by Rita Herron
“I believe Cora did,” Martin said.
She must have regained consciousness long enough to phone for help, then lost consciousness again.
“I’m going to the hospital,” Jacob said. “Maybe she saw the shooter or his car.”
Fear gripped him as he headed to his vehicle. He had to hurry.
If the shooter knew Cora had survived, he or she might come after her again.
* * *
CORA HATED THE hospital sounds and smells.
After the CAT scan, she was wheeled back to the ER.
Her clothes were torn and bloody from the glass fragments that had pelted her arm, so the nurses gave her a pair of scrubs to wear home. Her wrist was bruised and swollen; a small butterfly bandage covered the cut on her forehead at her hairline, and her ankle was wrapped.
It seemed like hours before the doctor appeared with her results. “Thankfully nothing appears to be broken, so that’s good.” He offered her a sympathetic smile. “The CAT scan looks clean, too. I’d say you were a lucky lady today.”
She would hardly call being shot at lucky. But she was alive.
A nurse poked his head into the room. “Sheriff Maverick is here.”
“Is it all right if he comes in?” Dr. Pattinson asked.
Cora nodded and rubbed her arms with her hands. Jacob stepped inside, his jaw clenched.
“I’m going to release you,” Dr. Pattinson said. “But you should take it easy for a day or two. Do you understand, Cora?”
“Yes, thank you.” She just wanted to go home and crawl into her own bed.
“I’ll drive you home,” Jacob offered.
Cora had no other way, so she simply murmured her thanks.
“If you experience dizziness, nausea or severe headaches, please call,” Dr. Pattinson said.
“I will.” Cora gripped the edge of the bed to stand.
“I’ll get a wheelchair,” the nurse offered.
“I don’t need one,” Cora protested.
Dr. Pattinson cleared his throat. “It’s hospital policy.”
Jacob stepped to the side of the bed to steady her, but she waved off his concern, determined to prove she was well enough to be released. One of the hospital staff members brought discharge papers, and she scribbled her signature.
A minute later, the nurse returned with the wheelchair. In spite of her bravado, her legs were weak and she was grateful for the ride. Jacob pulled his SUV up to the door, and the nurse wheeled her to the passenger side.
Jacob rushed to assist her, and seconds later, they were settled in the car and pulling from the parking lot.
Jacob gave her a look of concern. “How do you feel?”
“Tired,” Cora said, struggling not to fall apart.
Jacob raised a brow. “You sure you’re ready to go home?”
She blinked away a dizzy spell. “I’m sure. The last time I was in a hospital, it didn’t turn out so well.”
“God, Cora, I’m sorry. I should have realized.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “But I’ll sleep better in my own bed.” If she slept at all.
The memory of that shooter coming out of nowhere haunted her, and she scanned the roads and side streets as they drove through town. Jacob seemed extra alert for trouble, too.
“I had your car towed to be processed for evidence,” Jacob said grimly. “I found two bullet casings and am sending them to the lab.”
Images of those last few minutes before she crashed flashed behind her eyes. The fear. The feeling of having lost control. The sound of metal crashing and glass shattering.
The realization that someone was trying to kill her.
“What were you doing earlier today, before the crash?” he asked.
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“Let’s retrace your day. It’s possible that someone you talked to or saw got nervous and shot at you.”
She twisted her hands in her lap. His logic made sense. “After I left your office, I went to the bookstore. I ran into a little girl I knew from school and her mother.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
She explained about Faye getting upset over her questions at school, then warning her to stay away from Nina. “I felt bad for frightening her and Nina, so I decided to see my therapist.”
He remained silent, eyes on the road.
“After that, I dropped by Faye’s house to apologize.”
“How did that go?”
She shrugged, the movement causing her shoulder to ache. “Actually better than I expected. We had a heart-to-heart. She told me about her miscarriages and I assured her I meant her and Nina no harm. Then I left.”
A tense heartbeat passed. “Do you think she was scared enough to try to warn you off by shooting at you?”
Cora gave a little chuckle. “Heavens, no. Faye may have been nervous, but she’s not dangerous. Besides, she and Nina were together when I left.”
She rubbed her temple as they wove around the mountain road to her house. “But now that I think about it, twice lately, I thought someone was following me.”
Jacob parked and turned toward her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought I was just being paranoid.” And that he’d think she was crazy.
His expression turned grim, but he climbed from the SUV and darted around the front to her side. She was opening the door by the time he reached her. He clasped her hand as she slid out. As much as she valued her independence, she wasn’t foolish enough to try to walk up her graveled drive on unsteady legs.
Thankfully he’d grabbed her purse from her car, and she retrieved her keys. Her hand was shaking, though, and she fumbled with the keys and dropped them.
Jacob picked up the keys and opened the door.
Cora sighed as they entered. “Thanks for driving me home.”
He paused in the doorway and gently cradled her arms with his hands, forcing her to look at him. “Someone tried to kill you tonight. There’s no way I’m leaving you alone.”
A chill swept through her at his words, and the tears she’d tried to keep at bay seeped from her eyes.
Jacob pulled her up against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. It had been so long since anyone had held her or comforted her that she leaned into him and let the tears fall.
Chapter Ten
Jacob ordered himself to release Cora, but his body refused to listen to his brain. When he’d seen Cora inside that car unconscious, he’d realized something.
He cared more about her than he should.
For some odd reason, the hospital fire and the tragedies in their lives had created a bond. He’d been connected to her the moment he’d met her, when she’d looked up at him with those big, baby blue eyes and pleaded with him to find her baby.
She nestled against his chest, her body trembling. He rubbed slow circles over her back, soothing her and rocking her in his arms.
“You’re safe now, Cora,” he murmured against her hair. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She nodded against his chest, then ran her hands up his back. Emotions blended with desire, making his body harden. He feathered her hair from her forehead and forced himself to pull away slightly. He had to wrangle his libido under control.
Cora needed tenderness, not a man’s lust.
His own needs be damned. He’d give her what she needed.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said in a low whisper.
Jacob eased himself from her. “I’ll find out who shot at you, Cora. Don’t worry. He won’t get away with it.”
She sniffed, her body trembling again, and he took her arm and ushered her to the sofa.
“Lie down and rest. I’ll fix you something to eat.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Cora said.
“Yes, I do, it’s my job to take care of Whistler’s residents, and I intend to do that.”
She stiffened slightly, and he sensed he’d said something wrong. Then she laid her head back against the sofa pillow and closed her eyes.
While she rested, he made himself at home in her kitchen. She must like to cook, because the pantry was stocked and so was the refrigerator. He found ingredients for a small salad and chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Then he noticed jars of homemade vegetable soup in the pantry, so he opened one of those, poured it into a pan and heated it up.
While it was warming, he checked on Cora. She’d dozed off, so he spread a blanket over her, turned the soup to warm, then decided to check her house for an intruder.
There were no signs of a break-in at the door or windows. He walked the property outside the house, using his flashlight to illuminate the ground, but found no footprints. At least the shooter hadn’t been stalking her at home.
Although since he’d failed today, there was no telling what he’d do.
Jacob would have to convince Cora to install a security system.
By the time he went back inside, Cora was stirring from sleep. He crossed the room to her and knelt beside her. “Are you up for a meal?”
She rubbed at her forehead, her finger brushing the bandage with a frown. “That would be good.”
He helped her stand, watching her carefully to make certain she wasn’t dizzy. “Let me take a quick shower and change out of these scrubs,” she said.
“All right. I’ll keep the soup warm.”
She disappeared into the bedroom, and he set the table, then walked out onto the back deck and looked out at the mountains. Anything to distract him from thinking about Cora in the shower.
Yet images of her trapped in that car taunted him. Dammit, he could use a beer right now.
But he’d stick to water.
He needed to keep a clear head to protect Cora.
* * *
CORA SPLASHED COLD water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror. Her bruises and the bandage on her forehead looked stark in the dim light.
She couldn’t believe that big, strong, tough Jacob Maverick was in her kitchen cooking her dinner. It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of her. When they were first married, Drew had been attentive and had occasionally cooked. But as time passed, his attention toward work had replaced his time with her.
She stripped the scrubs, frowning at the black-and-purple skin marring her chest and legs, then forced her thoughts away from the accident. She was home now. Safe.
At least for a little while.
But Kurt was dead. And someone wanted her in the ground with him.
Trembling, she climbed in the shower and let the warm water wash away the scent of perspiration and smoke. She scrubbed her body and hair then rinsed and dried off. A quick comb through her hair and she left it damp, the strands curling around her shoulders. She dressed in an oversize T-shirt and yoga pants, then tossed the scrubs into the laundry basket.
She found Jacob standing on her back porch, staring at the mountains. She’d always loved the view and the quiet, but it struck her that she was completely isolated.
A shiver tore through her. Anyone could sneak through the woods and break in through the back door or window.
Jacob turned to look at her, and another shiver rippled through her. This time not from fear. A sensual awareness that she hadn’t felt in a long time heated her blood.
Her gaze locked with his, and tension simmered between them.
“You okay?” he asked gruffly.
She nodded, although she wasn’t okay. The memory of his arms and solid chest against hers made her crave the safety of his embrace again. But leaning on Jacob could become a habit.
He was only being nice because it was his job. And she needed him to do that and find her daughter more than she needed him to hold her.
He gestured toward the kitchen. “Are you ready to eat?”
Her stomach growled, and she nodded and stepped back inside. Jacob went straight to the stove and dished them up bowls of soup while she set the salad on the table. It seemed odd to be doing something so routine as to share a simple meal with Jacob.
“Thanks for making dinner,” she said as she sank into the kitchen chair.
“All I did was heat it up. You made this soup and canned it?”
She shrugged. “I have a lot of time on my hands in the summer,” she admitted. “Gardening is therapeutic. And I like to use fresh vegetables and herbs that I grow.”
“You garden and cook and draw. Is there anything you can’t do, Cora?”
Be a mother. No, she could do that if she hadn’t lost her child.
“Cora?”
“I just want to find Alice,” she said softly.
Jacob covered her hand with his. “We will. But in the meantime, we have to keep you safe. I’d like to arrange for a security system to be installed ASAP.”
Cora agreed readily. It wouldn’t do any good if she was dead when her little girl was found.
* * *
JACOB ATTEMPTED SMALL TALK with Cora while they ate, but he failed miserably. Asking about her plans for the summer only resurrected that haunted look in her eyes.
“I’ll garden and draw and try to fill the days by helping gather donations for the food pantry at the church,” she admitted.
Her unspoken words rang in his ears. But every minute she’d be thinking of her daughter.
“I know it’s difficult, Cora, but hang in there.”
Cora finished her soup and took a sip of water, then explained she’d lost her job. “I’m sure you think I’m deranged.” She ran her fingers through the damp strands of her hair. Fresh from the shower and with no makeup, she looked young and sexy.
Except for that bandage on her forehead and the bruises that matched.
“I don’t think you’re deranged,” Jacob said in a quiet tone. “I miss my father every day. Sometimes I think I’ve been so obsessed with finding his killer that I’ve forgotten to live.”
Cora squeezed her eyes closed for a minute, then opened them and blinked as if battling tears. “Thank you for saying that. I see the way people look at me sometimes. I never meant to frighten Nina or her mother.” She tapped her fork on the table, an odd look streaking her face.
“What is it? Did you remember something else?” Jacob asked.
Cora swallowed hard. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything, Jacob, so this is confidential, but if anything happened to Nina, I’d never forgive myself.”
Jacob tilted his head to the side. “What are you talking about?”
Cora sighed, the sound weighted with worry. “Faye said she left her husband, Nina’s adopted father, because he was abusive. She’s been moving around because he’s dangerous, and she’s afraid he’s looking for them.”
“Where is he now?”
Cora shrugged. “She didn’t say. But I urged her to talk to you so you could be on the lookout in case a stranger comes to town asking about them.”
Jacob gritted his teeth. Domestic violence was something he couldn’t tolerate. His father taught him that being a man meant protecting women and children, not taking your anger out on them.
“I won’t say anything, but I will keep my eyes and ears open,” he said. “If you see her again, encourage her to talk to me.”
“Thank you, Jacob.”
“Just doing my job,” he said. “After you left the Fuller house, what happened? Did you go anywhere else? Talk to someone? Get a phone call?”
She shook her head. “No, I was headed home when I thought someone was following me.”
“Did you get a look at the car?”
“The car I saw earlier was a dark sedan. But tonight... I didn’t see anything. As I was rounding a curve, the bullet hit t
he window.” She shivered. “I braked, then another bullet flew through the glass near my head. I ducked and ran off the road, then slid into the ditch.”
She cleared the table as if she needed to release nervous energy. Knowing she was sore from the accident, he took over at the sink.
“Lie down and get some rest,” he murmured. “I’ll finish here.”
“I can do it,” Cora said. “I’m sure you have other things to do.”
He cleared his throat, set his salad plate down and faced her. “I’m not going anywhere tonight, Cora. Keeping you safe is my priority.”
A wary look fluttered in Cora’s eyes. Was she afraid of him?
He softened his tone. “Tomorrow I’ll arrange to install a security system. But tonight I’ll sack out on your couch to make sure whoever shot at you doesn’t show up.”
Panic darkened her face, and he could have kicked himself for what he’d said. Instead of soothing her fears, he’d intensified them.
But someone had tried to kill her today.
And he didn’t intend to let Cora die.
* * *
JACOB’S WORDS ECHOED in Cora’s head. He thought the shooter might come to her house. She wanted to bury herself in his arms and hide until he’d found the person who wanted her dead.
But he was only doing his job. He’d made that plain and clear.
That was what she needed, though. Jacob to find the shooter and to find Alice.
She couldn’t afford to imagine anything more between them, not when she was so broken.
“I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket.” She gathered the items from the closet and set them on the couch.
Jacob had cleaned up the dishes and now stood by the back door as if scanning her property for trouble. Nerves clawed at her, and exhaustion tugged at her, so she said good-night before she did something stupid like throw herself into his arms.
Her cell phone buzzed from her purse, and she retrieved it. Drew.
She started not to answer. But what if he’d learned something about their daughter?
She pressed Accept Call and said hello.
