, dodging a car that protested with a blaring horn.
Josh could only hear his heartbeat in his ears.
He could only see a crumpled figure lying in the street a hundred feet away. Lori, her hair spread out around her. A blond man bending over her.
As Josh pounded toward the two, the man looked up. It all happened in an instant that seemed to stretch for hours. He started to rise, then Josh was there, grabbing him by the upper arms. Josh lifted the other man off his feet and dragged him away from Lori. His arm slid over the thinner man's chest and Josh gripped the stranger against his body, his gaze on Lori.
"Honey? Lori?" He shouted at her, because her eyes were closed and he needed to wake her up.
The other man was thrashing about and talking, but Josh just hitched him tighter against himself. "Lori!" he yelled again.
Sirens sounded. Wyatt and Melissa rushed up, both bending over Lori's curled, quiescent figure.
Melissa's eyes were wide with alarm when she looked up. "Josh, she's been shot."
* * *
Chapter 14
« ^
The fluorescent light in the hospital room emitted a steady, high-pitched buzz that sounded like a cricket on helium. It put Josh's teeth on edge, but what the hell, it matched the rest of him.
His butt was on the edge of the chair beside the hospital bed. His nerves were on edge. His life was riding the fine edge between relief and despair.
He leaned toward the still figure covered by a sheet and then a hospital blanket. "Wake up," he whispered. "Please, Lori, I'm just asking for you to open your eyes."
And then, as if she'd heard his request – as if it were the first time he'd asked and not the hundred-and-first – her lashes fluttered. Josh curled his fingers into fists, willing himself to patience.
The most beautiful blue he'd ever seen in his entire life was the blue of Lori's half-open eyes. Though his nerves were still guitar-string tight, he smiled. "Hi," he said softly. "The doctors promised me you'd wake up, but I admit I was getting a little antsy."
They'd also promised to call Security earlier that day, when Josh had insisted on being allowed into Lori's room. Thanks to Dr. Noah Martin's influence, the nurses had finally relented. But they'd threatened Josh with instant eviction if he distressed her in any way.
Lori's gaze darted this way and that, her brow wrinkling in obvious confusion. Josh instantly covered her free hand with his, squeezing lightly. "You're in the Whitehorn Memorial Hospital."
"What?" The word came out a whisper.
Josh squeezed her fingers again, wishing he could shelter her from the truth. "Do you remember what happened this morning, Lori?"
She blinked again, then she froze. "David." She shifted against the sheets, trying to sit up.
"No!" He grasped her right shoulder and pressed it gently back, then forced a calmer note in his voice. "He's in the sheriff's custody. He can't hurt you."
David Post was lucky that the authorities had appeared on the scene so quickly. When Melissa had said Lori'd been shot, Josh had become enraged at the piece of human garbage he'd pulled off her, still struggling in his grip. The timely arrival of the deputies meant that they hadn't had to pull Josh off David. Once the other man was handcuffed, Josh had thought only of Lori.
Now, seeing her awake, he swallowed. "You scared me," he said. "You scared me bad."
Lori's hand turned in his. Her fingers were cold, but her grasp strong. "He had a gun," she said, her voice rough and anxious. "Josh, I remember he had a gun."
There didn't seem to be enough air in the room, just thinking about it. Only the fact that she was here, breathing, awake, kept him sane. "I know, honey. And he … he shot you."
Lori jerked back, then winced. Her head turned and she looked down at her casted left arm. "I remember it burned," she said, "but I didn't realize he'd actually pulled the trigger."
"He did." Josh ran his hand over her hair. "But the gun was found some distance away. We don't know if he tossed it aside, or—"
"I kicked it out of his hand," Lori said.
"You what?"
Lori's brow furrowed. "He was coming closer, holding the gun, talking to me in that cool way he has."
Josh saw her swallow, hard, and he continued stroking her hair to reassure her. "Then what happened?"
She let out a small, mirthless laugh. "I thought how ironic it was. I thought about all those miles I've run, all those self-defense classes I've taken. They weren't any good against a gun."
Josh's gut clenched, the echo of her fear making him sick. "Hell, Lori," he said. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed his mouth against her knuckles. "Hell."
Her gaze focused beyond him, as if she was reliving the moments. "As he came closer, I got really mad about that. That he'd bested me again. That no matter what I did, no matter where I went, I couldn't seem to take care of myself."
Her eyes focused on Josh's face. "When he lifted the gun a little higher, I knew what was going to happen next. I heard it go off. This acrid smell filled my nose. I felt that burning. But my anger focused on the gun." She half smiled. "I guess those kick-boxing classes really work."
Josh struggled to breathe. The truth was worse than the picture his imagination had painted. Hellishly worse. "Oh, God, Lori." The words finally pushed past his tight throat. "Oh, God."
Her brows came together. "Josh? What's wrong? You told me that the sheriff has David. You told me I'm going to be okay." She stilled. "You're all right, aren't you? And Melissa? He didn't hurt—"
"No, no," Josh quickly reassured her. "Everyone is fine." He closed his eyes. "That's a lie. I'm not fine. Physically, yes. But I have to be honest. Now. For the first time. Lori, I don't think I'll ever be the same again."
She was shifting against the sheets again, grimacing.
"No," he said. "Don't move." Taking a deep breath, he fumbled for the bed's controls and pushed the button to lift her head. "Lori, I—"
"Is he bothering you?" A nurse bustled into the room, her gaze for Lori, her disapproval for Josh. "And when, pray tell, did you wake up?"
"Just a few minutes ago," Lori answered, then darted a glance at him. "And Josh isn't bothering me."
The nurse matter-of-factly disengaged their hands to check Lori's pulse. "He's been bothering me," she grumbled. "From the moment you arrived at the hospital."
In a few efficient moments she'd checked Lori's vital signs, settled her more comfortably, lifted a bent straw stuck in a glass of water to her lips. Then, with one last sniff in Josh's direction and vague threats of calling the doctor, she left the room.
The activity appeared to have worn Lori out. Josh swallowed, the sight of her pale, beautiful features clawing at his heart. He straightened in his chair. "Maybe you should get some rest."
"Don't leave me." Lori blinked, as if her own words surprised her.
Josh wondered how many ups and downs a man could survive in one day. He leaned toward her, needing to be close. "I wasn't going anywhere, honey. I'm … not sure I can."
At the small, puzzled shake of her head, Josh made himself continue. "Not, not until you hear me out anyway." He found her free hand again, slipping his fingers between hers. "I'm so sorry for what I said to you this morning at the office. For lying to you as I did. I was operating strictly out of the fear of losing you, but instead of what I really wanted to say, I let you get away. I pushed you away."
Lori, no surprise, latched onto the most important point first. "Expand on this lying part."
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on the mattress, he lifted her hand and cupped it between both of his. He'd prayed like this while she was sleeping, and his heart was not much less anxious now. "I'll go slow, Lori. I'll wait. I'll give you whatever space, whatever room you need. But I need you to know that I love you. And I think … I want … I know we could have something together. Someday. When you're ready."
Pink tinged the paleness of Lori's cheeks. "Josh, I—"
Before
she could say any more, the surgeon pushed through the door, the nurse a step behind him. It was the nurse who gave Josh his walking papers, of course, and he reluctantly left Lori, only to hover outside the closed door to her room.
* * *
Though she felt as if every bone and muscle in her body was throbbing, after Lori spoke with the doctor she asked the nurse to see if Josh was anywhere nearby. In a moment the other woman stuck her head back in. "Is six inches away 'nearby' enough for you?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Any closer and I would have beaned him with the door."
Josh pushed past the white-smocked woman, his gaze on Lori. "Did you need me?"
Oh, she did. He strode into the room, and it was as if she hadn't seen him in months instead of minutes. But everything about Josh was so dear – and wouldn't he hate that word, too? The thought would have made her laugh, if it didn't make her heart ache so.
Did she deserve such dearness? Such niceness? He said he loved her – and that wonder was still sinking in – but could she bring her troubled past into his life again? Because she knew, better than anyone, that David Post wasn't going to melt away. At best, there would be interviews with the sheriff and court dates and parole hearings. Months of them. Years.
"Josh, I—"
The door to her room swung open again, and half grateful for the interruption, Lori looked toward it. Melissa peeked in, her face worried.
Her gaze found Lori's, and the expression eased. "You're awake!"
"And alive," Lori added. It was a truth that made it necessary to tell all the other truths, she thought with sudden clarity. As weary as she was, as unsure about the future, she still beckoned Melissa in. "I need to talk to you, too."
When Josh made to give Melissa his chair, she waved him back and perched on the edge of Lori's bed. "First," the older woman said. "Tell me you're going to be all right. Then—"
Lori held up her hand. "I'm going to be fine. But first, first I need to tell you something." Inhaling a long breath didn't help ease her nervousness. "I've never told you the entire reason I came to Whitehorn," she said, her gaze on Melissa's face. "Yes, it was where my mother was born and raised, and yes, I was interested in seeing the town. But I was … more interested in seeing my half sister."
Melissa's eyes widened. "You mean…?"
Lori swallowed. "I'm sorry. I don't know how this will make you feel about your father, but even though I never knew him, he was my father too. I have some proof. Letters—"
"That won't be necessary," Melissa said slowly. Her gaze ran over Lori's features. "All the proof I need is right in front of me. I'm just surprised I didn't figure it out before. My father wasn't known for his faithfulness, Lori, I've known that for years. And since you first came to town, people have commented over and over on how much we look alike."
"Maybe I should have been honest from the beginning," Lori admitted. "But I didn't want you to feel obligated in any way toward me. I didn't want you to feel that we had to have a relationship."
Melissa smiled. "But we both felt something right away, yes?"
The tightness in Lori's chest halfway eased. "Yes. But I also have to confess that I … that I wanted badly to establish a relationship with you. With my mother gone and David – well, you know about David now – I needed all the strength I could muster. And I thought rebuilding my life with the foundation of a family might make me stronger."
Melissa's smile was tender. Her hand found Lori's and she grasped it firmly. "We will make you strong. I promise you that."
Hot tears stung the corners of Lori's eyes as she looked at their joined hands. She remembered the first time Melissa had covered her hand, when they'd first met at the Five & Dime weeks ago. "I promise to be a good friend to you, too," she whispered.
Tears glistened in Melissa's eyes as well. "Sisters," she corrected. "We're sisters, and we'll give and take."
Give and take. The three words sank into Lori's consciousness, then into her heart, then deeper, into her soul. Without letting go of Melissa, she turned her head toward Josh. "I have things to tell you, too."
The legs of his chair squeaked against the linoleum floor as he slid closer to her. His dark-brown eyes were as serious as she'd ever seen them. "Go ahead."
But she was too cowardly to start with the most important thing first. "The last time that David hurt me, I ended up in a hospital room just like this one. As the nurses bustled in and out, I made a vow. I promised myself that I wasn't going to be weak again."
Josh nodded. "The running, the kickboxing, those self-defense moves you know."
"Yes. I worked so hard to be strong." She sucked in a breath. "And then … and then David had that gun. I'd never prepared for that. Never expected I'd have to be…"
"Superwoman?" Melissa supplied.
Lori sighed. "Exactly. So all my preparation, all my desire to stand on my own two feet couldn't make me…"
"Bulletproof," Melissa offered again.
With a little laugh, Lori looked over at the other woman. "This sister stuff is working out really well."
Melissa smiled back. "Told you."
Lori returned her gaze to Josh. "So when I was standing there, facing David all alone, I told you I was mad. But I also wanted to scream with frustration because I thought I'd never get a chance to tell you…" She hesitated.
"That—" Melissa started.
"I love you, Josh." She threw her sister an amused glance. "See, I was going to get it out."
"Just making sure," Melissa answered mildly. "Anything else you have to tell him?"
"Yes." Lori risked a peek at Josh, who was sitting frozen, as if her words had stunned him. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
That's when her big, brawny Josh appeared ready to crumble. His shoulders slumped, his face paled, his eyes turned even darker. "Say that again?" he said hoarsely.
"I love you, Josh. I want to marry you."
His big body lurched toward her. Lori slipped her hand from Melissa's and held Josh off. "Wait. There's something else."
He settled back in his chair, his body radiating leashed energy, though his face was wary. "Nothing else matters," he said.
Lori licked her lips. "The truth matters. The whole truth." She hesitated. "Josh, I also have to say that I'm not sure whether if I went back to live this morning over that I'd do anything different."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she held out her hand again. "Let me finish. You need to know that I still will find it hard to put you at risk for my sake. That might make me foolhardy in your eyes, but that's the truth."
Josh found her hand and lifted it, holding it against his face. "You were trying to protect me."
Lori relaxed a little, cheered by his understanding. "Just like I wanted to protect you." He smiled at her. "Don't you see? I can understand that. Just as I expect that you can understand I wanted to take care of you, too."
Give and take. Lori looked at the man she loved, feeling his warmth, his goodness, flowing down her arm and toward her heart. Still, there was her past, and David, and… She bit her lip. "What if…"
"You just shut up and grab for happiness?" Melissa said. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Lori a stern look. "I'm the big sister, right?"
At Lori's nod, she continued. "Well, that means you have to listen to me. And I tell you, from experience, mind you, that what-ifs are a waste of time."
Lori remembered Melissa telling her about her marriage to Wyatt and how they'd been separated by circumstances for a number of years. "But—"
"But nothing." It was Josh who finished for Lori this time. "What-ifs are a waste of time. It's what will be that we should be talking about. Looking forward to."
Tears were gathering in Lori's eyes again. "A partnership," she said, as one spilled over to run hotly down her cheek.
Josh smiled, then closed his eyes, as if savoring the moment. "A marriage."
* * *
A week later, when her arm was on the mend but still in a
sling, Josh convinced Lori to go for a drive with him on Sunday afternoon. The chinook winds had left as quickly as they had come, and the Montana winter cold was back, though the streets were still without snow.
Lori snuggled back in her seat, wrapped in an old coat of Josh's. She'd moved in with him until their wedding in March. Neither one of them wanted to waste a moment apart.
"Close your eyes," he suddenly commanded.
Surprised, Lori looked over at him. "What?"
"I want you to close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Humor me," Josh answered, with a grin. "Close your eyes until I tell you to open them."
With a shrug, Lori obediently shut her eyes. Humoring Josh was turning out to be one of the most pleasant ways to spend her time. As a matter of fact, she'd just humored him that morning, lying back on their bed – he was still so worried about her arm – while he made delirious love to her.
The car braked to a stop. "Can I open my eyes now?" she asked.
"Nope. Keep them closed. I'll help you out."
And he did just that. Careful not to jar her injury, he moved her from the car and then urged her to walk forward. "What's this all about?" she asked, but he refused to answer.
The snick of a latch and the sudden rush of warm air told her a door had opened in front of them. Lori thought she could feel the presence of other people, and she sniffed, smelling the delicious scent of warm food and something else familiar.
"Melissa?" she called out. "I smell your perfume."
Josh bent to her ear. "You can look now," he said.
Lori's eyes popped open. Then her mouth dropped.
They were standing in the half-finished Hip Hop. The drywall was up, but her feet were still on the subfloor. In the place where the café's tables and booths would one day be, there were several long portable tables filled with food. Portable heaters were placed strategically, too. And the restaurant was full of people.
A banner reading Welcome to the Family, Lori! was stretched across one blank wall.
Her throat tightened, and she reached out to clutch Josh's hand. "What's going on?"
He pulled her close. "A party, honey. A party for you."
IN LOVE WITH HER BOSS Page 17
