To Laugh

by Laura Scott

  She took her time, thinking Jonas might need a power nap. But when she returned to the living area, he was sipping his water, staring out through the living room window at the brown brick hospital building that was visible from here.

  “I’m supposed to attend therapy three days a week,” he said, breaking the silence.

  She wasn’t surprised. “You’ll do great. From what I saw today, it’s clear you’ll be walking on your new leg in no time.”

  The corner of his mouth tipped up in a half smile. “It’s a workout for sure. But I was thinking about the six-hour round-trip drive. Seems a little crazy.”

  Realization dawned and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment that she hadn’t understood what he was getting at. “Oh, and you’d like to stay here? Of course, you’re more than welcome.”

  Jonas shifted on the sofa as if seeking a more comfortable position. “I don’t want to invade your space. I can sleep right here on the couch.”

  Her cheeks were burning now, and she quickly looked away. “That’s not a problem. I’ll be happy to give you a key.” She jumped up and hurried into the kitchen, rummaging through her junk drawer for her spare set.

  “Here.” She dropped them in his lap. “Use the place any time.”

  He picked up the keys, eyeing her curiously. “Thanks. But I wasn’t thinking I’d be here alone. You live here, right?”

  Dear heaven, could her face get any hotter? He wasn’t asking to move in with her, but that’s how she was acting.

  Get a grip, Bella.

  Thankfully, the buzzer indicating their meal had arrived prevented her from making a fool of herself. She hurried over and pressed the lock, allowing the delivery person to come in.

  “I have it,” Jonas said, pulling bills out of his wallet.

  She wanted to protest, but the steely glint in his eye warned her off. She reluctantly took the cash and opened the door.

  They ate at her small kitchen table. He jutted his chin at the framed picture sitting prominently on the end table. “Your brother? Or your former fiancé?”

  “My brother, Ryan.” Sadness welled in her chest, and she did her best to shake it off. “I miss him.”

  Jonas nodded solemnly. “I can’t imagine losing one of my siblings. They drive me nuts, but I love them.”

  “I remember you saying something about having a lot of siblings.”

  “Yeah, there’s six of us in all. Three brothers, all older than me, then my younger twin sisters.”

  “Must be nice to have such a large family.” She didn’t bother to hide the wistfulness in her tone.

  When they finished eating, Jonas made his way back into the living room to stretch out on the sofa again. She suspected his left leg was hurting and went to get the promised ibuprofen.

  “Let me know when you’re ready to drive back.”

  He nodded, but then closed his eyes. Leaving him alone for a bit, she pulled out her laptop computer and began searching for a new job. She applied for several jobs in the southern Chicago area, this time steering away from surgical nursing in the operating room. She thought it might be nice to try rehab nursing.

  Jonas continued to sleep. As the hour grew later, Bella decided there was no point in driving the three hours back to The McNallys’ B&B. She called Jemma to let her know she and Jonas were staying in town, explaining that the physical therapy had wiped him out and he was currently sleeping on her sofa.

  Bella yawned and padded into her bedroom. She’d just changed into a comfy pair of boxer shorts and tank top when she heard a muffled thud.

  Fearing Jonas may have rolled off the sofa, she hurried into the living room. Jonas was still stretched out on the sofa, apparently sound asleep.

  Reminding herself that she was surrounded by other apartments which could account for the thud, she turned to head back to the bedroom.

  When the door handle to her apartment jiggled, she froze, heart thudding in her chest. Slowly, she faced the door.

  The handle rattled again, harder this time. There were small metallic sounds, too.

  Bella forced herself to approach the door. She raised up on her tippy-toes, pressing her eye to the peephole.

  She couldn’t see anyone. And when the door handle jiggled again, she knew.

  Someone was attempting to pick the lock!

  9

  “Go away or I’ll call the cops!”

  Bella’s shout had Jonas jackknifing up from his supine position on the sofa. He looked around wildly, automatically reaching for his weapon, before remembering he’d left it in the glove box of Jazz’s truck.

  “What’s going on?” He grabbed his crutches and stood. “What happened?”

  “I think someone was trying to break in.” Bella’s blue eyes were wide with fright, and he noticed she was twisting her fingers together nervously.

  “What do you mean?” He crutched over to her and put his hand on her arm. Her skin felt cold and clammy, and he could tell she was literally shaking with fear.

  “The door handle was jiggling, and there were metallic sounds, too. I looked through the peephole but didn’t see anyone out there.” She moved closer to him as if seeking comfort and protection. “That means the person outside the door was kneeling while picking the lock, right?”

  “Or it was a kid, too short to be seen through the peephole.” Pinching the crutches beneath his armpit, he pulled her close, hugging her. It was hard to believe someone would bother to break into Bella’s apartment. To what end? “A kid who has the wrong apartment maybe. Like he lost his key and didn’t want his parents to know.”

  “How do you know it’s a he and not a she?” Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. He sensed she was talking in an effort to ward off tears.

  “I don’t.” He rested his cheek against her dark silky hair, savoring the strawberry scent. The kiss Jemma’s son Trey had interrupted flashed in his mind, but he told himself that this wasn’t the time or place. He needed to stay focused. “But I still think it could be a kid. Maybe he or she was trying to pick the lock on a dare. Stay here, I’ll take a look.”

  “No!” Bella tightened her grip. “I don’t want you to go out there alone.”

  “I might be handicapped, but I can still take care of myself.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. You’re not handicapped.” She lifted her head to look up at him. “You’re a trained soldier. Big difference.”

  He couldn’t fight, but he could shoot. If he had his Glock. “I’m sure you scared off whoever was out there. I’ll take a quick look.” And head down to his car to get his gun, but he didn’t tell her that.

  “I’ll go with you.” Bella’s tone was firm, and he inwardly sighed. He should have expected that response.

  “Fine, but stay behind me.” He dropped his arms, allowing her to move away.

  She went to open the door, and he noticed there was no deadbolt.

  “You need better locks,” he chided, moving past her so he could go into the hallway first. The entire corridor was empty, and there was no sign that anyone had been there.

  “It’s a safe neighborhood.” Her excuse was weak, and he decided her landlord needed to install a deadbolt as soon as possible.

  And if she didn’t make the call, he would.

  “I need to get something out of my car.” He crutched toward the elevator.

  “Your gun? I don’t like that idea.”

  “I’m a trained soldier, remember?”

  The trip down to Jazz’s truck, then back up to Bella’s apartment didn’t take long. Before heading inside, he set the crutches against the wall and bent his good leg so that he could see the lock in the door more closely.

  There were several small scratches around the keyhole. It wasn’t definitive proof of a lock-picking attempt by any means, but it was suspicious.

  “See? I told you.” Bella’s tone held a note of defiance.

  “I know.” He didn’t point out that simply inserting the
key into the lock could cause scratches, too. Bella had noticed the door handle jiggling and had heard metallic sounds, and he found himself believing her. And he was glad to have his Glock holstered in his belt.

  What he didn’t understand was motive. Why would anyone attempt to gain access to her apartment? To steal something? If so, what? She had a TV and laptop, but it wasn’t as if she was living in some swanky place that reeked of money.

  It didn’t make any sense.

  “Do you keep cash here?”

  Bella locked the door behind them, then came over to join him on the sofa. “No. I barely use cash. The hospital deposits my checks automatically, and I use my debit or credit card. No need to carry money.”

  “Is there anything else of value here?” He persisted. “Jewelry? Rare coins? Anything worth stealing?”

  She snorted and spread her hands wide. “Are you kidding? Look around. What you see is what I have.”

  “Do you know who lives in the apartment directly above or below you? Could be that the lock-picker had the wrong apartment.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t know who lives upstairs or downstairs. I know the woman across the hall because she’s a nurse at the VA, too. But even then, I don’t see her often, she works night shift and I work primarily days. There’s a single mom with a young girl in the apartment next to me, but she’s moving out at the end of the month. There’s a young couple a few doors down; they always greet me when they see me. I doubt any of them has valuables worth stealing.”

  “So why, then?” His brain was still a bit foggy with sleep. He’d been out for the count when she’d awoken him by shouting.

  Bella blew out a heavy sigh. “You’re right. There’s no reason for anyone to try to break in. It must have been a kid on a dare. Or someone had the wrong apartment. Anyone could have lost their key.”

  He glanced at the door again, thinking about the way the female physician assistant, what was her name? Erin? No, Emily, had looked so shocked to see Bella. Emily would know that Bella was here in Battle Creek and therefore had no reason to try breaking in.

  Still, Jonas didn’t like the weird things that were happening around Bella. First Hackbarth showing up in McNally Bay, followed by the failed brakes. Now this latest issue here in Battle Creek. It was as if danger followed Bella wherever she went.

  “I think we should hit the road.” He looked her in the eye. “It’s safer at the B and B than it is here.”

  “We can’t. I already told Jemma we were staying here because you’d fallen asleep on the sofa.” She flushed and looked away. “Don’t worry, I made sure she knew that you were exhausted from your physical therapy appointment.”

  “Gee, thanks.” He grimaced. “Now she’ll have more to worry about.”

  “I didn’t want her to think . . .” She didn’t finish.

  “That we were staying here, together as a couple, I know.” He decided to hit the subject straight on. “Give me a little credit, Bella. I’m not that kind of guy.”

  “Oh boy.” She buried her face in her hands, no doubt hiding the pinkness of her cheeks. He liked the way she blushed. “Can we please change the subject?”

  He longed to pull her into his arms again, this time to kiss her until they both couldn’t breathe. More proof they should drive back to McNally Bay. Not that he’d ever take advantage of Bella’s kindness, but sharing the apartment suddenly seemed intimate. Even with him sleeping on the sofa.

  Besides, it would be best to put distance between Bella and her potential enemies.

  “Does anyone at the hospital know you live here?”

  She looked surprised by the question. “I don’t know, maybe. It’s not a secret that many of the hospital staff live in the building. As a nurse working in the OR, I have to take call every fourth weekend, which means we need to live within thirty minutes of the facility.”

  “So Emily and Hackbarth both know you live here? Do you think it’s possible one of them tried to break in to plant evidence of some kind?” Even as he said the words, he saw the flaw in his theory. The apartment building was six stories high and held at least twenty apartments per floor. Knowing Bella lived here wasn’t enough.

  The person who’d tried to break in would have to know the exact apartment number.

  “Maybe.” Her tone was thick with doubt. “What kind of evidence?”

  He slowly shook his head. “I don’t know. Drugs? Something to discredit you?” It was the only reason he could come up with, and still, it didn’t make sense considering Emily had seen them that afternoon.

  “Hospital investigations don’t go as far as to search employees’ apartments,” Bella protested.

  But someone could call a tip in to the police, claiming Bella was selling drugs from the place. It may be enough to get a search warrant.

  Either way, they weren’t staying here. “We’re leaving,” he said again. “Trust me, Jemma won’t care if we come in late. We have keys to get in, and if we’re quiet, she won’t even know we’re back until morning.”

  Bella looked indecisive for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. “All right, we’ll go on one condition.”

  He raised a brow. “Like what?”

  “You let me drive so you can rest.”

  A flash of annoyance caught him off guard. It was the first time since they’d met that she treated him like an invalid.

  And he didn’t like it.

  “Forget it. I already slept. I don’t need to rest.” He knew he sounded testy but didn’t care. “You can rest while I drive.”

  She looked as if she wanted to argue but didn’t. Instead, she got up from the sofa and went into her bedroom. At first he thought she wasn’t going to leave with him, but she returned a few minutes later with a small bag of clothes.

  “Let’s go, then.”

  “Fine.” He followed her out of the apartment and waited while she locked the door. Neither one of them spoke on the elevator ride back down to the parking garage.

  He put his crutches in the back, then slid behind the wheel. Bella took the seat beside him, setting her bag of clothes at her feet.

  It wasn’t until they were out on the highway that she spoke. “I’m sorry.”

  The apology caught him off guard. “For what?”

  “For making it sound like you couldn’t drive.” She sighed and shrugged. “I’m not usually overprotective. Blame it on the weird lock-picking incident.”

  “It’s fine.” He glanced at her. “But I prefer the sharp edge of your tongue. It makes me smile.”

  That made her laugh. “You’re a goofball.”

  “That’s better than a slime-bucket.”

  The tension eased, and he noticed Bella soon used the window as a headrest, her eyes drifting shut.

  As he drove through the dark night, he turned this theory over in his mind. If by some chance Emily or Hackbarth had known Bella’s apartment number, it was entirely possible the lock-pick incident was related to the brake line being cut.

  He needed Garth’s help to investigate this latest turn of events.

  They needed something to go on before things escalated any further.

  Because he didn’t trust the arrogant surgeon or the pretty blonde PA any farther than he could throw them.

  Bella slept during the ride back to the B&B, waking as Jonas pulled into the driveway. “I slept the whole way?”

  “Pretty much.” He smiled, and she was glad Jonas seemed to have forgiven her. “Remember we have to be quiet so we don’t wake Jemma and Trey.”

  “I know.” She climbed out of the car, then reached for her clothes. She knew better than to offer to help Jonas and approached the door of the B&B to unlock it.

  He crutched toward her, the backpack holding his leg hanging from his shoulders.

  “Wait. I’ll grab the art supplies.” She walked toward the car. “Unlock it for me.”

  The electronic beep indicated she could open the door to Jazz’s truck. She pulled out the large bag of suppli
es, then returned to the doorway.

  They tried to be quiet as they made their way up the grand staircase. Bella’s foot slipped, and she nearly dropped the bag of art supplies. She managed to hang on, but it made a thudding noise when it hit the wall.

  “Shh,” Jonas whispered.

  “I’m trying,” she whispered back. It was odd to be sneaking into the B&B after midnight, almost as if she and Jonas were teenagers who’d sneaked out to kiss by the bonfire on the beach. The image made her giggle, and she ended up hitting the bag of art supplies against the wall again.

  “Are you trying to wake them up?” Jonas demanded in a hushed tone.

  “No.” She swallowed another laugh and tried to step carefully. How Jonas could move more silently up the stairs with his crutches than she could with two feet was beyond her.

  “Who’s there?”

  The bright beam of a flashlight pinned them on the stairs. Bella turned and lifted a hand to deflect the glare. “Jemma? Is that you?”

  “Bella? Jonas?” The light from the flashlight moved away from them. “What are you doing here?”

  “We decided to come back after all.” Bella didn’t want to worry Jonas’s sister with the strange door-rattling incident. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You scared me to death,” Jemma admitted. “I was just about to call Garth.”

  “Sorry, sis.” Jonas waved a hand. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  Jemma didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Yeah, okay. See you at breakfast.” The flashlight moved away down the hall, and they waited for the door to close before continuing up the staircase.

  “Now you did it,” Jonas whispered. “She’ll want to know exactly why we decided to drive home so late.”

  She couldn’t argue with his assessment. After all, she had been the one to bang the bag against the wall, twice. “Just tell her that my sofa was like sleeping on a pile of rocks.”

  He made a snorting noise while continuing his way up the stairs. He unlocked the door, flipped on the light switch, then made his way inside. She followed and stood in the center of the space uncertainly.