“I’m here! I’m here!”
“About time,” Matt told him, dryly.
“I had to change out of uniform,” he answered before glancing down at his wife. He did a double take. “Holy shit. Are you okay?”
“Fuck no, you rat bastard!” she snarled, finally releasing Matt’s hand. “I feel like I’m about to be split open and my cooch will never be the same again. I just want to let you know that. This will ruin my tight—”
Max quickly slapped a hand over his wife’s mouth and gave a look of apology to the hospital staff within ear distance. Matt stepped back out of reach, rubbing the circulation back into his fingers.
He considered his brother extremely brave to put his hand anywhere near her mouth. At this point Amanda may bite off a digit.
Max cheeks appeared red. Surprised, Matt didn’t think anything could make his brother blush.
He turned away to hide his snicker. Most of the people who knew Amanda weren’t surprised at anything that came out of her mouth. It should be nothing new to her husband.
His brother was on his own now. He could deal with his wife, who appeared as pissed off as a cornered porcupine.
A tall blonde rushed up, wearing a long white lab coat. Most likely a doctor. “Why is she still out here? Get her in the delivery room STAT before we have a new Bryson baby in the hallway,” she commanded, the staff snapping to attention like she was a Master Sergeant.
Matt backed up a step, cocking an eyebrow at her I’m-in-charge stance.
Shit.
The woman was all legs and attitude.
“Well?” she asked without patience. Then, following a flurry of activity, the hallway became empty and quiet.
Matt blew out a breath and leaned against the nearest wall. He had a fucking hard-on.
Just like that.
Fuck.
He pushed himself off of the wall and straightened, yanking his duty belt up over his hips as the rest of the family rushed down the hall like a herd of buffalo.
“Are we too late?” his mother asked, excitement in her eyes.
There should be. She had harassed her three sons for years about getting hitched as well as bugged them for grandchildren. Now, she was finally getting one.
Well, as long as Amanda cooperated. Because if anyone could call off a pregnancy at nine months and counting, it would be her. Matt shook his head and laughed to himself. The woman sure was obstinate, and Max had his hands full with her. Though, he suspected his brother loved every minute of it. Self-masochist bastard.
Matt’s father, Ron, stepped up next to him and whacked him on the back. “Good job for getting her here on time, son.”
Matt nodded at his father, but answered his mother. “No, Ma. You’re not too late. How can you be too late for a birth anyway? Once the kid is born, you’re stuck with it forever. That’s how it works, remember?”
“Yeah, Ma, you’re stuck with Matt forever,” his brother Marc said. “Like it or not.”
Mary Ann Bryson frowned at her middle son. “I’m not stuck with any of you. I brought you into this world and I can take you back out.”
Her husband laughed. “That’s right, honey, you tell them.”
“Damn, Ma, that’s a bit harsh,” Marc said, frowning.
“Where’s Leah?” Matt asked his brother.
“Sleeping. She has to work daylight shift tomorrow with you.”
Matt nodded. His future sister-in-law, the newest member of the force, proved herself a good cop and could back him up anytime. In fact, he wouldn’t have minded her being by his side in combat. She was tough and she sure kept Marc in line.
His middle brother was a lucky man. Unlike Max, who was probably getting his ass ripped up one side and down the other right now.
Fuck that.
“Well, now that most of the Bryson army is here, I’m going back on patrol.” He stepped over to the nearest elevator and pushed the down button.
“Don’t you want to see your niece after she’s born?” his mother asked.
“Nope.”
And with that, the elevator doors swooshed open and he jetted.
2
“Manning Grove six from dispatch.”
Matt cursed. He sat in his favorite hiding spot, trying to “rest” his eyes after a quick shift turnaround this morning. After working the three to eleven shift last night, he had to double-back to the seven to three shift this morning, which made him twice as tired and cranky. So, no one better fuck with him today. At least not with the dark mood surrounding him.
He’d hardly slept, especially with the shitload of pictures being texted to him throughout the night. Like he wanted to see photos of his new niece Hannah. Or Max’s smiling, exhausted face. Or Amanda’s pissed-off-like-a-hellcat expression.
He yanked the mic off its holder. “Manning Grove six, go ahead.”
“Manning Grove six, one vehicle crash. Car versus deer. County Line Road. One occupant, no injuries. Reportable. Rollback en route.”
Matt sighed. Whoever hit that deer must have hit hard if the car was no longer drivable and they were sending a tow truck. The driver was lucky if he or she didn’t need an ambulance. Unfortunately, deer crashes were too common in this area. The risk came with living out in the boonies. “Manning Grove six, I copy. Mark me en route.”
So much for his power nap.
He started the cruiser and stomped on the gas, the tires kicking dirt and stones behind it.
It only took him two minutes to get to the scene, especially since he was used to driving back roads at a breakneck speed. A small, white SUV sat crooked in the middle of the road, the front end crumpled and steam coming from under the hood.
A woman, holding her head, perched on the back bumper. No injuries, my ass.
He parked the car behind her and turned off his red and blue overhead LEDs, only leaving the yellow warning lights flashing. There wasn’t much traffic along this road. Car-wise, anyway. Deer traffic was another story.
Matt kicked the cruiser’s door open and climbed out, assessing the scene. “You injured?” he asked the driver as he approached.
When she looked up, her loose, long blonde hair parted to reveal her face.
Oh shit.
Amanda’s baby doctor. The dictator.
He hadn’t recognized her at first. Last night her hair had been no-nonsense, pulled up in a tight knot at the top of her head. And she hadn’t been wearing glasses.
Her eyes widened behind the bright turquoise frames, making him very aware of her green eyes. Unfortunately, those amazing eyes appeared shadowed in darkness. She looked exhausted.
He gently moved her hand away from her head. A bump protruded from her forehead, but he saw no blood. “Are you dizzy?”
“No.” She shook her head, then groaned at the motion.
She no longer wore her long, white doctor’s coat, nor generic green scrubs. Her mile-long legs were encased in some black, stretchy, tight pants. Yoga pants, maybe. And they were tucked into knee-high, black leather-looking boots. She had a loose white button-up shirt on, covering her hips and hiding her curves.
What a shame.
She narrowed her eyes, studying him. “Aren’t you Hannah’s uncle?”
“Hannah?”
“Max and Amanda’s baby. You know, the reason you brought her into the hospital last night.”
“Well, if you know that, then you know I am.”
Her lips flattened into a slash.
“Do you need medical attention?” he asked.
“I’m a doctor.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “No shit. I realized that fact last night when you were wearing your white coat and bossing people around.”
She tilted her head to look at him and then winced. “I wasn’t bossing people around.”
His cock had thought otherwise. “The hell you weren’t. So, do you need an ambulance?”
“No.”
“You sure? You stare at lady parts all day. Do you know wha
t the symptoms of a concussion are?”
She abruptly pushed herself to her feet. The woman had to be five-foot-eight. At least. “Lady parts?” She frowned at him. “Yes, I know what the symptoms of a concussion are. I’m fine.”
Matt blew out a loud breath. “Look, I’m here to help you. But you’re the doc. So you’d know better than me, right?” He shrugged as if he didn’t care.
Because when it came down to it, he didn’t. If she wanted to be stubborn, that fell on her. Not him.
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline and her mouth gaped open. She shut it quickly and frowned. “What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. I’m out here doing my job.”
“You could be a little friendlier.”
“I don’t need to be friendly to do my job. I just need to be good at it.”
She studied him for a moment as if trying to see deep into his soul. She wouldn’t find much. It was empty.
“Are you always an asshole?”
He gave her an exaggerated smile. “Yes.”
“Good to know.”
He moved over to the open driver’s door and inspected the deflated airbag. How the hell did she manage to get that goose egg on her noggin when her airbag deployed properly?
Ah. She hadn’t been wearing her seat belt. Naughty, naughty doctor.
“Where’s the deer?” he shouted toward the back of the SUV while staring at the front-end damage.
“I don’t know.” Her soft voice near his ear made him jump.
Jesus. You never, ever sneak up on combat vets. Ever.
“There was a deer, right?” he asked quickly to cover up his nerves.
“Yes, Officer Bryson. There was definitely a deer. It had four legs, brown hair, and a fluffy white tail.”
With a shake of his head, he left her where she stood and went back to the cruiser. After grabbing his shotgun and a bottle of water, he returned to where she propped herself against the vehicle, and handed her the still half-frozen bottled water. “Here. For your bump.”
She looked at it for a moment before reluctantly accepting it. “Thanks.” She pressed it gingerly against the lump on her forehead. “Is the shotgun for what I think it’s for?”
“Yep. You have any idea where the deer went?”
“No.” She sighed. “It couldn’t have gone far. Hopefully he’s not suffering.”
“That’s what the shotgun is for.”
“You just said that.”
So he did. Matt shrugged and moved over to the tall grass at the side of the road. Scanning the berm, he searched along the edge of the woods to see if he could spot the four-legged victim.
He noticed a patch of brown in the weeds a few yards ahead and approached the fallen animal carefully. An injured buck was no joke, especially if he sported a rack.
When he finally stood over the deer, he realized all life had left it. Hopefully, the animal didn’t suffer too long. He’d have county dispatch call the game warden, though he doubted the meat remained any good. Unless it could be used for hamburger.
He sighed, relieved he didn’t have to shoot his weapon. In fact, since he’d been back, he stopped hunting all together with his brothers. He no longer found pleasure in killing things.
Even if it supplied food for the table.
He carried his shotgun back to the patrol car and then grabbed his metal clipboard to start his crash report. The doctor had moved back to the rear of the most-likely totaled SUV and sat in the back of the open hatch.
“I’ll need your license, registration, and insurance card.”
She nodded slightly. “They’re in the car.”
“You know what? Don’t move. I’ll get it. Tell me where they’re at.”
She looked surprised at his being helpful. “Wallet on the passenger seat. Insurance and registration in the glove box.”
He grabbed what he needed and returned to her, handing her a large turquoise vinyl wallet. “You sure have a thing for that color.”
“It reminds me of the Caribbean.”
He could imagine her in a turquoise bikini on the beach, those long legs baking in the sun to a golden brown. He cleared his throat. “You like it there.”
“I’ve never been there. One day. It’s on my bucket list.” She eyeballed him. “You’ve been?”
Right. “Nope. I don’t like sand.”
“It’s more than just sand.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Don’t care. I’ve had enough sun and sand for a long time.”
“Where?”
Matt ignored her question because he already said more than he should, and instead, jotted down the information from her cards. She dug out her license and handed it to him.
Her warm hand brushed his. He quickly took the little plastic card from her long, graceful fingers. He couldn’t help but notice her nails were short and neat. No-nonsense.
And not a ring on any finger.
Not that he cared. Much to his mother’s dismay, he wasn’t looking for permanent anytime soon. Hell, he wasn’t even looking for a roll in the hay. His fist had been a dependable companion for a long time and just happened to be convenient. Very convenient.
He glanced at the blonde in front of him. He might have to rethink his current love life with his hand.
He read her license. Carly Stephens. He was right about her height. Five-eight. As he scribbled down her address, he hesitated. “Is this your current address?”
“Yes.”
Holy hell. The address belonged to a well-known boarding house outside of town. And not well-known in a good way. The place had a reputation for being a dump and a frequent flyer when it came to police incidents. Why the hell would a doctor live in that hovel?
“How long have you been living there?”
She squinted. “Do you need that for the report?”
“Nope. Just curious.”
She sighed, still holding the water bottle to her head. “Too long.”
“One night is too long in that place.”
She didn’t answer him. He peeked at her and found her frowning as she gazed at the ground. Suddenly she looked up and caught him staring.
“Have you seen the baby yet?”
She was trying to change the subject. He dropped his gaze back to his report. “No.”
“Aren’t you excited to have a niece?”
“No.”
“Really.”
It wasn’t a question. And he wasn’t going to respond even if it was. Let her think what she wanted. Once he gathered all the info and the flat bed arrived, most likely he’d never run into her again. He certainly didn’t hang out in the maternity ward at the hospital.
Especially since he wasn’t having any kids. Ever.
Just then the rollback arrived, its amber overhead lights rotating. The truck pulled in front of her SUV and the driver got out.
He shouted a greeting to the guy and headed over to give him some basic information, then, once he caught him up to speed, asked, “Can you handle it from here?”
“Yup,” the driver said before spitting a wad of chew on the ground.
With a frown, Matt jumped back to avoid the brown splatter. “Good,” he said, turning on his heels to put some distance between them before he smacked the guy upside his head.
As Matt headed back to Doctor Carly Stephens, the tow truck operator yelled out, “Does she need a ride?”
Carly lifted her head. “Yes.”
Matt raised his palm and told him, “No. I got it handled.” He grabbed the doctor by the elbow. “C’mon. I’ll take you home.” And he firmly escorted her to the passenger side of the cruiser.
“Why are you being nice now?” She looked at him with suspicion.
“I’m not. It’s just an illusion.”
She made a noise, but climbed into the car, and he ran around to the other side. Within minutes, he pulled away from the scene.
“You’re going the wrong direction,” she stated, the bottle still pressed to
her injured forehead.
“I know.”
“Are you kidnapping me?”
He snorted. “Yes. While I’m in uniform and a marked car.”
“I need to go home and go to sleep.”
“Not if you have a concussion. Do you have any family around here?”
He already guessed the answer. Anyone who had any loving family would not let her live in that boarding house.
She didn’t answer.
“I didn’t think so,” he said with a nod.
She sighed. “Are you taking me back to the hospital?”
“No.”
“Then where the fuck are you taking me?”
The low, demanding question lacked any sense of panic. It was a question from someone who normally took control and wanted answers.
His cock stirred. The commanding tone of her voice could bring him to his knees very easily. An image of him being down on his knees while she stood over him popped into his mind. He gripped the steering wheel harder to fight the shudder threatening to run through him.
Jesus.
She dug into the neckline of her baggy shirt and pulled a cellphone out of what he assumed was her bra. She pushed the power button and the screen lit up.
“What are you going to do, call the police?” he asked, not bothering to disguise the irony in voice.
She scowled at him. He ignored her and kept his eyes on the road. Her phone screen went dark again. She stared at it for a second, then glanced back at him. “Tell me where you’re taking me.” The way she worded it cemented the fact that the woman liked to be in control.
“Somewhere safe.”
“And where is that, Officer Bryson?”
“You said you have no family nearby, correct?”
“Correct.”
“How about friends?”
Once again, silence greeted him. She probably worked too hard to have time to have friends or socialize. Her career most likely consumed her.
Just like the sandbox had consumed him.
“I thought so. You might have a concussion. You can’t sleep. Someone needs to observe you.”
“So you decided that you’re up for the job.” Not a question.
He took a quick glance at her. She faced straight ahead, clearly annoyed that he was making decisions for her. “No. Not me.”
Brothers in Blue: The Complete Trilogy: Brothers in Blue Boxed Set - Books 1-3 Page 41
