Best of Intentions

by Michelle Cary

  “Or what?”

  Devin arched his brow at Eddie’s condescending tone. Eddie didn’t know it yet, but Devin would bet anything he was about to get his ass kicked by one pissed off nurse.

  “Or I will be happy to call security and have you forcibly removed.” The pitch in her voice rose, meeting his challenge and issuing one of her own before sliding back into a level tone. “Now what’s it going to be?”

  Several seconds of silence passed before Eddie sighed. “Fine, I’ll go, but if I were you, Devin, I’d reconsider picking a fight with the record company. It’s a battle you’ll lose.”

  “Thanks for the advice, but if you don’t mind, I’ll consult with my own lawyer about this.”

  He listened to Eddie walk from the room, his footfalls fading with each step. The door squeaked closed and Devin waited for Tess to make the first move. After what happened between them last night, he didn’t want to do or say anything that could wreck the fragile bridge they’d built.

  “Your manager is a real gem. Where did you find him—at a snake charmers convention?”

  Devin couldn’t hold back a laugh and quickly regretted it as he grabbed for his ribs. “Damn that hurts,” he whispered as he tried to draw in a breath.

  Her hand came down over his in a gentle caress. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you pain.”

  He shook his head and let his hand slip into hers. “Don’t worry about it. To answer your question though, Eddie was assigned to us by the record company. If I’d had things my way, he’d have been fired years ago. He was the one who decided to keep driving during the blizzard last week.”

  “Bastard! Not much on ethics is he?”

  The irritation in her voice was unmistakable and he could feel the anger building inside her. There really wasn’t any point in getting upset over something neither of them could change. He tugged at her hand. “Hey, forget about him. He’s nothing to me anymore.”

  “What about the things he said, Devin? Would the record company really sue you over not completing the last four months of the contract?”

  He scooted over and patted the bed. “Sit.”

  She eased down next to him and held his hand between her palms. “I’m concerned about you. I don’t want them taking everything you’ve worked so hard for.”

  “I don’t give a damn if they do. Besides, I seriously doubt they will. Any good lawyer could turn the situation around on them in no time flat. They’re not going to want to be remembered as the bullies who pushed around the poor, injured musician. I could turn it into a PR nightmare for them.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Positive, now…let’s talk about you. How are you feeling today?”

  “You mean after our little rendezvous last night?”

  He could almost picture the blush crossing her face and smiled. “Yeah. Sometimes the belladonna can have some nasty side effects.” Okay, so the belladonna wasn’t actually his first concern, but why complicate the situation with emotions he knew she wasn’t entirely ready to face yet.

  “I’m fine, actually, I’m better than fine. I haven’t been this centered or happy in years, but enough about me. You exerted a lot of energy to pull that off. How are you feeling?”

  It was like her to deflect her own feelings and desires and put other’s needs first, especially when he could tell she was lying. With their renewed connection, he’d at least gained back some of the abilities he lost in the accident and was able to feel the mix of emotions battling inside her.

  More than anything, he wanted her to open up and talk to him, but she’d erected a wall around her heart, keeping him out. He couldn’t blame her. After all, he’d left her behind, promised to come back for her and then never did.

  Deciding it would be best to let the subject rest for now, he answered her question. “I won’t lie. I’m exhausted and still in a bit of pain, but I wouldn’t change a thing. What we did last night, Tessa; it means everything to me.”

  “Me too.”

  When another awkward silence fell between them, Devin decided to capitalize on it. He slipped a hand behind her ear and nudged her toward him. She came willingly, despite the emotional war, taking place inside her. Before he knew it, they were engulfed in their first physical kiss in over ten years. Where things would lead from here, he couldn’t say. Without his sight or his ability to see into the future, he no longer had an advantage and would have to find out like everyone else.

  She was the first to pull away, her choppy breathing evidence of her own innate desire. She rested her forehead against his. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this. I’m supposed to be on duty, and it wouldn’t look very professional for someone to find us kissing.”

  It was a good excuse and one he couldn’t’ argue, but he knew work wasn’t her reason for pulling away. Still, it would be best to take things slow. “I understand. So tell me, how much longer do you think I’ll be trapped here?”

  “You have a broken leg and broken ribs, not to mention the damage to your wrist. I’d say at the least another week, probably longer.”

  “Can I sign myself out?”

  “Sure, but why would you want to? Without medical attention, it would be a foolish move on your part.”

  “Do you still have the book I gave you?”

  “You mean the one that was your Grandfather’s?”

  “Yeah, the one with the black cover and red spine.”

  "Yes, but what does it have to do with leaving the hospital?”

  Obviously, she’d never bothered to look through the book when he wasn’t around. If she had, she’d already know the answer to the question. “Tessa, listen to me. That book has spells and remedies which will heal me a lot quicker than staying here would.”

  “What about your wrist? Can it fix that too?”

  Devin closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillow. “No. I can only fix what would normally heal on its own. If the nerve damage is truly irreversible, there’s not much I can do about it, except learn to live with it.”

  “I still think you should stay here where you can receive twenty four hour care, but if you want to leave, you know you’re welcome to stay with me.”

  He smiled. “I was counting on it.”

  Chapter Six

  Tess stepped out of Devin’s room, the door behind her closed with a squeak and a thud. What was she thinking offering him a place to stay? Tending to him in the hospital was one thing. It provided her with a certain amount of distance and professionalism she needed in order to keep her heart protected. Having him in her house, without the façade of the patient nurse relationship wasn’t going to bode well.

  Participating in their psychic union last night had been a mistake, one she now regretted. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he’d broken the seal protecting her heart and if she wasn’t careful, he’d be through the door in no time.

  Her only hope of getting out of it was if he changed his mind and decided to stay in the hospital. Fat chance of that possibility. He was probably already making the necessary arrangements to sign himself out, and she would have a houseguest to tend to by the end of her shift.

  She blew out a breath and headed to the nurses' station, replaced his chart and dropped down into the chair. Oh boy, wouldn’t that be a fun conversation to have with Eric? Not that she actually owed him any explanation. It was her house and her life to screw up if she wanted to. Yet, after everything they’d been through, he continued to watch out for her and be the friend she truly needed him to be. Not telling him would be the equivalent of lying to him, and she simply couldn’t do that.

  A clanking noise jerked her from her ruminations. Tess cocked her head to the side and listened. It happened again and she rose from her seat to follow the sound. Her heart rate increased as she neared the main drug supply closet for the floor. The door stood ajar, but the light was off. The sounds inside confirmed her suspicion.

  Only the head nurse on duty held the key for the cl
oset. Today that person was Tess and none of the people working with her had asked for access. So who was inside and how did they get in? She glanced back down the hall at the desk. The right thing to do would be to contact Eric, or whomever was working surveillance today, instead of going in alone. Her attention turned back to the open door. What if she was wrong? Would it be worth turning this into some big incident that could possibly reveal the investigation and blow their one chance at catching the killer?

  Deciding against it, she summoned her courage. With one hand on the door, she gently pushed it open. The figure inside was large, bigger than that of a woman. “Hello?”

  “Oh, hey, Tess,” Mitch replied.

  Tess took a tentative step inside. “Hey, Mitch. What are you doing in here in the dark?”

  “Mr. Falcon needs his dose of insulin and the main drug cart was out, so I decided I’d come down here to get some more.”

  “But you need the key to get in and only the head nurse on duty has the key, which would be me, so how did you get in?”

  His gave her a quizzical look. “I snatched the key from the drawer where we keep it.”

  “You know you need to have somebody countersign that you removed the vials. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You were in with a patient, and I didn’t want to bother you. I was going to have you sign off as soon as I returned the key, but since you’re here…” He held out the clipboard. “I already logged out what I needed so will you initial it for me?”

  Tess secured the clipboard from him and shifted back to turn on the light. Much to her surprise, no matter which way she flipped the switch the light didn’t turn on. “What in the world?”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. The bulb is burned out, which is why I’m in the dark.”

  Tess followed Mitch out into the hallway, locked the door and counted the vials before she signed the form. Thankful she’d checked before she jumped to conclusions and called Eric, she headed back to the nurses desk to notify maintenance about replacing the light.

  As she put in her request for maintenance work, Mitch placed the vials into the main drug cart, then log out one container. He looked up at her, smiled then walked to Mr. Falcon’s room. She replaced the receiver and sat down. If he was the hospital’s Angel of Death they were trying to catch, then he was doing a good job of hiding his intentions. Though, it couldn’t simply be a coincidence the mysterious deaths started after his arrival two months ago.

  Feeling a headache coming on, Tess pushed her finger against her eyes in an attempt to stop it. With it being nearly lunch time and her morning Java Lava latte gone, she decided her headache was probably from a serious lack of caffeine. At least she hoped it was caffeine induced and not from stress. At least the former she could eliminate by downing a bottle of soda.

  She rooted through her purse, finding a dollar before she headed for the soda machine. Between being bounced all over the hospital because of the nursing shortage, dealing with Devin’s reappearance and keeping her relationship with Eric on the friendship track, she was more than a little exhausted. She fed the dollar into the machine, and it immediately spit back at her. “Oh come on,” she grumbled as she smoothed out the paper and fed it in a second time, only to have it return once again. Why was it so hard to get a simple soda when she wanted it?

  She closed her eyes and drew in a deep calming breath. Her headache was already throbbing and getting frustrated would not only make it worse, it wouldn’t help her obtain her drink any faster. When she opened her eyes to try a third time, the soda machine was gone and she was standing in the doorway to a patient’s room. Her gaze lifted to the numbers on the door. Room 104-but the first floor was for cancer patients, and she was working on the third floor. What the hell was going on?

  Despite her best effort to turn and walk away, she instead moved into the room and let the door close behind her. An older man, probably in his mid sixties with thinning white hair, lay sleeping, or possibly unconscious. She couldn’t tell which, as once again all sound was gone.

  The same hand she’d seen a day earlier reached out and pulled the covers up under the man’s arms, a section of long brown hair fell forward into her line of sight. Tess’s hair was blonde, not brown. She tucked the stray hair behind her ear and leaned forward to inspect the IV line. Seemingly satisfied with the situation, she reached into her pocket removed a small vial and needle. Tess wanted to scream, to shake her hands and make the vial drop, but it wasn’t her body, and she had no control over what was about to happen. No! Going through it once was bad enough, she couldn’t watch this again, but what could she do? The amulet!

  Tess closed her eyes, slowed her breathing and concentrated on the necklace. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the break room, standing in front of the soda machine. It worked. At least this time she could do something before it was too late.

  As she raced for the elevators, Tess stuffed the dollar back in her pocket. She pressed the down button and began to pace. What in the hell was taking so long? Giving up on waiting, Tess headed for the stairs and made quick work of the two floors separating her from the soon to be scene of the crime. She bounded into the ward and raced toward room 104, flung open the door and came face to face with an elderly woman, and a man standing beside her that Tess could only assume was her son.

  “Um…” She glanced between the blue haired woman and the bed where the old man from her vision lay unconscious. The woman stared back at her. “Yes, dear?”

  Heat flooded Tess’s face even as she scrambled for something to say. “I…I wanted to check in and see how he was doing today.”

  The woman’s tired gaze fell upon her husband, love and affection radiating from her eyes. “He’s hanging in there. I think he’s afraid to go and leave me alone.”

  The man, who was probably in his mid thirties, placed a hand on her shoulder. “Mom, I told you before, you’re not alone. I’ll take care of you.”

  With a sad smile, she patted his hand. “I know, but I don’t think your father does.”

  “Well, I…uh…” In all the years she’d been a nurse, Tess had never felt this uncomfortable. “Are you two okay? Can I get you anything?”

  The elderly woman shook her head. “Thank you very much for asking, hon, but we’re fine.”

  Tess moved back a few steps and reached for the door. “Okay, but if you need anything page the nurse’s desk and someone will help you.”

  “Thank you, we will,” the son replied.

  Tess closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall. Had she completely lost her mind?

  ****

  Tess eased her explorer into the garage and pushed the button on her visor to close the automatic door. “Well, we’re here.”

  “Yep.” Devin nodded from the passenger seat.

  “I’ll go unlock the door.” She exited the truck, skirted around the back of it and quickly opened the door separating the garage from the house.

  Just as she expected, by the time her shift ended, he’d made all the necessary arrangements to sign himself out and no amount of convincing had changed his mind.

  He was already standing on one leg next to the open car door when she reached him.

  Exasperated, she shoved her hands against her hips. “Devin, what are you doing? I told you to stay put until I set up the wheelchair.”

  “And I told you I wasn’t using that infernal contraption,” he shot back before grimacing as he grabbed at his ribs.

  Trying hard to contain her rising temper, she shook her head. “I still say you should have stayed in the hospital. You’re not ready for this.”

  “You said you were going to be supportive, Tessa.”

  She wrapped his arm around her and shouldered the brunt of his weight as they moved into the house. “I am being supportive, but you’re being completely unreasonable. It’s only been two weeks since the accident. With the injuries you suffered any other person would probably still be in ICU.”

 
; “I’m not most people.”

  “Don’t I know it?” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud and winced when he pulled away.

  He leaned against the kitchen wall, his face a mask of anger. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, it’s…well…I don’t know,” she blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m a little tired and tense and maybe I’m not thinking straight. Can we please forget I said anything?” Was she really supposed to tell him she was stressing over the idea of him being in her house, that simply being so close to him was driving her crazy and putting her defenses on the alert?

  “Yeah.” He brushed his fingers through his hair. “Aw hell, Tessa, I’m sorry too. I never considered how much pressure I’d be putting on you by coming here. Maybe I should rent a hotel room somewhere.”

  She hoisted him by the arm once more and steered him through the kitchen. “You’ll do no such thing. If anybody is going to be taking care of you, it will be me.” Even the idea of him alone in some hotel room with a strange nurse tending him was enough to push her protective nature to the surface. No matter how worried she was about guarding her heart, she wasn’t going to turn her back on him when he needed her.

  Pausing at the bottom of the steps, she considered her options. He easily outweighed her by fifty or sixty pounds. And with her shouldering most of his weight right now, there simply wasn’t any way to get him up stairs. With all the bedrooms being on the second floor, she’d have to come up with another option and quick. The den. For now, it would have to serve as a temporary bedroom. “I hope you don’t mind a sleeper sofa in my den, cause in your current condition, there’s no way we’re making it up to the guest room.”

  “The den is fine.”

  Together they wobbled down the short hallway leading to the den. Once she had him settled on the sofa, she rushed to scrounge up extra pillows and blankets for him to use. She returned to find him patting a hand over the sofa and tables as if he were in search of something.

  “What are you doing?”