Beyond the Shadows

by LaVerne Clark

  “Sorry,” she apologized. “I was just coming to find you.” Her voice rose to something slightly short of a shriek, and she made a concerted effort to control it. “He was awake and coherent just a moment ago then he suddenly lost consciousness. What happened? Will he be all right, Doctor?”

  With an efficiency of movement, the doctor noted Nate’s vitals, peeled back his eyelids to check his pupils, and listened to his heart with his stethoscope. After a few seconds, he nodded, removed them from his ears, and placed them casually around his neck.

  He turned back to Kelly with a smile. “Well. I certainly didn’t see this coming. Your partner is one tough cookie. I thought it was only a matter of time before we’d be making some hard decisions. Remarkable.” His smile slipped at her horrified expression. “I’m sorry. I forget myself when we’re given someone back against the odds.”

  “Given someone back? You mean—he was that close?”

  The doctor’s serious, dark gaze met hers. “Yes. He was as far gone as a person can be.” He glanced down at Nate then back up to her. “He’s a tough one. Don’t worry,” he assured her, “he’s going to be all right.”

  “So why is he unconscious now?”

  The doctor smiled again. “He has a forceful personality, yes?”

  Kelly’s lip twitched at the understatement. “You could say that.”

  He nodded. “People like that come back to themselves in a rush, not giving their body any kind of allowance for weakness. They expect their bodies to obey their every command as it did before their accident. It taxes them mightily, and the more energy they expend, the more likely they are to faint.”

  “Faint?” Kelly’s lip twitched again. “So, O’Leary fainted? Oh, man. I can’t wait to tease him about this.” She laughed aloud in relief and turned back to find Nate’s eyes cracked open, staring daggers at her.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he growled and struggled to lift himself up on the bed.

  “Wait, let me. You might tax yourself,” she teased. At his sneer of disgust, she laughed harder. She stopped abruptly when she heard the unmistakable note of hysteria ringing through it.

  “So when can I get out of here, Doc?”

  The doctor eyed his movements as he gingerly settled upright. “Perhaps in a couple of days. I’d like you to stay for at least another night to make sure you are on the road to recovery. Even then, you’ll need someone at home to keep an eye on you for the next week to make sure you’re looking after yourself. If you don’t, your recovery will only take longer,” he warned. “You have someone who can do that for you?”

  Kelly observed with interest as he closed his eyes and heaved a big sigh. “Yeah. I’ll find someone,” he mumbled. Somehow, she doubted he had many options.

  “Good, because we won’t allow you to leave the hospital until your support person comes in and signs the form.”

  “You’ve got to be joking!” he exploded. His eyes bored into the doctor’s, who to his credit, looked back at him without flinching. Not an easy task, she thought, thinking of all the perps she’d witnessed quaver and buckle under the same.

  “I’ll be his support person,” she blurted. The words were out before she could call them back.

  Nate’s eyes widened on hers with what looked like alarm. She sucked in a breath. He hated the idea. He could hardly stand to be around her but put up with it for the job. And now, she’d ingratiated herself into his home.

  What had she done? Way to bolster your ego, Kelly. She set her jaw and widened her stance, stubbornness coming to her rescue. Too bad. He needed someone, and it looked like he had no one else to call on.

  Lifting her chin, she ignored Nate completely and addressed the doctor. “Shall I come and sign those papers now before I go home? That way, nothing will hold us up when we get the all clear.”

  “The release form can’t be done until the day of release, but you may as well get a head start on the other paperwork,” he agreed and indicated she precede him out of the room. “And you,” he pointed at Nate. “No more dramatics. Your body needs to relax. It’s been through a huge amount of stress already.”

  “Do what the doctor says, Nate. See you tomorrow,” she sang from the doorway, unable to resist a cheeky little finger-wave. She strode away with his threatening growl following her down the hall.

  Chapter Three

  Kelly woke the next morning with a faint sense of doom. Normally, the sight of the feminine bedroom filled her with pleasure. Not today. It took her a moment to work out why—and then it hit her like an eighteen-wheeler. Nate was being released today, and she’d volunteered to be his nurse.

  Throwing off the floral duvet cover, she sat up and rubbed her dry, tired eyes. Her body ached all over. She glanced over at the alarm clock and noted she woke up two minutes before the bells went off. Thank God. Waking with a near heart attack was never her idea of a good start to the morning. Her brother bought the retro clock for her twenty-first birthday, and it had been terrorizing her almost every morning for the past five years.

  With a groan, she hit the off switch on the alarm and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Pushing blonde strands of hair out of her eyes, she reached for the hair-tie and tamed it back into its customary low ponytail. Her toes curled into the soft wool of the shaggy rug. Dropping to the floor, she performed a quick succession of press-ups. After the count of thirty, she switched positions and lay on her back. Two sets of thirty sit-ups later, her muscles burned pleasantly and the last vestiges of the uneasy feeling was gone, leaving her mind clear and grimly determined.

  I’m ready for whatever you decide to throw at me today, Nathaniel O’Leary.

  Her stomach growled and she padded to the kitchen to check out her meager supplies. Forced to exist on convenience food for the last week, she craved fresh produce. But after spending most of her time at the hospital, food shopping languished way down her list of priorities. As a result, the cupboards were bare. The contents of the fridge were no better, containing half a bottle of milk past its use-by date, and a few apples in the crisper. Hardly a satisfying choice.

  She shut the fridge with a sigh. Two choices stared her down—go to her parents for breakfast and while away some time, or go out and do a spot of shopping. The idea of stopping in to see her folks held great appeal. She hadn’t caught up with them in over a week and a visit with them always grounded her, helped her stay sane. Since most of her friends either were married with children or had moved away, she spent social occasions with her parents.

  At the thought of her mother, the woman’s perceptive gaze flashed into her head and she groaned. No, she’d be safer to go shopping instead. She’d only end up blurting the whole sorry mess, and she wasn’t quite ready to admit how she felt about Nate to anyone. Then she might be forced to do something about it.

  With her mind made up, she threw on a pair of shorts and tank top, applied a light layer of mascara to darken her long blonde lashes, and inspected herself in the mirror. She snorted at her reflection and shut the door of the make-up cabinet with a snap. Why was she prettying herself up? There were a few hours left yet before she collected Nate and she doubted he’d notice the effort anyway. Besides, she reminded herself, he saw her as just one of the guys. A subtle layer of makeup wasn’t going to change his opinion.

  Humidity smacked her in the face as she yanked open the door and stepped outside. The Rimu door had swollen with the moisture in the air, resisting her attempts to close it. She put her shoulder into it, sighing, mentally adding the job of taking it off the jam and slicing a sliver or two off it to her list of things to do.

  One of the cons of owning an older home was that there was always something to attend to. In her opinion, the pros like native timbers, quirky spaces, and personality, far outweighed those negative traits. She locked up and straightened, grimacing as her shirt uncomfortably gripped her skin. Five seconds outside and she was perspiring already.

  “Sub-tropical climates—gotta love them,�
�� she muttered and ran lightly down the steps. A chorus of cicadas accompanied her to her garage, the sound of summer. The overgrown hedge proved to be a haven for the creepy bugs. She shuddered and increased her speed. Some thought they were beautiful with their transparent wings, fat bodies, and long legs that rubbed against each other to make their sound, but she wasn’t one of them. They just gave her the heebie-jeebies.

  Feeling like a fool, she hastily checked her shoulders and back for any rogue passengers. Only after she found none did she relax and climb into her car. The thought of being trapped inside a vehicle with one of those things didn’t bear thinking about. Been there, done that, and she was still paying off the consequences on her credit card. With a practiced hand, she backed down the long driveway and headed off. Her stomach growled again. She put her foot down.

  Free time had been a rarity since she’d joined the force all those months ago, and she reveled in it now. She turned up the radio when she heard her favorite band sing a song about feeling good, and she sang along, her spirits rising along with the temperature outside. At that moment, all was good in the world and it was a good reminder to focus on the present. It was all she could control. The future would look after itself.

  A free spot materialized in front of her as she turned into the mall’s parking lot, and she zipped into a space. She’d take it as a good omen for the day ahead. The air-conditioning inside was a welcome balm to her overheated skin as she deliberated over which café to frequent for breakfast.

  She perused the menu in one display window where the heavy smell of cooking fat hit her, making her stomach rebel. Something lighter appealed this morning.

  The café next door beckoned her with fresh baked smells, and the rich aroma of coffee made her mouth water. Perfect.

  “Mmm. What smells so good?” she asked the girl behind the counter. The nametag pinned to her chest said, Samantha.

  “That’ll be our blueberry muffins. I’ve just pulled out our fourth batch of the day.”

  “That good, huh?”

  “They sure are.” She smiled widely. “They fly out the door. Would you like to order one?”

  Kelly’s stomach gurgled on cue and they shared a laugh. “It looks like I’d better. I’ll have a flat white too, please.”

  “Certainly.” Samantha bent down to the display case with a pair of tongs and retrieved a muffin. “These will still be warm from the oven—the best way to enjoy them. Take it with you, and I’ll bring your coffee over when it’s ready. This morning’s paper is on the end of the counter if you wanted something to read while you wait.”

  “Thanks.” Kelly smiled and snaffled a copy, the muffin in her other hand. A quiet corner tucked away from the traffic building up in the mall had her name all over it. She wound around the maze of tables and laid claim to it. As the first bite of the muffin filled her mouth, her eyes closed in ecstasy. It was both tart and sweet, the mixture, light and fluffy. With a contented sigh, she unfolded the newspaper and smoothed it flat. As she lifted her hand, she stilled and the last swallow of muffin turned sour.

  Nate’s recovery was front-page news, complete with a still photo taken from the footage of the shooting, his head in her lap. Her face was a picture of agony, the emotion of the moment frozen forever in the silent scream of her wide-opened mouth. Why did the media choose this one? Shock slowly gave way to anger as she answered her own question. It appeased their hungry audience. They picked away at a story to find a new angle like a scavenger bird picks at the bones of road-kill. She shook her head at the thought of people’s morbid curiosity and quickly flicked the page over. She didn’t need to read about it—she’d lived it.

  Her coffee arrived and she gulped it down, washing away the crumbs that caught in her throat. She’d never been comfortable in the spotlight, and suddenly, here she was smack-bang in the middle of the biggest national story of the moment. After tonight’s episode of Cops, it would only get worse. She grimaced, pushed away from the table, swung her handbag over her shoulder, and strode out the door.

  A pretty summer dress in a window display caught her eye, interrupting her march to the supermarket. When she gazed at the filmy material, a vision of Nate’s expression as he saw her in it came to mind. She wanted it. Without allowing herself to think too much, she entered the shop, found the equivalent in her size, and tried it on. Deep red roses set on a midnight blue background set off the blonde of her hair, emphasizing her natural paler highlights. It fit like a glove across her chest, lifting and accentuating her bust before flaring out from an empire line and finishing mid-thigh.

  Fun and flirty, it was everything he thought she wasn’t.

  Good luck thinking of me as one of the guys in this, O’Leary. Her mouth curved in a wicked grin as she pirouetted in front of the mirror, pleased with her purchase. Then she looked down at her unpainted toenails and old, serviceable sandals and frowned. If she was going to show case her feminine side, she may as well sort the whole package.

  She wandered through the center of the mall until she found the mall spa. The flawlessly made up girl behind the counter gave her a friendly smile as she approached. That was the reason why she normally avoided those places. The women were always so delicate and impeccably groomed, she felt so gangling and awkward in comparison.

  “Kimberly will be free in half an hour.” She affirmed at Kelly’s request then gestured at her hands.

  “We can do something with those nails too. The price is discounted when you have two treatments or more.”

  Kelly folded her hands together and drew them into her body, embarrassed at the rough state of them then dropped them. What the hell? She had the time. Hadn’t she just told herself she wanted to improve the whole package?

  “Thanks. That would be great.” She waved as she backed away. “See you soon.” It was kind of exciting to be doing something normal woman did every day.

  Kelly zipped around the supermarket, and recalling her mental list, filled her trolley with the fresh fruit, nuts, fresh bread, and spreads she’d been craving. With fifteen minutes to kill, she wandered out and sat down on a bench in the middle of the mall, content to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes—people watching.

  People hurried by, intent on their own missions. She entertained herself with an old game she and her brothers made up during the long boring hour they endured during Sunday church. Who is that person in real life? While her brothers had been fanciful, Kelly tended to analyze and make studious guesses. And most of the time her guesswork was spot on. It was no surprise to anyone when she announced she was going to join the police force. It seemed a natural choice, and one they all thought suited her. It was just a shame O’Leary didn’t seem to share those same sentiments.

  With an annoyed shake of her head, she stood, abandoning her game. Bloody man invading my thoughts like that. She bent over to collect her bags and strode to the desk. She’d pass the time reading some trashy magazines instead.

  It wasn’t to be. Once she entered, the receptionist looked up and flashed her pearly whites.

  “Kimberly is ready for you Ms. Appleton. You can leave your things behind the desk if you like and follow me.”

  The receptionist led her to a workstation where a smiling nail technician waited. “I’ve a foot bath prepared for you while we work on your hands. Kick off your shoes and relax. It’s bliss.”

  Kelly complied with a soft groan when her feet hit the water. Whatever was in there made her skin tingle pleasantly, and she sighed in appreciation as the tension gradually melted away. Lulled by the soft hum of conversation, the fragrance of oils in the air, and soothing music, Kelly relaxed for the first time since the whole nightmare began over a week ago.

  Getting the hint early on that she didn’t want conversation, Kimberly concentrated on her work. It surprised Kelly how much she enjoyed the attention, and when she saw the results of all that scrubbing, shaping, and polishing afterwards, she could only marvel. Delighted, she wriggled her toes and admired the
vivid rose color adorning them. She’d chosen the shade to match the floral pattern of the dress. A French manicure smartened up her hands, making her fingers look long and elegant.

  “Thank you ladies,” she said and smiled as she left with her next appointment card in her hand. “See you in a few weeks.”

  Driving home with her purchases, she now knew why women the world over derived such pleasure from a bout of retail therapy. It held a power all its own that nothing else matched. Her fingers drummed in time to the beat of a popular song on the radio. She cranked up the volume and again, sang along. Her off-key voice rattled the window frames, but her heart was full. Everything in her world was perfect. Even the fact that she’d be dealing with a surly Nate on a day-to-day basis couldn’t dampen her mood.

  He’d woken from the coma, and that was enough for now.

  She zipped into her driveway, jumped out of the car with her shopping, and dumped the food bags on the counter. Then she raced into the bedroom with the other bags. With reverence, she laid the dress on the bed and admired it for a moment. Shoes. She rummaged around the floor of her wardrobe until she unearthed the gold slip-on sandals she’d had occasion to wear just once. A smile ghosted her mouth at the memory of her brother’s wedding day.

  It had been a magical day spent watching two of her favorite people promise to love each other forever. Though, it had also left her wistful. One day, she wished for that kind of happiness for herself, but she feared time was passing her by. Men were intimidated by her. Once they learned what she did for a living, it was game over before it even began. And then she met Nate and suddenly any man who showed an interest in her didn’t stand a chance of measuring up.

  And who would? Topping her by a good four inches, his muscular frame was both strong and athletic, and his piercing green gaze shone with intelligence. The forbidding mask he wore sometimes slipped, giving her the occasional glimpse of the real man underneath. Full of pain and passion, even the tight grip he kept on his control couldn’t hold it in all the time. The leaks fired her imagination. What would it be like to be the focus of all that raw power once he let go?