Ultimately Nick knew it would be quicker to go to the hospital than argue so he acquiesced.
“This isn’t a bad wound,” Dr. Tipton said as he flushed Nick’s shoulder with fluids and prodded the tender flesh. “The bullet passed right through the skin and didn’t hit any major arteries or blood vessels. It barely nicked you really. A couple of stitches and you’ll be fine. You shouldn’t even need pain medication, but if you want a couple doses I can write you a prescription.”
Nick wasn’t thrilled when he realized Tipton would be his doctor. He considered putting up a fight, but Maddie was so frazzled that adding to the insanity seemed like a poor idea so instead he accepted the doctor’s haughty attention and fought the urge to punch him in the face every time Tipton looked at Maddie.
“I tried telling her that it wasn’t a bad injury, but she didn’t listen,” Nick said. “She’s a bit of a worrier.”
“I don’t think being upset about you getting shot makes me a worrier,” Maddie fired back, combing her fingers through her messy hair. She removed the hat once they were in the ambulance and she’d been teasing out the snarls ever since. Nick was fairly certain it had nothing to do with vanity and everything to do with expending nervous energy.
“It’s okay, love.” Nick grabbed her hand with his good arm. “Come sit next to me. You’re making me nervous with all the pacing you’re doing.”
Maddie did as he asked, rubbing her hand over his knee as she watched Tipton work. “You flushed out the area well, right? That alley was filthy and I don’t want him getting an infection.”
Tipton cocked a challenging eyebrow. “I believe I know how to clean out a wound, Ms. Graves.”
Maddie didn’t back down. “I’m just making sure. I’m kind of fond of him.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Tipton said dryly. “I was starting to wonder if you were a lesbian given your disinterest in men while you were here. I can see I was off the mark.”
Nick furrowed his brow. “You thought she was a lesbian?”
Tipton shrugged, unbothered. “Why else would she turn me down? I mean … it made no sense.”
Nick could think of a million reasons Maddie might turn down Tipton. He was older than her, for a start. His personality reminded Nick of a rancid pickle. He never cracked a smile. There was something predatory about the way he looked at Maddie when he thought no one was watching. He was also full of himself and Nick was certain he had a god complex.
All of that added up to a self-important someone Nick had no intention of getting to know better.
“I think she had her mind on other things,” Nick said easily, offering Maddie a charming smile as she rubbed her hand over his leg. “Mad, you need to take a breath. I’m okay. We’ll be out of here in a few minutes so don’t panic.”
“I have a right to panic,” Maddie muttered, shaking her head. “You almost died.”
“Oh, geez.” Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t almost die. I was grazed. I’m perfectly fine.”
“You shielded my body,” Maddie groused. “You were almost killed protecting me.”
Nick let loose with a long-suffering sigh as he tilted his head to the side and studied her. “Mad, I love you more than life itself. You know that, right?”
Maddie mutely nodded.
“Good.” Nick’s smile was tight-lipped. “You’re driving me crazy. I didn’t almost die. Of course I shielded you. It was instinct. Even if you weren’t going to be my wife, though, I would’ve done the same for anyone else. That’s what my training taught me.”
“Well, I still don’t like it.” Maddie jutted out her lower lip, obstinate, and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m glad we live in Blackstone Bay. You’re never almost shot when we’re up there.”
Nick didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “No, I’m not,” he agreed, chuckling. “However, you’ve almost drowned up there, a crazy person stalked you in your own garage, you were almost killed in a classroom at the school, you’ve been threatened by crazy ghost-hunting peeps, and you’ve had a few more run-ins as well. I almost prefer the city because you’re in less danger.”
Neither one of them believed that. Still, Maddie’s expression softened as she leaned forward and rested her chin on Nick’s chest. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.” Nick kissed her forehead. He understood the sentiment and overt worry. He’d felt it a time or two himself. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I simply reacted.”
“I know. I’m just a little worked up. I can’t help it.”
“I’m okay with that.” It was the truth. “I don’t want you tying yourself into knots, though. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re both fine.”
“Yes. We’re freaking lovely.” Maddie made an exaggerated face and kissed the corner of his mouth before standing. “Dwight is in the hallway. While you’re getting your arm sewed up, I’m going to see if he has any new information.”
“I doubt he does.”
“I need something to do.”
Nick’s nodded, understanding. “Okay. I’ll be right here.”
“Make sure you keep the stitches small and neat,” Maddie ordered Tipton as she slid through the open doorway. “I don’t want him to have too much of a scar. He’s perfect the way he is.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Tipton said dryly, rolling his eyes as he watched Maddie stride into the hallway. “She’s not the same as I remember her.”
The statement caught Nick by surprise. “And how do you remember her?”
“She was a sweet and pretty girl who did what she was told and never caused waves,” Tipton replied without hesitation. “She’s not that woman any longer.”
“She was never really that woman. At least she wasn’t meant to be that woman. She didn’t belong down here. She can be herself at home. That’s where she belongs.”
Tipton merely shrugged. “Some might think that living in a small town like Blackstone Bay is holding her back.”
“And what do you know about Blackstone Bay?”
“Only what a map and Ms. Graves have told me, which admittedly isn’t much. Still, there isn’t a lot of opportunity up there for a woman with her skill set. You would think she would want to live close to a hospital so she could hone her skills.”
Nick wanted to argue the point, but he wasn’t sure he could. In truth, he and Maddie hadn’t talked much about her degree and the fact that she wasn’t using it in Blackstone Bay. He made a mental note to bring it up once they got home. If Maddie wanted to be a nurse there were hospitals that weren’t overly far and they could make it work. He wanted to kick himself for not bringing it up sooner.
“Maddie can make her own decisions.”
“I’m sure she can,” Tipton said. “I’m going to send in a nurse to prepare the area for stitches and I will be back in ten minutes. It shouldn’t take long and then we’ll have you out of here.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
Nick wasn’t alone two minutes before a striking brunette woman in blue scrubs breezed her way into the room. She had a bright smile on her face as she snapped a pair of rubber gloves into place.
“You must be Nick Winters. You’re the talk of the floor.”
Nick didn’t know what to make of that. “Um … .”
“I’m Andrea Hopper,” the woman introduced herself. “I used to work with Maddie when she was here. I always liked her and was sad when she left, but now I see she was running toward something rather than away from this place and the creeps who work here.”
Nick was even more confused than when the woman started talking. “I don’t know what you mean. Did you think Maddie was running away from something?” He did his level best to relax as Andrea poked at the wound on his arm.
“I considered it for a bit,” Andrea replied. “Maddie was upset one of the last times I saw her. Tipton and Bishop were practically drooling over her as they battled for her affection. Most women would get off on something like that, but Maddie
isn’t most women. Although, I guess you know that.”
Andrea offered up a hollow laugh before shaking her head. “Anyway, Maddie was uncomfortable with them constantly asking her out. They’re doctors so they think they’re the biggest dudes on the planet and everyone should bow down to them. Because Maddie wouldn’t, because she said over and over that she wasn’t interested, that made them all the more interested when she refused to go out with them.”
Nick was slowly catching on, although he still felt there were a few gaps to fill. “Who is Bishop?”
“Oh, Dr. Phillip Bishop,” Andrea answered, smirking. “I forgot you’re not part of the in-crowd. He’s the chief of internal medicine here and he was absolutely in love with Maddie from the moment he saw her. I swear I saw him drooling a few times.”
Nick found himself caught in an odd predicament. He felt bad for talking about Maddie behind her back – although his attention was focused on those who chased her more than anything else – but he was also getting insight that he couldn’t very well tune out.
“So basically you’re saying every doctor in this hospital went after Maddie and she turned them down, huh?”
“I think she turned most of them down,” Andrea clarified. “I seem to remember her going out on a date or two – although not with either of those clowns – and she was unhappy when she came back. I didn’t understand it at the time because I would love to bag a doctor. Heck, that’s half the reason I became a nurse.”
“Yes, I can see that,” Nick said dryly.
“That wasn’t why Maddie was here, though,” Andrea supplied. “I often wondered if she knew why she was here. She liked helping people, don’t get me wrong, but life seemed to be dragging her down toward the end. I wasn’t surprised when I heard she was leaving.”
“You weren’t?” Nick was intrigued. “Everyone else I’ve run into seemed surprised that she would even want to leave.”
“That’s probably because she was so well respected here,” Andrea explained. “She was one of the few people who never caused problems or engaged in extended rounds of gossip. She wasn’t interested in screwing around with doctors or anything. In fact, most of the time when I talked to her, she seemed lonely, as if she were yearning for something.”
Nick’s heart pinged. “Oh.”
Andrea’s face filled with a bright smile as she lifted her eyes. “I see now what she was yearning for.”
“I don’t think she came home for me,” Nick hedged, although even as he said the words he realized they probably weren’t true. “She didn’t come home only for me,” he corrected quickly. “She came home because Blackstone Bay is where she belongs.”
“I believe that.” Andrea beamed. “Maddie never looked as happy when she was living down here as she does now. Even though she’s upset about you getting shot, you can see she has a glow about her. She was even forceful when Bishop asked her out for coffee in the hallway.”
Nick’s shoulders jerked at the news, causing Andrea to lift an eyebrow.
“I can see you didn’t know that,” Andrea said after a beat. “Just for the record, there’s a reason why no one here confides in me. I have an absolutely huge mouth. I know better and yet I can’t stop myself from saying the wrong thing at the exact worst moment.”
“I happen to find that refreshing.” Nick opted for honesty. “I am concerned, though. You said that this Dr. Bishop asked Maddie out for coffee. When was that?”
“I heard him when I was coming in,” Andrea replied. “Maddie was talking to that detective she used to hang around with – come to think of it, everyone was convinced she was having an affair with him, too, but I’m guessing that wasn’t true – when Dr. Bishop approached and asked her to catch up over coffee.
“Maddie was very polite – she’s always that way, after all – but said she was going to be with you all day and then thanked him for the invitation,” she continued. “I could tell Bishop was bothered by it, but he didn’t seem to be throwing a fit or anything, and just between you and me, that dude is not above throwing a fit.”
“Can you point him out to me?” Nick had no idea why he was so interested in seeing the man for himself, but he couldn’t stop the agitation and unease from growing in his belly. “I just want to know what my competition looks like.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t have any competition,” Andrea drawled. “You’re hotter than all the doctors in this place put together. Still, I get why you want to know. Lean to your right.”
Nick did as instructed and stared into the hallway. The first thing he saw was Maddie talking to Dwight, her hands flying to and fro as she reenacted what happened on the street corner. She seemed oblivious to anything and anyone else. Behind her, though, a man stood in his white physician’s coat, hands in his pockets. He stared hard at Maddie, his gaze never moving from the animated blond.
“It’s him.”
Nick already knew who Andrea was going to point toward before she did it. “I see. He looks older. How come he isn’t married?”
“He wants to sample every ice cream flavor on the menu before that happens,” Andrea replied. “I think the only flavor he’s interested in that he hasn’t been able to taste is Maddie … and it doesn’t sit well with him.”
That little tidbit only made Nick feel worse. “Let’s get moving on my arm. I don’t want to be here longer than I have to be.”
“I don’t blame you in the least for that. Let’s get it done.”
12
Twelve
“Stop fussing.”
Nick was agitated, although he couldn’t figure out why. After their trip to the hospital, Maddie insisted on returning to the hotel so he could rest. Even though he wasn’t a fan of being infantilized, Nick agreed to her suggestion because he wanted her out of the hospital and away from her testosterone-fueled fan club.
In his head, Nick knew that dwelling on the fact that two doctors asked Maddie out during a time when they weren’t together was ridiculous. He couldn’t shake his unease, though, and he was starting to take it out on Maddie.
“I said to knock it off.” Nick slapped at Maddie’s hands as she checked the bandage on his arm. They were heading to dinner – set to meet Dwight and Sage for a meal at one of the Renaissance Center’s most popular restaurants – and he was hopeful his agitation was merely a symptom of being hungry. Otherwise he had no explanation, which made him feel guilty. That guilt was manifesting via a bout of snark, though, and he couldn’t seem to control himself.
Maddie widened her eyes to saucer-like proportions. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t hurt me. I’m not in pain. I simply don’t like it when you fuss over me.”
“I … well … okay.” Maddie turned to grab her keycard from the table so they could exit their room. “I’m sorry.”
Nick didn’t miss the look on her face. She was fighting her own bout of annoyance. Another emotion crowded her beautiful features as well, though, and that was hurt. “No, Mad, I’m sorry.” Nick felt like a jerk. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s been a long day.”
“It has,” Maddie agreed, keeping her gaze averted. “You should get some red meat with your dinner. You need the iron and protein.”
Nick pursed his lips. “I believe it was you giving me grief about eating too much red meat two weeks ago, if I’m not mistaken.”
“You should have it tonight. It always puts you in a good mood.” Maddie reached for the door handle. “Are you ready? It won’t take us long to get to the restaurant, but we have to do a bit of walking.”
“I’m ready.” Nick snagged Maddie’s hand as she moved to walk through the doorway. “I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t be taking this out on you.”
Maddie opened her mouth but seemingly thought better about what she was going to say and changed course. “You’ve had a long day. You got shot.”
“I didn’t get shot. I was grazed.”
“With a bullet. That’s the same as being shot.”<
br />
“I think we’ll simply have to agree to disagree there.” Nick heaved out a sigh as he watched the room door drift shut. He tested it to make sure it latched and then linked his fingers with Maddie’s as they walked down the hallway. “I really am sorry about snapping at you. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know you didn’t.” Maddie put on a brave face and forced a smile. “It’s fine. When you get shot, you get to snap as much as you want. That’s the rule.”
Nick hated that she was making excuses for him. “I’m done snapping at you.”
“Okay. Still, I think you should have some red meat. That always brightens your mood.”
Nick understood what she wasn’t saying. He was making her unhappy with his attitude, and that’s the last thing he wanted. “I definitely will be getting red meat.” Nick squeezed her hand. “I’m going all out for dinner tonight. I want you to do the same.”
“I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Maddie admitted, causing Nick to furrow his brow. “I wasn’t sure if I was hungry but now, all of a sudden, I’m ravenous.”
Nick searched his memory and realized he’d eaten a sandwich at the hospital but Maddie, who had been all nerves and fluttery energy, ignored the one Andrea brought for her to munch on. “You really haven’t eaten for hours, have you?”
“I’m fine,” Maddie said hurriedly. “I couldn’t have eaten when I was worried about you anyway.”
“Well, you’re eating an entire cow by yourself tonight. I think we can arrange for some mushrooms and onions to join the party as well. Oh, and dessert. You’re going to eat your weight in cake.”
Maddie giggled at the visual, the sound loosening some of the tension solidifying around Nick’s heart. “That sounds like a plan.”
They lapsed into amiable silence, the weight of the day lifting as they exited the elevator and walked across the courtyard. Nick was the first to speak.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
Maddie nodded. “It’s an absolutely fabulous chophouse. It’s right around the corner.”
Grave Danger (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 12) Page 11
