Final Stand
Page 25
“At the risk of sounding as dysfunctional as the rest of you, I almost feel sorry for Tim.”
J.M. gave a brief bark of cynical laughter. “Save the compassion for someone with both oars in the water. Tim, bless his myopic heart, is willing to keep trying to make things work. Even as Gerri Rose fantasizes that Frank will want to make an honest woman of her.”
Sasha thought of the scene she’d witnessed between Gerri Rose and Frank Elias before the panic set in. “Stranger things have happened. I give her 8–1 odds.”
“Oh-ho, you may still be a softy after all. I thought 20–1. Then again, who knows? It would be a relief for future Elias offspring if all this has put some metal in Dad’s spine.” He glanced over at the station. “If little Bubba ever gets to know good ol’ dad.”
For the child’s sake, Sasha rather hoped not. This was one instance where growing up with only one parent couldn’t hurt. But to J.M. she said a polite, “Thank you for explaining.”
“Have you seen Gray?”
She couldn’t deny the dismissive tone in her response and was a little frustrated with the attorney’s determination to keep chatting. They really did have a flight and it was at least an hour’s drive to San Antonio’s airport.
“Briefly,” she replied. Gray was a subject she definitely wanted to keep private. She was, however, equally protective of his health. “He needs rest. I hope people will give him some space.”
“I thought maybe you’d be seeing to that.”
“I can’t stay here, J.M.”
Although the agent at the driver’s door cleared his throat meaningfully, J.M. checked his watch, glanced back toward the road and made a face. “Oh dear. You’ve no intention of coming back at all, do you?”
Jessie began to pull on her leash, sensing cooler air inside the sedan. “I’m going to be pretty busy. Once I finish with the depositions, I’ll be taking my mother back to Minnesota where my father is buried.”
“Of course. Well, I’ve kept you long enough. If you’re ever in this part of the country again…Sasha,” he said, suddenly serious, “Bitters may have stubbed its toe on the definition of compassion, but this isn’t a bad town. It’s simply been too long since we saw your brand of dedication.”
Sasha could only bow her head.
“All right then.” He began to turn away and then murmured, “Oh. I almost forgot. Gray asked me to find out something for him. In the end, what you said to that Russian—he was curious.”
“Do svidaniya, Gospodin Blat.” Sasha nodded remembering. “It means, ‘So long, Mr. Networker.’”
J.M. looked intrigued, then with a crooked smile patted the hand she rested on the door of the sedan. “Safe trip.”
As he drove off, Sasha let Jessie into the back seat. But before she could get in herself, she heard the screech of tires again. It triggered a reflexive gasp in her and had the two agents drawing their weapons and ducking behind their doors.
A taxi careened into the lot. As it drew up before them, the left rear passenger door opened and an arm holding an IV sack emerged, then a tired voice called out, “Hey, Junior. Give a guy a hand?”
As the agents exchanged glances, Sasha assured them, “He’s talking to me.” Hurrying to Gray, she scolded, “Are you trying to kill yourself? You sent J.M. ahead to delay us, didn’t you?”
Between her and the cab, he managed to stay upright. He didn’t look any stronger than when she’d seen him last night, but there was a glint in his eyes she knew better than to ignore.
“I had to come,” he said. “But as you can see I’m not totally without aid.”
She eyed the IV bag he carefully held higher than his heart and the bandages wrapped around his chest exposed by the open doctor’s jacket. She didn’t want to know how he’d acquired either, or how he’d conned his driver to be his accomplice. “You have to go back, Gray.”
“Hell, this looks worse than it is. The bullet just took enough flesh between my side and inner arm to hurt like hell for a while. But this is good for another several hours,” he said, nodding to the IV.
“It’s still too much of a risk. I would have called.”
“No, you wouldn’t. You’ll be busy and then get busier. Tomorrow will turn into next week, and finally you’ll decide you’re better off forgetting about this place—and me.”
She focused on the bag. “You know that’s not true.”
“Then tell me what you plan to do once you finish up in Vegas?”
“Take some time off. I’d like to actually see Anna’s cottage in Louisiana. As for long-term plans, that’ll take more time and consideration.”
“What would you say if I came along to do some of that myself?”
Too emotionally battered to risk putting much faith in romance, let alone in happily-ever-afters, she put pragmatism first. “What about this?” she asked, nodding to the clinic and house.
His gaze didn’t leave her face. “Guess I can hire someone to cut the grass. Look, I know we both have enough loose ends between us to make a hair-ball big enough to choke a lion, and you want quiet time to deal with your loss. And yeah, it’s too damn soon for this conversation, and no fun at all to be having it with an audience.” He shifted to touch his forehead to hers. “But hear me anyway, will you? While I was lying in that hospital bed thinking about you leaving this morning, something struck me hard.”
“I didn’t pay my vet bill.”
He growled and glared into her eyes. “You fought off a small army and you’re turning coward now? Sasha…the guy in the bed beside mine, the one in a coma? He had a visitor after you left last night. She read him something. Told me a friend sent it to her from off the Internet. It went, ‘It only takes a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.’ Sasha…sweetheart, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life forgetting you.”
Sasha closed her eyes for a moment, feeling a surge of relief and joy as great as when she’d first seen that he’d survived. When she opened them again, she shot a quick glance at the agents, who had the courtesy to turn their backs.
Then she framed Gray’s face with her hands and kissed him.
“One thing,” she murmured against his lips when he finally let her speak. “If you think I was hardheaded before, wait until I go into my nurse mode.”
As she climbed into the car beside Jessie, Gray grinned. “I can’t wait for my first sponge bath.”
He handed the nearest agent his IV bag as he eased in beside her. After handing it back, the agent shut the door. Seconds later, the sedan rolled out of the lot and out of town.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-6264-8
FINAL STAND
Copyright © 2002 by Helen R. Myers.
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