quinn’s very presence could scare him off. “Billie?” he called out.
Silence. A pit grew in his stomach. Had the attacker already found her? Hurt her?
“Billie, answer me!” he demanded.
“Quinn?” her soft voice drifted down the hall.
“I’m here.” He headed in the direction of her voice and turned the corner. He spotted a man dart out of a room and race down the hall.
Quinn wanted to go after him, but needed to get to Billie. As he approached the doorway he spotted something on the floor: a body. He kneeled beside an unconscious young man in scrubs and placed two fingers to his neck. Luckily his pulse was strong and steady.
The slam of a door echoed down the hall.
“Quinn? Are you there?” Billie’s shaky voice called from inside the room.
“Right outside the door,” he said.
“What happened?”
“You’ll be okay, buddy,” he whispered to the orderly. He stood and aime
d the beam of his phone into the room, but couldn’t see Billie. “Where are you?”
She peeked her head around the CT machine. He’d never seen her eyes so big and round before, not even the day they’d rescued Billie and her husband from the mountain.
No, tonight her expression read utter fear.
He crossed the room, kneeled beside her and pulled her against his chest. She let out a gasp, like she’d been holding her breath.
“It’s okay. I’m here.” He stroked her hair, holding her close. Relief finally uncoiled the knot in his chest.
She placed her hand against his chest and leaned back to look into his eyes. “Dylan went to find the tech but didn’t return.”
“Twentyish kid with short black hair?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s okay, but unconscious. Is there a phone in here?”
“On the wall.” She pointed.
He handed her his smartphone. “Aim the light toward the phone and I’ll call security.”
She pointed the beam of light and Quinn found the phone hanging off the cradle. He grabbed it, pressed zero and waited.
Billie was okay. Everything was going to be fine. The knot in his chest might have uncoiled, but tension still hummed through his body.
Billie had been threatened, in danger, and where was Quinn? Absent. He’d abandoned her. More proof of his deep-seated failure.
“Operator,” a woman answered.
“My name is Quinn Donovan. The lights in the basement are out and someone was attacked. Notify security and turn on the emergency lights, please.”
“Who is this?”
“Quinn Donovan. My friend is a patient here, Billie Bronson. Send someone with a stretcher to the basement. One of your orderlies was knocked unconscious.” Quinn hung up and turned to Billie. “We’re going to be fine.”
As Billie nodded with relief, a tear trickled down her cheek. His chest ached at the thought of her being terrorized.
“Come on, let’s get you in the wheelchair.” He helped her stand. She wavered and he automatically picked her up.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“I don’t want you to fall down and hit your head again.”