by Helen Conrad
“Kurt, isn’t it?” she said, remembering the young officer who had helped her when she’d accused Michael of shoplifting weeks before. “Oh, it’s nice to see a friendly face.”
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“The hospital,” she said. “I’ve got to get to the hospital and…”
“What is it?” he asked, alarmed. Opening the door, he jumped out to get closer. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Oh no. But my cousin is having a baby, and my car broke down and…” To her horror, she found herself tearing up and sniffling. “I’m sorry, I just…”
“No, you get in the car,” he told her firmly, taking her arm. “We’ll take you to the hospital. No problem at all.”
She sighed, letting him steer her to the back seat of the car and sinking into it gratefully. “Thank you so much,” she said.
He smiled and got back into the front passenger’s seat. “No problem,” he repeated.
By car, it only took a few minutes.
A call came in just as they pulled up to the parking lot. Shelley couldn’t make out what was being said. The transmission was crackly and she wasn’t used to trying to decipher it like the policemen were.
“Sounds like there’s been a shooting at the marina,” Kurt translated for her.
“What? Oh no. I hope no one was hurt.”
Kurt looked back at her after signaling something to the man at the wheel. “Sorry, but we’re going to have to drop you off here and get there as quickly as we can.”
“Of course,” she said, slipping out of the car and waving goodbye. “Thanks so much,” she called after them. Then she turned toward the hospital entrance. Just before she went in, she put on her shoes. At least she wouldn’t look like a vagabond.
Now to find the babies.
Michael groaned. He’d screwed up. He didn’t do that very often, but when he did, it was usually a doozy. He’d lost sight of Robert and now he had no idea where the attack would come from.
There was bound to be an attack. A man like Robert wouldn’t give up so easily. He’d thought he could keep an eye on him and be ready to counter, but he’d lost him in the gloom and now he didn’t know what angle he’d be coming from.
But he was pretty sure he knew where the focus would be. Here were Tag and Mickey, getting ready to pull into their slip and tie up. So Robert had to be nearby.
Drawing his weapon, he moved slowly to the edge of the shadows and looked over the walkways that formed the structure of the marina. He wanted to be ready when Robert made his move. And that should be any second now.
He listened, hard. The lapping of the water against wood, the sound of the boat maneuvering into the slip, a far away sound of a car revving up—he held his breath as the hair rose on the back of his neck. Robert was close. He could feel him.
He heard the movement behind where he was crouched with a sick sense of frustration and then everything seemed to go in slow motion. He turned, but oh so slowly. Why couldn’t he move faster? He knew the shadowy figure he saw had to be Robert who had somehow managed to come in behind him. If he could only turn fast enough to stop him….
He felt the blow to the back of his head and saw his glock leave his hand and go skittering across the wooden deck. He didn’t black out. Instead, he kept turning, even as he fell, and once he hit bottom, he used all his strength and will power to bounce back, coming up and leaping across time and space to throw himself at Robert. He heard the shot and felt something hit his shoulder, but he kept going. He was an attack machine and his only goal was to knock Robert out of the picture before he could hurt Mickey or Tag.
He heard the gun go off again but he didn’t feel anything. And then he had hold of Robert, knocking him off his feet, slamming his head into the steel pipe that held the roof onto the deck. He felt him go limp under the force of his body, saw the gun fall and spin over the edge and into the water, and then, finally, he relaxed.
He’d done what had to be done. He heard the sirens arriving. It was over.
And finally, everything turned black.
Shelley walked down the hospital hallway, the sound of her heels clicking on the tile surface sounding brittle and lonely in all this emptiness. Where was everybody? She wasn’t sure where she was going. There had been a lot of construction at the hospital lately and at this hour, there was no one to give her guidance.
Suddenly, Carrie appeared at the end of the hall, her blond hair flying around her head as though she’d just been in a windstorm.
“Shelley, come quickly!”
“What’s the matter?” She began to walk faster. “What’s happened?”
“Jennifer is delivering. The first baby is out and he seems to be okay, but the other one is in trouble.”
“Oh no.” She reached where Carrie was and gave her a hug.
“There’s some problem with the cord around his neck, something they couldn’t see before because the other baby was in front.”
“Oh.”
Carrie took her hand and began to lead her to the waiting room, her pretty face anxious.
“They think he’s under stress. They are really worried about him.”
“Poor Jennifer. And Reid.”
“I know.”
“Wait.” Shelley looked at her cousin’s wife. She looked as big as a house and just as overwhelmed as anyone would be at that size. “Carrie, you have got to slow down. You’ve got your own baby to think about.”
“I know. I…I will slow down, just as soon as…”
“No!” Shelley pointed her to a chair. “You’re going to sit down right now and take it easy. If you want anything, I’ll get it. If you have a message for someone, I’ll take it. I mean it, Carrie. I can’t believe Grant is letting you run around like this.”
Carrie’s face crumpled. “He’s not here. He’s in New York on a business trip. I’m just trying to hold it together until…”
“Sit!”
Carrie did as she ordered, looking as though all her energy was spent. “Oh Shelley,” she whispered, obviously exhausted.
The waiting room was full of Carringtons and their various spouses and relatives. Shelley spotted Janet and called her over. She looked just as pregnant as Carrie, but not as tired.
“Janet, please, make sure Carrie stays put and gets some rest. I’ve got to try to get hold of my brother Rick and get him over here.”
Janet nodded, a smile on her pretty face. “Sure. I’ll take care of her.”
Shelley went to the window and tried her sister’s cell phone.
“Kathy!” she cried when she answered. “Where are you?”
“We’re still in Rome. Jace rented a beautiful villa and we’re basking in the glow of sweet success.”
“You deserve to bask. We’re all so proud of you. The whole room drank a toast to honor you at the Waltz Away Ball the other night. You would have liked it.” She laughed. “But listen. I’m at the hospital, and I just thought you ought to know that Jennifer is having the twins right now and there are some complications, so you ought to stay in touch.”
“Oh Shelley, I’m so glad you’re there. Please do keep me updated. No matter what time, I want to hear.”
She was glad her sister cared. Sometimes it seemed like Kathy was off on her own projects and didn’t have time to be part of their family. So she promised to keep her informed.
Next she tried calling her brother Rick, only to find he was right there in the waiting room with her. She just hadn’t seen him.
“Come on Shelley,” he teased her. “Look up. See the doofus with the big grin by the elevator? That’s me.”
“Oh Rick.” She hurried over to give him a hug and then she turned and threw her arms around Terry Yardley, the current woman in his life, who was standing beside him.
“I never did get a chance to talk to you about your life as a butler,” she said, smiling at her. “I know you’ve been working at Mar Vista all summer. How unusual!”
“I come from a long line
of butlers, so it’s a family tradition.”
“Good,” Shelley told her happily. Rick had gone through some rough times in the past. She was glad he’d found a woman he cared for. “I like family traditions.”
A high-pitched sound ripped through the night. She stopped, listening. She could hear sirens arriving at the emergency entrance. That reminded her of her ride in the police car. What had they said? A shooting at the marina?
Suddenly her heart was beating hard. She didn’t know why, but she had to know who was arriving downstairs. Turning from her brother and his latest, she hurried toward the stairs.
“I’m sorry, Miss,” said a guard at the double doors. “No admittance.”
She barely gave him a glance, pushing through the doors regardless. He began to follow her, shouting an order to stop, but she paid no attention and he got distracted by another patient. She pushed on, hurrying toward the entrance where the paramedics disgorged their patients.
Ahead, she could see two men on gurneys. Her heart leaped and she could hardly breathe. As she got closer, she knew one of the men was Michael. Michael, who was supposed to be on a plane to Florida. Michael, who wouldn’t admit that he loved her. Michael, the man she loved more than life itself.
“Michael!” she cried, and then she’d threw herself down to hold the railing on the gurney and search his face. “Oh Michael.” His eyes were closed and he looked drawn. A large, bulky bandage was wrapped around his shoulder.
She didn’t dare touch him and she didn’t know what had happened but she couldn’t pull her gaze away. He was here. Thank god. But was he unconscious?
“Hey Shelley,” said a voice from behind.
She looked up. Tag and Mickey stood there, looking sunburned and rumpled, and at the same time, shell-shocked and miserable.
“What happened?” she cried, jumping up and going to them. “Were you there?”
Tag nodded. “It was Robert.” He jerked his head toward the door the other gurney had disappeared through, then looked back into her eyes. “It was definitely Robert. He shot your friend here.”
“Michael,” Shelley said, automatically, feeling numb. “His name is Michael Hudson.”
Tag nodded again. “I think Robert was coming down to meet us and do something…” He shrugged. “Stop us, maybe. Whatever. Anyway, Michael was trying to stop him and he ended up shooting Michael instead.” He scrunched up his face, looking sort of helpless. “So I think we owe the man a lot.”
Michael, trying to be the hero again. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back at him. His eyes were still closed. A cold hand gripped her heart. “Is he…?”
The paramedic leaned over. “He’s going to be okay. Don’t worry. The bullet tore up his shoulder a bit, but it didn’t touch anything vital. He’s groggy because we gave him plenty of pain medication, that’s all. He’ll be fine.”
That was such a relief. Shelley closed her eyes and whispered a little prayer of thanks. Then she looked at Mickey and Tag, still huddled together like refugees.
“What about you two? What on earth…? Did you really run away together?”
They were holding hands.
“I couldn’t let her marry the guy,” Tag said, knowing she would know exactly what he was talking about. “There was no way.”
“So you kidnapped her?” Shelley gazed at him in awe.
He winced and looked at Mickey.
“No,” she said firmly. “He just came to me and pointed out we needed to talk. We went out to his boat to do our talking in privacy. And we just kept talking.” She shrugged, eyes shining. “We’ve been talking for days.”
Shelley shook her head, feeling like laughing aloud. “And did you come to any conclusions?” she asked.
“We’re going to get married,” Tag said, looking at Mickey and pulling her closer. “Right away.”
“Good,” Shelley shot back. “It’s about time.”
They talked quietly for a few minutes while Shelley watched over Michael and waited for a sign that he might be waking up. Tag left to see what the police were going to expect from them and while he was gone, Mickey took the opportunity to lean close and whisper into Shelley’s ear.
“You do realize Tag is Meggie’s father?” she told her.
Shelley gaped at her. Of course. How could she not have noticed that? “So this has been going on forever?” she said without thinking.
Mickey nodded with a shrug. “Forever,” she said. And then she smiled joyfully as Tag came back into the room. “Forever and always.”
Shelley’s eyes stung with unshed tears. How lovely. Mickey and Tag had finally realized that they had to throw out all the baggage that held them back and take the leap. So brave. So crazy.
Could she be that brave? Could she toss aside things that really didn’t matter and reach for happiness like they had?
Michael made a sound and she looked down quickly.
“Hey,” he said, looking up at her blearily. “Did I die and go to heaven?”
She laughed and leaned down to kiss his lips. “No,” she told him. “But you did opt for another few days in Destiny Bay. And that should be almost as good.”
“Great,” he said, and he closed his eyes again. She could tell he was asleep, but she smiled happily. She would stay with him until he really woke up. And then she would make him say he loved her. It was now her only goal in life.
It was nine in the morning before that happened. In the meantime, Jennifer produced her second twin and he turned out to be just as healthy as the first one. All was well in the Reid and Jennifer Carrington family. Now the count down started for Carrie and Janet.
Doctors and nurses and physicians assistants and nurse practitioners came and went, testing Michael’s vitals, asking Shelley if she wanted coffee, bringing in a cot for her to try to catch some sleep on, filling out paper work. And she told them in no uncertain terms that she was taking him home with her as soon as he was ready to be released. They agreed, taking him into surgery for some stitches, then wheeling him into recovery. And she stayed with him the whole time.
Finally, he began to wake up. He didn’t try to talk and neither did she. She just sat and looked at him and smiled and he shook his head and smiled back. They both knew he was coming home with her. Where else would he go?
They slept all day, and when they woke up, they lay tangled in each other’s arms for hours, talking softly.
“You finally ready to admit you can’t live without me?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said simply, her fingers raking through his hair. “I’ll go where you go. I’ll live the way you want to live. Without you, life is like a sort of half death. I need you to breathe.”
He started to laugh, then stopped himself, wincing, when it hurt his shoulder.
“I mean it,” she said. “Don’t laugh.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. I got out of the Florida gig. I’m here for the short haul at least.”
Conflicting reactions rushed through her mind. “What do you mean? Are you quitting?”
“No.” He reached up and began to trace the features of her face with his index finger. “But I'm getting out of undercover work for a while.” He grinned. “I've got something more exciting in mind.”
Still totally at sea, anxiety was growing inside her. “What?”
“Getting married.” He tapped the end of her nose. “Starting a family. Making a real life for us.” His hand cupped her chin. “What do you say, lady shrink? Will you marry me?”
Would she? Would she put on rags and go begging in the street for him? Would she climb Mt. Everest if he asked her to? Anything. Everything. He had only to say the word. But she still was shaky about this. She hadn't expected him to be so serious. “What will you do?”
He smiled. “There are lots of other slots I can fill at the district attorney's office. My first choice would be director of undercover work, supervising the sort of operations I know so well. But there are plenty of other interest
ing jobs for a trained lawyer. I'll be busy for some time prosecuting the cases I've been working on here. I'd like to stick with them right through conviction and sentencing. Then I'll be looking into other options.” He touched her softly. “Don't worry about me. I'll keep busy.”
Was he doing all this for her? She couldn't believe it. “But will you be able to keep from getting bored?” she asked earnestly.
“That will be your job,” he told her, then his face changed and his voice was serious. “Don't worry about that. I told you the thrills haven't been what they once were. That was why I'd started doing stupid things to liven them up. I think I've reached the saturation point. I'm burned out and ready for a change.”
He took her hair in his hand. “You know, I think I knew the minute I saw you standing there in the department store that you were going to be special in my life.” His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I think I loved you from the very first time you had me arrested. That'll be something to tell our kids, won't it?”
She laughed. It was really happening. They were going to get married. All her doubts, all her fears, were evaporating around her, and something very rich and warm was growing in her chest,
“I knew I'd better stay away from you,” he went on. “It was a real temptation to drop in on you that day I had the first appointment with Jeff Kramer.”
“You left your matches in the ashtray,” she reminded him. “Did you do that on purpose?”
His chuckle rocked the bed. “I don't know. You're the psychologist. Probably so. I know I stood around lighting that cigarette for an awfully long time, hoping you would come out of your office.”
Her eyes opened wide. “I haven't ever seen you have a cigarette since,” she said.
He shrugged. “I don't smoke.” His dancing eyes met hers. “I borrowed it from your secretary.”
Then, like little kids, they were giggling and she was rolling across the bed, making careful allowances for his shoulder.
“Anyway,” he went on once he'd glared her back under control, “when you fell into my lap in Newport, I knew I was in real trouble. There was no way I could resist your aggressive advances.”
