“Underneath that nurse’s uniform is a whole lot of woman.” Alan leered. “Scared you couldn’t handle her?”
“I can handle her.”
“How do you know?” Struck by a sudden thought, Alan’s eyes widened. “Whoa. Have you already bedded this chick?”
“No, I haven’t. And stop calling her a ‘chick’.” Mike scowled and looked out the window. “Her name is Maddy.”
“Huh.” Alan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Maddy. One of your ladies.”
“She is not one of my ladies.”
“Oh, yeah, she is. You have a type of female you respect, Mike, and those you call ‘ladies’. Maddy is one of your ladies.”
“So what if she is?” Mike glanced down at the speed gun. “We’ve a job to do. Stop yakking and concentrate.”
Alan relaxed back in the seat and was silent. Mike just knew it wouldn’t last long, and he was proven correct when Alan suddenly burst out singing, “Mike and Maddy, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!”
Sometimes Mike just wanted to belt his friend fair in the moosh.
~*~
Pulling into Elsie Maynart’s driveway, Maddy sighed. The elderly lady suffered severe anxiety and anything that put even a small dent in her perfectly timed day was enough to make her almost panic.
Janice, the Golden Link aide, opened the door to the house and waved, relief evident on her face.
“How is she?” Maddy asked as she got out of the car, the medical box in her hand.
“Refuses to eat until you give her the injection.” Janice shook her head. “I’ve got her lunch sitting in the oven to keep warm.”
“Damn.” Maddy hurried over to Janice. “Okay, let’s get this done.”
Standing in the entry to the kitchen, Elsie was all big eyes and drooping, lank, curly grey hair. “I waited,” she quavered. “I waited so long for you.”
“I’m only a little late, Elsie,” Maddy replied soothingly. “Now we only-”
“It’s half an hour!”
“But not too long, right? Everything is all right.”
“No! My lunch isn’t fresh now and I’m late for my needle. It’s not all right.” Elsie wrung the tissues in her hand and then started plucking them. Little pieces fell down around her feet like snow.
Maddy gently placed her hand on Elsie’s frail waist. “It’s only a vitamin B12 injection, Elsie. We’ve had this talk before, remember? It’s not an injection that’s vital to have at a certain time, as long as it’s on the day. I-”
“I have to have it on time. I must!” Cloudy grey eyes narrowed. “You know I have to.”
There was no winning this one today. Maddy caught Janice’s expression, saw her roll her eyes behind Elsie’s back, and she grinned ruefully.
“It’s not funny.” Catching sight of Maddy’s grin, Elsie gripped the tissue tightly between arthritic fingers.
Knowing how fast Elsie could fly into a temper, Maddy spoke softly. “You’re right, it’s not funny and I am sorry. Now, you need this injection today, so let’s go and do it now.”
Elsie pulled away and stormed down the dreary passage as fast as her skinny legs could take her. “Not funny. Not funny at all. I waited all day, Nurse.”
Maddy blew out a silent breath. Elsie was pissed off, no doubt about it. Great. Going into the kitchen, she took a vial of vitamin B12 from the refrigerator and followed the little old woman down the dreary passage.
Entering the bedroom which was dark as usual, and crowded with furniture and knick-knacks, Maddy set the medical box on the dressing table. Elsie stood right beside her while she opened the lid and took out a syringe. The old woman didn’t miss one thing, watching anxiously as Maddy put a needle on the syringe, snapped the neck of the vial and drew up the contents into the syringe.
“You’re sure no glass got into the medicine?” Elsie asked, as she did every month without fail.
“Absolutely sure.”
“It’s a clean needle?”
“You saw me open the packet.”
“Syringe? Can’t be too careful.”
“Sterile packet, unopened.”
“You’re sure it’s not recycled?”
“It’s not recycled.”
Elsie grabbed the packet holding the alcohol swab and studied it closely. Maddy waited resignedly while Elsie made certain that it, too, was unopened. She’d learned a long time ago that to hurry Elsie only ended in extreme anxiety, tears and several hours of calming her down.
Finally Elsie was convinced that all was well and Maddy was able to jab her in the scrawny bottom with her monthly injection. Elsie watched closely again while Maddy disposed of the needle in the sharps container, and the syringe in the little bag she carried especially for disposing of syringes back at base.
Only then was Elsie satisfied and she saw Maddy to the door. Janice had the hot midday meal coming out of the oven and Elsie shut the door rather quickly behind Maddy.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Maddy returned to the car. Two close misses - one, a speeding fine, and two, an anxiety attack from Elsie. The day was looking a little better.
The day, in fact, got worse. As she went from one patient's house to another, nothing seemed to go right. Old Mr Wainwright refused to have his blood pressure taken and she couldn’t force him. The fact that it had to be kept a close eye on was an on-going problem. Ben Carter, an insulin dependant diabetic with a bad ulcer on his foot that wouldn’t heal, she caught polishing off the last of a jumbo-sized block of chocolate. The new client she had to assess wasn’t home, and she had to double back an hour later when he rang her to irritably inquire why she wasn’t there when he got home. One of the quadriplegics had fallen out of the hoist sling while his wife had tried to hoist him into his chair, and Maddy met one of the Gold Link aides there and helped get the man back into the sling - properly this time - and into his chair, but only after attending a bad gash on his leg. Every incident set her back time-wise and by the time she returned to base, it was dark and the receptionist, other nurses and aides had gone home. Unlocking the door, she disarmed the alarm and entered the building. In the office set aside for the nurses, she filled in the last bits of her paperwork, set it in the tray along with the work mobile phone, and finally left after arming the alarm and locking the door behind her.
It was a welcome relief to finally be on the road home in her own car, but she’d only got halfway home when the steering wheel started to get heavy and pull to the right. With foreboding, she pulled over. Grabbing the torch from the glove box, she got out of the car and walked around to find that yes, she did indeed have a flat tyre.
Now she felt like crying. The highway was dark, lit only by street lights, there were cars passing at intervals, and she had no mobile phone. Changing a tyre by herself late at night was on her dread list.
“Great, just bloody great.” Giving the offending tyre a kick, she looked around. There was only one thing for it and that was to suck up her fears and get to work on changing the tyre. All she could hope for was to have it all done and be back safely in the car before some knife-wielding maniac found her.
Returning to the driver’s door, she leaned in and flicked on the hazard lights before pressing the lever to release the boot. Using the torch for light, she lifted the flooring of the boot and hooked it up to the latch, and the surveyed the tyre, tool bag, and jack.
Right now, it all seemed like too much. She was tired, hungry, and yes, a little bit scared. But straightening her shoulders, she muttered, “Suck it up, princess,” and grabbed the tool kit.
Cars whizzed past now and again and she was caught between wishing someone would stop to help her, and hoping no would, because one never knew who stopped on a dark night. Any crank could be around, and with her crummy luck they’d find her.
Maddy undid the nuts holding the tyre securely in the boot and wrestled the tyre up. Luckily she owned a small car because the damned tyre was heavy enough. She rolled it to rest beside the flat tyre and went back fo
r the jack and tools. Kneeling beside the flat tyre, she was about to start loosening the nuts when a car pulled in behind her and she was lit by the headlights.
Holding the tyre lever in one hand, Maddy cautiously stood up. A door slammed shut on the vehicle behind her and someone approached. Tall, lean, it was a male, and to Maddy that was a possible threat. She gripped the lever tightly.
“Hi.” The man approached slowly but easily, his posture non-threatening, hands swinging slightly by his side.
But appearances could be deceiving and Maddy replied with a curt, “Hi.”
“Problem?” the man queried.
She couldn’t make out his features with the headlights behind him. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You alone?”
“No.”
The man looked from the lever in her hand to the flat tyre. “Uh-huh.”
“My boyfriend and his mate have just gone to relieve themselves in the bushes. They’ll be back any second.” She flexed her fingers around the tyre lever. “We’re fine.”
The man was silent for several seconds before saying quietly, “Right.”
“It’s true.”
“So I’ll just wait until they return.”
Hell. Trying to hide her nervousness, Maddy looked at him levelly, still unable to make out his features. “No need to wait, but thanks.”
Several more cars passed without slowing before the man returned to his car. He got in the driver’s door and sat down, dimming his lights so they weren’t glaring at her but gave her light by which to see.
Now what? Maddy looked away and bit her lip. Did she just continue changing her tyre or pretend to be waiting for her ‘friends’? Shit shit shit, this was a problem.
Finally, not knowing what else to do, she squatted down and started to loosen the nuts on the wheel, hoping the man would go away. The nuts were tight and a couple of times she had to stand upright and put her foot on the lever to try and loosen them. A couple loosened but one gave her heaps of trouble.
A car door shutting sounded and she immediately yanked the tyre lever off the nut and straightened with it gripped in one hand.
“Hi,” the man said again. “I’m sorry, but you’re obviously in a bit of trouble.”
“No trouble,” she immediately replied.
“My name’s Tim,” he added quietly, his tone reassuring. “I promise I’m harmless.”
“Good to meet you, Tim,” she replied warily. “But as I told you already, I’m fine. Really. You can go.”
He looked closely at her. With the dimmer light behind him, she could see his features a little more clearly and while he didn’t look particularly threatening, she knew it didn’t mean that he wasn’t a rapist or killer, or both.
“I’ve called for assistance,’ she said. “I’m expecting the RAC any minute.”
“I’m Tim Clarke.” The lean man held out his hand. “Veterinarian. I’m good with horses, ferrets and changing tyres.”
Several thoughts went through her mind in that split second. If she took his hand, it meant she had to get close to him. If she didn’t take his hand and he was a nut job, it could make things spiral out of control fast. In the humid night, she felt a trickle of sweat under her hair.
Maybe she should bluff it out. Sure as hell she couldn’t run, he’d catch her in seconds. And maybe, just maybe, he was simply a decent man just wanting to help her.
“My friend’s girlfriend works at the Sister Mercy Hospital,” added Tim. “If you want, I could ring her on my mobile and you can speak to her to verify who I am.”
Maddy was caught between trying to decide to shake Tim’s hand or not when another car swooped in behind his car. Red and blue lights flashed, and she felt her legs go weak with relief at the knowledge that it was a police car.
Thank God for the cops.
Tim turned around when the police officers got out of their car and approached.
“What’s going on here?” The deep, menacing rumble was welcomingly familiar.
“Hey, Mike,” Tim greeted the big one cheerfully. “Just stopped to give the nurse a helping hand.”
Obviously Tim knew Mike. Now Maddy felt a little silly.
Mike looked past Tim to her. “Maddy?” Striding past Tim, he came to a stop directly in front of her and reached out a hand to cup her elbow reassuringly. “Are you all right?”
She didn’t miss Tim’s sudden grin but not knowing what it was about, she mentally shrugged. “Flat tyre.” She gestured to the offending item with the lever in her hand.
“I stopped to offer help.” Tim came up beside Mike. “She was a little unsure of me.” He smiled charmingly at her. “Understandably.”
The flashing lights stopped abruptly and the car lights dimmed, though hazard lights still showed. Now Maddy felt really silly.
“I’ll be fine,” she said to Mike. “I’ll change this tyre and be on my way.”
Tim angled his head to one side. “There’s no RAC coming, is there?”
Busted. “Um, no.”
“No friends and no RAC.”
“No.” She shrugged.
“Mobile phone flat?”
“I don’t have one.”
The cop standing to the side asked, “Left it at home?”
“No. I don’t own one.”
This time all three men stared at her. Two in astonishment and Mike with a deepening scowl. What a surprise.
“Maddy,” he finally growled, “You’re out here alone at night on a highway with a flat tyre and no mobile phone to call for help. Anyone could have stopped.”
“I did.” Tim grinned and winked as he took the tyre lever from Maddy’s hand and moved to the flat tyre.
Immediately, she started forward. “No, really, I can do that.”
Mike’s big hand came to rest on her lower back and he swung her around with ease to lead her back to the cars. “Tim will do it. You come back here.”
His nearness and warmth might have been reassuring, but not his tone.
Chapter Three
Mike steered her around the cars until they came to the patrol car. At the back door, he stopped and swung it open. “Sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit down,” she replied. “And you don’t have to wait. You obviously know that man, so he’s safe. I’ll be fine.”
Resting one arm on the roof of the car, he bent down to look her directly in the eye. Now she could see that he was furious, though she had no idea why. “What?”
That intent gaze slid over her face slowly, seeming to see right through her, before he answered slowly, “You can ask me that?”
She held out one hand, palm up. “What? Ask what?”
“You can ask me ‘what’ and honestly have no idea?”
“Apparently.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You have no mobile phone.”
“That’s right.”
“Damn it, Maddy, you’re out on the road at night with no way to call for help when something like this happens.”
“Okay, I give you that.” Tired, and now annoyed with his attitude, she folded her arms across her chest, the movement pushing her breasts against her uniform top.
To give him credit, Mike’s gaze didn’t shift from her eyes. “Anyone could have stopped.”
“I’m aware of that, let me assure you.”
“I can’t believe that you’d place yourself in such danger.”
Her jaw clenched. “I didn’t do it deliberately.”
“Some wouldn’t see it that way.”
The unfairness of that statement hit hard. “I beg your pardon? Is that what you think?”
“No. I think you’re irresponsible for not having a mobile phone, but you don’t ask to be attacked.”
“Well, thank you very much, Sir Knight in Tarnished Armour.”
“You could have been hurt tonight, Maddy.”
Anger simmered. “Is the lecture finished yet?”
“Not by a long shot.”
“N
ews for you, buddy.” She poked a finger at his chest. “This is over. Go away and find some criminals, and I’ll stay with Tim. At least he doesn’t lecture.”
His eyes narrowed, and she could swear she saw a spark in the depths of the pale blue. “Maddy-”
“All finished,” Tim said cheerfully, approaching the car.
Maddy eased away from Mike, only to be halted momentarily by his fingers wrapped around her wrist and his voice pitched low as he bent down to rumble in her ear, “This isn’t finished.”
Bent over her with heat coming from his hard-muscled body, she was intensely aware of him. The threat in his deep voice sent a thrill - chill - through her. For one insane second her senses went haywire as she looked up at him and inhaled his clean, male scent. His gaze was locked on her and right at that second she knew he was entirely focussed on her.
That had never happened before, and it was unnerving.
Tim rounded the front of the car. “You’re fine to go, Maddy.”
Mike straightened slowly and she slipped out of his menacing presence to approach Tim. “Thanks for your help, I do appreciate it.”
Tim looked from her to Mike and back again, a question in his eyes that he was too polite to voice. “No worries. My pleasure to help out a lady in distress.” He smiled, a sudden gleam in his eyes. “I can follow you home, make sure you get there safely.”
“I’ll be fine.” Maddy smiled back. “But thanks anyway.”
Heat was suddenly at her back, big and menacing, and Tim’s lips quirked as he looked up over her shoulder. She didn’t have to look to know at whom he was looking.
“I’ll follow her home,” Mike growled. “Thanks for all your help. It could have easily been nasty if anyone else had stopped.”
“That’s for sure.” The other cop stepped forward and she sighed as he added, “You were lucky that the man who stopped to help you was a decent bloke. I’d seriously rethink getting a mobile phone.”
“She will,” Mike said from behind her.
It took all her control not to turn around and give him a verbal blasting. Instead, she thanked Tim, nodded to the other cop and walked back to her car. She shoved the seatbelt with more force than necessary into the clip, started the car, switched on the headlights and indicators, and pulled out onto the road.
Cop's Passion Page 5
