by Jill Sanders
The chief nodded and then waved him off. “I’ll let you know when I find something.”
Carson drove Sawyer back to the house but had to leave immediately, as he was still on duty.
“Sorry, I’ve got another call about the Denny’s dog barking. If they’d let the poor guy inside once and a while instead of keeping him on that chain, he wouldn’t bark so much.”
“Good luck with that.” Sawyer wasn’t envious of his partner, who would spend the next hour trying to convince the two neighbors to get along.
When he walked into Stoneport Manor, it was quiet. He set Tsuna down and went to the kitchen to see where everyone was.
Rose’s mother sat at the kitchen table with another woman, who Sawyer assumed was Jenny, Rose’s sister.
The resemblance was slight. Her sister looked more like her mother than Rose did. He imagined Rose took after her father’s family.
The women were sitting at the table, an open bottle of wine and a half-finished pie between them as they chatted. He couldn’t believe they were drinking this early. Then again, it appeared they were both having mimosa’s instead of just straight wine.
“Hi,” he said, breaking into their conversation.
Two matching pairs of brown eyes turned towards him.
“Royce, we were just talking about you.” Rose’s mother smiled up at him. “This is Rose’s sister, Jenny.” She motioned to the other woman.
“Hi.” He glanced around. “Where is Rose?”
“Oh, she went for a walk.” Jenny motioned towards the back door.
He frowned instantly. “A… walk? Alone?” He moved towards the door.
“Yes, don’t worry, she has my cell phone on her,” her mother said, waving him off.
“Call it.” He handed her the house phone. She shrugged and made the call.
On the fourth ring, the phone went to voicemail.
“Maybe she’s out of the service area,” she suggested.
“How long has she been gone?” he asked, feeling his gut twist.
“No more than an hour.” Jenny glanced down at her watch and gasped slightly. “Closer to two now.”
“Damn it.” He marched to the back door, calling for Ozzy, who came rushing in. “Keep trying to call,” he told Rose’s mother, and then he left quickly.
“Find Rose,” he told his dog and pointed. They had played hide and seek between themselves, but he didn’t know if his dog’s abilities were broad enough to handle this task. “Rose,” he said again as Ozzy looked up at him questioningly and Sawyer began to doubt his dog’s intelligence. “Rose,” he said again, not wanting to give up. The dog surprised him by sniffing the ground as if on a mission.
He followed the dog until he noticed a set of light footprints in the snow and started following them. Halfway across the yard, they grew too faint to see. Ozzy sprinted by him, racing towards a pathway that led to the beach. By the time he reached the top of the trail, he was running. He slipped on an icy stone and slowed down.
Ozzy was ahead of him, barking wildly, and when Sawyer turned a corner, he saw a small brown mound at the base of the hill. His hands shook as he raced towards the bottom. He could hear a phone ringing and knew that Rose’s mother was still trying to call her cell phone. Sawyer pulled out his cell phone and dialed Carson.
“Carson,” Sawyer said into his phone. “I need an ambulance out here. Rose has fallen.” He hung up the phone without waiting for a response when he reached Rose. He gently turned her over. “Easy,” he told Ozzy who sat down and whimpered.
There was a lot of blood coming from a large gash on Rose’s forehead and her skin was so cold. Was he too late? He pulled out a glove from his pocket and used it to apply pressure to the cut. He ran his free hand over the rest of her and determined she didn’t have any broken bones, so he gently lifted her in his arms and rushed towards the top of the pathway while Ozzy followed behind.
The cell phone in Rose’s pocket continued to ring as he raced towards the house.
When he reached the back door, her mother was standing there and opened it for him.
“What happened?” she cried when she noticed the blood.
“She must have fallen.” He rushed her inside and laid her down on the sofa. “An ambulance is on its way. Build a fire, she’s freezing.”
“I’ll do it,” Jenny said behind his back. He’d taken both blankets from the sofa and covered her, then ran his hands over her exposed skin to heat her up.
“Here.” Rose’s mother handed him a fresh towel. “For the cut.”
“You apply pressure, I’ve got to get her warm.” He continued to run his hands over her, using his heat and friction to warm her skin.
“I hear the ambulance,” Jenny said a few minutes later. He was rubbing the skin on his hands raw, but he would have gladly gone on until they bled if it meant getting Rose warm.
He picked her up when he heard the ambulance stop outside and carried her towards the front door.
“I’ll get the kids.” Jenny rushed from the room.
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Rose’s mother called after him.
When the ambulance driver saw him, he opened the back door and let him step in to lay her on the gurney himself. He knew both the driver and the EMT and had worked with both on several occasions. He sat down and filled the EMT in on what had happened.
By the time they reached the hospital, Rose’s body temperature was returning to normal, thanks to the fluids they were pumping into her arm and the heat blankets.
Still, she hadn’t woken up, and in the light from the back of the ambulance, he could see bruises covering her chin and forehead. He stood back as they wheeled her into a room, not taking his eyes from her face and desperately wishing she’d open her eyes.
When he was asked to leave, he flashed his badge and told them that she was under his protection. He didn’t care if it was a gross misuse of his power. They told him to stand against the wall and not get in their way as they took her vitals and worked on her.
“You brought her in?” The doctor turned to him.
“Yes, how is she?”
“We’ve gotten her body temperature back up. Do you know how long she’s been unconscious?” the doctor asked him.
“No, but it’s possible it’s been close to two hours. That’s how long she was gone.” The doctor winced, and his worry doubled.
Just then there was a low moan and they both turned to see Rose open her eyes.
Sawyer pushed past the man and took Rose’s hand in his. It was still cold, but not as bad as it had been when he’d found her.
“Rose,” he said softly. “Open your eyes, honey,” he begged.
“Sawyer?” Her eyes opened slightly. “It hurts.” She blinked and then closed her eyes again.
“Can we turn down the lights?” he asked and turned back to her. The lights dimmed slightly.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“The hospital. You fell down the pathway,” he added.
She shook her head, blinking at him several times. “I didn’t fall. Someone hit me with a rifle.” She reached up and touched the spot. They had already bandaged it, and he’d heard the doctor say that he didn’t think stitches were needed.
“That would coincide with the wound on her forehead,” the doctor said behind him. “We’re going to move her to a private room, but first, we’ll want to do a CT scan to make sure she doesn’t have bleeding in the brain.”
He stood back to allow them to roll her out and followed them. “My mother?” Rose asked and looked up at him.
“They’re probably in the waiting room,” he answered.
“Go tell them I’m okay. They must be worried.” She squeezed his hand.
“We’re going to take her to Radiology,” a nurse told them, “and then to room…” The nurse looked at her chart. “Room one-oh-two. Everyone can see her there, after.”
He bent down and kissed her. “I’ll see you soon.”
Sh
e smiled and sighed. “I should have known better than to go off by myself.”
“You’ll never have to worry about that again,” he promised. He kissed her again before heading out. He’d lost track of time and when he found her family in the waiting area, he was slightly surprised to see Hunter standing there with Rose’s mother and sister.
“You made the trip fast,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.
“I flew. When Joan called and told me what had happened, I rushed out of court and jumped in my plane.” He ran his hands through his thin hair.
Sawyer nodded and turned to Joan and Jenny. “She’s awake. She says someone hit her with the butt of a rifle and pushed her down the pathway. I’ve already talked to Carson, and he’s out there looking for clues.”
“Can we see her?” Joan asked.
“They’re taking her in for a CT scan and then to a private room.” They all made their way towards the private room wing and crowded into the empty room to wait for Rose.
“Who would want to hurt Rose?” Jenny asked when they were all settled in the room. Both of her smaller kids were sitting on her lap. The oldest boy was standing next to his mother with a sad look on his face. Sawyer’s heart broke a little, knowing that they worried for their aunt.
“After seeing her, maybe you should go back to the house,” he said to Jenny. “We’ll stay here.”
“No, I…” She shook her head.
“Jenny, you can’t keep the kids here for too long.” Rose’s mother nodded to the little girl, who was almost asleep on her lap. “McKenna will need her nap.”
Just then, they rolled Rose in. They moved her to the bed and she was quickly surrounded by her family.
“It looks like it’s my turn to have a concussion.” She smiled up at him. The bump on her forehead was fairly large and the skin around her left eye was already turning purple.
He leaned down and took her hand. “Tell me everything you remember, if you can.”
The room grew silent as Rose started talking.
“I hung up with Hunter.” Her eyes moved past him to where her brother stood. “He was rushing into court.”
“I left after Joan told me during a break what had happened,” Hunter explained.
“I’m sorry.” She sighed.
Hunter chuckled. “Don’t be.”
“Go on,” he broke in. Rose’s eyes moved back to his.
“I wanted to take a walk, to clear my head. The snow had let up some. I reached the pathway that led to the stairs and was thinking about what I could do to the stones to make them better next spring when I heard footsteps. I turned around and…” She bit her bottom lip. “It was a black rifle.”
“Did you see who hit you?”
“No, just the butt. I felt the pain and started falling backward. I felt hands on me, on my shoulders, pushing me back towards the hill. Then I was falling.” She turned and looked over at Jenny and the kids, who were all watching her.
Sawyer could see that the story had affected the young ones, and he walked over to where her sister sat, holding the little girl. The boys were standing there, holding hands.
Sawyer knelt in front of the oldest boy. “We left our dogs at the house. Do you think you could go back with your mom and watch after them for me while I’m here?”
The kid looked to his mother, then nodded after she did.
“Good. The white and black one’s name is Ozzy. He understands most basic commands and will know that you’re in charge. Tsuna is the little brown one. She’s younger and sometimes gets lost outside, so when you let them out to do their business, you have to watch her really close. Can you do that?”
“Sure,” the kid answered with a smile.
“I want a job too,” the younger boy chimed in. Sawyer turned to him.
“There’s dog food in the pantry. They each get a scoop of food when you have your dinner. Can you make sure they have dinner?”
“Okay.” The boy nodded.
“Me!” the little girl added, clapping as if it was a game.
He smiled and turned to her. “Tsuna will need someone to snuggle and play with.
She’ll miss Rose, and if we stay here, she’ll need someone to sleep with. Do you think she can sleep with you?”
“I like doggies.” The girl smiled and nodded quickly.
“I’ll drive you back to the house,” Hunter told them. “I have to rearrange a few things. I’ll be back later,” he said to Rose, who nodded slightly.
“Mom?” She reached for her mother’s hand. “Do you think you could go home and bring me some clothes?” She looked down at the gown she was in.
“They cut her out of hers,” Sawyer explained.
“Sure.” She leaned down and placed a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “Get some rest, we’ll be back soon.”
Once they were alone in the room, Rose scooted up a little. “How bad do I look?” she asked.
He smiled. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
She chuckled, then winced. “Thank you, but how about some truth?”
“You’ve got a black eye, a bruise the size of my fist on your chin, and there’s this…” He motioned to his forehead. “I think you’re growing a unicorn horn up there.”
She chuckled again, this time without the wince after.
“I’m one sexy beast.” She sighed.
“How are you feeling?” He took her hand up to his lips.
“Like I was hit on the head and pushed down a flight of stairs.” She met his eyes. “Do you think it was the killer?” she asked.
“No. They haven’t gone after you before, why now?”
She shrugged. “New York changed things? Maybe we’re one step closer. Maybe he got spooked.”
“Still…” Just then there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see Carson and the chief on the other side. “Come on in. We were just talking about who could have done this.” He motioned for the men to enter. “What did you find?” he asked Carson.
“Nothing, other than a few bushes that Rose probably took out on her tumble down the stairs. How are you doing?” Carson asked.
“I’ll be okay.” She smiled.
“We need to know everything.” Deter stepped forward.
For the next ten minutes, Rose filled them in and the four of them went over possible suspects.
In the end, they had determined that Schneller had a black-handled rifle. He also had the most motive to harm Rose. He’d been charged with trespassing when Carson had found the man on Rose’s land when they were away in New York City.
“We’ll head over there and see if we can find any proof,” Deter said. “Keep an eye on her. We’ll fill you in as soon as we know anything.”
Shortly after they left, a nurse came in to check up on her, followed by a doctor who gave them the results of Rose’s CT scan. He informed them that she would be free to head home in a few hours, as long as she was able to stand and move around without falling over.
“You don’t want to keep her overnight?” Sawyer asked.
“No, there’s no need. She is awake and coherent, and I don’t see any signs of a concussion.”
“You don’t?” Rose broke in. “The radiology tech said—”
“No,” the doctor smiled. “I had a look at your films. You’re all clear. You’ll have that bump for a few days, but it’s just that, a bump. You’re lucky you were hit where you were; it’s one of the hardest spots of the skull.” He smiled at her.
Sawyer’s concerns weren’t eased, and he seriously questioned if Rose should stay longer. But after the doctor left, Rose called her mother and told them the news. She persuaded the rest of her family to stay at the house until Sawyer drove her home later that evening. Hunter was going to bring her a change of clothes.
“Don’t complain.” Rose took his hand. “It’s going to be nice sleeping in our bed tonight instead of here.” She glanced around. “Besides, now I have a few hours alone with you.” She sighed and y
awned.
“Rose?” He waited until her eyes met his. “You scared me.”
She nodded. “I was afraid I’d never see you again.”
He shifted. “When I saw you lying at the bottom of the hill, my only thought was that I hadn’t told you… I hadn’t said the words.” He took her hand up to his lips again. “I love you,” he said after their eyes locked. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“I love you, too.” She smiled, and he felt the center of his universe shift.
Twenty-Five
The best medicine…
By later that evening, Rose was wishing her family would leave already. She hated being pampered and treated like she was an invalid. She was propped up on the sofa, and a roaring fire had been built. She had been brought an endless supply of hot tea, and her sister was even sitting on the end of the sofa, rubbing her feet.
Sawyer had gotten a call and disappeared upstairs with Hunter. She could tell something was up, but the men weren’t sharing the news yet. So, she sat back and tried to keep her head from exploding with pain by breathing slowly and trying to relax.
“Really, Jenny, I’m okay.” She winced when her sister dug her thumb into the heel of her foot.
“Massage and physical therapy are the best things for a quick recovery, along with lots of fluids. You just need to know where to apply pressure.” She pushed on her foot again.
“Jenny, stop. You’re going to add more bruises to my body.” She laughed and pulled her foot away. “And I can’t afford it right now.”
“Fine, but drink.” She nodded to the tea.
Rose groaned. “I’ve had two cups already. As it is, I’ll need to use the bathroom for the rest of the night.”
“Aunt Rose!” Regan, Cole, and McKenna rushed into the room. Their clothes were splattered with bright paint, and Rose held in a groan at the mess she’d have to clean up in her art studio once her family left. “We painted you some get-better pictures.”
“See?” Cole held up a picture that looked a lot like Batman, his current favorite DC Comics character.
