by Barb Han
“Anywhere but the same hospital...” She didn’t have to finish the sentence. He didn’t want to go inside the place they’d lost their daughter, either.
Chapter Three
There was one grocery store, three restaurants and two gas station/convenience stores in between Ally’s house and the hospital. Cheyenne remembered one of the gas stations as Ally’s favorite, and the convenience store where she herself had stopped for coffee the other day. And yes, she’d started drinking coffee two weeks ago instead of her usual chai tea.
Ally’s red Mustang was nowhere to be found. Hers was distinguishable by the color and the personalized license plate, IAM NRSE.
An hour and a half later, they were right back where they’d started, in the hospital parking lot. Pulling up to the hospital building, knowing she was about to walk through those cold, white-tiled corridors again, filled her with dread. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself, let alone Ozzy.
“Think I can get away with putting him in my purse and sneaking him inside?” she asked, motioning toward her best friend’s dog.
“Might as well try.” Riggs had been quiet along the way, which was never a good sign. In the short time she’d gotten to know him, she realized how often he closed up when he was frustrated.
Then again, he wasn’t her business anymore. After they located Ally, he would go back to the ranch and she would figure out her next step. The timeline and the circumstances of the pregnancy hadn’t been ideal, but Cheyenne was surprised at how quickly she’d adapted to the news and pivoted to welcoming full-time motherhood. Now she needed a job. The nearby community college where she’d worked as an admissions counselor had already replaced her. Her emergency funds would only get her through the next three or four months, and there was no way she was asking for any of Riggs’s money. Seeing him again had already stirred up feelings she needed to keep at a safe distance. Safe? There was nothing safe about Riggs O’Connor when it came to protecting her heart.
The time had come to tie a knot in the rope.
Shouldering her purse, she tucked Ozzy inside so that only his head peeked out. Staring down the building was the hardest thing for her to do. But she hadn’t survived this long by hiding from things that might hurt her. She would have to face this pain at some point. Was she ready? No. But Ally was worth it.
With a deep breath meant to fortify her, she exited the truck. While wrestling with her own thoughts, it hadn’t occurred to her how much this might be affecting Riggs. A quick glance at him was the equivalent of a punch in the solar plexus.
His chin was jutted out, and his gaze was focused on the entrance as he stood there waiting for her to come around the truck. He was strength and courage personified, so to see him struggle, even for a brief moment, was a direct hit to the heart.
She stood there, just out of sight, giving him a minute of privacy.
“Ready?” he asked after glancing over at her.
“Yes.” She couldn’t muster enthusiasm and she couldn’t stop the flood of emotions engulfing her. She didn’t cry no matter how much she wanted to. Instead, she tucked her chin to her chest and took it one step at a time. She could take a step. And then another. She could cross the circular road and then step up on the curb. She could walk inside the double doors that opened with a swish.
Her heart pounded with every forward step until it felt like it would bust through her rib cage, but she could take a step onto the sterile white tile.
“May I help you?” An older voice, a gentle voice, caused Cheyenne to look up.
A four-foot-high counter separated her from a lovely older lady. The woman, whose name tag read Grey, had the warmest smile. Her long white hair was pulled up in a bun on top of her head like she was an aging ballerina. She had the kindest pale blue eyes, which stood out against age-worn skin.
“We’re visiting a friend who works here,” Cheyenne piped up. She could only hope Ozzy would behave in her handbag and not start barking. He had a habit of getting in trouble, and yet strangely, he seemed to have settled in there.
“Do you know the floor?” Grey asked. Cheyenne had become fascinated with names while trying to find the perfect one for her daughter.
“Yes,” she said.
“Have a good day,” Grey said.
Cheyenne started to walk away and then stopped. “You have an unusual name. Do you mind me asking what it stands for?”
Grey smiled and it warmed her face. “Greyson. My daddy wanted a boy. He got four girls. He’d planned on giving a boy my name.” She laughed and it filled the space with more of that warmth. “Everyone calls me Grey for short.”
“It’s a beautiful name.” Cheyenne loved rare or unusual names with a story behind them.
“Thank you.” The older woman beamed.
Cheyenne smiled before casting her eyes to the floor, and then headed toward the elevator bank. She’d go anywhere but labor and delivery on the seventh floor. Lucky for her, Ally worked on three.
The bell dinged. A set of elevator doors opened, and Riggs put his hand in to keep them from closing. He nodded toward Cheyenne to go first. He’d always been a gentleman. She thought of him more as a Renaissance man. His Southern manners, which gave a lady the option to go first, were always appreciated in her book. Did she need someone to open doors for her? No. She was capable of doing that for herself. And yet there was something nice about having the option, about being spoiled just a little bit. It was one of the perks of living in Texas among cowboys and ranchers, and she hoped it stayed in style.
She pushed the number three, thankful they had the elevator to themselves. She wasn’t one for crowds on a good day, preferring curling up in bed with a good book over drinks at a crowded bar or dinner at a busy restaurant.
Ozzy tried to climb out of her bag.
“No. No. You’re okay,” she soothed.
The little guy jumped out before she could stop him. Riggs caught Ozzy before he crashed to the ground.
“Hey, there, little guy. You need to stay put and keep your head down so you don’t get us kicked out of this place. We’re trying to find your mama.” His voice caught on the last word and he seemed to notice how it sounded. He cleared his throat and whispered an apology. He’d always had the kind of deep timbre that threaded right through her, traveling over her and through her.
Even now, when she couldn’t afford to let it.
* * *
THE ELEVATOR BELL DINGED, indicating they’d reached their floor as Riggs tucked the little dog in Cheyenne’s bag. He pulled back his hand the minute it grazed Cheyenne’s creamy skin—skin he couldn’t afford to think about for how off-limits she was.
The doors opened and he waited for her to go first. He didn’t have the first idea how to talk to her about what had happened on a different floor inside these same walls. She might have been the one to close that door, but he didn’t know what to say anyway.
In the first couple of days, he’d naively believed she needed time. She’d refused to take his calls, so he gave her the space she needed. Was that a mistake? Would it have made a difference if he’d shouted from the rooftops that he wanted to be there for her? That she didn’t have to go through any of this alone? An impenetrable wall had come up around her, a fortress he’d had no idea how to break down or break through.
Riggs held out his hand to keep the elevator doors from closing. Then he followed her.
Ozzy’s ears peeked out. Cheyenne was doing a good job of keeping the squeaky little barker under wraps. As long as the little guy cooled it, they should be fine.
Cheyenne walked up to the nurse station where three nurses were working on separate tasks. One studied a computer screen. She was facing them but so engrossed in what she was doing she didn’t look up. Another stood with her side to them, writing in a file. And the third stood at the back of the station with her arms folded, looking down at the t
ile.
Cheyenne waited for someone to acknowledge them, rather than draw attention. The old saying it was easier to catch bees with honey than vinegar came to mind. Interrupt the nurses while they were deep in thought or busy doing their jobs, and they might be uncooperative.
Rude people rarely ever got more than base-level information or service. Besides, these were Ally’s coworkers. He didn’t want to appear a jerk and he was certain he could speak for Cheyenne on that front.
The one mesmerized by the computer screen broke her trance and then looked up. “Oh. Sorry. I...uh...can I help you?”
Her eyebrows drew together and an emotion passed behind her eyes that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Shock? Fear?
Couldn’t be.
He was probably seeing things. He didn’t know this woman from Adam. She had no reason to be afraid of him.
“We’re looking for Ally,” Cheyenne said. “We were supposed to meet for breakfast and figured she got caught up here.”
The nurse shrugged. “I didn’t see Ally today when I started my shift. I can ask around, but I doubt she’s still here.”
“That would be great, if you wouldn’t mind,” Cheyenne said. Ozzy started moving around inside the purse and he might get them booted out if they weren’t careful.
The nurse didn’t seem enthused about the request.
“Sorry to bug you about our friend.” Riggs stepped forward and placed a hand on Cheyenne’s lower back. The nurse locked onto Riggs and her face flushed, a reaction he’d never get used to.
She smiled and brought a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, a sign of flirting that would have upset Cheyenne a while back. Now she didn’t seem to care who looked at him or when. Crazy how the tide could turn on a dime.
Much like a rogue spring thunderstorm, Cheyenne’s feelings had changed course in a flash. Again, there wasn’t much he could do if she was unwilling to sit down and talk about their future. To be fair, she’d said she didn’t see one for them anymore. And yet, part of him couldn’t believe she meant those words. Couldn’t believe or couldn’t accept? an annoying voice in the back of his mind asked. Because there was a big difference. None of which mattered at the moment. His priority had shifted. He wasn’t much for worrying, but Ally’s disappearance was troublesome. He also made a mental note to ask Cheyenne about Ally’s personal life. He wanted to know if she had other friends, a boyfriend, or had started a new relationship. While he was at it, he wanted to know if she’d had any disagreements with anyone recently, a falling out or a breakup. Riggs’s brothers who worked in law enforcement were beginning to rub off on him.
“It’s not like her to leave us hanging.” He leaned an elbow on the bar-height counter and smiled.
The cheesy move worked, because the nurse winked at him before rolling her chair back a couple of feet.
“Hey, Sherry. Have you seen Ally today?” she asked.
“Not me.” The nurse didn’t look up from her file. Her name tag read: Renee.
“How about you, Becca?” she asked the nurse at the back of the station without making much of an effort to make eye contact.
Becca continued to study the tile but shook her head.
Renee rolled her chair back to its original position. “Doesn’t look like anyone here knows where she is.”
Funny. Cheyenne hadn’t asked if anyone knew where her friend was. She’d asked if anyone had seen her today.
A coincidence? Or was the nurse holding something back?
Chapter Four
“Thank you for your time.” Cheyenne knew when she was being stonewalled and saw no point in sticking around the hospital. She turned to leave when a nurse rounded the corner. The young woman froze in her tracks, a horrified expression on her face.
Riggs seemed to catch on. He started to say something when the nurse glanced up at the camera in the corner of the hallway before scurrying off.
He took Cheyenne’s hand in his and then gave a quick squeeze. On instinct, she jerked her hand back. She didn’t dare look up at him. She couldn’t look into those eyes one more time—eyes that showed pain no matter how well he tried to cover.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said low and under his breath. His voice had the same gravelly quality she loved. Correction, used to love. She couldn’t afford to love anymore.
“Okay.” There was no point in waiting there when the nurses seemed determined not to give them any information.
She followed him down the hallway, into the elevator, and out the same door they’d come in twenty minutes ago. As they walked to the parking lot, she caught sight of the nurse from the hallway a few minutes ago.
Of course, the nurse would know a quicker way down to the parking lot. She would also know where Ally parked and might have guessed they would do the same. These were a lot of assumptions and yet they were logical.
The mystery nurse pulled something from her pocket. Metal glinted in the bright sun. For a split second, Cheyenne’s pulse leaped into her throat. On instinct, she grabbed Riggs’s arm. He stepped beside her, using his considerable size to block Cheyenne from the nurse. And then he almost immediately sidestepped so Cheyenne could see the woman had pulled out one of those electronic cigarettes. She gave a weary look, glanced from side to side, and then waved them over.
Cheyenne wasn’t 100 percent certain the woman could be trusted, especially with the way she kept checking the parking lot every time the wind blew. They were short on options, though. Mystery nurse was their best shot at progress.
It was then she realized the woman stood in the blind spot of a pair of cameras attached to the building. Riggs must have noticed the same thing because he nudged Cheyenne with his elbow and then made eyes toward the cameras.
“You can stay here or head to the truck. You don’t have to go with me,” he said quietly.
“I’m good now that I know she’s not carrying,” she said, careful not to squeeze her bag since Ozzy was still inside. The half-demon dog turned into an angel inside a handbag. Maybe that was where he felt the most secure. Everyone should be so lucky to have a place that made them feel safe. Cheyenne would have said she had Riggs’s arms before...
She didn’t want to go there while they approached the nurse. Being with Riggs already caused the world to tip on its axis and Cheyenne needed to check her balance, not throw it off even more. Tie the knot, Cheyenne.
The woman stood a little shorter than Cheyenne and had mousy brown hair in a ponytail that swished from side to side as she moved her head. She was of petite build and had an oval-shaped face. She kept twisting her hands together and searching around, looking like she’d jump out of her skin if someone said, “Boo.”
As Cheyenne and Riggs neared, the doors swished open. A woman came out. Face down, she barely acknowledged the two of them. The nurse, however, tucked the e-cig back inside her pocket, mumbled an apology, and then scurried past them and back into the hospital.
They stood there for a moment, frozen, not wanting to draw attention. When the woman walking toward her vehicle in the parking lot turned toward them, Riggs pulled Cheyenne into an embrace and then kissed her. His lips still tasted like dark roast coffee, just like she remembered. Her favorite flavor.
Her breath caught and her pulse skyrocketed. His lightest touch caused her stomach to free-fall.
Kissing her had been a maneuver. Something to deflect attention from the woman walking by. It was a smart move on Riggs’s part. And yet, so dangerous for Cheyenne’s resolve. Because she could get lost in his arms. She loved the way his lips felt when they moved against hers. And she loved breathing in his spicy scent.
Her hands fisted at her sides. She knew exactly what she wanted. It would be so easy to be selfish right now. It would be so easy to be with Riggs again. It would be so easy to tell herself the only thing that mattered was the here and now. Would that be the best thing for Rig
gs? The long answer was no. The short answer was no. No. No. No.
Pulling on all her willpower, she took a step back. Glancing to her right, she saw the back of the woman’s head as she climbed into her sport utility.
Riggs didn’t immediately move, and she could only guess what must be running through his mind right now. Hers raced.
“Think we should head back to the truck?” she asked, thinking there wasn’t much more they could do.
“My first thought was to follow the nurse back inside.” He shook his head. “Wouldn’t do any good, though.”
“As much as I want to march inside the hospital and demand answers, I agree with you.” Based on her experience with Renee, Sherry and Becca, doing that would be as productive as planting summer crops in December. With a sharp sigh, she walked back to the truck with Riggs.
Inside, he didn’t seem in a hurry to start the engine or pull out of the parking lot.
“Cameras are probably watching us as we speak,” Cheyenne pointed out. Her nerves were shot. She checked the sky for the drones Colton had promised and didn’t see any. She reminded herself it would take time to get resources in the air.
“Let them. We aren’t doing anything wrong in sitting here. A deputy will be here in a little while, and he’ll be on our side.” His voice was a study in calm. In fact, he was too calm. It was the calm before the storm.
She shifted to one side and then back to the other. Ozzy peeked his head out of her purse and she reached over to scratch him behind the ears. He ducked in time to miss contact, back to his old tricks. Little squirt. Or maybe he should recoil at her touch. Did he know on instinct to keep a distance from her? Did he have a sixth sense for cursed people? Because she had to be cursed. No one had this much bad luck in one lifetime.
“Who does Ally socialize with from work?” He pulled out his cell phone and she assumed the reason was to take down names.
