“I will, as long as you let me lead this time.”
They all grinned as Shannon and Dylan walked over to the dance floor, the music started playing, and they began to waltz.
Traci watched, feeling content. The music was pretty, the atmosphere magical, she was with some of their favorite people in the world. Yes. She could get used to this indeed.
CHAPTER 39
“A star danced, and under that I was born.”
—William Shakespeare
Both Matt and Gwen had acted like Traci had a screw loose when she’d suggested that Gwen get her monthly check up at the house. Well, Gwen had looked appalled and said that was weird and Matt had firmly reminded her that he was a doctor and Gwen was his patient.
He’d also reminded her that Gwen was now eight months pregnant and, while out of the danger zone, was firmly in the perimeters of low risk.
“You seem to forget the state she’d been in when you brought her to the hospital, Traci. She was undernourished and under the influence. Both her body and the baby are going to be dealing with the effects of that for some time.”
She’d taken his warning to heart—and had also felt both embarrassed that she’d begun to take Gwen’s pregnancy for granted, and frustrated because she was worried sick about the girl. As hard as she’d tried not to be, Traci cared about her. A lot.
“Okay, but I’m just telling you that this ex-boyfriend of hers is a danger.”
“If she’s in that much danger, why don’t you have her someplace more secure?”
And . . . that was something that she and Dylan had talked about more than once. Bridgeport wasn’t a big city and it didn’t have a big city budget. They also didn’t have a lot of safe houses in the area, just waiting to be used.
Furthermore, since Gwen and her baby were currently in good health, Traci was unable to move her to the hospital.
She’d explained all that to Matt. He’d said he understood, but she wondered if he was thinking she wasn’t doing enough.
She was still thinking all of this around midnight while she was sitting in their kitchen and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a tall glass of milk. She’d tried to fall asleep an hour before but had been haunted by all her doubts and insecurities.
Afraid to wake up Kimber, who had just gotten back from her latest modeling job looking exhausted, Traci had slipped out of the room. Of course, sitting in the kitchen late at night meant eating late-night food. As far as she was concerned, one couldn’t do one thing without the other.
“Hey,” Kimber said as she walked in.
“Hey back. Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Yeah, but that’s okay.” She smiled as she pushed back a chunk of her hair from her forehead. “As soon as I realized you were in the kitchen, I started thinking that food sounded good.”
“I still have out peanut butter and jelly if you want that.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. Let me see what Jennifer’s got in here.”
Watching Kimber stand in front of the open refrigerator, Traci had to smile. Sometimes it caught Traci by surprise that Kimber looked so “normal” when she was home with them. She wore baggy gray sweatpants, a stretched-out T-shirt, an unzipped fleece hoody, and her feet were bare. With no makeup and her hair in a messy topknot, Traci figured she looked like just a pretty coed who was taller than most women.
Finally electing to have cereal, Kimber pulled out the gallon of milk from the fridge then started rooting around in the cabinets.
“Yes! Corn flakes!”
Traci laughed. “You are hysterical. Most people would only get that excited about Lucky Charms or Captain Crunch.”
“When you limit carbs and sugar like I do half the time, Corn Flakes are nirvana.”
After pouring herself a heaping bowl—and turning on the kettle for peppermint tea—Kimber sat down beside her. “Why can’t you sleep?”
“Gwen.”
“Is she giving you trouble? I really like her.”
“I like her too.” After glancing toward the hallway, she continued. “Maybe that’s the problem. She’s supposed to be my job, not . . . not whatever she is.”
“Your friend?” Kimber raised her eyebrows.
“Fine. My friend.” Hating how that sounded, she said, “It’s not that I don’t want to be her friend, I just don’t know how to handle her as my friend. It’s easier to be a cop when emotions aren’t getting in the way.”
After shoveling in another spoonful of cereal, Kimber spoke. “Traci, no offense, but that’s what life is, right? If you care, you get involved.”
She made it sound so easy, but it really wasn’t. “What if something happens?”
“Like what?”
Like Gwen gets snatched from this building and Kimber, Shannon, and Jennifer get hurt in the process. “A lot of things can go wrong,” she murmured just as Jennifer walked in. “Ugh. I’m sorry we woke you.”
“I was having trouble sleeping anyway.” Jennifer looked at their snacks and shook her head in mock dismay. “Don’t you two know that only cookies and milk taste good after midnight?” She reached up on her tiptoes and pulled out a box of oatmeal cookies.
“I didn’t know we had those,” Kimber said. “How come I didn’t know we had a stash of cookies?”
“I guess you didn’t look hard enough,” Jennifer said as she got a glass and filled it with milk. She joined them at the table. “Yum.”
“Look at you, girl,” Traci said. “Do you always wear stuff like that to bed?”
“What?” Jennifer looked down at her pink silky nightgown and the floor length robe.
“Nothing. Only that it’s really pretty.”
“I like pretty things.” Gazing at Traci, she blinked. “You were wearing that same outfit all evening. Have you not been to bed yet?”
“Nope.”
“She’s worried about Gwen,” Kimber supplied.
Jennifer sobered. “I know. I am too. But, she’ll be okay.”
“I need to make sure of it.”
“You’re not a guardian angel, Traci. You’re just a cop. You can only do the best that you can, right?”
“It doesn’t work like that.” At least, it didn’t for her.
“I like Gwen. I even like her being here and I kind of don’t want her to leave. But, that said, even though she’s a victim, she’s also lived through some pretty tough situations. I don’t think she’s as fragile as you’re making her out to be.”
“She’s not all that street-smart and tough, Jennifer. She’s just a kid.”
“Who is?” Shannon asked as she joined them.
“Gwen,” Kimber replied. “And what are you doing up? You should be downstairs with your hunky husband.”
“My husband is snoring. And, it turns out that our bedroom is right below the kitchen. I heard y’all walking around. Hanging out with y’all sounded like more fun than listening to Dylan snore.” Looking at all their dishes on the table, she brightened right up. “Oh, we’re eating!”
Jennifer grinned. “You say that like you’ve just found a secret prize or something.”
“Eating after midnight with no guilt? That is a prize.”
She opened the freezer and pulled out a pint of ice cream. It was the last of the pints that Matt had brought over. “I do love me some chocolate–chocolate chip ice cream.” After pulling out a spoon, she sat in the last chair.
“You’re going to eat right out of the carton?” Jennifer asked.
Shannon tilted the carton, showing it was only half filled. “I’m saving dish soap, Jen.”
Traci smiled at her sister. She was the oldest in the room and also the most petite. “Look at you. Are those new pajamas?”
Shannon was wearing a knit short set with one of Dylan’s open button downs over it. “Yes.” She smiled. “I bought
a lot of cute nightclothes for our honeymoon.”
Kimber sighed. “I never wanted to be married until I see how blissfully happy you two are.”
“I am happy,” Shannon said. “And Dylan is so perfect.”
Jennifer held up a hand. “Before you share any gooey details, let’s all remember that Dylan is my big brother.”
“And my partner,” Traci said. “I’m glad he’s happily married to you, but I don’t want to know too much.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to start kissing and telling. Too much.” After scooping up another bite of chocolate ice cream, she said, “So, was this get-together planned and I just happened to miss it?”
“It was not planned,” Kimber said. “But Traci started it.”
Traci shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Because you’re worried about Gwen,” Shannon said.
“Yep.” She was glad she didn’t have to go through her reasons again. “I would rather be sleeping, but this is kind of fun.”
“I agree,” Jennifer said. “One day, when we’re all married and living on our own, I’m going to miss these days.”
Just as Traci was about to say that probably wasn’t going to happen for a while, she spied Gwen lurking outside the entryway to the kitchen. “Gwen, come on in. We’ll pull up a chair for you.”
Kimber hopped up. “Come take mine. I’m done eating. Do you want some corn flakes?”
“No, thanks.”
Looking at her with concern, Traci stood up as well. “Hey, you look kind of pale. Did we wake you up?”
“I’m sure we did,” Kimber said. “I’m sorry, sweetie. That was rude.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve been up for a little while,” Gwen replied. “Um, I’ve been in the bathroom. I think I’m sick.”
Immediately the four of them surrounded her. “What’s wrong?” Traci asked. “And come sit down. Is it the baby?”
“I don’t know. I feel dizzy and I’ve got a really bad headache.”
Jennifer placed her hand on Gwen’s forehead. “You don’t feel feverish. Maybe it’s a cold or something?”
“Maybe. But I don’t know. I’ve never had a migraine but this sure feels like one.” She held up her hands. “And I think my hands and feet are swollen. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I really don’t feel good.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m scared about the baby.”
Traci headed for her room. “I’m going to call Matt.”
“Oh, don’t wake up Dr. Rossi!” Gwen said. “He needs his sleep.”
“You might as well wake him up,” Dylan said from the stairs. “The rest of us are.”
Traci sent her partner a look of thanks as she strode down the hall to her room. She was just thinking the same exact thing.
CHAPTER 40
“Why waltz with a guy for ten rounds
if you can knock him out in one?”
—Rocky Marciano
After double-checking that Gwen was resting and comfortable in her room, Matt walked out to the waiting room. Traci, her sisters, Dylan, and his sister Jennifer were all there. Each of them had a cup of bad hospital coffee in their hands.
“One of you should have gone out for some decent coffee,” he said as he greeted them.
“None of us wanted to leave,” Traci said. “Besides, I’ve had my share of bad coffee. As bad cups go, this isn’t the worst. How is she?”
“Yes, can we go see her?” Jennifer asked.
“I admitted Gwen,” he announced. When they all started talking at once, he held up a hand. “I just checked on her and she’s resting. I’d like you all to wait until morning to pay her a visit.”
“She’s that bad?” Shannon asked. “Oh my gosh, Matt. Have I been making her do too much?”
“I don’t think it was you, though I am going to recommend bedrest. We need to get her blood pressure under control.”
“When should I come back in the morning?” Traci asked.
If they were alone, Matt would have pulled her into his arms and told her that he was worried about her too. She took too much on her slim shoulders. Traci didn’t need to fix everyone and everything all by herself. “After eleven,” he said.
“That late?”
“She needs rest, and then she’ll need to get some more tests in the morning. Probably a sonogram too. If you’re here, all you’re going to be doing is sitting in this room again.”
“What if she thinks we’ve all forgotten her?”
“She already knows that every one of you was here tonight. I’ll take the blame for keeping you away until tomorrow. Go on, now.”
“What about you?” Kimber asked. “Are you going to get some rest?”
“I will. Don’t worry about me.” He was going to sleep in one of the rooms reserved for doctors on call. All he needed was three or four hours and he’d be fine.
Dylan stood up. “You heard the doctor, ladies. Let’s get some rest.”
Traci turned to them. “Give me a minute?”
“We’ll pull the car up and wait for you by the door,” Dylan said.
As soon as they walked out, Matt took her hand and pulled her through the stainless double doors to a quiet meeting room. He flicked on a light, shut the door, and then pulled her into his arms.
“I miss you,” he said, running his hands down her back. He liked feeling the indention of her spine. Liked how she felt—muscle and soft skin and solid enough to hold on to.
“I miss you too. I can’t wait until things are calmer for us.”
“Will they ever be?” He couldn’t help but reflect that the chaos wasn’t a result of either of their schedules—instead it was brought on by a need to help a girl who desperately needed someone to care about her.
But, wasn’t that the nature of their jobs? His schedule was always going to be determined by his patients’ needs. Traci’s was going to be a result of whatever case she was working on.
She frowned. “Maybe. I don’t know.” Lowering her voice, she said, “Maybe one day, even if our schedules are crazy, we’ll still be able to carve out time together.”
“That is something that we’ll be able to count on.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. Then kissed her again, more deeply, but then pulled back sheepishly. “We need to stop.”
“We do, ’cause they’re all waiting for me, and it’s the middle of the night.”
Dropping his hands, he walked to the door. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She smiled at him. “I know you will, which makes me happy. Don’t walk me out, doctor. I can get there by myself. Get some rest.”
Matt let her leave, but stayed in the room for a minute before heading down the hall to the dorm-like cubicles that personnel used when needed.
Kicking off his shoes, he pulled the curtain on the cubicle, grimaced at the flat pillow that he’d somehow forgotten the beds always had, then finally closed his eyes. Willing his body to relax, he thought about Gwen, his rounds scheduled for the morning, and finally the way Traci had sounded both when she’d woken him out of a deep sleep and after he’d held her in his arms tonight. Two different sides of her that he found equally fascinating.
He fell asleep wondering what other secrets he’d discover about her in the future.
* * *
Four hours later, Dr. Rossi was dressed in scrubs, his lab coat, and was sitting next to Gwen’s bed. He’d just told her the news. It was official, she had preeclampsia and was going need to stay in bed or on the couch for the foreseeable future. Probably until she delivered, but he wasn’t quite ready to break the news to her yet.
“I’m scared, Dr. Rossi.”
“I know. But we’re going to keep you here for another two days. I won’t sign the release for you to go home until we’re both sure you’re stable.” He’d also pulled a little weight. Technicall
y, she could have probably gone home, but she’d already been through too much. Plus, everyone knew it was safer for her to stay at the hospital.
“I’m scared about my health, but about the baby too.”
He pointed to the monitor attached to her stomach and then to the monitor next to them, where they could both see the baby’s heartbeat. “Your baby boy is doing okay. Try not to take everything on your shoulders.”
Though her eyes looked haunted, she nodded. “All right.”
He paused, He didn’t want to speak out of turn, but he also realized it was foolish to ignore what they were both thinking. “Gwen, Officer Lucky isn’t going to let you down. She’s going to keep you safe.”
“I know. Thank you.”
Walking out of the room, he realized that she didn’t believe him. Actually, she looked both older and more stressed than she had in weeks.
He was starting to feel like something bad was about to happen.
CHAPTER 41
“In my dreams I am not crippled.
In my dreams, I dance.”
—Louise Brooks
“Guess what? You have company here to see you,” Marissa said brightly at ten the following morning.
Gwen had been listlessly watching some Home and Garden TV episode, thinking that all these house hunters were the neediest people on the planet when her favorite nurse popped her head in.
Reaching for the remote, she pushed the button to raise her in a sitting position. “Really? Who?”
Marissa beamed. “Your brother Billy and your cousin Dan are here. Isn’t that a nice surprise? Have a good visit,” she added as she stepped to one side.
Pulse racing, Gwen inhaled, ready to yell for help—just as her brother and Hunter walked in. They hardly looked like themselves. Hunter was wearing jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt that covered all his tattoos. He’d pulled his long hair into some kind of man bun and he’d shaved.
Billy, who she hadn’t seen in years, looked much like she remembered him, except older, more muscular, and a whole lot meaner. He also had on a long-sleeved shirt, even though it was June and hot outside. His blond hair was almost shaved.
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