Dream of Her Heart

by Shanna Hatfield

  A soft hand touching his arm drew his attention back to the nurse. “We were all so shocked when he left like that.”

  “Left? What in blazes are you saying?” Zane snapped upright, pinning the nurse with a cool glare. “Is Rock dead or alive?”

  The woman dropped her hand and bumped into the desk behind her, as though she wanted to put distance between them. “Alive, I think, sir. At least he was the last time I saw him.”

  “But you said he’s gone. If you didn’t mean…” The look he shot her held confusion and a bit of irritation. The woman wasn’t making a lick of sense. For all her beauty, he began to wonder if she was a bit shy in the brain department.

  “Let’s try this again,” she said, smiling at him in a way he found both disarming and invigorating. “I’m Nurse Brighton. Who might you be?”

  “Lieutenant Zane West. Rock and I have been best friends…”

  “Since the first day you met at West Point,” the nurse said, offering him a knowing look. “He spoke of you often. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Zane had no idea who the nurse was even if she seemed to have an inkling of his friendship with Rock. “Where is he? What happened to him?”

  The nurse crossed her arms over her full bosom and sighed. “I was on duty three evenings ago and left Captain Laroux in his room eating his supper. He hasn’t been doing well the past several weeks so I was happy to see him take an interest in the meal. When I went back to check on him, he was not in his room. He left a note that said something about dying at home, but he was nowhere to be found. Of course, we called the police and searched the entire hospital. We even had someone go out to the farm he owns, but the man who rents it hasn’t seen him either. It’s as though he’s disappeared into thin air.”

  Zane dropped his duffle bag to the floor and swiped a hand over his face. “You’re telling me a man who was practically on his deathbed got up and walked out of here, and no one noticed?”

  The woman chewed her lip, drawing Zane’s attention to its rose petal-hued perfection. Most women had taken to wearing what they called Victory red, but it was refreshing to see a kissable pair of lips in a lighter, much more natural shade.

  Nurse Brighton frowned as he continued to glare at her. “That’s exactly what happened. If you have any suggestions on where or how to find him, I’m all ears.”

  “Hardly,” Zane muttered without thinking.

  The nurse straightened her spine and glared at him. “If you’d like, you could speak with Captain Laroux’s attending physician.”

  “That’d be dandy. Just point the way.” Zane grabbed his duffle and moved to the end of the counter.

  Nurse Brighton pushed away from the desk. “If you’ll wait here a moment, I’ll see if he’s available.”

  Zane watched her hurry down the hallway. The slight sway in her step made him think it wasn’t intentional, which he liked. There was nothing more off-putting than a girl who tried too hard to snag a fellow’s interest.

  Nurse Brighton soon returned then showed him to a tidy office where a middle-aged man sat behind a large desk. The man rose to his feet and held out a hand. “I’m Dr. Ridley. Nurse Brighton said you’re here to see Rock Laroux.”

  “Yes, sir. I have a few days of leave and wanted to check on him. Looks like I should have made the trip a week earlier,” Zane said, sinking into the chair the doctor indicated. Nurse Brighton gave him one more glance then rushed out the door. He shifted his attention back to the doctor as the man regained his seat. “Can you tell me what led to Rock’s escape?”

  The doctor shook his head. “I really shouldn’t discuss this with you, but from what Rock said, you’re the closest thing he has to family. Isn’t that right?”

  “That’s right. He has no siblings. His folks are gone. Rock’s been… well, he’s been my rock more times than I can count, sir.” Zane refused to think about the possibility that Rock had left the hospital and died. It just wasn’t an option as far as he was concerned. “The nurse said someone went out to the farm to see if he was there.”

  “Yes. We’ve checked with the man who rents the place. He hasn’t seen or heard from Rock, but he promised to let us know if Rock shows up there.” The doctor released a weary sigh and leaned back in his chair. “As you know, Rock was injured in a plane crash back at the beginning of the year. Those wounds were healing, albeit slowly, but Rock’s health declined by the day. We truly have no idea what made him so weak and ill. I’ve read every textbook I can lay my hands on. I’ve consulted doctors from Seattle to Chicago and no one can figure out why he’s dying a little day by day in front of our very eyes. I hate that a robust young man like him can barely hold up his head some days or drag his feet half a dozen steps across the room. There’s no reasonable explanation for his declining health. It’s as though some unseen foe continually attacks him.”

  “But that still doesn’t explain how he left the hospital,” Zane said, growing frustrated. “How could a man in Rock’s condition, as you’ve described it, get up and walk out of here?”

  “That’s the question we’ve been wracking our brains to answer.” The doctor sighed again. “Three days ago, Rock asked me to give him the unvarnished truth, and I did. I respect him enough not to give false hope where none exists. He was having a fairly good day, at least for him, and Nurse Brighton had cajoled him into going for a walk down the hall. Another nurse needed help with a patient, so Nurse Brighton left Rock to get himself to his room, which he did. After she brought him his dinner tray, she left him for about an hour, but when she came back, he was gone. His uniform and bag were missing, so it was easy to assume he’d gotten dressed and left. We searched the hospital from top to bottom and back up again, but he’d already gone. No one outside had seen him, or at least hadn’t noticed him. A soldier who limps or acts a little weak getting down the steps outside isn’t uncommon and people don’t think anything of it.”

  “The assumption is that Rock didn’t like the idea of spending his last days on earth here in the hospital and took himself elsewhere. If he isn’t at the farm, where in the dickens would he have gone?”

  The doctor opened a drawer and took out a file, handing Zane a slip of paper. “Your guess is as good as mine. That’s the note Rock left us.”

  Zane read a hastily scribbled message about Rock dying where there was fresh air and blue sky at home. It was easy to understand why everyone would assume he’d headed to the farm his father had left to him. But if he wasn’t there, then where could he be?

  “Do you think he was too sick to make it there? Is it possible someone took him in? Have you checked other hospitals in the area?”

  The doctor nodded. “That was one of the first things we did. No one matching his description has been admitted to any of the area hospitals. We’ve notified all the authorities. Short of combing every inch of the entire region from here to his farm, I don’t know what else to do other than wait and pray that Rock will turn up.

  “He will. He’s too stubborn and mule-headed to die. At least like this.” Zane handed the note back to the doctor. “I appreciate you speaking with me. If anyone hears from Rock, would you please let me know?”

  “Of course,” the doctor said. He pushed a tablet and pen toward Zane. “I’ll put your address in Rock’s file.”

  Zane wrote down his information then shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure you did the best you could for Rock and I appreciate it.”

  “I’m just sorry you came all this way to find him gone.”

  “Me, too.”

  The doctor walked with him to the office door then Zane made his way back down the hall to the nurse’s station. The beautiful blonde was there speaking to two other nurses. All three of them looked at him as he approached the counter.

  He tipped his head to the one who’d answered his many questions. “Thank you for your help, Nurse Brighton.”

  She nodded. “Oh, it was nothing, Lieutenant West. I’m just sorry Captain Laroux isn’t he
re.”

  Zane’s stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. Heat seared up his neck and burned his ears when the three women grinned at him.

  “Come on. You might as well get something to eat while you’re here. I’ll show you where to find the cafeteria.” Nurse Brighton stepped around the desk and started walking toward an elevator across from the nurse’s station.

  In spite of his plans to leave, his feet revolted against his head and followed her to the cafeteria.

  “The chicken pot pie is always good or the hot turkey sandwich,” she said, as they moved into the short line. She got herself a cup of coffee and a banana while Zane chose the chicken pot pie, a green salad, a cup of coffee, and a slice of lemon cake.

  She led the way to a table in front of a sunny window overlooking a courtyard filled with plants and a wide, paved path.

  Zane watched as a few patients made their way along the path, several using canes or crutches.

  He bowed his head and offered a brief word of thanks for his meal then dug into the food. Nurse Brighton was correct, the pot pie was delicious.

  “I’m sure you have better things to do than sit with me, but I appreciate you keeping me company. It’s no fun to eat alone.”

  “No, it isn’t,” she said, leaning back as she sipped her coffee and nibbled the banana. She eyed him a moment then offered him an inquisitive look. “What will you do now?”

  “I don’t have to report for duty until Monday, so I’ll spend the next two days doing my best to locate Rock. Someone, somewhere had to have seen him.” Zane took another bite of his meal then wiped his mouth on a napkin. “I can’t leave without at least trying to find him.”

  Nurse Brighton studied him several moments then set her coffee cup on the table. “If you have no objection, I’d like to help you. I have tomorrow afternoon and the following day off.”

  Zane felt a smile stretch across his lips. He couldn’t think of anything he’d like better, short of Rock walking through the nearest door, than the pretty nurse accompanying him. “Are you sure? I bet you don’t get much time off just to enjoy yourself.”

  “We’re all fond of Captain Laroux.” She leaned toward him and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Well, maybe not Nurse Homer, but she detests everyone.”

  Zane grinned.

  She reached across the table and placed her hand on his arm again. “Please. I’d like to go with you, if you have no objection.”

  “No objections from me,” he said, taking another bite of his dinner. “Should I meet you here tomorrow?”

  “That would be fine. I’ll be ready to go at noon.” The nurse glanced at her watch and rose to her feet. “Do you have a place to stay?”

  “I don’t. Any recommendations?” Zane stood and watched as she took one last sip from her coffee cup.

  “There’s a hotel about four blocks from here. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s clean and the prices are fair. If you turn left when you reach the street out front and keep walking, you can’t miss it.”

  “Thank you, Nurse Brighton. I appreciate the information and your offer to help. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” she repeated, giving him one last, lingering look before she turned away from him.

  “Oh, and Nurse Brighton?” He closed the distance she’d placed between them. When she turned around, she nearly bumped into his chest. His grin widened as he held her arms to steady her.

  “Did you need something?” she asked in a breathy voice.

  “I’d sure like to know your name.”

  She tipped back her head and looked at him. He could have sworn her eyes turned from bright to a dark, forest green when she smiled. “Billie. It’s Billie Brighton.”

  Without waiting for him to reply, she spun around and left the cafeteria.

  Zane watched her go, curls bouncing and skirt swishing, before he sat down and finished his meal.

  Billie Brighton.

  Beautiful Billie.

  Quite a name for quite a girl.

  Chapter Two

  With all the quiet stealth of a jungle cat stalking its prey, Billie closed the door and tiptoed across the foyer at the rooming house where she lived with a dozen other women.

  An old Victorian mansion had been remodeled as an establishment that offered affordable, clean rooms to young women. Billie had lived at The Cascadia Hotel ever since she started working at the veteran’s hospital five years ago. The hotel was only three blocks from the hospital and a coveted place of residence by the nurses who labored there.

  After working late, she didn’t want to disturb anyone, least of all the nosy owner of the property, Miss Gladys Burwell. The woman was a stickler for rules, schedules, and “proper comportment.”

  Billie had just reached the stairs when the creak of a floorboard behind her let her know she’d been caught.

  Slowly, she turned around and smiled at her matronly landlady. “Hello, Miss Burwell.”

  “Miss Brighton, you are five minutes past curfew. Again.” Miss Burwell pointed to the old pocket watch she held in her hand. The woman regularly consulted the timepiece as though the world might stop spinning if she allowed time to proceed without her constant checking to confirm it marched continually onward. “Are the telephones no longer functioning at the hospital?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I mean, no, ma’am.” Billie sighed, trying to hide her frustration. “The phones are working, but I didn’t plan on being late. I was almost out the door when a doctor requested help with a patient. It only took a minute, and I ran all the way here, hoping to make it on time.” Billie shrugged. “I apologize for being late.”

  The woman glowered at her then assumed a haughty stance. “Well, see that it doesn’t happen again. You had a similar occurrence just last week.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Billie tamped down the urge to grind her teeth in frustration. She didn’t know why the beak-nosed old spinster cared what time she came home as long as she was respectful of the other tenants, paid her rent, and obeyed the important rules like keeping her room clean and not allowing men inside.

  “Aren’t you due for a day off soon?” the woman asked, moving closer as Billie backed up the steps, hoping to make an escape.

  “The day after tomorrow,” Billie said, not willing to impart the knowledge she had half a day off tomorrow. No doubt, Miss Burwell would grill her about her plans if she mentioned it.

  Perhaps the woman was just lonely. Billie gave the thought a moment of consideration, but she was too tired to dwell on it. She just wanted to take a hot bath and collapse in her bed. “I better head up, Miss Burwell. Have a pleasant evening.”

  “Evening has come and gone, my dear.” Miss Burwell gave her another disapproving look then retreated to her personal rooms located off the entry foyer.

  Billie turned and rolled her eyes, then hurried up the steps. She waved to two girls as they stood in the hall quietly chatting before she unlocked her door and stepped inside. The room was spacious with a lovely view of the backyard. Cream wallpaper accented with pale pink and buttery yellow flowers blooming amid green vines made her feel as though she’d found her way to a peaceful garden. A double bed, two matching night stands, and a chest of drawers, all made of exquisite birds-eye maple, added a hint of elegance to the room. A desk and chair, a square table with a hotplate, a small book shelf and a floor lamp enhanced the homey feel.

  After removing her nurse’s cap and kicking off her shoes, Billie plopped onto an overstuffed chair and rubbed her aching feet. She’d sprinted all the way from the hospital, hoping to make it home before old burr-in-her-blanket Burwell realized she was late. When a doctor asked for help, Billie gave it, regardless of the time or the state of her weariness. She loved nursing, loved caring for others, and doing her best to make a difference in the lives of others.

  If it disrupted Miss Burwell’s perfectly ordered world to have her return home five minutes after the absurd curfew of nine-fifteen on a week night, then so be it.


  Billie removed her clothes, wrapped a robe around her, and gathered the basket in which she kept her toiletries. She opened her door and stepped into the hallway. Six bedrooms, three on each side were bracketed at each end of the hall by bathrooms. Billie’s room was located next to the bathroom on the east end of the second floor. A similar arrangement existed on the floor above her, too.

  Glad the bathroom was unoccupied, Billie hurried inside and turned on the water to start filling the tub. She added a bit of vanilla-scented bubble bath and stirred the water with her fingertips.

  The moment fragrant steam wafted into the air, she slid into the hot water and sighed. With her head resting against the back of the massive claw foot tub, she closed her eyes and thought about meeting Lieutenant Zane West. Rock had spoken of him so frequently, and with such affection, she felt as though she already knew him.

  When Rock was feeling particularly low he would study a photo taken of him and Zane in front of a plane. In the image she’d seen on numerous occasions, the two young men were full of life and mischief. She should have recognized Zane the moment she’d turned around and seen him standing at the counter in the hospital. Yet, the sight of him — broad shoulders, icy blue eyes, and lips positively made for kissing — had rendered her so addled she hadn’t realized who he was until he said his name.

  Mercy, but the man was far more handsome in person than he’d been in Rock’s photograph. And he smelled wonderful, too. Like sunshine and leather, and something masculine she couldn’t quite describe. No doubt, the soldier left a string of broken hearts in his wake, considering how the nurses working with Billie couldn’t stop raving about him from the few minutes he’d spoken to her at the nurse’s station.

  Billie had no business giving the man a second glance. She certainly had none volunteering to go with him tomorrow afternoon to look for Rock. Soldiers were off limits as far as she was concerned and that was a rule she had no intention of breaking. The men who risked their lives had her full admiration and she’d give her last ounce of energy caring for them, but she couldn’t let her heart get entangled with one. She knew first-hand the sorrow a woman faced when she loved a man who might never come home.