by Gracie Guy
Kara ran her fingers over her lips, thinking about that kiss. Yum. That man can be tantalizing. She put the materials to one side and got up to make a cup of tea. Right after she returned to the couch, her phone rang. Still caught up in her thoughts about John, she answered the phone without looking at the number, a rare mistake for a woman who lived alone.
“Hello, Kara?”
“Yes?” She answered the stranger’s question, instantly regretting it.
“My name is Tim Harley, you’re friends with my brother John.”
“Yes.” The same feeling of dread that had rocked her world months before slammed her in the stomach.
“John called me and asked that I call you personally. He’s been in an accident.”
“What? I just saw him. Is he— is he okay?” Kara was pacing around the kitchen. Good lord, please don’t take him from me.
“Yes, he’s fine. Well, all things considered. He hit some black ice and lost control. He’s in Albany Med with a broken arm and cracked ribs.”
“What room is he in?”
“They’re still working on that. It’s taken a few hours to get him through the emergency room. I’m going back in there to see if they’ve found him a real bed yet.”
“Tim, I’m on my way. Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour.” She was running down the hallway switching on lights as the dogs dashed onto the bed. “I’ll call you when I get to the parking lot.”
“Great. He’ll be glad to hear that.”
Kara threw the phone on the bed and pulled open her dresser for a pair of jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. Within minutes, she was barreling up Route 9, forgetting that she might also hit black ice. Then her truck fish-tailed slightly on the entrance to I-90, snapping her back to reality.
True to her word, she called Tim Harley once she parked the truck. “Hi. It’s Kara.”
“492, E Tower.”
“’Kay. See you in a few.”
She wrapped the strap of her purse over her head, enabling her to sprint readily through the garage and into the hospital. Impatiently she tapped at the E-tower elevator button. “Come on, come on.”
As if on demand, it opened and took her to the fourth floor. When she stepped out, she forced herself to slow down, concentrate on the floor layout and collect herself.
But all reason left her head when she entered John’s room. Machines were beeping, tubes were hanging seemingly everywhere, his left arm was in a sling, his abdomen was wrapped in white gauze and his head carried a matching set.
“Oh my God, he didn’t say anything about a head injury.” Tears rolled down her face, unfettered. She reached out to touch his face, afraid to put any weight on his injured arm.
“Hi. Thanks for coming.” He leaned his face into her caressing palm. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He used his good hand to turn Kara around. “My brother, Tim.”
For a second, Kara wondered if she was the one with the head injury, thinking she was seeing double. With her mouth hanging open, she turned to John, her eyes filled with questions.
“Yes, my twin brother.”
Kara roared with laughter at her own surprised reaction. As she did, Tim stepped toward her, his right hand extended.
“Hey. It’s great to meet you.” He grasped her hand in his firm shake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“All good, I hope.” She chuckled nervously.
“Okay you two. I’m still in the room.” Kara and Tim turned to face John. “And of course it’s all good.”
“Alright big brother.” Tim looked at Kara. “John’s a minute older than I am. It’s my favorite way to bust his chops. Especially in front of a pretty woman.” He started laughing when John made a discreet attempt at giving him the middle finger. “Anyway, I’m out of here. John, I’ll stop by tomorrow to see when they’re releasing you.”
John reached for his brother’s hug. “Thanks Tim, I appreciate it. Let Nikki know I’ll only need the spare room for a week.”
Tim gave Kara’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “Enjoy him. The pain meds should kick in soon.”
“Goodnight Tim. Thanks again for the call.” Kara smiled at his polite nod and watched as he left the hospital room. Her head was spinning with questions when she looked at John. “Twin?”
“Yeah, I meant to tell you the day we toured the old neighborhood but I kept forgetting. In my defense, I did tell you I had three brothers.”
Kara smiled. “Yes, and one sister.”
“So does that smile mean I’m not in the dog house for forgetting to tell you about Tim?”
She picked up his good hand and held it to her face, lightly kissing his knuckles. “Considering the condition you’re in, I’ll let it slide.”
“Thanks.” He pulled his hand from her grasp and playfully chucked her chin.
“So tell me what happened.” Kara waved at his injuries, doing her best not to stare at his semi-bare chest. Despite the dressing, she had a good view of his sculpted pecs and broad shoulders. The deep blonde hair that wasn’t covered by the gauze wrapped around his ribs teased her senses about the treasures hidden beneath the sheet, beginning at his waist.
“Stupidity on my part. I took the ramp to the Northway too fast for the black ice I didn’t see. And now I’ve got a mess of paperwork to fill out when I get out of here.” He grinned sheepishly.
“How long do they think you’ll be in here?”
“A day or two. They’re worried about my noggin ’cause I blacked out.” He tapped the bandage wrapped around his skull.
“And what’s this about Nikki and a room?” Kara did her best to hide the jealousy she’d felt at the mention of another woman, but John saw through her and laughed.
“Ha! Do I see a little of the green eyed monster?”
“No.” She slapped at his good hand.
“Don’t worry. Nikki is Tim’s wife. I’ve known her since eighth grade.”
“I have room.” She willed herself not to sound needy. But the idea of this sexy man recuperating in her spare room was tantalizing. Just think of the sponge baths!
“I’m sure you do. But their house is only a few blocks from here and the doctors I’m seeing.” When he stopped for a moment, Kara lifted her eyes from his chest to his eyes. “And, we’re not doing this wrong, Kara.” His hand moved from his heart to her cheek. “We don’t know each other well enough to sleep in the same house. That would be rushing things. I want a few more official dates first.”
Being careful not to lean anywhere on his bandages, Kara gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, John. You’re a good man.” Then she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Even if you do suck at driving.”
“Alright, that’s enough.” He held her hand for a minute before bringing it to his lips. “My drugs are making me loopy and I’m getting all mushy. Time for you to go.”
She gazed at his azure eyes, thankful he appeared to be okay. “Call me tomorrow.” Kissing his cheek again and watching his eyelids droop, she pulled the bedding up to his neck and turned off the glaring fluorescent bulb, leaving him with just the light on his headboard. When she reached the door, she stopped to look at him one more time. His close-cropped hair was trapped in the dressing on his skull, but he was nestled into the pillow, whispering. Straining to hear his words, she remained inside his room for another second. Then, with a smile on her face, she finally walked away, repeating his words over and over in her mind. Goodnight my dolly.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Sitting on his brother’s couch, watching yet another hour of mindless television, John ran through the entire scene in his head.
He’d made the unexpected trip to Albany to deliver evidence to the specialized crime lab there. His trip timed out precisely to when Kara would be done with classes for the day. It had been less than a week since he’d seen her and he found the prospect exciting. He knew he was acting like a pimply-faced middle schooler, but he didn’t care. The more he learned about the woman, the deeper he
fell.
They’d had dinner sitting in her truck because it was too cold for the dogs to be left alone. But the whole affair turned out to be fun, and for some reason, added a little spice of naughtiness to their rendezvous.
After they parted company, he could taste her kiss and smell her perfume. Deep in thought and expectation, excited by her sexy bravado, he wasn’t concentrating as he turned his Troop car onto the highway. Gunning the supercharged engine, the sedan started spinning out of control. When he came to, he was surrounded by uniformed policemen and emergency vehicles, thankful the strongest beverage he’d had at dinner was coffee.
He was alive, but in pain. The airbag had failed, causing him to be slammed first into the steering wheel, dashboard and windshield. Then he was thrown onto all the equipment located in the front seat. He remembered his right arm and side exploding with pain just before he passed out.
After four days in the hospital and three at his brother’s house, he still couldn’t cough without wishing for instant death. Even though the hospital staff had prescribed pain meds, he stopped taking them once no one was watching him. The doctors refused to clear him to return to work for at least a month. And between the totaled Troop car, the worker’s compensation claim, and all the hospital forms, there was a ton of paperwork to be completed. On top of all that, he hadn’t seen Kara since his discharge. He felt awkward about inviting company over when he already felt like a freeloader in his brother’s house. And now, Friday afternoon, a full week after his accident, he was pouting. He held down the channel button on the remote, causing a blurry series of screens to pass by.
“Something you want to talk about?”
John didn’t realize his sister-in-law had been watching him from the hallway of their Victorian house in the Pine Hills neighborhood. “Hhmm. Guess I’m feeling stupid.”
Nikki sat down in the chair closest to the couch. “Why?”
“Because of all this.” John motioned to his injuries. “And I’m freeloading on you guys. And I can’t drive so I feel like a captive.”
“Well John, when you get done with your pity party, why don’t you call the pretty redhead from the hospital?”
His head spun in surprise. “What? What did Tim tell you?”
Nikki laughed at her brother-in-law. “Only that when she appeared in the hospital room, that his big brother fell down the rabbit hole. He said you haven’t worn that look since college.”
Now it was John’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, she’s kind of spectacular.”
“Well then call her and invite her over. I promise not to play chaperone.” She patted his shoulder as she got up to leave the living room.
“Thanks Nik, you’re the best.” As soon as he was alone, he flipped through the screens on his phone until he found Kara’s number. Nervously he waited for it to ring.
“Hi crash. How are you?”
“Missing my favorite dog handler. How are you?”
“Good. Tired. Busy. You know, the usual. Plus somebody was crazy enough to add classes and studying to her already jam-packed life.”
“Oh.” He couldn’t control how let down he was. Could he possibly ask her to drive to Albany to see him on one of her only days away from the Academy? “Sorry I interrupted.”
“You are a welcome distraction, John. You must be very bored.”
“I am. And feeling pretty stupid and useless.”
“How about some company? I won’t be able to stay for long, but you need your rest anyway.”
A goofy smile spread across his face; he was glad she couldn’t see him. “Okay, sure. Do you have the address?”
“Yep. Your brother gave it to me while you were still being held captive by the hospital. I’ll be there in about an hour.”
“See you then.” He slipped his cell phone into his pocket on the way to the spare room. Taking a shower with all the bandages wrapped around his ribs was out of the question, but at least he could put on a clean shirt and brush his teeth. Standing in front of the dresser, with his own face looking back, he shook his head in mock humor. “You’re a goner Harley. You are way too happy ’cause you’re gonna see her.” He pointed at his image and shook his head again before getting ready for his date.
Chapter Thirty-nine
John’s accident had been a distraction from her course work, even though she’d only allowed herself to visit him on Fridays. Now that he was back up north, she could concentrate on her studying. Kara settled at the kitchen table with fresh tea and her books. She had one full week of classes left, and then a week with a battery of exams—written and physical. Soon, she’d know whether or not she and her boys passed muster.
After several hours of studying, she called Robin to check on her moving plans. But, her friend only wanted to discuss Kara’s social life. “How are things with your hunka-hunka trooper?”
“Define things.”
“Kara, you can be a pain in the ass. You know what I mean.”
“If you’re asking whether or not we’ve had sex, you know a lady doesn’t reveal those intimate details.”
She heard her friend practically choke on whatever beverage she’d been swallowing. “Wait, hold on. Who am I talking to? I thought it was Kara Maloney who called me. The woman I’ve been friends with for over twenty years. The one who can’t fool me.”
“So what do you want me to say?”
“You don’t have to say anything. As a matter of fact, it’s what you’re not saying that gives you away. This thing with John has the potential for something very long term, doesn’t it?”
“I think it might.”
“That’s good news. Does he have a brother? The kids are almost old enough for me to get back on the market. Speaking of which, I’ve got to check on them. It’s been too quiet. Good luck with your tests next week.”
“Thanks, I think we’re going to need it.”
“No you won’t. You’re a rock star my friend. Now, goodnight.”
“Thanks, Robin. See you.” The chat with her friend was perfect.
Saturday and Sunday mornings were spent in Laurie’s barn, and each afternoon she and the dogs took a six-mile run. Once the sun went down, Kara took up residence at her kitchen table, avoiding the couch with its sultry whispers for her to take a nap or watch a movie.
The last week of classes smoked past her. At the end of the final afternoon of fieldwork, the instructors gave each team a bag of organic, high protein biscuits. Even if she failed the tests next week, she found the gesture sweet.
But, her worrying about the exams proved to have been a waste of her time. The written portion was child’s play considering she’d expected there to be way more math and science involved. And the boys gloried in the field work. Eager to please her, they performed each test of agility superbly. The sap in her struggled not to cry when both of them came bounding around a curve in the woods together, holding the same marked up branch she had sent them in with nearly an hour before.
After a quick stop at the grocery store and time at the barn, Kara and the dogs went home to enjoy sautéed baby Portobello mushrooms, a medium rare rib eye, and a few beers from her favorite microbrewery, Druthers of Saratoga.
In mid-feast, the boys went ballistic about a van pulling in the driveway. Grumbling about the interruption, Kara opened the door to have a floral delivery handed to her. Balancing an enormous box of long stem roses, she fumbled in her hastily retrieved purse for a tip, then closed the door to return to the kitchen.
Gently she unfolded the tissue paper protecting the eye-popping colors of dozens of flowers: red, yellow, crème, and variegated—every color of rose she’d ever seen. Buried under the beauty was a card bearing the single line: K—congratulations, you passed! See you at graduation. J
“See you at graduation.” Repeating the words, she breathed a sigh of relief. In the weeks since his accident, she was afraid John would miss the graduation ceremony. She clutched her gift with joy, kissing the card multiple times, as she spun around
her kitchen. The dogs joined in the fun, barking, whining, and spinning with their mother.
A week later, Kara swore profusely while navigating the underground parking garage at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Her truck just squeaked in under the low-slung concrete ceilings and then required two parking spaces. Remember the new, little, car you were thinking about at Christmas time?
Even though she felt like a country bumpkin trying to park, she didn’t look like one when she and the dogs were walking away. Her burgundy suit was complemented nicely with a black silk shell and grey pearls, understated and lady-like. But she’d thrown in a little kick ass with a pair of her knee-high black leather boots. Her footsteps on the marble floor were distinct and commanding in the leather soles as she exited the elevator and proceeded to the graduation ceremony at The Egg.
Nervously she entered the assembly hall. Looking around the room at clusters of families, she wished she’d accepted Laurie or Robin’s offer of company. Once again, her independent streak left her an island in a sea of people. Relief washed over her when she saw John crossing the back of the room, headed toward her.
This time when he reached to shake her hand, he drew her cheek close enough to give it a light, affectionate peck. Kara felt herself blush and quickly returned her hand to grasping a dog leash, even though they were sitting perfectly still.
“Congratulations, my friend.”
“Thanks, John. I’m so glad all three of us passed.”
John chuckled lightly. “I’ll say you did.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll see in a little while.” John pointed to the area of seating where the other handlers were migrating to. “Each team and their sponsor sit together down there. I hope you don’t mind the steps up to the stage.”
Kara lifted a foot to show him the bottom. “No problem. I wore flats this time.” She winked, hoping to remind him of the dinner before Christmas when her black satin stilettos made walking on the icy sidewalks of downtown Albany treacherous, requiring him to steady her with each step. She watched as he licked his lips. Oh, maybe he does remember that night.
