by Geri Krotow
It was purely his concern for a colleague. And okay, he felt a sense of responsibility because they’d had that night together. Which underscored why he wasn’t in a place to get involved with anyone. If he was this connected to Patience after only one night of sex, along with working together, he’d be doomed if he seriously dated anyone.
Patience isn’t just anyone.
He shrugged off his annoying conscience and nodded at the RRPD officer guarding the clinic entrance, who let him pass.
Greta followed alongside him, down the long corridor to Patience’s office. But they didn’t have to go that far; he saw her in the kennel, through the portion of the glass wall that was still intact. She was talking to another officer, but when she saw Nash her expression softened and she gave him a half smile. Before he could acknowledge her silent greeting, however, the smile faded and creases appeared on her forehead. He remembered them in a different context, when she’d broken apart in his arms, her orgasm shaking both of them. But she wasn’t in his arms now, and this expression wasn’t that of a woman in the throes of passion. Patience looked worried. As if something about him made her anxious.
* * *
Patience stopped Maria midsentence.
“I’m sorry, but will you please excuse me? I’ve got to examine Greta.”
She walked up to Nash and Greta, waiting in the main corridor.
“Nash, wait.”
He turned around and she couldn’t read his expression.
“I—I should take a look at Greta. Please bring her into the exam room.”
She didn’t wait for him to answer, but shoved open the door to the large space. Within seconds she’d lowered the stainless steel table in the middle, and Nash led Greta to stand on it. He held her by the harness while Patience grasped the dog’s collar, then used the foot pedal to raise the examination table. Nash removed Greta’s harness and stepped back to allow Patience the space to care for the dog.
“She’s fine. Just wet,” he stated.
Nash’s bond with Greta gave Patience the first sense of normalcy since she’d seen the woman’s lifeless body slip into the lake. She mentally shook the image away.
“How long was Greta in the water?”
“Not more than twenty minutes tops. She dived four, five times before she found the victim.”
“It was a woman.” Patience wasn’t asking. She knew what she’d seen.
“Yes. And she was deceased. They tried to revive her, but...” He grew quiet. Hypothermia and longevity in cold water weren’t something he had to explain.
“But they couldn’t. To be honest, I thought she was dead as he held her. Nothing I can prove, of course, but that’s what my gut told me.”
“Gut instinct is there for a reason.” Their gazes met and it was as if Nash tried to communicate something else. Did he regret they’d only had one night together, too? Patience broke the eye contact and turned back to her examination.
“You did good work, Greta.” She spoke softly to the canine, pausing to shoot him a quick glance. “Has she shown any signs of distress?”
Patience felt along Greta’s abdomen, her flank. As she pressed her stethoscope to the dog’s rib cage, she was acutely aware of Nash being so near.
“No, she’s good. Another day of work for a Newfie, right, Greta?” He spoke with ease to his K9 partner, underscoring the tangible bond between them.
“She’s fine. Good to go. We can get her dried off in the grooming area.” Patience lowered the table and Greta promptly walked over to Nash, then plopped down. “And she’ll need to rest for the remainder of the day. It’s normal for her to be a little more tired—that water is frigid.”
“Yeah, I was worried when she had to dive down more than a few times. I’ll keep her harness off until she’s completely dry.” At the concern etched in his face, Patience realized with a start why she’d been attracted to him in the first place. The reason she’d given in to her desire and agreed to their night of passion. His dedication to duty, his ability to put others before himself. This was a man raising his four half siblings. How many men in their twenties would do that? Warm, tingling awareness lit up her insides.
“What?” He looked at her as if he’d heard her thoughts.
The result of her attraction and their shared night was so obvious to her as she stood in front of him, her belly on full view under her scrubs. While she knew no one else might notice yet, it would be a matter of days or maybe a week or two before her weight gain became obvious. Heat spread over her chest, up her neck. Now or never.
“Nash, we need to talk.” Could she sound any more commanding? This was not something to break to him in a rough way. “Can I make you a cup of tea, coffee? There’s hot chocolate in the break room, too, if you’d prefer.”
His face went blank before his steely determination returned. “Uh, no, thanks. Yes, we do need to talk. Not here, though. I have to escort you to the police station so that you can file a report.”
Her heart sank at how professional he sounded. And for good reason. The sooner she gave her report, the more accurate it would be. The better chance of providing a tidbit of information that might aid in apprehending the suspect. She needed to tell Nash she was having his baby, but it would have to wait. Again.
“I anticipated that. My standby is on duty now, for the duration. I’m free to give a statement.” And go home after and sleep in her bed, which sounded divine. “As soon as we get Greta dried off, we can go.”
Nash nodded, and she sensed a tension in his body. It could be the adrenaline from such a demanding op. But when he looked up at her, she saw vulnerability.
“Patience, I’m so sorry. I’ve been an ass. I should have contacted you before work put us together again. I’ve thought about you often since our night together.” His eyes shone with what could be longing, attraction. Nonsense—he was tired from the recovery op.
“No worries, Nash. Why don’t you take Greta to the grooming station and use the power driers? The sooner she’s dry, the sooner we’ll all get to bed.”
Her face immediately heated. If Nash noticed her self-consciousness over the unintended reminder of their night together, he didn’t reveal it. He had Greta by her leash and his hand on the door. “I just wanted to say that I’m really glad I got here when I did. Tonight.”
Of course, that was what he was going to say. Patience swallowed, knowing in that instant that telling him he was tied to her forever as her baby daddy was something she had to do pronto. But not here, not in the midst of trying to find a murderer.
“Thanks. Me, too. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, I know I’d have had to fire my weapon.” She couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through her. And she wasn’t the shaky type. Digging deep, she tried to find the woman she’d been just yesterday. The uncompromising K9 veterinarian who knew what she wanted. Instead of the emotional wreck she felt like, wondering how on earth she was going to raise a baby.
Nash’s hand dropped from the door handle and he closed the few feet between them. His touch was firm, warm, reassuring as he squeezed her shoulder. It was meant as a collegial reassurance, so why did it send lightning bolts of awareness through her?
“You didn’t have to use your firearm. And if you had, you’d have protected yourself. You’re a brilliant veterinarian, Patience, but you’re also a great shot. I was there on the firing range with you during our last weapons refresher, remember?”
She nodded. “I do. Thanks, Nash.”
He flashed his trademark sexy smile at her before he led Greta out of the room. Patience listened to their footsteps, walking in sync as they always did. Nash and Greta made a great team.
And now they were going to have a baby to fit into their routine. If Nash wanted to participate as a father. She’d thought for certain he wouldn’t, but the man who’d protected her tonight wasn’t the kind who balked at a
challenge. And helping to raise a baby while still the guardian for his four half siblings would be the challenge of a lifetime.
Of course, he didn’t know about it yet. She wished she still had the clinic all to herself, because she needed to talk to labradoodle Fred and scarlet macaw Gabby most desperately now.
She needed the words to tell Nash Maddox she was pregnant with his child. Yet the image of the woman going into the water, the terror that had sliced through Patience when she’d thought the killer would harm her and the baby, put a dreadful pall over such happy news. Now she understood how the would-be brides and grooms all over Red Ridge felt. The threat of being murdered trumped the desire to host even the most joyous occasion.
Patience squared her shoulders. No one would harm her child or erase the thrill of anticipation at his or her existence. But even as she made the silent vow to herself, a shiver of knowing rushed over her.
The Lake Killer wanted her dead.
Chapter 4
Nash ached from being out in the cold on that boat for so long and directing Greta during the recovery dive, so he knew her bones had to still feel the chill, no matter how thick her coat. He turned the doggy blow-dryer on High and maneuvered the corrugated plastic tubing in a methodical motion over her fur.
“You’ve got a lot of hair here, girl.” She stood in patient compliance as he worked his fingers through her long black curls, taking care to lift all the way to her undercoat and get her thoroughly dry. He swore Greta loved it when he had to act as her hairdresser.
He chuckled. “It’s okay, Greta. You’ve earned this tonight.”
He wished he could have put Patience more at ease. She was the cool and collected veterinarian he knew as she’d examined Greta, with no remnants of the panicked woman he’d held an hour earlier. Except for the lines at the edges of her mouth; they let him know she was still wrung out over the night’s events.
And she’d said they needed to talk. Had she been thinking about their time together, too?
Greta let out a happy croon and he laughed. “Are you reading my mind, girl?”
“Great work out there tonight, Nash.” Maria walked into the grooming room.
“Thanks.”
“I thought I’d let you know that we’re wrapping things up in the clinic. It’s secure for now, but we can’t guarantee the suspect won’t come back.” She spoke loudly enough for him to hear over the drier.
“Yeah, I’m going to bring Dr. Colton to the station with me to give her report. As soon as this beast is dry.”
“Patience agreed to that? To you driving her in?” Maria’s brow rose. They all knew how independent Patience was. She ran the clinic single-handedly and never missed a beat. This was the first time she’d been threatened by the crime that had come to Red Ridge, though.
He nodded and shot his colleague a grin. “Yeah, she did, for now.”
“She handled it better than I might have.” Maria was a rookie but a tough one.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Maria. All you’re lacking is time in service. You’re as well trained as any of us, and a better shot.” And she knew it. Nash knew what was going on here—he’d mentored countless rookies as they entered RRPD service. It was a tough life but rewarding. A calling.
“Thanks, Officer Maddox.” She ruffled the dog’s damp fur. “And you, too, Greta.”
“I’ve got it here. Thanks for finding us.”
“How long is it going to take you to dry her?” Maria’s glance took in Greta’s bulky form, her huge paws, her long black, shaggy coat.
“Until she’s dry.” He rubbed Greta’s chest as he focused the drier there. “Seriously, though? Another half hour or so.”
“Better you than me.” Maria’s eyes followed the fluffs of black hair that floated through the air.
“No way you’d consider joining K9?”
“I love dogs and all, but what you and the other handlers have is a connection with your partner that I don’t see myself having. Unless the right dog comes along, I’m a better fit for street patrol.”
“That’s fair. See you back at the station, Maria. Good job tonight.”
“See you.”
He wanted Greta dried yesterday. It was time to get Patience to the station and her report filed. And he’d have to approach the thought that had formed in his head.
Patience had no business being alone without police protection until the assailant was caught.
* * *
The RRPD station was bright inside, voices loud, drawers slamming as Nash and Patience walked to his desk. It was as if it were noon on a weekday instead of nearly five in the morning after a long night of unexpected operations. The aroma of fresh roasted coffee hit his nose, and while his stomach balked at the thought of it at this hour, his brain needed the clarity. He stopped by the coffeepot and looked at Patience. “Coffee?”
She blanched. “Um, no. Water is fine.”
“Sometimes a case can take my appetite away, too.” He poured himself a large, steaming cup, then reached into the small fridge for a bottle of water and handed it to Patience. Away from the clinic, she appeared a bit out of sorts.
“Thanks.” Her fingers wrapped around the bottle, and his brain, the sex-starved part of him, flashed back to their night together, and all the delicious things she’d done with her hands on him. And her mouth. He had to stifle a groan.
“Hey, Nash!” Juliette Walsh slapped him on the back, crashing through his distraction. “Did you hear? Sasha got a good track on the suspect.” Her pride in her beagle partner beamed from her face.
“Hey, Juliette. No, I hadn’t—that’s great. Any idea where he is now?”
She shook her head and looked at Patience, then back to Nash. “No, it seems he had a getaway car. It was gone by the time we tracked it.”
“That sucks, but I’m glad you got that far.” His gut sank at the revelation. He’d hoped they would luck out and catch the loser by now. If he was as much of a professional criminal as it looked, he might never get caught. Nash turned back to Patience. “Let’s find a place to get your statement.”
“Lead the way.” She waved at Juliette. “Give Pandora a hug from me.” Pandora was Juliette and Blake Colton’s three-year-old daughter. Nash wondered if Patience was close to her business-investor brother, Juliette’s boyfriend. He knew so little about Patience’s personal life. It was best, of course, to keep things uncomplicated. Although if he were to get to know a woman more than as a one-night stand, Patience was the woman he’d pick.
Nash greeted each officer they passed as he and Patience headed for the conference room. It took a bit of time, as everyone wanted to greet their favorite veterinarian and also say hello to Greta, who thrived on the attention. Patience looked more weary with each step and he was anxious to get her seated.
He opened the door to the conference room, only to find it crammed with officers debriefing the case.
“Of course it’s full,” he said.
The anxious look stamped on her beautiful features tugged at him, deep in his chest. She’d been quiet in the SUV on the way here, and her obvious distress at being nearly attacked by a murderer had kept him from trying to draw her out. “We can go back to my desk.”
She bit her lip as she glanced into the conference room. “I was hoping we could be alone for a bit. I have to talk to you, Nash.”
“Do you mean you want to speak to the police counselor? It’d be totally natural after the night you’ve been through.” He listened to his siblings’ issues day in and day out, but he was far from a professional.
“No, I’m fine with all that. Tired, a little shaken up, but that’s not what I want to discuss with you.” Impatience edged her tone.
Great. She was going to put the kibosh on any chance they’d repeat their one night of escape from their staid Red Ridge lives. Well, he didn’t have to end his
fantasy about being with her again. Not yet.
“We’ll talk later. Right now, let’s get your statement. Then I’m going home with you.”
“Okay. Wait—what?”
He noticed there were flecks of amber in the dark brown depths of her widened eyes. Eyes that had glowed with pleasure that one night.
“You can drive me back to the clinic after we’re done here,” she said. “Please. I’ll take my personal vehicle home.”
He shook his head. “Not a great idea, Patience. The killer’s on the loose and he visually ID’d you, remember?”
“It’s not something I’m ever going to forget.” White teeth tugged on her full bottom lip again, making Nash hard, not something proper in uniform. He couldn’t look away from her sensuous mouth if he wanted to, and his awareness of her reached a supernatural degree. In the midst of a huge murder investigation, in the wee hours of the morning, in a boisterous police station, he wanted her.
“Let’s get your statement.”
As he turned, he almost ran into Red Ridge Police Chief Finn Colton, Patience’s cousin.
“Nash—and Patience. Glad you’re both here. You did great work on the lake, Nash. Greta.” Finn nodded at the dog before focusing entirely on Patience. “How are you doing, Patience?”
“I’m fine, Finn.” Her pale skin and tired stance didn’t match her reply.
The chief remained silent, studying her. Nash wondered if she was going to break down again. To his surprise and unexpected relief she smiled and stood up straighter. “I made it through due to the training you and the department have always made sure to include me in. I can’t thank you enough, Finn.”
“Glad to hear it. You’re giving Nash your statement?” To his credit, Finn kept it brief and businesslike. Exactly what Nash knew Patience needed in this moment. Heck, he needed it, too, about now. The less emotional any of them were, the quicker they’d get the work done and capture the murderer.
