Boyd_McCullough’s Jamboree_Erotic Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  When he’d done all he could for his left leg, he moved to the right. The man was lucky in that he’d only broken his left arm in all this and not his back. His left side had taken the brunt of the fall, he surmised, and started stitching the top of his foot closed as Mac asked him what had happened with his house hunting.

  “That’s what we were doing when we found Mr. Pratt. He was in one of the houses.” Mac glanced at him and asked if he was serious. “I am. Lauren and I weren’t even going to go in—the house was sort of creepy to me for some reason. But we found him there as soon as we went in. I don’t think he’d been there very long. Perhaps five minutes or less. He was still conscious, for a little while anyway.”

  “He’s a lucky bastard. And the fact that you knew to tell us about his blood is all that might save his life.” He thanked her as he finished up with the man’s foot. “He’ll be laid up for a little while. And then there will have to be some physical therapy. Does he have anyone?”

  “A daughter, but when I was last talking to Lauren, she’d not talked to her as yet. Her workplace wasn’t putting the call through or something. I think she said that if she was working there, she might well have knocked the shit out of the person who answered the second time she called.” Boyd did wonder about a place that would tell someone calling in to go to hell. “I guess she was going over there when—”

  The call over the intercom alerted them to a multiple car accident on the freeway. All hands that were free were to report to the emergency room. Boyd immediately reached out to Lauren to find out what was going on.

  You should see this fucking mess I have here, Boyd. You guys are going to be busy for some time today. If you can, I’d call in extras—you’re going to need it. He asked her what had happened. Some moron tried to push a woman that, lucky for her, wasn’t in her car into the highway. The car came down off one of the little side streets and into oncoming traffic. Caused a major pile up. I have four dead so far, and a semi that has flipped onto cars. I have no idea if there are more under it. Christ, it’s a fucking mess. And the guy tried to tell me that he’d had nothing to do with it. He still thinks the woman was in her car and that she’s dead. He’s actually telling me that he hopes that she was in it. Like I said, one lucky woman.

  He stripped off his gown to be gowned again to go to the ER. He was done sewing the man up, and he was needed elsewhere. As soon as he hit the department, the first ambulance was pulling up. The nurses were bringing in more supplies as he started to assess the trauma.

  He worked until he couldn’t. They were still coming in, some by car, others by ambulance. He had one man bring in three people in his pickup truck. It was the worst disaster he’d ever seen in all his years as a doctor. And when Mac joined them an hour later, she was sent back to the operating room to try and save a man who had hit his head against the window and shattered his skull.

  Boyd had no idea of the time when they said that the last ambulance was coming in. They would still have to deal with the dead. As it was right now, they were sending them to the morgue without checking much more than pulse and blood pressure. They had sent a student to the area, just to make sure.

  Standing in the long hall of the department, he took the bottle of orange juice when it was handed to him, as well as the package of graham crackers. Christ, he’d never been so tired in all his life.

  There were so many people in the waiting area that he was almost afraid to ask them what they needed. There were volunteers there as well, some of them dressed in the blue smock that told you who they worked for. There were others in jeans and T-shirts. The one person that stood out in all of this mess was a woman with a clipboard, dressed in a business suit and heels. He had no idea how long she’d been there, but she looked as if her feet were killing her.

  “Her dad is here. You and Mac operated on him before this went to shit.” He looked over at Lauren when she came up beside him, speaking. “She didn’t know what to do, so one of the nurses asked her to get names and numbers of the people waiting to hear if their family was here. She’s been doing it since I showed up about five hours ago.”

  “How is the clean up going out there? One of the injured that came in said that it would be days before the highway would be opened up again.” She said that she’d called in some extra help. “Some of your friends came to help?”

  “Yeah. Bear worked on cars in the Army, so he could drive a big tow truck. Got most of it off and out of the way in a couple of hours. Now it’s just clean up. And that might be all night. Chickens are running around all over the place too. One of the rigs was carrying them. And Jon came to help us lift some of the heavier trucks off of cars.” He nodded and asked her how many were killed. “There are ten dead. That many more that are critical, I was told, and I haven’t any idea how many injured. This guy that I had arrested is screaming for his lawyer, and saying he’s going to have me arrested too. I would welcome the cell about now, I think.”

  “Do you have any more information on what went down? Other than what you told me earlier?” She looked at the woman that he was, the high-heeled woman. “You know her?”

  “She’s the woman I was telling you about earlier. Her car, he pushed it into the traffic and caused all of this mess.” Boyd asked if she was in trouble. “Only in the sense that this guy is out for her ass. As I said before, lucky for her she wasn’t in the car when he hit it from the rear end. There is footage, too, of him being abusive to her when she left work. Or tried to. She’s a nice woman—Colin liked her right off.”

  He couldn’t fathom having someone think it was all right to shove another person into traffic like this man had. Nor to have such a hatred for someone that you’d even think of doing that. When the woman leaned against the nurses’ station and kicked her shoe off, he thought it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen when she started curling and uncurling her toes along her calf.

  Before he could think that it was a bad idea or even a good one, he found himself walking toward her. When one of the nurses smiled at him, the woman turned and looked at him. It was the first time Boyd had seen her face, and he was blown away by the sheer loveliness of her.

  “Miss Pratt, this is Boyd McCullough. Doctor Boyd, this is Reilly Pratt. You and Miss Mac operated on her daddy.”

  He might have thanked the nurse, but he couldn’t think beyond Reilly’s beauty. He knew he was staring, but just couldn’t help himself. So, when she turned to look around, no doubt to escape the loony that he was acting like, he took her hand into his before he spoke. The shock of their touching had him moaning and then holding onto the nurses’ station as well.

  “Are you all right?” He nodded but didn’t let go. “You’ve been working really hard, maybe you need to sit down for a minute. Let me see if there’s someone that can help you.”

  When Reilly started to walk away, he grabbed her again. “No. No, please. I’m all right. As you said, just tired. If you would just sit with me for a few minutes, I’ll tell you how your dad is doing.”

  Boyd didn’t have any idea why he was feeling overwhelmed by the woman. Yes, she was very beautiful, and she smelled like fresh lemons. But he’d seen beautiful women before. An odd thing to think someone smelled like, but he was sure that’s what he was smelling. He asked her about it when they were seated in the nurses’ station behind the desk.

  “The hand sanitizer has a lemony smell to it. I think it smells really good too. Like lemon pie or tarts.” He sniffed her again when she put out her hand to him. “I didn’t have any idea what to do to help. I’m afraid I faint at the sight of blood, so I think they made me busy work. But it was nice to be able to help some of these people. After all, I was sort of some of the cause, I guess.”

  “No, Lauren is saying that you were simply lucky that you were out of the car. But as for the names and numbers, it will go a long way in contacting family when we find things after this is all done. Sometimes it’s a bag of clothing or a watch. Most of the time we just use the list to ca
ll the family back to see if they needed any more assistance.” He smiled at her, feeling well out of his territory right now. “About your dad. He’s going to be fine once he starts to heal better. He took a nasty fall, and had we not been there, I shudder to think what would have happened to him. But we have him sedated so he won’t be moving around too much. Healing quietly, after so much trauma, is the best thing for him.”

  Boyd told her of his injuries and what they’d done to fix them. Also of his broken arm, as well as all the other places that he’d stitched him together. He told her that he was in good health and that would work in his favor a great deal. He could see the relief on her face, and was glad that he’d been able to do that for her.

  “I’ve recently moved in with him. For financial reasons. Anyway, he wasn’t taking his medication regularly, so I started to keep an eye on them for him. And his diet. He’s lost a few pounds and is exercising now as well. He’s sort of forgetful when he’s working, and I just gently remind him of them.” Boyd told her that was all good. “He’s all I have in the world right now. And he’s been supporting me for a while. I’ve run into some issues that he’s helping me out of.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he’d help her too, but he just managed to catch himself. Boyd wasn’t sure what was going on right now, but he wanted to hold her hand and not let her go. When Colin came to talk to him, he found his cat all pissy about him and growled low.

  “I just need to ask her a question, Boyd. I won’t touch her.” Reilly looked at him oddly, but he wasn’t having it. “Boyd, are you all right?”

  “I don’t know.” And he didn’t either. Looking at Reilly, who was still staring at him, he told her he was sorry. “I have to check on some patients and then go home. Yes, I should go home. It’s quiet there, so I can think. And I think I need a nap as well.”

  He left them standing there and hurried to his car. By the time he was home, he was so jittery that he wondered if he should have been driving. Going into his little condo, he dropped his keys on the floor and fell, fully clothed, onto his bed. He’d nap, then go back. Boyd told himself he’d feel better after a nap.

  Chapter 3

  Rich pounded on the door again. He was worried about his boy. When he’d not answered his phone nor his calls to him through their link, he made his way to his house to find out what happened. Just as he was ready to bust in the door, it finally opened. Not waiting for an invite in, Rich shoved his way past his son and into his tiny place.

  “How on earth can you live like this? There isn’t enough room in here to swing a pup. Not without knocking everything off to the floor.” Boyd grumbled something about pups, but he didn’t rightly understand him. “You going to come out of this cave and come out with the living?”

  “I was exhausted.” His dad told him that a lot of people were. “Yes, well, I was just taking a little nap. Until someone had to come and bust in the door and wake me.”

  “A nap? Heck fire boy, you’ve been here for two days. Nary a peep out of you, either. I was worried sick about you. That’s the reason I came here today.” He asked him if he was sure about the days. “Of course I’m sure. I know what day of the week it is. And that accident out there on seventy-five, it was two days ago too. You go on and take a shower and I’ll talk to your mom. You’re lucky that she didn’t come here with me. She’d have been none too happy with you right now.”

  When Boyd went to take his shower, Rich told Bea what Boyd had told him. And how he’d not had a clue it had been so long. She asked him what they were going to do now.

  I got him to take himself a shower. He didn’t stink too bad, but I thought it would go a long way in waking him up. Then I’ll bring him home to you. She asked if he’d spoken to him about his mate. I just told you what I said to him. Did you hear me mention about a mate? No. And you want to know why? Because I didn’t mention it yet.

  Richard McCullough, you speak to me that way again and I’ll show you what a mate can do to her other half. I’ve been worried about him too, so don’t be saying that’s what has you snapping at the woman who does your laundry. He almost pointed out that she didn’t do it either, but thought he might live longer if he didn’t. Now, I want you to wait before talking to him about her. I want to be there when you do.

  He told her that he was sorry, he had been worried about him. She asked him nicely to bring Boyd home to her and she might forgive him. Rich made himself a mental note to stop and get her some pretty flowers on the way home too. He didn’t like her upset with him any more than he liked being upset with her.

  Rich wondered about the girl himself. She was a pretty little thing, and he was happy to see that her daddy was mending pretty well too. Of course, there was no reason to think that he wouldn’t, in Rich’s mind. He had the best of the best working on him. But making Boyd see that she was his mate, that was going to take some talking. He, like Colin, didn’t think that Boyd had understood what he’d been doing that day.

  As soon as Boyd had his shower and was dressed, they headed to the flower shop. He knew it wasn’t called that, but in the last few months, the place had changed its name twice. He couldn’t have remembered it if someone had paid him to tell them. Boyd went in with him.

  “You getting someone some pretty flowers too?” He said he was getting them for his mom, he’d worried her. “You worried me too. But I don’t want no flowers. How about you get me a soda pop? One of the cream sodas like I like.”

  “Dad, I thought Mom said that you were cutting back on sweets.” Rich wanted to tell him to let him worry about his mom, but he was buying her flowers because he’d messed up, and he didn’t think that would get him in good with his son right now. “I’ll get you one, but if Mom smells it on your breath, I’m going to plead the fifth.”

  “You do that.” He got Bea two dozen yellow and pink roses. It was close to Christmas, but he didn’t want her thinking of that particular day when he gave them to her. That’s why he didn’t get the pretty red ones with the greenery in them. As they were put into a pretty bow, he watched as Boyd bought himself one of the newspapers.

  “You missed a lot of stuff going on with that accident. The guy that caused it all, he’s saying that he had nothing to do with it, and that it’s all that little girl’s fault.” He asked what little girl. “The one whose daddy is in the hospital. You operated on him.”

  Rich knew that he was talking a little loud, so he calmed himself down. Boyd asked him if he was all right, and he told him that he had a lot on his mind. He looked at the flowers when they were handed to him and cocked a brow at him.

  “Don’t you go making snap judgments on me. I messed up, but I’m making up for it, ain’t I?” Boyd said nothing as he asked for a dozen red roses. “I’ve been worried about you, that’s all, and it has me a little on edge.”

  “I’d say you’re a lot on edge, and that it hasn’t much to do with me sleeping for so long. Why don’t you tell me why it is you came to get me? The real reason, Dad, not the one that you told me you came by for.” He told his son that he didn’t know what he was talking about. “Sure you don’t. When you have something on your mind, like you do right now, and you can’t tell anyone about it, you get testy.”

  “I do not.” Boyd pointed out the few times that he’d had a secret and how mean he’d been when he couldn’t tell anyone. “This is different. Your mom, she wants to be there when you’re talked to about this here thing.”

  “This here thing is about what?” Rich was going to crack under the pressure or he was going to lose his temper. Either way, he’d be in Dutch with the wife. “Dad? What is this about?”

  “You and your mate.” Boyd thanked the lady and took his flowers out to the car. He had the engine running by the time Rich made his own way out and sat in the passenger side of his own car. “I can drive, you know.”

  “I don’t have a mate, Dad. I told you why the other day.” Rich told him he knew what he’d told them. “Then you know that my
mate and my chance of having a full life with her is not going to happen. I don’t know what you think, but you’re wrong.”

  The rest of the trip was made in silence. But he told Bea what had happened. How he’d been tricked. She huffed at him and told him he was too easy.

  Easy? I do not think that I’m easy. He pressured me, just like I told you. And he is all upset with me now too. She asked him if he and Boyd were still coming over. Yes. I got him in my car. He’s driving though. So I can’t rightly say if we’ll make it there or not. I think that Colin has it about right. He don’t understand.

  I’m thinking that you both might be right about it. If you thought that it was over, a done deal as you’re so fond of saying, then you’d be inclined to think the same thing. Don’t you agree? He said that he thought he would. See? Once we get him here, now that he knows about the reason, I’ll not have to beat around the bush so many times before I can bring her up. By the way, the poor girl is without a car or anything to get her around in. I was thinking that I’d lend her my car until Boyd can get her one she can use. What do you think of that idea?

  He told her what he always said when she had an idea. You know what’s best. And if she don’t want to drive that around, I’ll make sure that she has something in her driveway. Where is she staying anyway?

  The hospital. The poor thing won’t leave there with her dad so ill. He was cut up pretty badly, from what I’ve been told. Rich knew that as well. And then the accident occurred and that had taken a great deal out of a lot of people. I’ll just pop over and see her sometime today. Maybe she’ll let me sit with him while she goes and gets herself something to eat or some fresh air.

  We’re about home. I think he’s a mite upset with me, just so you know. And he might be with you too once you start talking to him. She said that she figured that already. Also, I’m terribly sorry. I’ve had it pointed out to me that I’m a little mean when I have something I need to hold close to my vest. I’m right sorry about that, love.