Shadow Point Deputy

by Julie Anne Lindsey

  “Fine.” Dr. Keller didn’t look pleased, but he also didn’t argue. “Get a chair for the other deputy from the waiting area. You can place it in the hallway outside his door. The security detail is required to stay outside the room, and he can’t bother the nurses. They have work to do. I’ll allow you to accompany Miss Horn inside the room on a probational basis, but only you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  * * *

  RITA UNTANGLED HERSELF from Cole’s grasp and darted to Ryan’s side on autopilot. She dragged her fingers over the cold metal railing, drinking in the sting of antiseptic in the air.

  The man in the bed looked nothing like her baby brother, and yet he was exactly that. His face was purple and deeply bruised, swollen to the extreme and distorted by the injuries. His head was wrapped in gauze. Tubes ran from freestanding machines into the crook of his arm and up his nose. Rita recalled the sweet scent of oxygen through her mask at the river and hoped Ryan was as relieved by the clean air as she had been.

  She lifted his bandaged fingers in hers. A cast ran the length of his arm to his palm. “Ry?” She stroked the backs of his fingertips with her thumb. “I am so sorry,” she whispered, drying tears as they fell. “This is all my fault, and if you can hear me, you’ve got to wake up so I can make it right. I owe you a huge explanation, then you can yell at me and tell me how stupid I am.” She jiggled his motionless hand in hers. “Wake up and tell me I’m stupid.”

  Wake up so I know I didn’t get you killed.

  * * *

  COLE MOVED TO stand behind Rita. He rubbed her shoulders. He checked the time on a large clock outside the door. The county municipal building would close in half an hour, and no one had been down there to ask what Minsk was doing during his recent visits. Cole wanted to be the one to get those answers.

  Rita pressed one palm to her brother’s misshapen face. He looked like Frankenstein’s monster now, but the swelling would go away soon, and a plastic surgeon would return him to the image Rita remembered. Cole had seen a lot worse injuries heal to near invisibility.

  “Hey.” He leaned his mouth to her ear. “Any chance I can convince you to make a trip to the courthouse?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.” He’d figured.

  The minute hand on the clock took another step toward closing time at the courthouse, but there was no way Cole would leave Rita alone again, not even at a hospital. Not even with another deputy as her personal guardian. Protecting her was Cole’s job now, and he didn’t trust anyone else to get it done.

  “I can’t leave him.” She turned to Cole, burying her face in the contours of his chest. “What if he wakes up and I’m not here? What if he doesn’t wake up?” Her chest thumped and rattled with shuttered breaths. “I can’t.”

  Cole stroked the length of her soft red hair. “Okay. We’ll stay.” Maybe he could sneak into the hall later and make some calls from the nurse’s desk.

  Rita stroked his chest with one hand. She rolled her head to press a cheek against his tear-soaked shirt. “Do you think there’s a chance that this is all just horrible timing? Maybe I assumed the worse, and this was just an accident and it isn’t my fault.”

  Cole pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He gripped her tight around the middle and wished he could give her hope. But he didn’t believe in coincidence, and this catastrophe was too spot-on to be anything other than intentional.

  “Deputy Garrett?” Deputy Lomar’s voice turned Cole’s head toward the open door.

  Rita tightened her arms around Cole’s waist and angled her face away from the deputy.

  Cole adjusted his hold on instinct, careful to keep her secure and comforted, even in the presence of another deputy. Especially one who’d been his wingman at more than one bar this month. The only other single man on the job should know Rita Horn wasn’t up for grabs. She was Cole’s, and he’d be hers in a minute if she wanted him. “Any news?”

  Lomar’s gaze lingered on Cole’s hands, placed low and protectively on Rita’s trim body. Lomar knew Cole didn’t do PDA. He didn’t get involved beyond a bar and a beer. Until now, a long-term relationship had meant sharing a bed until dawn. Cole had never made a secret of his intentional bachelorhood. The whole department knew it. Hell, half the town knew it, and by the way Lomar was staring, the whole of Cade County would know about the drastic change in him by dinner.

  “You have an update?” Cole prompted, lifting his chin in defiance.

  Lomar cleared his throat. “Yeah.” His curious eyes jumped back to meet Cole’s. “Cade County Automotive was able to confirm the cause of the accident.”

  “And?”

  “Someone cut the truck’s brake lines.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rita fell asleep at Ryan’s bedside to the soft, repetitive beeping and whooshing of hospital equipment. When her eyes opened again, the room was dark. Tiny red and green lights illuminated the corner, occasionally backlit by small screens, assuring her the machines attached to her brother were still doing all they could to monitor him. Her head rested on the edge of his bed, her bottom on the rough cushion of a wooden hospital chair.

  She brushed her fingers gently against his bruised cheek. “Come on, Ry. Time to wake up.”

  Cole shifted in his sleep. His long body was spread over the awful green recliner in the room’s corner, limbs dangling, head cocked awkwardly. He’d chosen a seat with full view of the hallway outside, then set up a makeshift office utilizing a Wi-Fi password schmoozed off the nurse and the laptop he’d pulled from his cruiser. He should have gone home for some proper rest, but she was selfishly thankful he hadn’t. She’d wanted him there. More than that, she’d wanted him to want to stay.

  And he had.

  Rita’s tummy growled and she pressed a palm against her middle to stifle the noise. The green Jell-O and cup of ice chips Cole had delivered around midnight had worn off long ago. She’d been too upset to consider eating anything more substantial at the time, but currently, she’d like a tall stack of hotcakes with a double side of bacon.

  Her head ached with every move she made. Her neck was stiff from the awkward position she’d temporarily slept in. She scooped the plastic cup of melted ice chips off the nightstand and sucked down the few measly teaspoons of liquid. She’d cheerfully have gone in search of more, if it hadn’t meant leaving Ryan.

  The room’s door swung open, and a young woman swept back the privacy curtain separating them from the nurses’ station on the other side of the observation glass.

  Cole had pulled the curtain before Rita fell asleep.

  The nurse started. “Oh, hello.” She brushed wild brown curls away from her face. Her cheeks darkened, and she darted her attention from Rita to Ryan and back. “I didn’t know you were awake. I’m Stacy.” She hung a pink stethoscope around her neck. “I’m the night nurse. How are you holding up?”

  Rita bobbed her head and forced a tight smile. “Awful.”

  “Yeah. I figured.” Stacy moved to Ryan’s side. “It’s hard to see our loved ones like this. Most folks stay in the waiting room, if they stay at all.” She checked the tubes running to and from him, then tapped the IV bag. “Good.” She pulled a small pad of paper from her pocket and made a note, then checked the machines. “Everything looks really great.” She turned back to Rita with a warm smile and raised brows. “Your brother’s tough. He’ll get through this. He talks about you a lot, you know?”

  “You know Ryan?” Rita jerked upright, greedy for information. Her pounding head nearly knocked her out. “Ow.” She rubbed her temple and cringed.

  Stacy moved to Rita’s side. “May I?” She caught Rita’s wrist in her small fingers without waiting for an answer. “Your pulse is racing. The other nurses said you’ve barely eaten since you got here yesterday afternoon, and those ice chips don’t make much water.”

  Rita already knew that. She wanted
the information she didn’t have. “How do you know Ryan?”

  “School.” Stacy leaned her backside against the bed and gripped the railing on each side of her. “I’m an RN, but I’m going to be a nurse practitioner next year. I take classes during the day, and I see him around sometimes.” She lifted her gaze to Rita’s forehead where the goose bump looked like the beginnings of a second head.

  “Is he happy?” Rita asked.

  “Yeah. Always smiling. Funny. Kind.”

  Fresh tears welled in Rita’s eyes. “Thank you for saying that.”

  “It’s no problem. He’s a great guy.” Stacy stuffed her hands into her pockets. “I hate that this happened to him.”

  “Me, too.”

  Stacy stroked the length of Ryan’s arm cast. “He’s going to be okay. It looks scary now, but this will all heal.” She glanced through the window wall, then turned her back to it. “His leg had the most damage. The femur was shattered, but it’s not a life-or-death injury, and his brain and spinal column look good.”

  Rita covered her mouth, outrageously thankful for the details. “Dr. Keller made me think Ryan might not wake up.”

  “He’ll wake up,” Stacy assured her. “I know it.” She gave him a lingering look. “A career in professional basketball or the military might be out, but he’ll be okay.”

  Stacy smiled at her joke, but Rita ached internally. Ryan had wanted a career in the military and she’d inadvertently taken that from him by allowing this accident.

  Stacy finished up and left without a goodbye.

  She returned a few minutes later with food. “It’s Marcia’s birthday today, so we have one of those giant sub sandwiches in the break room. I thought you might like a piece.”

  Salty scents of ham and cheese wafted out to meet her. Rich, buttery Italian bread. The tangy bite of onions and pickles. “Thank you.” Rita accepted the plate with a greedy smile.

  “But wait. There’s more.” Stacy dropped a bottle of water onto the table beside Rita’s empty cup. “And...” She dug in her pocket and came out with a two-pack of aspirin. “For your headache.”

  “How do you know I have a headache?”

  Stacy shook her head. “You’re squinting and rubbing your temple. You haven’t eaten and you’re under a ton of stress. If you didn’t need some kind of pill at this point, I’d wonder if you were human.”

  “Bless you.” Rita tossed the two aspirin onto her tongue and washed them down with half the bottle of water.

  “Don’t mention it. I’ll be back to check on you after you’ve had time to eat.” She squeezed Ryan’s blanket-covered foot on her way out.

  Rita really needed to ask him about this woman when he woke up.

  She finished the water and sandwich in minutes.

  The door opened again, and Stacy reappeared with a folded manila envelope. “How was dinner?” Her attention lingered on Ryan’s quiet form.

  Rita dusted her palms. “Excellent. Thank you.” Behind her, Cole shifted in the too-small chair. He deserved a thank-you for staying with her when he wanted to be out working the case. She didn’t like that she’d kept him from it, but she was glad he’d fallen asleep. He needed rest to heal.

  Cole yawned. “What time is it?”

  Stacy checked her watch. “Four fifteen.”

  “This is Stacy,” Rita explained by way of introduction. “She’s Ryan’s night nurse and knows him from school.”

  “Small world,” Cole said, sliding to the edge of his seat and extending a hand to Stacy.

  “Small town,” Stacy added.

  “I’m Cole Garrett,” he said, “nice to meet you.”

  She smiled. “Yes, I’ve seen you around, Deputy Garrett. I’m glad you’re here.” She turned her attention back to Rita. “I thought you might want this.” She extended the envelope in Rita’s direction. “This was at the nurses’ station. I assume it’s everything Ryan had on him when they took him in for surgery. You should keep it until he wakes up.” She gave a soft smile. “I’d better get to work. I’ll bring another water when I come back. Can I get you anything, Deputy Garrett?”

  “Coffee?”

  “Sure thing.” Stacy slipped back through the door, leaving it ajar.

  Cole tracked her movement through the window before turning narrowed eyes on Rita. “Nurses are usually nice to me, but I’ve never had one taking drink orders.”

  “I think she’s got something going with my brother.” Rita turned the envelope over in her hands, examining it top to bottom. Was it nosy of her to want to look?

  “Did she say that?” Cole stretched to his feet, brows puckered. He rolled his shoulders and swore softly.

  “You’re hurt. It’s way past time to change your bandages.” Rita sighed. She was normally good in a crisis, but lately there had been just too many emergencies to keep tabs on. “She didn’t say it, but I can tell.”

  “How?”

  Rita made a face. “Well, don’t look so mystified. You can tell when women are into you. Same thing here.”

  Cole snorted. “I can tell because they say so.”

  Rita rubbed her eyes to stop them from rolling. She considered judging the women who’d been bold enough to tell Cole Garrett they wanted him, but hadn’t she climbed onto his lap yesterday and basically assaulted him?

  She let her eyes fall shut. She was jealous of faceless, unnamed women who may or may not have behaved exactly like she had.

  “Rita?” Cole nudged her elbow. “You okay?”

  “I’m super.” She opened her eyes, then flipped the envelope over on her legs and slid a tentative finger beneath the partially glued flap. Either someone had done a terrible job of sealing it, or someone had taken a peek inside. She lifted her eyes to the window wall, locating Stacy in the hallway with ease. Would she have pried into Ryan’s personal things?

  “Was that already open?” Cole asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Rita upturned the envelope and shook the contents onto her lap. A wallet. Phone. Loose change. Keys. Nothing unusual.

  Cole leaned in. “Anything missing that you think ought to be there?”

  “I don’t know what he normally carries with him.” She opened his wallet and checked for cash. Thirty-two dollars. “He had money.” Emotion tightened her chest. “I’m always afraid he won’t have enough cash to eat or buy gas or do the things he wants to do.” She flipped through the pictures. One of their parents. One of Rita. None of Stacy the potential girlfriend or very nosy nurse. “I’m glad he had some money.” There was something else inside she couldn’t see. The raised area was among his credit card slots, but sheltered by a small leather flap. She wiggled her fingernail inside and extracted the contents. “Oh, my gosh, he has a condom.”

  Cole laughed.

  She pushed everything back inside the leather bifold and shook her hands out at the wrists. “I didn’t even know he was dating. Oh. Ugh. What if he isn’t dating?” What if he was a player? A no-commitment type? She bit her lip. That would make him just like Cole.

  All sex. No strings.

  She ignored the ice block sliding through her gut. “Why doesn’t he talk to me about this stuff?”

  Cole scoffed. “Why would he?”

  “Because we’re friends, and aren’t siblings supposed to talk about things?” She looked to Cole for input. This was clearly more his territory than hers.

  Cole rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. I’ve got three older brothers, and we don’t talk about sex. Surely you knew he was having sex.”

  “Stop saying that.”

  “What? Sex?”

  Rita pointed a warning finger at him. “Stop.”

  His expression rode the line between confusion and amusement. “He’s in college. What do you think happens in a town with twenty-thousand single people of age?”

  “He’s supposed
to be in college to learn,” she said. “I didn’t need condoms when I was in college.” She regretted the choice of words immediately.

  It was too much information, and it was out there now.

  Cole cocked his head. “Never? What exactly are you saying?” A twist of shock and intrigue edged his words. He’d somehow picked up on the thing she hadn’t said. An implication that was barely made.

  Rita wet her lips, then pressed them tight.

  “I mean, it’s none of my business, but...” He moved into her space and dropped into a squat before her. “Rita?” His probing blue eyes examined her with intensity, having easily and accurately jumped to the borderline embarrassing conclusion. “When was the last time you needed a condom?”

  She lowered her gaze. Truth be told, Rita hadn’t even seen a condom in years. Her one and only serious boyfriend, a fellow senior from her high school du jour, had purchased the only package of protection she’d thought she had use for, but thanks to his cheating ways, the grand finale of a goodbye she’d had planned was ruined. Rita’s virginity had stayed intact. Much as she’d wanted that guy to be her first, there was no room for sharing in her heart. She wouldn’t give herself over to someone who didn’t regard her highly enough to be exclusive with their intimacy. Not then, and not now. After that, she left for college. Then her mom died, and Ryan became her priority. Work took second place, and everything else was irrelevant.

  “Rita?”

  She shook her head. She’d idealized sex for years because it had meant so much to her as a high schooler, but suddenly the notion of saving herself for true love seemed juvenile and dumb.