by Scott, Laura
“Jenna.” She ignored him and jumped out. He muttered something under his breath as he quickly followed suit. She tried to ignore him, wondering how far she’d have to walk before picking up the bus line. Or maybe she’d have to break her summer rule and use a rideshare service instead.
“Stop being so ridiculous.” He halted her progress by grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around. For a moment, he stared down at her, then he bent his head and captured her mouth with his.
Stunned, it didn’t occur to her to push him away. His warm mouth sent shivers down her spine. And then it was too late because one taste left her wanting more.
Zane broke off the kiss before she was close to being satisfied. Her mind went blank as she struggled to find something to say. He picked up her hand and pressed the keys into her palm.
“The city bus doesn’t come out to the suburbs. And I don’t like the thought of you taking a rideshare all the way back to Barclay Park. Take my car. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night, Jenna.” Zane walked away, confident she’d do exactly as he’d asked.
She shook her head to clear the impact of his kiss. She was very tempted to throw the keys at him and continue walking until she could call for a rideshare. Then she thought about how dangerously low the money in her checking account was and decided against it. Payday wasn’t for another week.
Gritting her teeth with frustration, Jenna marched back to the Lexus she’d left with the driver’s door hanging wide open. Maybe Zane was used to people jumping when he told them to, but she had no intention of driving his car back to Barclay Park.
Instead, she drove to the Lifeline parking lot and left Zane’s car there near the front of the building. Then she hopped the city bus and settled in for the ride home.
Too bad finding a way out of working her shift with him tomorrow wouldn’t be quite as easy to accomplish.
5
Zane peered at his reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink. His vision was clear, but if anything, his eye looked worse than before. The bruise had turned deep purple and stretched even further around his right eye. At least he’d be able to work—he didn’t like the thought of leaving his colleagues in the lurch.
Both of his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He wished he could blame his restless night on the bruise, but the source of his discomfort rested solely on Jenna’s slim shoulders.
He hung his head over the sink and rubbed the back of his neck. Switching shifts with Ethan had seemed like a good idea, until he’d kissed Jenna. Visions of repeating the kiss, over and over again, had haunted him all night.
Enough. He had to get her out of his head once and for all.
Their little argument over her using his car only proved how wrong she was for him. Clearly, Jenna always needed to be in control, like his father and his former fiancée, Lynette. Yet he was forced to admit that finding out Jenna didn’t even have a car bothered him. Not so much because she rode the bus—lots of people took public transportation to save on the price of gas.
No, what had bothered him was the sure knowledge that she didn’t have enough money to pay for the car repairs. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her house, but the darkness hadn’t been able to hide the sagging front porch and peeling paint. He didn’t know anything about Jenna’s parents, but he suspected she and Rae lived in the place alone.
None of which was his concern. Zane turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face. Jenna Reed was an admirable woman, especially the way she was determined to make a decent life for her sister. But he wasn’t in the market for a relationship. He’d gone that route once before and had no desire to repeat the same mistakes all over again.
Especially not with another control freak.
Okay, a relationship was out of the question, but remaining friends might be an option. He shut off the water and swiped at his face with the towel. Yeah, why not? Everyone could use a friend.
He strode from the bathroom to his kitchen. He was sure they could manage to be friends. All he needed to do was to stop remembering the gut-clenching need that had overwhelmed him when he’d kissed her.
Kissing was definitely not part of friendship.
Not with Jenna. The woman had heated his blood with the intensity of a blowtorch. Hours later, the impact of her searing kiss was still imprinted on his mind.
Whatever. With a scowl, he contemplated the contents of his fridge. Should he have eggs or waffles? Did Jenna and Rae have enough food to eat? Were the contents of their fridge as sparse as the exterior of their house? Concern for their welfare gnawed at him. Maybe he should invite them over for a friendly breakfast.
Who was he kidding? There was no way Jenna would ever agree to sharing breakfast.
His phone rang, and he let go of the fridge door. He’d left his cell on the counter, so he walked over, picked it up, and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Zane? This is Jared. I have a message for you. Your Lexis is in the lot here at Lifeline.”
Really? His scowl deepened. Had Jenna driven into work this morning, or had she left it there last night? “I loaned my car to Jenna last evening. Is she there?”
“No, she’s not scheduled until seven tonight.” Jared sounded confused. “I haven’t seen Jenna today. Your car was here when I arrived this morning. Is there something wrong with it? Do you need a lift?”
“No, thanks, Jared. I’ll be fine. Thanks for the message.” Irritated with Jenna’s not-so-subtle message, Zane hung up the phone. What was up with her anyway? He tried to do her a favor, but she wouldn’t give up an ounce of her precious control, even to accept a helping hand. He didn’t need the Lexus, he had a second car to drive, a red Corvette that he’d indulged in after successfully dodging the marriage bullet by breaking off his engagement.
A flash of guilt caught him off guard. He hadn’t told Jenna about owning a second vehicle, implying she would need to pick him up for work. As a way to avoid him, she’d dropped his Lexus at Lifeline and had taken the stupid bus home instead.
Was the idea of sharing a ride with him so awful?
He scowled again and grabbed eggs out of the fridge. He set about fixing breakfast. Why did he care if Jenna was determined to do her own thing? More power to her.
Better for him to stop worrying about Jenna and the situation with her sister and to concentrate on his work. He had less than a month to go of his residency. His goal was to graduate and find a job.
Jenna couldn’t, wouldn’t factor into his plans.
THE LOUD NOISE overhead caused Zane to glance up at the sky, watching as the Lifeline helicopter returned to the helipad. He glanced at his watch and grinned. The flight crew must be returning from a call.
After arriving at work fifteen minutes early, he’d parked his Corvette next to the abandoned Lexus and leaned against the car to wait for Jenna. He wanted to look directly into her eyes when he asked her why she couldn’t bring herself to use his vehicle.
He caught sight of her striding across the parking lot from where she’d disembarked from the bus. The navy blue flight suit with a white stripe down the side emphasized her slender figure. She’d bound her dark silky hair in its usual braid hanging down her back. Seeing her pensive expression punched him in the gut. He didn’t like the involuntary reaction. Even Lynette, the woman he’d almost married, hadn’t affected him like this.
Lynette was beautiful, but in a cold way. And watching her had never aroused any protective feelings in him. Not that Jenna needed protecting, her fierce independence was something he admired. Still, why did the very sight of her make his stomach clench, his skin tightening as if he’d spent the entire day in the sun?
Why was he so physically aware of this woman?
Her expression grew guarded when she noticed him standing there. She straightened, squaring her shoulders as if ready to do battle. Clearly, she saw him as an opponent rather than an ally.
“Hi, Jenna. How was your bus ride?”
“Fine.”
She angled her chin. ”I’m not late.”
“No, you’re not late. Is there a reason you didn’t just drive the Lexus home last night?”
“Yes.” Jenna didn’t stop but continued past him toward the building.
He caught up to her quickly. “How about if you fill me in?”
“Why do you care?” She slid a glance toward him as he opened the door for her. “Just leave it alone, Zane.”
“I can’t,” he admitted, although he wasn’t at all happy about it. She didn’t move forward to enter the building, so he stood there, waiting. “Listen, I wasn’t very clear last night. I have two cars, Jenna. Why don’t you use the Lexus for a while, at least until your own car is fixed?”
“Who said my car was ever going to get fixed?” She brushed past him to go inside.
“You’re driving me crazy, the way you answer my questions with another question.” He caught the door before it slammed in his face and followed her in.
“And I should care why?” Her smart-aleck tone did not improve his mood.
“Jenna.” He grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him. “Will you please talk to me for one minute?”
“One minute.” She glanced with exaggerated care at her watch. “Go.”
He ground his teeth together to prevent himself from losing his temper. “Tell me why you wouldn’t drive my car home last night.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “For a doctor, you’re not very bright. Your car is loaded with things like a computer, a TV, and hubcaps that spin. Why would I leave something that expensive sitting in my driveway like a huge sign to every lowlife saying come on over and help yourself? I’m not about to be held responsible for the damage.”
Whoa. She was right, he’d never considered the strong possibility of vandalism. “I have insurance. You wouldn’t be held responsible.”
She waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter, bringing that thing home where I live would’ve been tempting fate. Really, what’s the point? I’d rather not call attention to myself, or to Rae, thanks very much.”
He could see her reasoning and guilt gnawed at him for thinking the worst. “I just wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
Her expression softened just a little. “I was fine, especially because, when I got home, Rae was actually there, waiting for me like she promised.” Jenna shook her head with a rueful smile. “The highlight of my night.”
Maybe he should have been reassured at her words, but he wasn’t. “Really? Your happiness and well-being are dependent on Rae? Not a healthy attitude.”
Her gaze turned frosty in a nanosecond. “I guess you consider being self-centered and self-absorbed healthy. Sorry, Zane, I’ll never understand people with your attitude.” She glanced at her watch again. “Your minute is up. We need to report in. I’m sure the day crew is waiting.”
Zane didn’t have much choice but to follow her into the debriefing room. But as they reported in, her words echoed over and over in his head. Self-centered and self-absorbed? As far as he was concerned, Jenna was the one who needed a little self-preservation.
If she didn’t look out for herself, who would?
JENNA TRIED to ignore Zane’s towering presence as she listened to the off-going shift.
“We brought in a trauma patient from a two-vehicle crash out in Glen Valley,” Samantha Jarvis said. “And we had a couple of ICU to ICU transfers, which went smoothly.”
“Reese just refueled the chopper,” Ivan added. He was the first shift paramedic on duty with Samantha. “You’re all set for the Saturday night fun.”
“You have a strange definition of fun,” Zane commented with a wry grin. “All right, anything else we need to know about the weather conditions? I thought the sky looked overcast on the way in.”
Reese shook his head. “Not really, although there are some thunderstorms moving in over the next twenty-four hours.” Reese gestured to the satellite screen were Nate, the night shift pilot, was examining the weather conditions closely. “Shouldn’t affect your shift tonight, though.”
“Glad to hear it.” Jenna loved to fly, but the one time she’d been caught in the storm while in the chopper, she’d almost embarrassed herself by throwing up her lunch. Not a scene she cared to repeat. “No outstanding calls that we need to worry about?”
“Nope.” Ivan stood and stretched. “I need to get going if I want to see my daughter before bedtime. Have a good shift, guys.”
“Take care and give Bethany a big kiss for me.” Jenna favored Ivan with a huge smile. She owed her friend a lot for helping her to land this job at Lifeline. If not for Ivan’s personal recommendation, she doubted Jared O’Conner would’ve hired her.
“I will.” Ivan flashed a grin. “Later.”
Samantha and Reese also stood, preparing to leave. Jenna wished she could ask them to stay so she wouldn’t have to spend the shift alone with Zane. Granted, she wasn’t completely alone with him. Nate, their pilot, was there, too. But he was a somber, taciturn man who didn’t say much, and she knew he wouldn’t help break the tension between them.
Walking into the lounge, she glanced at her cell phone, checking for a message from her sister. Rae had promised to call before going out. The fact that her sister hadn’t called so far was reason to worry. Rae never sat home on a Saturday night. Jenna rubbed her temple. She wanted to ground Rae for skipping school, but really, why bother? Since she had to work anyway, there was no way to ensure Rae actually stayed home. And even if her sister did stay home, she could always invite her boyfriend over and Jenna would never know.
What was worse? Letting Rae hang out at the community center or encouraging her sister’s friends to hang out at their house while she wasn’t there to supervise? Tough choice. The real answer was C, none of the above. Too bad it wasn’t a viable option.
She turned on the television, not because she was interested but rather as a way to avoid conversation with Zane. She turned the volume down when the phone rang.
Zane answered because he was closer. “Lifeline Air Rescue can I help you?”
Zane’s expression turned serious as he listened to the caller on the other end of the line. A warning tingle went down her spine. Finally, he spoke. “We’ll be right there.” He hung up the receiver.
“What’s going on?” Jenna jumped to her feet.
Zane gestured to the television. She noticed there was a banner announcing a break in the regular programming for a news update. She turned from the reporter as Zane spoke. “Some guy brought a gun into the Riverbend shopping mall and started shooting, hitting several people. They’re not sure how many injuries total or how bad, but the police are on the scene and if requested medical assistance from Lifeline, among other ambulances.”
“Let’s go.” Jenna shut the television off without hesitating. “Nate?” She raised her voice to carry into the debriefing room. “We have a call.”
Nate joined them as they headed for the hangar. Jenna grabbed the flight bag before climbing in.
Zane sat down next to her. Once they buckled in, she listened as Nate prepared to take off.
Her fingers shook as she began to jot down information on the flight record. The Riverbend shopping mall was only a fifteen- to twenty-minute drive, so flying to the scene wouldn’t take long.
Feeling sick to her stomach, she wondered what had caused the guy to pull a gun and begin shooting, especially out at Riverbend Mall. Shootings weren’t common in the affluent area of the city—they were far more likely to take place in the Barclay Park area where she lived. Logically, she knew bad events like this happened anywhere regardless of the neighborhood.
But it still seemed surreal.
She listened as Nate was given instructions on where to land the chopper in the corner of the mall parking lot. Apparently, a medical staging area had been set up near the south entrance to the mall.
Zane rested his hand on her knee as Nate set the chopper down on the asphalt surface. Deep concern furrowed his brow. “
Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.” Jenna brushed aside his hand and his concern as she disconnected the communication link. Did Zane think she was worried because her sister might be at the mall? She knew even if Rae had gone shopping, which wasn’t likely as they didn’t have any money to spare, her sister wouldn’t go to the Riverbend Mall. The place catered to the wealthy, and there was a smaller mall closer to where they lived. Besides, Riverbend wasn’t exactly on the public transportation line.
Ignoring Zane, she tossed the strap of the flight bag over her shoulder and headed out of the chopper before going around back to pull out the gurney. Nate cut the chopper engine. She took off her helmet and stored it in the back.
The wail of sirens filled the air as ambulances and more law enforcement vehicles sped to the scene. When Jenna and Zane approached the roped off area, one of the officers came up to them.
“I’m glad you’re here. We’ve sent in several SWAT team members and just got word that the gunman injured ten people before shooting himself.”
“Is the mall clear to go in?” Zane asked.
“Yes. We are working on crowd control now. The victims are still inside. We’ll send officers in with you.”
“Sounds good, let’s move.” Jenna couldn’t hide her impatience. If people were injured, she wanted to go in and help them.
Zane frowned but didn’t say anything as they ran with the gurney between them to the south mall entrance. When they entered the doors, cool air blasted them in the face.
For some odd reason, she noticed the blood splatters first. Then her gaze zeroed in on the numerous victims sprawled on the tile floor. From the looks of things, some of the victims were already dead.
