by Vella Day
“What?” Stone laughed, as he opened the door.
“Works for me.” This date would help take her mind off everything that was happening. Hopefully, it would help Cade, too. Stone had driven, so the three of them squished into his front seat. “Ooh. It’s a ménage sandwich. I’m the meat and you two are the bread,” she said.
Cade picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. Her heart swooned at his tenderness. She loved how he could go from tough guy to romantic in a flash.
“You are so going to experience more than that afterwards.”
Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling so bad. “Promises, promises.” She wouldn’t ask if there were two cocks in her future. If nothing else, tonight should help move their relationship forward.
Stone pulled into the lot. “Here we are at Rock Hard’s famous bowling alley. Pinarama,” Stone said with pride lacing his tone.
The outside appeared to be a little seedy. Having two of the three “a’s” unlit didn’t help. Cade piled out and helped her. From the back Stone retrieved a bag.
She grunted. “Don’t tell me you have your own ball and shoes?”
“Okay, I won’t.” He grinned.
Both men grabbed her hand and they entered the fray. The place was packed. Women bowlers had taken half the lanes. Teams wore matching shirts, which implied tonight was league night.
“Cade,” Stone said. “How about getting us a lane while I help our woman find a ball?”
She liked the “our woman” part.
Cade nodded and headed to the counter. Stone ran his gaze up and down her. “I’m thinking you’re the eight-pound type.”
In high school, she’d used a ten-pound ball, but her fingers might not be as strong any more. He made her pick up at least five of them before she found one that seemed right. “This is good.”
Cade came over. “Lane four.” He picked up a ball and set it down. He nodded to Stone’s bag. “What weight you got in there?”
“Fourteen, but the house balls tend to be a little heavier. I’d try a twelve or a thirteen.”
Amber was curious how this duel would end. Cade tried a few balls and finally chose a fourteen pounder. Men.
Stone grinned as if he knew Cade had been fooled. “Let’s get you shoes.”
By the time they made it to their lane and set up the electronic scoring, it was close to seven and she was starving. Her stomach grumbled.
“Oh, baby. We need to get you something to eat. Pizza? Hotdogs? Hamburger? What?”
Her stomach churned at the thought of the greasy fare. “How about we split a pizza?”
“What kind do you like?” Stone asked.
“Whatever.” She just needed food or she’d get a headache.
“I’ll go,” Cade said. “Amber. Beer?”
“Coke.” The carbonation might settle her stomach better.
Stone nodded to her ball on the rack. “Why don’t you take a practice throw?”
She shook her head. “You just want to check out your competition. I hope you’re prepared for Cade and I plan to outscore you.”
He laughed. “You think? What’s the bet?” She loved the twinkle in his eye.
Cade came back with a Coke and two beers. “Pizza will be up in a bit.” He looked between them. “What?”
“Stone doesn’t think we can beat him. We can, can’t we?”
She thought she’d see the look of victory on his face. “Oh, sugar. I was only kidding back at the house. We don’t stand a chance unless you’re a superstar.”
She shot a gaze at Stone. “You’re that good?”
He shrugged. “Me and the guys used to be on a league. Took second place two years in a row.”
She waved a hand. “Well, then, there’s still hope for us.”
Stone chuckled and shook his head. He sat at the scoring table and pointed to the monitor above them. “You’re up first, baby. Show us what you’ve got.”
No pressure here. She picked up her ball, did her three-step approach, and eased it down the lane. It thumped all the way to the end. While the ball hit the three pin, it only nicked the head pin. The slow speed garnered her a six. She turned around, not wanting to see the disappointment on Cade’s face.
He was beaming. “Way to go!”
Okay. So this wasn’t a real competition. She figured no matter who won or lost, they’d end up in bed, which was exactly where she wanted to be—assuming her stomach improved.
Her next throw took out two more pins for a total of eight. Not bad for not having bowled in years.
“Cade. You’re next, man.”
Cade stood and swaggered to the ball return. If she hadn’t known, she never would have guessed he was a rather up-tight cop with a serial killer on his hands. He picked up the ball, stepped to the line, and looked right and left like she’d seen the pro-bowlers do on television. He rolled the ball down the lane so hard it barely had time to curve. One pin dropped.
“Good shot, man.”
Cade turned around. Instead of a sneer, he smiled. “I meant to do that.”
The ball returned, and he stepped up to the line again. This time, Cade seemed a little more serious and eased up on the throw. He knocked down seven more and raised his hands in victory. He even did a silly little dance, which had her laughing.
“We are so going to win.” She glanced at Stone and grinned.
“You wish.”
Cade nodded to the bar behind the pool tables. “Food’s up.” He jogged up there.
Amber nodded to the lane. “Stone, take your turn, and then we’ll eat.”
Stone was rather nonchalant as he approached the lane. He held the ball for a few seconds, as if he needed to center himself, then tossed it with smooth precision. Pins flew everywhere, but one remained. His shoulders tensed for a second. He, too, seemed to have high standards.
The ball returned just as Cade set the food on a table behind the lanes. Stone aimed and then rolled the ball softly. The ball headed down the middle, curved left, and then knocked down the pin.
She clapped. “A spare! Good job.”
He turned back and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Boy, he was serious.
“Let’s eat,” he said.
They put the game on hold and chowed. The men fought over the pizza, but she only ate two pieces before she was full. A small ache started behind her eye. Damn. She didn’t need a headache. Not now. The timing couldn’t have been any worse.
Caffeine usually helped, so she guzzled her Coke and plastered on a smile. “Let’s go beat him, Cade.”
He nodded. “Let’s do it.”
The rest of the game was neck and neck. In the end, Stone beat them by five pins.
“Rematch,” Cade demanded.
The smell of the oils on the lane or the building’s mold increased her headache, but she refused to have anything interfere with their fun. “You’re on.”
This time Stone started. He let the ball fly and held his pose for a second before standing and swaying as if he was urging the ball to turn this way and that. “Strike!” he shouted.
She and Cade clapped. She stood and a sharp spike stabbed her eye. A few times, she debated asking the men to take her home, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves too much. Damn. Their huge sexual experience might have to be put on hold if the headache didn’t ease up.
Amber threw an eight on the first toss, but missed the spare by a hair. Cade made up for her lack by knocking down all the pins. The race was on.
Forty-minutes later, she and Cade were victorious and hugs were shared all around.
“Tiebreaker?” Stone asked.
This time she had to speak up. “Not for me. I’ve got a killer headache.”
Their cheer disappeared in a heartbeat. “Sugar, why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“I was having fun.” Now they’d fuss at her.
“Next time, let us know sooner.”
She nodded. Stone removed his shoes, and she and Cade followed suit. Cade paid
and then escorted her out.
“I’m sorry, guys.”
Cade opened the passenger side door. “It’s not your fault. I had fun. We’ll have to do it again.”
“Hell, yeah,” Stone joined in. “A tie is not acceptable.”
Leave it to the men to make her laugh. When they arrived back at her place, Stone made her lean back on the sofa while he prepared a hot compress for her face.
“Can I fix you some tea, sugar?”
Cade probably had never made tea. She only used the loose stuff. The pitcher of iced tea was probably gone. “I’m good.”
The men sat next to her as she placed the soothing cloth over her eyes. Stone rubbed her arms, while Cade massaged her feet.
When she awoke, they were both gone. Crap. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. A note sat on her stomach. She read it out loud and smiled. “Loved tonight. If we’d stayed, we never would have gotten any rest.” Both men signed it. “Aw.”
It was already past midnight so she didn’t blame them for not hanging around. Even though they never got to bed, she had to say, she’d seen an incredible side of both men. She was falling fast and prayed they were, too.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
By the following Wednesday, over a week after the sting operation had begun, Amber’s nerves were totally shot. Her three-day headache had finally disappeared, but it threatened to return every time she walked down the hospital halls. She couldn’t help but study every staff member, wondering if one of them could be a killer. Sadly, she’d even jumped when Jamie came into the cafeteria and sat at her table.
“What’s got you so uptight?”
Jamie didn’t work on her floor, so Amber hadn’t had the chance to tell her about Thad. She also hadn’t shown up to this week’s happy hour either. While she’d spoken with Jamie a couple of times on the phone, she wanted to see her friend in person before she brought up her concerns about Thad. “I’m good.”
“You’re like a jack rabbit with a hunter nearby.”
Amber laughed. “I’m not that bad.” She drank some of her tea then sobered. She cast her gaze downward for a moment before beginning. “Last Monday, a young man was brought in with pancreatic cancer. He’s so sweet and brave, but his pain level is killing me.”
Jamie’s expression turned serious. “Isn’t the doctor giving him morphine?”
“Yes, but it’s not enough.” She pressed her lips together and thought of Chris and his helpless situation. That made her eyes water for real. “His wife is eight months pregnant. She’s out of her mind with grief.”
Her friend shook her head. “Who’s the doctor?”
“Zachery Stanfield. He’s the best. He’s going to try a new protocol for Thad. I pray it works, but I’ve seen his blood work and really don’t think there’s much hope.”
Jamie clasped her hand. “I guess my floor will be getting a new patient soon.”
“Maybe. Dr. Stanfield said it could be a month or more. To suffer that much breaks my heart.”
“I hear ya.”
They both ate their meal, but with the way Jamie was picking at her food, she was thinking about poor Thad, too. Amber hated lying to her best friend, but she told herself it was for the greater good.
Amber wanted to change the subject before she acted too much out of character. “I’m really looking forward to our get together tonight.” It was just the girls.
Jamie’s eyes opened. “What? No Cade or Stone?”
Her friend knew how much Amber was taken by them, and that she wanted to spend as much time with her men as their schedules allowed. “Both are working, so I’m free!”
“Good. I spoke with Becky. She can’t make it, but I think Zoey and Melissa can.”
“I so need this break. Lately, this place has been crazy. Everyone is on edge.” That wasn’t a lie.
Jamie nodded. “I think it’s those murders.”
“You’re probably right.” Amber studied Jamie, but she didn’t seem to have any idea Amber suspected Ben.
As soon as they finished lunch, Amber went back to doing her rounds, checking to see the administered drugs were doing their job on her patients. Close to five, she passed Thad’s room. Since the door was open, she peeked in. To her surprise, Zoey Donovan was there.
“Hey!” Crap. She shouldn’t have been so cheery.
Zoey was able to keep her professional demeanor and didn’t smile back. “Thad and I are talking about end of life decisions.”
Amber glanced at Thad. If she didn’t know he was a robust undercover cop, she might think he was close to death. Someone had done a good makeup job. More than that, he looked, well, scared.
“How’s it going, Thad?”
“I hate feeling like shit. I’m in so much pain, I want to die.” He turned his head. She almost believed him.
“Hang in there.” The man was good. She had to give him that. Amber made sure her back was to the door and kept her voice low. “You coming tonight?”
Zoey nodded. “Thad, I’ll be back tomorrow. Stay positive for your wife.”
He grunted.
Even though this was a sting operation, Amber felt bad for the guy. The young shouldn’t die. At that thought, her mind went straight to Chris, and she sucked in a breath.
Zoey placed a hand on her arm. “You okay?”
Her eyes watered. “Thad reminds me of Chris. That’s all.”
“It’ll take time, but if you need to talk, you know where to find me.”
Zoey was good at her job and very sincere. “I will. See you in a few.”
Once they parted, Amber couldn’t wait to leave. She passed a few nurses and doctors she didn’t remember seeing before and wondered if they might be undercover, too. She prayed Cade and Ethan’s plan worked. It had to.
* *
Amber had finished a glass of wine by the time Zoey finally arrived at Banner’s. Now the foursome was complete.
Zoey dropped onto her seat. “Sorry, ladies. I had a late walk-in.
Something in Zoey’s eyes seemed different. “Want to share his name?”
Zoey laughed. “Why would you think it’s a male?”
“By the look in your eyes. I get the sense the late appointment wasn’t a real therapy session, but if I’m wrong, tell me to mind my own business.”
“He’s just an old friend who happens to be married. Sorry to disappoint you all.” She leaned forward and looked right at Amber. “I want to know how your fireman and your super cop are doing.”
Did the whole town know? “They’re good.”
Zoey cocked a brow. “Have the three of you found time to be together?”
That was an odd question. She told them about their bowling adventure. “But that seemed to be the exception. Stone is on night shift for the next month and Cade is working on a few cases that have interrupted our time together. Why?”
She shrugged. “Just asking. As you know, years ago I dated two men.” She rolled her eyes. “It was bad enough one would never put the toilet seat down while the other was a slob.”
Jamie sighed. “Benny never puts the seat down and is a slob. And that’s only one man.”
Once more, they all chuckled as Melissa picked up her glass. “You don’t have to answer this, but do the men get jealous? I’ve only dated one guy at a time, but if I looked at another male, he’d freak!”
Amber and Zoey answered at the same time. Amber said no while Zoey said yes.
Melissa looked confused. “Care to explain?”
Amber nodded to Zoey. “Go ahead.” Stone and Cade claimed they didn’t get jealous, but she really hadn’t been with them long enough to be sure.
“This stays between us girls, right?”
“Always,” they said in unison.
“Dave and Mark were both amazing men. Dave was a dentist and Mark a psychiatrist. You’d think smart men like that wouldn’t enter into a ménage relationship until they were willing to share.”
“Right,” Melissa said.
�
��If I was with Mark, Dave would demand I pay as much attention to him and vice versa.” She waved a hand. “Not a subject I like to talk about.” She turned to Melissa. “Tell us something fun you’ve done this week.”
“Fun? I’m still reeling from Stephanie Osmond’s death.”
Zoey placed a hand over hers. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
Melissa had been Stephanie’s nurse. Amber didn’t want her night to end on a down note. “Guess what adventure I had since our last get together?” She couldn’t wait to tell them about skinny-dipping, and how before she and Stone had finished making love, some hikers showed up. All eyes turned to her. “Listen closely, and I’ll tell you a tale.”
* *
Stone hadn’t had a chance to see Amber for days because of his intense schedule. Before he went to his supervisor and offered him his first born to switch to the day shift, he wanted to have a conversation with Cade. With his late hours, and Cade’s obsession with finding the killer, they hadn’t had a chance to talk about the direction of their relationship with her.
Because Stone didn’t have to be at work for another two hours, he planned to speak with Cade then stop by and visit Amber. She had today and tomorrow off. Even just a hug and kiss would help him get through the day.
He texted Cade and immediately received a reply he could spare a half hour. Something must have happened, because Cade was at the hospital. He’d claimed he didn’t want to be seen hovering in the hallways.
Stone then checked to see if Amber was free at three. She, too, texted right back that she was. Perfect. He’d chat with Cade then drive to Amber’s house before he headed into work.
In less than fifteen minutes, Stone was rushing up to the second floor to find his roommate. Because he was wearing his paramedic uniform, no one seemed to notice him. As a thought too horrible to even consider entered his mind, his steps faltered. A paramedic would be the perfect person to put these patients out of their misery. Both Ativan and succinylcholine were available to him in the ambulance.
Stone raced through the names of his co-workers, dismissing each one immediately. It wasn’t possible. None of the men had become close enough emotionally to any of the patients to do this. Other than maybe Chris, whose condition had been severe, most of those he and his fellow paramedics delivered to the hospital were treated and on their way home in a few days. Firemen didn’t deal very often with people with cancer, liver failure, and life-ending diseases.