by Laura Scott
“Dr. Katy?” Merry called, entering the room with a worried frown etched in her forehead. “I heard the heart monitor beeping and found Danny thrashing around in his room. I think his pain meds have worn off, even though he still reeks of alcohol.”
“Okay, don’t give him any more pain meds yet. I’ll be right over,” she promised, grateful for the interruption. She crossed over to the counter, drew her lab coat back on and then rummaged for a prescription pad. Her fingers shook a bit as she filled out the antibiotic order for Reese. When she finished, she carried it over to him. “Here, you can get this filled at any pharmacy, and you need to take these until they’re gone. I’d recommend taking your first dose tonight.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking the script and tucking it in his pocket. “See you soon, Katy.”
“Sure,” she murmured, distracted by his use of her given name. It took a herculean effort on her part to turn away to head toward Danny’s room.
Maybe it was her imagination working overtime, but she could swear she felt Reese’s gaze boring into her back as she walked away.
Chapter Two
Reese walked outside, leaving Dr. Katy and the rest of the ER staff behind. It wasn’t until he was standing in front of the ER parking lot searching through the darkness for his car that he realized he didn’t have his truck here because he’d been brought in by the ambulance crew.
Idiot. That’s what happened when he let his hormones run wild.
He shook his head in disgust. Hadn’t he already learned the hard way that relationships weren’t worth the trouble? His ex-wife had left him for his best friend after cleaning out every last dime in their joint bank account. Three years later, he was still digging his way out of debt.
The last thing he needed was to start down that path again, especially not with a pretty redheaded doctor who likely made more than twice his salary, and then some.
With a rueful grimace, he focused on the present and pulled out his phone. He could try one of his DNR buddies even though it was almost ten thirty. He grimaced, hating to bother them on a Saturday night. But considering there wasn’t any sort of taxi service in Crystal Lake, he didn’t have much choice.
Gavin’s phone went straight to voice mail. Doug’s phone rang a half dozen times before going to voice mail. He tried George’s number, too, with no luck.
Where was everyone? Obviously they all had better things to do on a Saturday night than he did. Which was why he’d been working, following Boyle’s trail through the woods. If only he’d gotten there sooner, before the idiot had killed the cougar.
He scowled at his phone. So now what? The only option he could think of was to call the Hope County Sheriff’s Department to request a ride. The DNR worked closely with local law enforcement agencies—surely someone would be willing to help him out.
As if on cue, a sheriff’s department vehicle pulled into the ER parking lot. Reese waited for the deputy to climb out from behind the wheel before walking toward him.
“Hi, Deputy Armbruster, right? I don’t know if you remember me, but my name is Reese Webster, and I work for the DNR,” he said.
“Yes, I remember and you’re just the guy I’m looking for,” the deputy said dryly. “I need to take your statement.”
Great, he thought with a sigh. “All right, but afterwards, will you give me a lift back to my truck? The ambulance brought me in, and I need a ride.”
“I suppose.” The deputy didn’t sound too thrilled. “Let’s go inside. I need to know how the alleged poacher is doing.”
Reese wrestled with his temper as he fell into step beside the deputy, whose name tag identified his last name as Armbruster. “The poacher’s name is Marcus Boyle, and he’s on his way to Madison for treatment. He’s a confirmed poacher. I personally watched him shoot that cougar, and when I yelled out to stop him, he shot me. Feel free to add attempted murder to his arrest warrant.”
Armbruster glanced at the bandage on his upper arm. “Right now, it’s your word against his, isn’t it?”
“Since I work for the state, that makes me the more credible witness,” he responded sharply. Was this guy for real? “And when I find the body of the cougar he killed, you’ll be able to match the ballistics of his gun to the slug in the cat.”
“Okay, okay,” Deputy Armbruster said, holding up his hand in defense. They entered the ER and crossed over to the waiting area. “I believe you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to tie up all the loose ends.”
There weren’t any loose ends, but he forced himself to bite back the sarcasm. “Listen, I’ve been tracking this guy for the last month. I have photos of his boot prints along with the slug we took out of the bear he shot. I’ve built an ironclad case around this guy, and I’m happy to share everything I have to put him behind bars.”
“Once he’s out of the hospital, right?” Deputy Armbruster pointed out wryly.
“Yeah, once he’s out of the hospital,” he echoed. Reese didn’t like knowing Boyle could easily die of his gunshot wound, a wound that he was responsible for. He much preferred that the guy recover so he could pay for his crimes.
“What happened after you shot him?” Armbruster asked.
“I called for help and hauled him on a tarp out to the clearing.” Reese remembered wishing for help from Duke, his German shepherd, as he struggled to drag Boyle’s dead weight. Luckily, the ambulance crew had met him halfway or Boyle might not have made it.
Still might not make it.
“Hmm,” Armbruster murmured as he scribbled in his tattered notebook. “I’m sorry, but we have to confiscate your gun, to validate the ballistics report.”
Reese ground his teeth together but handed over his weapon. He knew the protocol, and his boss, Gavin Crowley, would have taken it if the deputy hadn’t asked for it.
“Thanks. Anything else?”
Reese hesitated, wondering if he should voice all his suspicions. He didn’t have any concrete proof that Boyle hadn’t been working alone, just a few glimpses of a blond dude in the same area where Boyle tended to illegally hunt. The blond dude was good, though; Reese hadn’t even found a boot print or any other evidence that he’d been working with Boyle.
“Nothing else from the incident this evening,” he confirmed. He’d glimpsed the blond dude about an hour before Boyle had shot the cougar, so either he’d stayed hidden once Reese had shouted at Boyle, or seeing the guy had been some strange coincidence.
“Okay, thanks.” Armbruster flipped his notebook shut.
“So about that ride,” he began, but the deputy’s radio squawked, and Armbruster turned away to listen.
“Ten-four,” he said. “Sorry, Webster, but there’s a crash on the highway, and I’m the closest deputy. Gotta run. If you’re still here later, try me again.” Armbruster rose to his feet and headed back outside.
Reese watched the deputy leave with a sigh. He pulled out his phone again, knowing that if none of his buddies answered their phones, he might be stuck here for hours.
He’d finished leaving another round of voice mail messages and was trying to think of another alternative for a ride when he caught sight of Katy walking toward him, a frown puckering her brow. He abruptly disconnected from the call and rose to his feet.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is your arm hurting? Or did you have a reaction to the antibiotics?”
“No, I haven’t even picked up the antibiotics yet.” He flashed a lopsided smile, hating the thought of asking her for a favor. “I’m waiting for a ride,” he added lamely.
Her frown cleared, and she glanced out toward the parking lot. Did he imagine the hesitation in her tone? “My shift is over and I’m leaving now. I’m happy to give you a ride.”
“Are you sure?” Her offer was exactly what he needed, but for some reason he felt guilty for taking her up on it. Not that he’d planned to get shot and stranded here. He should have insisted on driving himself.
“Of course I’m sure.” Any hesitation she might
have had seemed to have evaporated. “We’ll stop at the pharmacy first,” she added. “I wasn’t kidding about those antibiotics.”
“I really appreciate your help,” he said, quickening his pace so he could hold the door open for her. “Deputy Armbruster was called out to the scene of a crash, so I might have had to wait for hours.”
“It’s really no problem,” she assured him.
Reese followed Katy through the darkness as she headed for her car. His fingers itched to take her keys so he could drive, but he sensed she wouldn’t appreciate it. She pressed the key fob, and the lights flashed on. He opened her driver’s-side door and closed it behind her, before rounded the vehicle to slide in the passenger seat.
She turned on the engine and pulled out of the parking space. “Any particular pharmacy?” she asked.
“There’s one on Main Street, right?” he said, thinking back to when he’d had to get antibiotics after the bear incident. “I should be on record there.”
“Sounds good,” she said, turning left toward Main Street, which was all downtown Crystal Lake had to offer.
Reese sat back, trying to think of something to say. He was so out of practice being with a woman it wasn’t funny. “I hope I’m not taking you too far out of your way,” he said. “My truck is way over on the north side of the lake.”
“As long as you protect me from cougars and bears, I’ll be fine.” Her light teasing tone helped him relax.
“No problem,” he agreed. His stomach growled loudly, and he pressed his hand to his abdomen, trying to make it shut up.
“Look, Rose’s Café is still open. Why don’t we stop for a bite to eat?” she suggested.
He wasn’t fooled by her innocent tone, but since the idea of having one of the best burgers in town was too good to pass up, he decided to let it go. “That’s a great idea. My treat since you’re going out of your way to drive me to my truck.”
For a moment, he feared she’d insist on paying, making him a bigger bum than he already felt, but then she nodded, offering a small smile. “All right, it’s a deal.”
She parked in front of the drug store, which wasn’t too far from Rose’s Café. She waited for him inside the pharmacy and, thankfully, filling the script didn’t take long. He paid for the medication and then tucked the bottle into the front pocket of his uniform slacks.
“All set?” she asked as he returned.
“Yes, Doctor,” he teased.
She rolled her eyes. “You’d be surprised how many of our patients are not compliant with their medications.”
“I can imagine,” he said, wondering if she was reminding him of their patient/doctor relationship on purpose. Not that he really blamed her, since this wasn’t anything close to a date.
She fell silent as they walked down the crowded sidewalk toward Rose’s. Again, he searched for a safe topic of conversation but realized he didn’t know very much about her, other than she was an amazing doctor.
His stomach rumbled again, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten since lunch. He opened the door of the café, relieved to notice there were several empty booths.
“Hi, Dr. Katy, and Reese, it’s been a long time,” Josie greeted them from behind the counter, her eyes bright with curiosity. Josie was one of the biggest gossips in town, and he inwardly groaned at the way she kept glancing between them. “Have a seat. I’ll be right over.”
Katy slid into the first available booth, and he took the seat across from her. “She’ll have us married by morning,” he whispered with a wink.
Katy’s cheeks turned pink, and she suppressed a laugh. “She’s been trying to set me up since I got here,” she whispered back. “Maybe now she’ll back off.”
Reese chuckled. “I’ll take the heat for you, no problem.”
Josie bustled over, plopping two plastic menus in front of them. “So what can I get you?” she asked. It took her a moment to notice the bandage covering his arm. “Reese, what on earth happened?”
“Just a scratch,” he said, waving off her concern. “Nothing to worry about. I’d like a large glass of water, please, and one of your amazing burgers loaded with the works.”
Josie preened at his praise. “One burger with the works coming up. What about you, Dr. Katy?”
“Chicken sandwich, and I’ll have water, too, please.”
“Great. So, I see you’re still wearing your scrubs; you must have come straight from the hospital, huh?” Josie said, clearly prying for more information.
Katy’s smile was strained. “Yes, and it was so busy I didn’t get dinner. I’m famished.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” Josie looked appalled at the idea of missing a meal. “I’ll get your food going right away. Now you two just sit back and relax for a bit, okay?”
“We will, thanks,” Katy said.
Reese shook his head as Josie headed back toward the kitchen. “Talk about being nosy. Nice ploy to get sympathy, though. At least she’ll hurry up with our food.”
“No kidding,” she murmured. She sat back in her seat with a sigh. “But it wasn’t exactly a ploy. I really was too busy to eat.”
He felt bad, knowing that he’d played a role in her missing dinner. “I’m not sure how you manage to keep so cool under pressure,” he said.
The smile faded from her face, and her cheeks went pale moments before she ducked her head, making him realize he’d hit a nerve. “It’s nothing.”
It was far from nothing, but obviously she didn’t want to talk about it. “I hope Boyle is hanging in there. I’d feel terrible if he died after all your hard work.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” She cleared her throat awkwardly. “Tell me how you managed to stumble across him at the exact moment he shot a cougar.”
Accepting her change of topic, he explained how he’d been tracking the guy for weeks, gathering the evidence he needed. Josie came out with their food as he finished telling her about his conversation with Deputy Armbruster.
“Here you go,” Josie said cheerfully.
“Looks great,” he said with a broad smile. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Josie walked away and began wiping down a perfectly clean table well within earshot of their booth.
Katy didn’t seem to notice, bowing her head and closing her eyes. Reese was surprised to realize she was praying. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been to church since Suzanne had left, he bowed his head, too, respectfully waiting for her to finish.
“Looks fabulous,” she said, meeting his gaze without a hint of embarrassment.
“Yeah,” he agreed, although he wasn’t talking about the food. Katy’s deep red hair was pulled back in a fancy braid, but little wisps had fallen down around her face, making her look softer, more feminine. He forced himself to pry his gaze away and to concentrate on his meal.
For the next few minutes, they were both too busy eating to say much, and Josie finally left them alone, returning to her perch behind the counter.
Katy finished before he did, and he gestured to what was left of his burger. “Do you want to try a bite?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head. “No, thanks, although I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Don’t forget to take your antibiotic.”
“I won’t.” To prove his point, he drew out the bottle and took one of the pills. His arm still throbbed painfully, but he ignored it, finishing the last few bites of his meal. Josie returned with their check, so he tucked the antibiotics away and pulled out his wallet.
“How was everything?” Josie asked.
“Wonderful,” Katy said with a smile.
“Ditto,” he quipped, glancing at the bill. He pulled out more than enough cash, leaving a nice tip. “We need to get going, but thanks again, Josie.”
“You’re welcome,” Josie said, tucking the generous tip in her pocket. “You two come back soon, you hear?”
Katy blushed again, and he swallowed a laugh, steering her toward the door.
“With any luck, the gossip will di
e down in a few days,” Katy said with an apologetic smile. “I hope your, uh, family will understand.”
Amused, he glanced down at her. “No family, no girlfriend, no one to care about any gossip,” he said. “What about you? Is someone close to you going to be upset?”
“No, I’m not really close to my family. No siblings and after my parents split up, they created their own lives with their respective spouses,” she said as they approached her car. “I don’t hear much from the friends I left behind in Baltimore.”
So that’s where the slight Eastern accent in her tone came from. The fact that they were both alone here in Crystal Lake ironically made him feel closer to her. Which was stupid, considering they were complete opposites.
“Which way to your truck?” she asked, cranking her key in the ignition.
He gave her directions, hoping she’d be able to make it home okay after she dropped him off.
“Are you sure this is the road?” she asked, frowning as she peered through the windshield.
“I’m sure. My truck should be right around the next curve.”
She slowed her small car, taking the curve carefully as if she were afraid she’d miss it. But sure enough, his truck was right where he’d left it.
As they came closer, he frowned, realizing he’d been wrong. His truck wasn’t at all the way he’d left it.
Someone had smashed every window, leaving shards of glass everywhere. The sides were dented in and each of the four tires had been slashed. The vehicle was so badly damaged he couldn’t imagine there was any way to repair it.
“What happened?” Katy asked in a horrified whisper.
He let out a heavy breath, raking his gaze around the wooded area. He hoped that whoever had destroyed his truck was long gone, but couldn’t afford to take that chance.
“Don’t stop,” he said sharply. “Speed up and keep going. I’ll call the sheriff’s department. Unfortunately, it looks as if I’ll need a ride home.”
