He pointed the gun directly at Delaney, and she swallowed, but tried to keep her chin up. “This Delaney? Maybe I’ll start with her.”
“Let’s focus on Ian.” Joshua took a slight step to the left, shielding Delaney.
Delaney breathed out as the gun dipped a couple of inches and the man’s eyes went back to Joshua. Then he looked wildly behind him as they all heard pounding feet in the hallway. He’d closed and locked the door when they’d come in, and now he turned to point the gun toward the door.
“Mr. Dawson, this is Lieutenant Schirling. Are you in there, sir?”
Ian’s father shook his head, speaking softly. “Only time I get called sir is when I’ve got hostages. Go figure.”
Delaney looked around the room while he was focused on the door. Way too many frightened eyes looked back at her.
“Mr. Dawson? We know you’re in there, and we know you’re upset. How about you come on out, and we can figure this all out?”
Delaney heard the lieutenant’s voice, calm and measured like Joshua’s had been, but as she watched Ian’s dad’s eyes, she knew the police weren’t going to be any more successful than Joshua had been so far.
“I just want my son,” he called through the door. “You give me my son, and we can all walk out of here without any more bloodshed.”
“Your son is safe,” Joshua said, quietly. “He’s safe now.”
“Safe where? Safe how? He was safe at home. He was safe with my wife. And now she’s in jail, some bitch social worker has been to the house three times this week, and everybody’s saying Fiona tried to—tried to kill him. You’ve ruined our lives!”
“Ian was a very, very sick boy when he came in. We did our best to help him get better.” Joshua sat down slowly on one of the beds, projecting a calm that no one else in the room felt.
“You took him away. You took her, and then you took him. You had no right.”
“I had no choice, and I’m sorry that this happened. I really am. I’m sure you had no idea what was going on when you weren’t at home, because if you had, you would have stopped it.”
Delaney heard his words—heard how he was removing blame in hopes of getting them all out of here alive—and she marveled at his cool control.
“Damn right I would ha—” Mr. Dawson stopped as he seemed to realize what he’d been about to say. “You had no right. I’m taking my boy home.”
Delaney couldn’t hear anything out in the hallway now, but had a feeling every word spoken inside this room was somehow being monitored and recorded. Without moving her head, she glanced at the intercom over the first patient bed and saw the red light glimmering. They were listening.
“Let’s see if we can make that happen.” Joshua nodded, like he was considering it. “But I have to tell you, coming in here and doing it like this isn’t going to work. They’ll never let him leave with you if you come in shooting.”
“I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t get anybody to listen.” His voice broke. “You people don’t even know him. You don’t know what’s right for him.”
The man took a ragged breath, but didn’t let the gun drop any farther. Joshua just sat quietly, but Delaney could see his calves flexing under his khakis. Was he planning to do something stupid and make a move on the guy? Try to take him out at the knees?
Get shot?
She took a shaky breath, then said, “I know his favorite color is green.”
His dad rolled his eyes.
She barreled on. “And he loves carrots but hates peas. He wants to be a veterinarian someday. He loves fish, but not the zebra-striped ones because they freak him out. He likes the tree house you built him last summer, and he’s hoping to have a sleepover in it with you when he gets out of the hospital.”
He looked at her, narrowing his eyes, but he didn’t speak, so she kept going. “He loves Go Fish, but not Old Maid, and he’s figured out enough ways to cheat at checkers that nobody here can beat him. He worries about his older sister worrying about him, and he wishes you could be home more, but he understands you have a really hard job. Did you know he wears your extra boots around the house all day long, just waiting for the day when he’s big enough to go to work with you?”
Delaney kept her eyes steadily on his, and as she did, she noticed his shoulders dropping—noticed the gun falling downward toward his side. She had to keep talking.
“Mr. Dawson, Ian loves you. He wants to go home with you, and we want that, too. But we have to do it the right way. We have to do it when he’s all better.”
“Where is he?” His voice was soft, pained, and even through her fear, Delaney felt a stab of sympathy for the man who’d lost his son and wife in one fell swoop.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
The gun came back up, and she tensed. “Bullshit.”
“She doesn’t.” Joshua spoke quietly from the bed. “And now that you’re here, I don’t, either, because the first thing they would have done upon seeing you come in like this was move him somewhere secure.”
“Where I can’t get to him, you mean?”
Joshua took a deep breath. “Would you want him to see you like this? Really?”
He sighed. “No.”
“How about you let Annabeth go, and we’ll take a walk out of the room—see if maybe you can see him?”
Delaney felt her eyebrows furrow. Surely, the moment he left the room, he’d be in handcuffs. Did Joshua really think the guy didn’t know that? He wasn’t going to fall for a lie—not when he was this far in.
Not when he had hostages to help him control the situation.
“If I walk out of this room, I’m going to get a free ride to the police station, doc. We both know that.”
“Maybe,” Joshua allowed. “But it’ll go a lot better for you if you let this end right now, before anybody else gets hurt.”
“Nobody’s hurt.” He shook his head sadly, like he couldn’t believe his life had come to this moment. He gave Annabeth a little push toward Delaney, who caught her in a tight squeeze, then pushed her behind her own body. “I didn’t shoot anybody.”
Delaney’s eyes widened at his words.
“Even better.” Joshua stood up slowly, but she could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn’t sure whether he believed him. “How about if you hand me the gun, and then we’ll open the door. That way it won’t be in your hands when the officers first see you?”
Delaney held her breath. No way would he capitulate this easily. No way would he give over control of his weapon. It was the instrument of his power right now, and once he did give it up, all hell was going to break loose. He had to know that.
She saw a look of abject pain cross the man’s face. “I’m going to jail, aren’t I? My kids are going to have two parents in jail. Who’s going to—oh, God—what have I done?” The gun shook in his hand, and Delaney saw Joshua notice as the man’s hand gripped it harder, his finger edging closer to the trigger.
Then, in a flash, Joshua leaped toward him and knocked the gun to the floor with a move Delaney might have expected an ex-Marine to execute. Before Ian’s father could reach to pick it up, Joshua had him on the floor, both hands behind his back as Delaney scrambled to get the gun.
And then suddenly, the room was filled with uniformed officers, but contrary to scenes she’d seen on television, there was no yelling, no circle of officers with guns raised. Instead, they were quiet, efficient, and in a matter of seconds, Ian’s father had been cuffed and led out into the hallway.
When he was out of sight, the lieutenant returned to the room, where they’d all been told to hold tight. He pointed to Joshua and Delaney, motioning them out into the hallway.
“We’re going to need to take some statements,” he said. “Dr. Mackenzie, you’ll come with me. Ms. Blair, you’ll go with Officer Farley.”
“What about my patients?” Joshua pointed at the room. “I can’t just leave them there after what just happened.”
Delaney heard the raw
pain in his voice. It echoed her own. There were two very scared little kids in that room. They couldn’t abandon them right now, even if their parents were there.
“Crisis counselors are waiting at the nurses’ station.” He pointed down the hallway. “As soon as we give them the okay, they’ll be right in with your patients.”
Joshua shook his head. “You can’t do statements later? These kids need me right now.”
“I know, and I’ll promise to make this as quick as possible. But we need to get your statement while the situation is still fresh in your mind.”
“No offense, lieutenant, but this situation isn’t likely to fade—not for a long, long time.”
“I understand.” The lieutenant put a hand on his shoulder. “Make sure you get an hour with one of the counselors before you leave, okay? I know you don’t think you need it, but we all do.”
Delaney reached for Joshua’s hand, but as soon as she touched him, he pulled away like he’d been stung. Her chest squeezed as tears pricked her eyes.
“Joshua—”
He shook his head. Then he looked at her, long and hard, and in the same eyes where she’d seen affection and heat just days ago, all she saw now was a dead, cold fury.
Chapter 32
“Ow. Shit.” Josh shook his hand, which was smarting from the hammer blow he’d just given it. It was Thursday night, today’s papers had been filled with stories of the shooting, and he was hiding out at home after an ill-advised stop at the grocery store on the way home from the hospital. By the time he’d gotten through the produce aisle, he’d already been stopped ten times, and he’d ended up leaving his cart at the end of an aisle and escaping without his food.
“Hands better suited to doctoring than construction?” Ethan raised his eyebrows as he came across Josh’s back lawn, carrying a cold brew.
“Better than de-construction, anyway.” He put down the hammer, taking the beer instead. “Thanks.”
Ethan shrugged. “Least I can do for the Echo Lake hero of the hour.”
“Not exactly my first choice of ways to get onto the front page.”
“I know. Hellish scene. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is relive it.” Ethan shook his head as he picked up a crowbar and scanned the old tree fort Josh had started taking apart. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“They wouldn’t let me out of there yesterday without talking to one of the crisis counselors, and I have a pile of brochures to read, and numbers to call if something hits in the middle of the night. I’m good.”
“How’s Delaney?”
Joshua felt his gut clench when he heard her name. He hadn’t seen her all day—hadn’t seen her since they’d separated in the hallway yesterday—and that’s exactly how he wanted it.
Pediatrics was on life support. And she’d helped to send it there.
Molly came through the back door and set down bowls of chips and salsa on the picnic table. “You look like hell, doc.”
“Thank you.”
He lifted his beer in a mock toast, then took a long swallow, trying not to notice the look that passed between Molly and Ethan. He’s losing it, the look said. He needs help.
“I’m fine, you guys. Stop looking at each other like I can’t see you. I’m fine.”
Molly ran a finger under Josh’s eye, tracing what he knew was probably a nice, dark circle.
“Have you slept at all since it happened?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll sleep tonight.”
“Joshua Mackenzie, did you stay at that hospital all night?”
“Yes.” Because, dear Molly, it was better than coming home to a bed that still smelled like Delaney’s shampoo. It was better than sitting at the kitchen table trying not to remember the hour we spent on the chaise lounge just outside the back door. It was better than walking by the bathroom and remembering bubbles and skin and heat.
Molly frowned. “Honey, as soon as we feed you, we need to get you upstairs to bed.”
“I’m completely capable of getting myself there, Mols.” He sighed. He hadn’t meant for his voice to come out so sharp. “But thank you. I know you mean well.”
“Okay.” She sighed, still studying his eyes. “How’s Delaney doing with it all?”
“Why is everybody so damn concerned about Delaney?” He set his beer down, maybe a little harder than he meant to, and this time, Molly and Ethan didn’t even try to mask their concern.
“What happened with you two?” Molly’s eyebrows went skyward. “Saturday morning, you were all giggles and donuts, and I know she was still here on Sunday night because—well, because I know—and I’m pretty sure she was also still here Monday morning … which was only three days ago. And now you’re out here laying waste to a tree fort you always said you were saving for your kids someday. What happened between then and now?”
“Besides a hospital shooting, you mean?”
She was silent, appraising him in that way she’d learned from her mother—the one that made you talk whether you wanted to or not. He resisted, but she’d known him forever. When he’d stopped here on his way between Mercy and Avery’s House, he’d looked out in the backyard and been struck with a strong, horrible feeling he hardly recognized.
Delaney’s words had been spinning through his brain since Tuesday night, and the way they echoed Nicole’s made him question every damn thing about the choices he’d made. In his quest to honor his commitments—and his parents’ sacrifices—had he completely lost sight of what was important? He’d been hurt by Nicole’s cheating, had blamed her for being cold, insensitive, selfish. He’d been angry, furious, disappointed … but in the end, he’d known in his heart that they hadn’t been meant to be.
But he’d always thought it was her. She didn’t understand, she didn’t want to adjust her life to be with him, she was somehow lacking in commitment … didn’t love him enough.
In the past forty-eight hours, though, those arguments had been fading … fast. Because Delaney wasn’t Nicole—wasn’t anything like her, really. And yet … she’d ended up making the same decision in the end. It was just that the end had come a lot faster than with Nicole. Delaney had seen the future, and she’d found him lacking.
And she’d said good-bye.
“What happened, Josh?” Molly touched his arm. “And do I need to deliver a hot-sauce lasagna to the executive suite?”
“No. Definitely not.” He shook his head, sighing. “This time—this one’s on me.”
In the twilight, with the tree frogs warming up all around them and the lightning bugs floating lazily around the yard, he started talking. An hour later, his second beer was empty, Ethan’s eyes were wide, and Molly’s hands were in fists. “I knew it. Am I not the one who warned you about her motives?”
Ethan nudged her with his elbow. “Not sure you’re helping here.”
“I’m just saying. I called it, way back—weeks ago.” She paused. “Good God, has it only been weeks?”
Josh sighed. Yeah, it had—which was just a drop in the bucket of time, when you thought about it. And yet, on another plane, it seemed like forever. Four weeks ago, Delaney Blair had been nothing but a signature on paperwork. Then she’d been a thorn in his side, sent down from the executive suite.
But then he’d kissed her.
And then he’d spent the weekend wrapped up in her.
“I think I might need another beer.”
Molly raised her eyebrows. “You on-call tonight?”
“Would I be asking for another beer if I was?”
“You know what? No offense, hon, but I’m cutting you off.”
He leveled a look her way. “Seriously? Two beers, Mols.”
“Two beers plus one stomped heart is quite enough for tonight, I think. You add another beer to the equation, and you’re going to be drunk-dialing at midnight. We can’t let you go there.”
Ethan shrugged. “She has a point.”
“I have never d
runk-dialed in my life.”
“There’s always a first time.” Molly cringed. “And this is not the woman you want to try it on first.”
She stood up, taking his bottle. “I’ll go make you some coffee.”
After she disappeared back into the house, Ethan looked down at the picnic table, tapping a loose nail idly, but not speaking. He did this for an obnoxiously long time, until Josh finally put his hand on the hammer to stop the incessant noise.
“Just say it.”
“Say what?” Ethan looked up innocently.
“Say whatever it is that you’re thinking right now so we can get it over with.”
“Fine. Were you falling for her? Like, really falling?”
Josh rolled his eyes and looked around the yard, but there was no sense lying to his oldest friend. Ethan would see right through him.
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes. “Damn it all, yes. I was.”
“Are you completely sure you have the story straight?”
“It’s hardly complicated. Yes.”
“And have you given her a chance to try to explain?”
Josh shook his head. “I don’t want to hear a bullshit story. Not again. It’s insulting.”
“Don’t hate me for saying this, but—is there any possibility you’re being snowed by someone besides Delaney here?”
“What do you mean?”
Ethan sat back. “I just don’t think it makes sense. The Delaney we know—you know—wouldn’t have made those recommendations. She couldn’t have.”
“Well, apparently she did. After she dumped me. After she apparently got what she needed from me.”
“Has she called?”
Josh shook his head in frustration, thinking of the six voice mails waiting on his phone—six messages he’d refused to listen to. “Why does that matter?”
“Because if she truly was a coldhearted bitch just stepping on your head on her way to a corner office, then she probably wouldn’t give a damn about you after she got what she wanted.”
“Maybe her one shred of decency feels like I’m owed an apology. I don’t know.”
Heart Like Mine Page 27
