“Then you’ll miss out on two lovely ladies waiting to see that you’re not brain dead. And I swear I’ll give you that diagnosis if you don’t want to see these two.”
Dane opened his other eye. He blinked, trying to focus his vision. He looked around him, only seeing Doc Burns standing by his bed.
“Liar.”
“They’re here. The little one had to go pee. Mommy’s a real looker.”
“She’s doesn’t play on your team, Doc.”
“So I gather, Daddy.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Long enough for Jules and me to get to know each other. Now let me check you over before they return.”
Doc Burns checked Dane’s pupils with a penlight. “Follow my finger.”
Dane obeyed.
“How’s the head?”
“Hurts like hell.”
“Hurts like hell normal or worse?”
“Normal.”
“Good. Do you remember what happened?”
Dane shook his head. “Nothing.” He glanced at the intravenous lines hooked up to his arm. “What are you giving me?”
“Drugs.”
“One of your secret concoctions?”
“Yes. Let me know if it works.”
“How will I know?”
“You don’t die.”
“Your bedside humor sucks, Doc.”
“Ya, well fire me if you want.”
Dane closed his eyes and felt himself falling into the comfort of the pillow.
“Stay with me, Master Corporal.”
“I’m here. How long have I been out?”
“We put you into an induced coma to get that brain of yours to settle. You’ve been out for forty-eight hours. You seem stable now.”
“Do you know what caused the seizures?”
“We’re looking into it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We found something.”
There was a light tap at the door before Jules’ head peeked around the corner.
“Is it alright to come in for a visit? I have two very excited redheads waiting to see you.”
Doc waved them in. She turned to Dane. “We’ll talk later.”
“Dane!” The excited squeals of the four almost-five-year-old filled the room as she ran to his bedside.
Lucky wagged his tail, doing his happy dance for Dane. He pulled at the leash to get to Dane. Jules let him go, and in one leap, Lucky landed on top of his master.
“Hey, boy. Did you miss me?” Dane lifted his chin, trying to avoid the licks. Lucky wouldn’t let him. “Okay, that’s enough. Settle down, boy. Settle.”
“Off!” Becca’s little voice stopped the dog.
He jumped off the bed and sat beside Becca.
Dane smiled, amused. “Looks like Lucky has a new master.” He reached for Becca. “Come here, little one.”
“Careful,” Doc warned. “Your IV.”
“I’m okay.” Dane picked up Becca and sat her beside him. “Have you been looking after Lucky for me?”
She nodded her head.
“He hasn’t left her side,” Jules said softly. “It’s as though he’s taken over as her guard dog.”
Dane’s gaze darted to her. “He’s supposed to.”
“He’s your dog, Dane.”
“I think this is my cue to leave. Master Corporal, we’ll talk later. Jules, don’t let him order you around. Let him know who’s the real boss. Goodbye, Becca. Take care of Lucky, okay?”
“Okay.”
Jules moved toward the bed, then sat on the chair close to it.
“Why does she call you Master Corporal?”
“It’s her fallback. Whenever she’s stressed or in a group, she calls me by my rank. You should hear what she calls me when we’re alone.”
“No, thanks. The two of you are close.” Jules looked down at her hands, embarrassed by the feeling of jealousy she felt working its way into her.
“Yes, we are. It was Bates, Doc, and me for four tours of duty. We grew close. We still are.”
Dane reached for Jules’ hand. “Hey, why the sad face?”
“You scared Mommy,” Becca’s sweet voice answered for Jules.
“I did? I didn’t mean to.”
“It looks like little ears have been listening again.”
“Why was Mommy scared?”
“Dane, don’t—”
“Do you know why?”
“She said she couldn’t lose you again. Silly Mommy. You weren’t lost.”
Dane gazed up at Jules. “You’re not going to lose me, Red. I plan on sticking around for a very long time. I’ll be here for Becca, and you no matter what. You’re with Blackwell. Becca seems to like him.”
“I’m not—” Jules felt the blush come to her cheeks and cursed the uncontrollable giveaway. It was best to deflect and not have to think about Dane and his admission. “What did Doc tell you? Do you know what’s wrong with you?”
“I’m fine. Just a big guy with a crazy brain.” He gave her his boyish wink.
“It’s not funny. You scared the hell out of all us. Lucky went crazy.”
“Bates wanted to shoot him,” Becca piped in.
“What?” Dane pushed himself into a sitting position. “Why would he want to do that?”
“Becca? Remember what we talked about?”
“Oh, I forgot.”
“Too late now. What did I miss?”
“Lucky was in protective overload. He wouldn’t get off you, and he wouldn’t let anyone near you. Bates tried, and Lucky lunged at him. Bates thought he’d have to shoot him.”
“How did you get him off me?”
“It was Val’s idea to use Becca. She knew how Lucky reacted to her. I thought she was crazy.”
“I told him to get off you, and he did.”
“You told Lucky to get off me? And he listened to you?”
Becca nodded her head. “I said, ‘Off, Lucky’ and he did.”
“Son of a gun. It worked.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lucky knows his family.”
Jules had left with Becca to return her to daycare, leaving Dane alone with his thoughts and his dog.
Dane rubbed Lucky’s head. “Good job, boy. You did great.”
He knew the rules about service dogs—that they were to serve one master. Any deviation would confuse the dog, and it would not carry out its duties, most likely to the detriment of the one whose life depended on him. Lucky was different. Dane realized from the moment he met this dog that he was intelligent and capable of learning more than detecting Dane’s seizures.
When Becca came into their lives, Dane knew that Lucky could do more, and he wanted him to do more. Dane rarely thought about the possibility of not surviving a seizure. He was of the firm belief that when it was his time to leave this earth, it was his time. However, with Becca in the picture, and the possibility that she would be spending time with him, Dane wanted to ensure her safety if he blacked out when alone with Becca. Her safety was paramount. He could go into the darkness, knowing that Lucky would protect her.
Dane was tired to the bone, wanting to sleep and yet sleep evaded him. He wanted to go home, listen to Kenny G or watch football, and enjoy one of his favorite bottles of scotch. Lucky would sit at his feet. Becca would be with him, too, reading one of her fairy tales to him. And Jules, she’d be sitting by his side, her body leaning against him and holding his hand. He wanted so much and now—
A hard rap on his door brought him back to the present.
“Bates.”
“Doc said you could have visitors.”
“I was wondering when you’d drop by.”
Bates took the chair by Dane’s bedside then
gripped Dane’s hand.
“You’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I hear you and Lucky butted heads.”
“Stubborn-assed dog. Just like his owner.”
Bates released Dane’s hand.
“Glad you didn’t have to shoot him.”
“Who told you?”
“Little ears, Bates.” Dane gave out a heavy sigh. “It would have hurt like hell to lose this guy, but I would have understood.”
“You would have been the only one. Your mutt’s got a fan club. Val still won’t let it go.”
“How is she?”
“Baking up a storm. Making all your favorites for when you return. Know when that’s going to be?”
“It can’t be soon enough as far as I’m concerned. Doc wants to run a few more tests before I can come home.”
“What kind of tests?”
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say.”
“Want me to go pay her a visit?”
Dane smiled, appreciating his concern. “She found something. That’s all I can tell you.”
Jules noticed Bates standing at the nurses’ station outside of Dane’s hospital room. She hoped to talk to the man who knew Dane the best even though Bates put her on edge. It wasn’t his size, although she had to admit that he was intimidating the way he could fill a doorway or how he looked at her as though he were deciding if she was friend or foe. She felt like the enemy when around him. It was the way he could move, despite his size, quietly and quickly, and how he entered a room without her hearing a sound. He unnerved her. That’s what it was. Bates got on Jules’ nerves.
He glanced her way, for a brief moment, assessed her, then continued his conversation with the nurse. When he finished, Bates turned his attention to Jules who by this time, stood outside Dane’s door looking in at him through the glass pane. He made his way to Jules, stopping behind her.
“He’s out for the count. Doc gave him another sedative.”
Jules jumped. “Damn it!” She turned to face Bates. “Do you have to sneak up on people?”
“You knew I was here.”
“You were over there,” Jules sputtered as she pointed to the nurses’ station. She felt the burn of her blush and became angrier at her embarrassment. “I didn’t hear you behind me!”
“Want me to wear a bell or something?” A thin smile broke through on his stony face.
“Isn’t that against Special Ops rules?”
“Special Elite. But for you, I might have to make the exception.”
“Why’s that?”
Bates nodded toward the sleeping figure in the bed. “Boss’s orders. I’m not to creep you out.”
“He said that?”
“More or less.”
“Do you ever call him by his name?”
“His name’s Boss as far as I’m concerned. I hear you have a problem with it.”
“I prefer Dane.”
Bates grunted.
“Can we talk?”
“Aren’t we doing that?”
“In private. My office.”
Bates shrugged and started down the hall.
“Where are you going?”
“Your office.”
“How do you—”
Bates stopped and turned to face her. “I know everything about you, doctor. You left your office door unlocked. Always lock it when you leave. You don’t want strangers going through your things.”
Jules barely kept her jaw from hitting the floor. This man was going to be her undoing. How could he know everything about her? And her office? What gave him the right to be in her office? When she had the chance, she was going to tell Dane that his sidekick still gave her the creeps.
Jules took in a calming breath. She would not let this man get to her. She needed answers from him, and going full-blown redhead ballistic on him would not help her in any way, although it sure as hell would make her feel better.
Bates led the way. He stopped outside the doorway, making room for her to enter.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she passed by him.
Jules took her seat behind her large desk while Bates closed the door behind him. He sat in an armchair, his gaze never leaving her.
She returned his gaze and wondered what he was thinking. There were no tell signs, no glimmer in his blue eyes. They were an icy blue, cold as if reflecting the man inside.
“Why did you keep my identity from Dane?”
“Straight to the point. I like that.”
“You don’t strike me as a man who likes to play games.”
“Not with women.”
Jules didn’t want to go down this path. She needed to ask him about Dane, and then she wanted him out of her office.
“So? Why did you keep my identity from Dane?”
“He wasn’t ready for you. The man was a mess, still is in some ways. Adding you to the equation didn’t seem right for either of you.”
“How was he a mess?”
“Nope. Not going there.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s allowed to have his secrets. His aren’t mine to tell. If you want to know, ask him.”
Jules leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk. Her gaze searched Bates’ face for a hint of empathy. “He’s Becca’s father. Why would you keep him from his daughter?” She waited for an answer then groaned her frustration at his lack of response. “He saves children all over the world! Why would he not want to know about Becca!”
“I never said he wouldn’t want to know about you or Becca.”
“You’re playing word games with me, Bates. Please tell me the truth.”
Bates reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled out four prescription bottles and set each one on the desk. “These are mine. I need these to get me through every single day. I didn’t get my bell rung by a tractor-trailer like Boss. Some days I wish I could trade places with him, so he doesn’t have to suffer the way he does.”
“PTSD—”
“Don’t!” Bates held up his hand to stop her. “I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about Boss. You’re a doctor. You should know that drugs made to cure us can also kill us. Drugs don’t work for him. Every damned side effect you could imagine, he suffered. Did you know that suicide is one of the side effects of most of the drugs Doc prescribed him? We were lucky to notice the signs and get him off the shit before he killed himself. It was Doc who found Lucky. If it weren’t for that dog, Boss would be six feet under by now.”
“Val calls Lucky Dane’s lifesaver.”
“She’s right about that. We were getting Boss sorted out when he decided to hire a housekeeper. Val was the best candidate, and when I discovered that you were part of her family, I decided to keep you a secret. He wasn’t ready to bring anyone into his life, especially you or a child.”
“I could have helped him.”
Bates laughed without humor. “Don’t kid yourself, doctor. You would have treated him the same way you’re treating him now—with contempt and hatred.”
“I don’t hate him.” Jules felt the burn come to her cheeks, angered by his accusations.
“You hate what he does, and it’s the same thing. If you can’t accept all of him, you’re not any good to him. Boss has his pride. The last thing he needs is a woman who tries to make him feel guilty about what he does, especially when there’s a helluva lot of people who are alive because of him.”
“I know that he’s a good man.”
“But?”
“It’s the guns. I can’t accept them.”
“Don’t hate the man because you hate guns.”
“I’m trying not to.”
“Try harder, doctor, or get the hell out of his life.” Bates stood and leaned across Jules’ desk. His palms pressed flat against the su
rface as his face came within inches of Jules’ face. “That night when you asked him to protect you from that creep Sinclair, Boss didn’t know you from Eve. He went against every rule he made for himself by playing a game you started. He kept you safe, out of harm’s way while he let me deal with Sinclair.”
“You were the one? John could have died!” Jules stared into the blue eyes that seemed to grow colder with each second she held his gaze.
“You could have, too, if we hadn’t stepped in to help you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Bates straightened then stepped back from the desk. He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. He placed it on her desk. “Have a look at this then decide who is worse, Dane Andrews or John Sinclair.”
She held his hand and watched the rise and fall of his chest as he lay sleeping. Jules didn’t want to wake Dane. She wasn’t ready to talk to him. Instead, she sat by his bedside and thought about the man who represented everything she hated. She’d tried finding out whatever she could about him on the internet. There was very little to be found, only a blurb about the Canadian sniper, known as Boss, who was famous for his number of kills and the record-breaking long-distance shot that took out a wanted terrorist. He lived a secret life. His ranch outside of High River was evidence of that.
Aunt Val and Doc Burns adored Dane. He was their hero, and there was no arguing with them on that point. Neither of them could understand why Jules found it hard to accept Dane for the man that he was. They were right. He was a hero. He had been her hero once.
For one night she had asked him to play the part of Gary, a bush firefighter who was in town to spend the weekend with her. And he did willingly. This handsome stranger fell into the game quickly, playing the role of the loving boyfriend. He was perfect. He knew all the right things to say. He knew how to dance, and he knew how to make her laugh and forget that another man had threatened her. He could make up stories about their time together, and she believed him, adding her fantasies to their game.
Jules remembered how she felt. She felt loved, desired, and safe, even though she knew it was only for that night. A one time experience with a man who Jules knew deep down in her soul could be the one, and yet she knew that the timing was all wrong. She had made plans to move to Toronto and take a position at one of the world’s leading hospitals. She had dreams, and none of them included High River.
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