by Laura Scott
“I’m going with him.” Paige again.
He recognized that tone. It was the one she used when she was convinced she was right and wasn’t going to back down no matter what. Good for you, he wanted to say, though he didn’t know for what he was congratulating her.
Strong hands rolled him onto something. A cot? No, they wouldn’t be putting him onto a cot. Then he was being carried. He was fairly certain of that. Where were they taking him? Somewhere the pain couldn’t reach him, he hoped.
Footsteps sounded, a rhythmic pace that lulled him into a state of near-sleep. He settled into it, thankful that the pain seemed to have subsided. If he could have, he’d have wept in gratitude. But even that required too much effort.
“I’m going with him, so make room.”
Paige would get her way. On that, he drifted off.
* * *
Before she climbed into the ambulance, Paige spared a moment to identify Jerry and Cal to Detective Reineke. “Jerry Newley and Calvin Pope. They were in on the blackmail together, set the whole thing in motion. It’s because of them that three people are dead.”
Reineke nodded. “We’ll take care of them. You take care of your man. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Intent on going with Liam, she didn’t bother to answer. She gave no heed to the EMTs who were doing their best to force her out of the ambulance. She was going to accompany Liam to the hospital, and that was that.
“I’m here,” she said, “and I’m not going anywhere.”
She supposed that the aggressive tilt of her chin must have convinced the two EMTs who had climbed in the back of the ambulance that she meant business, because they shrugged at each other and relented.
“Stay out of the way,” one said, “and if we say move, you move. Got it?”
“Got it.”
She knelt by the gurney where Liam lay. Pale. So very pale. The knife had gone in under his left arm, close, too close, to his heart. Blood no longer gushed from the wound, but it had been gushing earlier, draining Liam of his life force.
Please don’t let him die. Please don’t let him die. The words chanted through her mind. She’d loved two men in her life. Ethan was the first. And now Liam.
She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not when she was beginning to think they had a future, a life together.
How had she not seen Cal go for his knife? She doubted she’d ever be able to forgive herself for that. She should have been watching.
He’d had it on him all the time, waiting for the right moment. The law would take care of him, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about that right now.
“They’ll be waiting for us,” the first EMT said. “We just have to get him there.”
“Alive,” the other muttered under his breath.
Paige prayed as she’d never prayed before. The silently uttered words repeated in her mind, a litany of begging and pleading with the Lord for His tender mercies.
When the ambulance screeched to a stop, the doors were flung open. Attendants rushed Liam inside and down a narrow hallway.
She tried to follow but was stopped.
“No farther,” a nurse in green scrubs said. “We’ve got him now.” He looked her over. “If you don’t mind my saying so, maybe you want to clean up a bit.”
She looked down at her hands, saw the blood coating them. Some of it had dried to a rusty stain, but fresher blood was still sticky to the touch.
“Thank you.”
She found a restroom and washed her hands until the water ran clear and her skin was raw. She did her best to wash the blood from her shirt, but it was a lost cause. In the end, she took it off and threw it in the trash. The pink T-shirt she wore underneath would have to do.
When she found the waiting room, she forced herself to do what had to be done. Using Liam’s phone, she called his parents, told them what happened, promised to keep them informed as they made the drive from Savannah. She then called Shelley and let her know what had gone down.
After assuring Shelley that she was all right, Paige asked about Jonah.
“He’s fine. Playing with Tommy and Chloe. They’re all running through the house with the dog chasing them.”
After they ended the call, Paige paced the length of the waiting room. The repeated steps did little to settle her racing thoughts. And then it came to her. Every hospital had a chapel, and she sought it out. There, she poured out her heart to the Lord, ending with a simple “Amen.” She remained on her knees for long minutes before finally returning to the waiting room and resuming her pacing. When the doctor appeared, she ran to him.
“You’re here for Liam McKenzie?” the doctor, a dark-haired woman with kind eyes, asked.
Paige nodded. “Yes. Please. Tell me.”
“I’m Dr. Nouri. Your friend’s going to be okay. The knife didn’t nick his lung, though it came close. He’ll stay here for a few days, then he can recuperate at home.”
“Thank you, Doctor. Thank you.” Liam is going to be all right. Thank You, Lord.
“He’s young and strong, a point in his favor, but I can’t emphasize enough that he needs rest.”
Liam is going to be all right. Paige repeated the words in her mind, a litany of gratitude and prayer. If she said them enough, even if uttered silently, maybe the lump in her throat would dissolve and she could breathe again. “Can I see him?”
“Just for a minute. Don’t be alarmed by how he looks. He’s lost a lot of blood and has over thirty stitches in his side.”
Paige made a hurried call to Liam’s parents to reassure them that their son would be all right and that she’d made arrangements for Jonah. Grateful she’d cleaned up a bit, she made her way to Liam’s room.
Hooked up to beeping machines by a variety of tubes, Liam looked nearly as colorless as the institutional white walls. The energy and determination that were so much a part of him were absent. Tears leaked from her eyes to trickle down her cheeks.
“Liam,” she whispered. “I’m here.”
He stirred but didn’t wake. She lifted his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. Was it her imagination or did he return the pressure?
A nurse appeared, her smile understanding, her words firm. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now. Doctor’s orders.”
“Of course.”
Paige returned to the waiting room. When a middle-aged couple rushed in, the man bearing a striking resemblance to Liam and the woman a petite brunette at his side, Paige hurried to them. “Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie?”
“Yes.” The man offered his hand. “And you’d be the one who called us.”
“That’s right. Paige Walker.”
“We can’t thank you enough,” the woman said. “Have you seen our boy?”
“Yes, but only for a minute. He’s resting right now. The doctor says it will be a couple of days before he can leave the hospital.”
“As long as he’ll be all right, we can handle the rest,” Mrs. McKenzie said. “We’ve already decided that we’ll take turns staying here so someone’s with him all the time.”
“I’d like to be included in that, if you’ll let me.”
Liam’s father rested a large hand on her shoulder. “Of course you can. I have a feeling that you’re important to our boy.”
She didn’t answer that. How could she when she didn’t know how things stood between her and Liam? Liam’s mother nodded as though settling something important. “We’re going to get along just fine.” Mrs. McKenzie took Paige’s hand and led her to a seat. “You look like a strong wind could knock you right over. And no wonder, with all that you’ve been through. You rest right here while Angus sees to matters. He’s good at that.”
Though Paige topped the older woman by a good five inches, she felt like a child being put to bed, but she couldn’t deny that the idea of rest sounded good.
&
nbsp; “Maybe for a minute,” she murmured. She needed a minute. Just one minute to process the fact that Liam was going to be all right.
But a minute turned into a few minutes, which turned into an hour. When Paige woke, it was to find Shelley sitting beside her.
“Hi, sleepyhead.”
“Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie...where are they?”
“They’re visiting Liam. Before you ask, Jonah’s with Caleb and the kids. When I left, he looked to be having the time of his life running through the house with the dog chasing after him. I figured you weren’t going to leave any time soon, so I stopped by your place and picked up some clean clothes.”
“Thank you,” Paige said with fervent feeling, thinking how glad she’d be to get out of the clothes she currently had on.
Hospital noises went on around them, but Paige scarcely noticed. She was too busy worrying over how Liam was doing.
Shelley reached for Paige’s hand, gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’d ask how you are, but since the last time I saw you, you’ve been kidnapped, used as bait and then watched Liam get stabbed. Even though I brought you clothes, I’d suggest you go home, get some rest and then come back.”
“I can’t. I told Liam’s parents that I’d take a turn sitting with him.”
Another hand squeeze. “It’s you I’m worried about right now. Are you going to be all right?”
“As long as Liam’s going to be all right, I’m okay. In fact, I’m better than okay.”
Shelley gave her a shrewd stare. “So it’s like that, is it?”
“It’s like that,” Paige said and leveled a steady gaze at her friend.
“Then I’m happy for you.”
Paige smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. “I’m pretty happy for me, too.” Then her smile faded. “I don’t know what Liam feels.”
“Judging from the way he looks at you, he has feelings for you.”
“But are they the real thing?”
“That’s not my place to answer.” Shelley stood. “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up. Those clothes you’re wearing look like they should be burned.” She wrinkled her nose. “Smell like it, too.”
Paige noticed how rank she smelled and grimaced.
After performing what cleaning she could and changing clothes in the restroom, she felt immeasurably better. In the waiting room once more, she found Liam’s parents talking with Shelley.
“I was telling Shelley that we can’t thank her enough for taking care of our Jonah,” Liam’s mother said. “One of us will pick him up and take him to Liam’s house when we get our shifts here arranged.” She turned an understanding gaze on Paige. “You can go back now. He woke up for a few minutes, asked for you.”
“Thank you.” Paige sent Shelley a grateful smile. “And thank you. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
She walked down the hallway to Liam’s room and saw that he’d fallen back to sleep. Content just to be near him and to absorb the fact that he was all right, she brought a chair closer to his bed and watched as he slept.
Mindful that she needed to trade off time sitting with him with his parents, she reluctantly returned to the waiting room and found Detective Reineke there.
“Ms. Walker. You’re looking a sight better than the last time I saw you.”
“Thank you. You’ve met Mr. McKenzie’s parents?”
“We’ve introduced ourselves. If you’ll excuse us,” he said to Liam’s parents, “Ms. Walker and I need to talk.”
Relieved that he had the tact not to talk in front of them, Paige followed him to an empty grouping of chairs.
The detective opened a small notebook. “We interviewed Jerry Newley. I guess he figured he wouldn’t get anywhere with lying, seeing as you and Mr. McKenzie were right there and can testify against him. He spilled the whole thing, starting with the first blackmail note up to holding you hostage. You’ll have to come in and make a statement at some point, but that can wait.”
“Thank you.”
“You put yourself in a great deal of danger.” The tone was reproving but not unkind. Maybe she and the detective were going to be friends after all.
“I know.”
“I’m glad you’re all right and that your man is going to be all right, too.” After a few questions, he took his leave, but Paige paid scant attention. She was too busy pondering his words. Your man.
* * *
Dark dreams chased him.
Liam tried to outrun them, to hide from their ruthless pursuit, but they caught up with him. Blackness swirled around him as he careened through unchartered territory, leaving him disoriented and confused as he searched. Even more disturbing was the idea that he didn’t know for whom or what he was looking.
Then it came to him. Paige was missing. He had to find her, had to rescue her from the cruel forces that had carried her away. She was in danger. How could he have forgotten? Guilt for his careless memory lashed his soul with stinging stripes.
He pushed his way through the shadows, seeking any hint of light to point the way. Why couldn’t he see the course that would take him to Paige? Why was he so lost? The path was there. All he had to do was find it.
But he wasn’t given the light he so desperately needed and so continued to wander in the darkness, a harsh wilderness where any moment a shadow could shift into an enemy.
Pain was a constant companion, a pitiless master that drained him of all energy and will. Had he been injured? He couldn’t remember. The pain was playing tricks on his mind, but the thought that Paige needed him pushed him forward. Jumbled memories with Jerry and Cal Jr. found their way into the nightmares.
At one point, he thought he called out Paige’s name.
“I’m here. Liam, I’m right here beside you.”
Did he imagine the words? He couldn’t tell. He tried to shake his head, to clear it of the fogginess that had taken up residence there. He wanted to ask her something but couldn’t put words to the question.
Apparently reading his mind, she said, “The police have Jerry and Cal Jr. in custody. They’ll be going away for a very long time.”
He tried to answer but couldn’t make his tongue work.
He couldn’t move. Something was holding him back. Ropes...no, tubes, he thought. He was in a hospital. When it came to him, he wondered why it had taken him so long to figure it out.
“Liam, it’s going to be all right.”
That voice again. He calmed. “Paige?”
“Yes.”
“’Kay?” His voice slurred the word into a single syllable.
“I’m okay. Go back to sleep.”
That sounded like a fine idea.
When he woke again, it was to find sun streaming through the windows and his parents at his side. Had they been there all night? No, Paige had been there. At least he thought she had.
His parents looked tired, and he read the worry in their eyes. “H-hey.”
The smile his mother gave him was the one he’d always thought of as her my-boy-is-okay-but-I-still-worry-about-him smile. He supposed it’d be the same for him and Jonah no matter how old his own boy grew to be.
“How are you feeling, son?” his father asked.
Liam did a quick inventory. “Like I got stabbed with a really big knife, but I’m going to live anyway.”
The deep rumble of laughter from his father reassured him that everything was going to be okay.
“Jonah?” he asked.
“Paige told us that she’d arranged for him to stay with her friend Shelley until we can pick him up.”
“We like Paige,” his mother said. “She’s very pretty. More, she’s kind and thoughtful. And smart. I can see why she’s special to you.”
“She’s not...” Liam broke off what he’d been about to say. Paige was special to him. There was no se
nse in denying it.
When he drifted off once more, he wondered if he was special to Paige, as well.
SIXTEEN
Boy and puppy sounds filled the room.
A trip to the animal shelter had resulted in bringing home a Heinz 57 mix whose bright eyes and inquisitive expression had immediately caught Jonah’s heart and melted Liam’s own. Jonah had inexplicably named him Ralph, so Ralph it was.
“Daddy, can Ralph and I play outside?” Jonah asked.
“In the backyard.”
The backyard was enclosed with what Liam hoped was puppy-proof fencing, a new installment and a must, the shelter director had explained, to keep Ralph from digging under an ordinary fence not meant to stand up to a puppy’s inquisitive nature.
Squeals and barks moved from indoors to out.
Liam had been home for two weeks. He could move without hurting and was almost back to normal. Life had also returned to normal. Only he didn’t know what normal was. Did it include Paige?
When his parents had returned to their home, she had come over nearly every day that first week to help with Jonah and, despite Liam’s protests, do some housework. He realized he wanted her in his life. Permanently.
The trick was to convince her that they belonged together. Forever.
With Jonah and Ralph in the backyard playing, the house was quiet. He had no doubt that would not last for long. At his desk, Liam could watch boy and dog and work on a new software design at the same time.
Within a few minutes, though, he pushed his laptop away and rolled his shoulders. Work held little appeal as thoughts of Paige occupied his mind. She filled the empty parts of him, the parts he hadn’t known needed filling. He worked to find the right word to describe how he felt with her and came up with whole.
Whole. Complete. Finished.