Wooed by You

by Sophia Knightly

"A bullet grazed Clay's forearm, but he's okay. Ramirez was shot in the shoulder and is in stable condition. The bullet fractured his clavicle, but the ortho surgeon was able to piece it together.” Her eyes grew tense. “Estrada got shot on the side of his neck and is in critical condition. It’s a miracle he survived. I'm going up now to check on his status."

  Linc cursed as anguish for his fellow officers and their families made his stomach churn. "We have to catch the bastards."

  "We’re on it,” Jenny said briskly. “They won’t get far if one of them is wounded."

  "Don't underestimate the Figueroa twins. They’re the lowest scum of the earth." Linc frowned at the doorway. "Where's the doctor? I need to get out of here."

  "Try to be patient, Steel. He’ll be here soon. Do you want me to call your mother and tell her what happened?" Jenny asked.

  "No, definitely not."

  "Okay. Clay will be by a little later to check on you. Bye now.”

  When Jenny left, Linc stared at the door, waiting for Isabel to return.

  Before Isabel left for the hospital, she sat in her kitchen drinking a cup of café con leche. Her favorite room of the house held many poignant memories of Linc. So much had happened in this room, good things and bad ones. She rose and walked to the window overlooking her garden. Her eyes sought the spot where she’d found the briefcase that had brought them together. Clutching the counter, she asked God why he’d brought Linc into her life when she was seeking peace and healing after Frank’s death and betrayal.

  Suzie was on her mind and it made her sick at heart to think how she’d be affected by Linc’s brush with death. She’d have to downplay his injury. The least she said, the better because Suzie didn’t need to know that Linc’s job could take his life at any time.

  Hot tears of hopelessness coursed down Isabel’s face. Things between them would never be the same again.

  Hours later when she entered the hospital room, she was surprised to find Linc dressed, shaved and reading the newspaper as he sat in a wheelchair.

  "Wow, you’re a changed man from yesterday, Steel,” she said softly. His eyes shot open when he heard her call him by his police nickname. “I’m so glad to see you looking better.”

  "Isabelita," he drawled cheerfully. "Come and give me a kiss."

  Isabel kissed his forehead, wondering why he was acting so upbeat, as if nothing major had happened to him.

  He drew back, affronted. "Hey, is that how you greet your man?" he demanded gruffly. "Like a mother kissing her child?"

  "Have you been discharged already?" she asked, sidestepping his banter.

  “Yeah. I’m ready to leave.”

  She gave him a wan smile and backed out of the room. "I…um…I’ll be right back."

  He gave her a puzzled look. "Where are you going?"

  "To let the head nurse know I’m taking you home," she said and quickly exited the room.

  During the drive to Linc's apartment, Isabel could feel his questioning eyes on her. She couldn't bring herself to speak without crying so she kept her eyes on the road and answered him with monosyllables.

  When they arrived at his apartment, Isabel handed Linc the crutches provided by the hospital and helped him inside. Anguish tormented her as she watched him get the hang of walking with crutches, his large body hunched forward. Sighing, she fought the urge to fling her arms around him and tell him how much she loved him. She followed behind, carrying two tote bags filled with meals she’d made for him to be able to heat and eat.

  They reached his apartment door and Linc turned to her with an eager smile. "Come in, honey," he said.

  Isabel nodded and went straight to the kitchen as Linc followed her.

  "What’s wrong, Isabel? You haven't said two words since you arrived at the hospital."

  “That’s not true.”

  “It is,” he persisted.

  Isabel bit her lip. "I’m sorry, it’s just that I have a lot on my mind," she mumbled.

  “I’m listening.”

  "Not now," she said, looking down to avoid his probing gaze.

  "Yes, now. Look at me," he commanded gently.

  She lifted her chin and met his eyes, her heart aching. “I am so glad you’re okay, Linc. I trust you’ll be a good patient and go to physical therapy.”

  “I will. Is that all that’s bothering you?”

  "No," she said, turning away. "We'll talk later. You need to rest, and I need to get back to Suzie. I wish I could stay longer, but I can’t."

  She ran out before she changed her mind, deaf to his calls.

  Two mornings later, Isabel was fertilizing her patio plants when Thunder started barking. Apprehension tickled her spine when she heard a car door shut. She threw off her gardening gloves and hurried inside to see who it was through her living room window.

  Loud knocking on the front door interrupted her trip to the window, and she called out anxiously, "Who is it?"

  "Linc."

  Isabel's hand froze on the doorknob. "Why are you here?”

  "Why do you think? We need to talk," he said, his tone blunt.

  She opened the door a crack, frustrated he’d shown up without warning. "I can't talk now," she said. "In a few minutes, I have to leave to pick Suzie up at school. Please leave."

  He didn’t budge. “I'll wait until you return. That way the three of us can talk."

  Scalding heat rose from her chest to her face as indignation replaced the guilt she felt at turning him away. It wasn’t Linc’s place to talk to Suzie until Isabel said it was okay. It was just like him to forge ahead and do as he pleased.

  Isabel opened the door wide and stood before him with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “You are not to go near Suzie unless I say it’s okay.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “Okay, fine. Settle down, Isabel.” His large body was propped against a crutch as he stared at her. Her heart constricted and a lump formed in her throat at the weariness in his broad shoulders and the bittersweet vulnerability in his eyes. Swallowing a sob, she almost broke down and welcomed him into her arms, but she forced herself to stand strong.

  "You shouldn’t have come all the way out here. Are you well enough to drive?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over him with concern.

  He gave an exasperated snort. "For God’s sake, quit worrying. It’s only a leg wound. I already feel better."

  “I’m glad to hear it, but I wish you hadn’t come. I still haven’t told Suzie about your injury.” She opened the door and motioned for him to come inside. “Since you’re here, we might as well talk.”

  His mouth tightened. "That’s generous of you." His brilliant eyes held her immobile for several moments before he limped past her into the living room. Even though his face didn't show it, he had to be in pain.

  “Come into the kitchen, and I’ll fix you something to eat. Are you hungry?” she asked, wanting to take care of him.

  “No thanks, I had a big breakfast.”

  “Oh,” she said, sinking into a dinette chair. She pulled out the chair beside her for him to sit. Her heart breaking into a million pieces, Isabel watched him wince as he struggled to lower his body into the chair.

  Once he was situated, he stroked the side of Isabel’s face with a hesitant hand. “What’s this about, Isabel? You’re acting like you never want to see me again.”

  Isabel bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. She drew in a pained breath and exhaled it heavily, her heart hurting so much she didn’t know how to make it stop. "It’s not that I don’t want to ever see you again,” she said, her voice breaking. “I wish I could say we can continue as before, but I've made a decision that's best for Suzie, and I don't want to argue about it."

  "I didn't come here to argue with you." Linc took her hands in his. "I love you, and I want to marry you," he said, his tone resolute. "Nothing has changed between us. You’re just running scared, honey."

  "How can you say that? Don't you realize what your injury has done to us?" she asked,
feeling awful as she removed her hands from his warm clasp.

  The light left Linc’s eyes as his face hardened. "You could have avoided all that heartache if you had only talked to me the day I left the hospital. After the drug bust, I had planned to tell you I was going to transfer out of the narcotics division."

  Isabel’s brows rose and her eyes widened. “You were?"

  “Yeah, I was sure I was going to finally be able to close the case, but it didn’t go that way."

  "What does that mean?”

  “It means my transfer will be delayed until I do.” He frowned at her. “I’m deeply disappointed, Isabel. Instead of staying and discussing your fears when I got wounded, you ran away." Linc's bruised tone stabbed her heart. "But it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

  Ignoring the urge to give in, Isabel hardened her heart. "I wish I could believe you’d be happy transferring out and that you wouldn’t blame me years later for choosing a boring desk job," she said flatly. "The thing is, I think the thrill of the hunt is too important to you. Danger lures you, just like it did Frank."

  The fury in Linc's eyes zapped her like blue lightning. "I told you never to compare me to Frank," he bit out. "I don't deserve that. Yes, I enjoy the challenge of my job, and I'm damn good at it, but danger doesn't lure me. I didn't plan on getting shot, damn it."

  "Neither did Estrada. Jenny told me he is still in bad shape and the doctors don't know if he'll fully recover," Isabel countered.

  "What happened to Estrada is unfortunate, but he knew the risk he was taking. His family is proud of him. They're supportive of his job as an undercover narc officer."

  "I wish I could be as generous as they are. You knew the risk you were taking and how I felt about the danger of your job. You lied to me when you said you were always careful and not to worry.”

  “I was careful,” he grumbled.

  “How can anyone be careful in a drug raid? It’s an oxymoron,” she said, shaking her head.

  Linc dragged a hand roughly over his face. “It was wrong of me to make light of it, but I wanted to stop your constant worrying. I should have been straight with you."

  "Yeah, you should have. I can’t believe how naïve I was to blindly trust you."

  Irritation mushroomed inside of Linc as he watched Isabel. Her face was set in mutinous lines, her black eyes fiery and her chin jutting forward. Their eyes locked furiously and neither one gave quarter. Linc's jaw ticked as he tried to hold his anger in check. Isabel's eyes narrowed into black diamond slits as she glowered at him. He'd never seen her lose her temper. She was being obstinate and emotional.

  He broke the taut silence using a different tactic. In a peacemaking tone, he said, "Try to understand how I feel. I've been working on this case for a long time. I'm so close to catching those guys, I can taste it. They are evil and need to be taken down. Because of them, tons of cocaine infiltrate the streets of Miami and it’s ruining our youths.”

  She sighed, her shoulders slouching as the fight left her. "Oh, Linc. I think it’s very honorable of you, and I admire your dedication. I truly do.” She drew a profound breath and exhaled it slowly. “But there’s no room in your challenging life for me and Suzie. My constant worrying would only keep you from doing your job."

  Linc leaned forward and grasped Isabel's shoulders. "Haven't you heard anything I've said? You and Suzie are my life. I've missed you so bad, it's tearing me apart. I want you to be my wife, Isabel."

  Round-eyed, she stared at him. “Do you really think I can forget your recent brush with death? What other job could you do that would bring as much satisfaction as breaking up a dangerous drug cartel? I was so wrapped up in blissfully loving you that I had begun to overlook the violent reality of your life.” She clasped her hands before her on the table and straightened her shoulders. “But I made a vow to protect Suzie from any more heartbreak when her father died, and I mean to keep it," she said fiercely.

  Linc remained silent as she clutched the table’s edge and pulled herself up as if her legs would give out. “You must leave now. I have to call Suzie’s school and alert them I’m running late.”

  She strode to the door and opened it, looking away as he limped toward her on the damned crutches. "Please don't come back," she said, her eyes watering. "It would only upset Suzie. She has to stop wishing for something she can’t have."

  Linc’s jaw clamped down at her unfair mandate. "You can't force Suzie to stop wanting us to be married just because you choose not to trust me." He leaned toward her, his determined eyes boring into her defiant ones as he drew from every reserve of persistence inside him. “Let’s make a deal. We’ll take a break, but we won’t break up.”

  She shook her head. "Taking a break won’t change anything. It’ll only prolong the inevitable."

  Linc's impatience flared. "I’m going to prove you wrong. You have to learn to start trusting me."

  "You mean like, 'I'm always extra careful on the job, honey, you don't have to worry'," she mimicked, eyeing his bandaged leg. "Look where that landed you."

  "There’s no reasoning with you when you’re so distrustful," he bit out. He leaned forward on the crutches until he faced her at eye level. "I’ll leave now, but there’s one thing I want you to know. I can’t live without you," he said, baring his soul. He cupped her delicate jaw in his free hand and ran his thumb over her lush lower lip. He stared at her trembling mouth, wanting to kiss her so badly it hurt more than his leg wound.

  His feverish gaze lowered to her full breasts straining against her blouse and his mouth went dry, remembering their exquisite softness and the sweet taste of her nipples. He wanted to make love to her, but Isabel’s eyes were stormy as she stood before him rigidly.

  Leaning back against the doorframe, he balanced his weight on his strong leg and pulled her to him. She struggled weakly, moaning into his mouth as he unleashed the passion burning inside him. He kissed her slow and hot until she went pliant in his arms, then abruptly let go. His loins were too primed to explode as his heart slammed against his chest. "When I close this case, I'll come back for you."

  Taking a shaky step backward, she wiped her swollen red lips with the back of her hand. "Don’t come back here, Steel,” she said, using his police moniker to drive her point. “Set me free.” Her voice broke as she stared at him with tortured dark eyes.

  He felt the blood drain from his face. How could she ask something like that of him? “I can’t.”

  “You must. I don't believe in fairy tales anymore," she mumbled, her pale cheeks wet with tears.

  Linc grabbed his crutches and limped away, the crunch of the gravel beneath his heel mirroring the crushed remnants of his heart.

  Chapter 16

  Isabel walked into her kitchen and made strong coffee, going through the motions like the robot she’d become. It was Sunday morning, almost a week since Linc had come by, and she didn't trust herself to see him again. Her only protection from the longing tearing at her insides was complete isolation from him.

  Linc could deny it all he wanted, but his need to capture the Figueroas was like a drug addict's need for a fix. That type of addiction never ended; it would only grow as he searched for the next big case to crack. He'd told her he would change jobs as soon as he arrested the Figueroa brothers. But that could take forever. Hadn't he been working on the case for a long while? What if he wasn't so lucky the next time?

  The bittersweet coffee slid down her throat and seared a path into her tense stomach. Linc would be safer without her. How could he do his job tracking down violent drug dealers if she was in the background fretting over his whereabouts? His perilous work demanded total devotion, and he couldn’t be distracted or hampered by anything—or anyone.

  Suzie skipped into the kitchen. “I brushed my teeth, Mami. We can leave now.”

  “It’s a bit early for Mass, sweetie. Let’s have breakfast first. Do you want waffles or pancakes?”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Then you can
have a banana and juice.” Isabel poured a small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and set it on the table, then handed Suzie a banana. “Eat all of it or you’ll be hungry later.”

  Suzie wound her arms around Isabel’s waist and tilted her head up. “Is Linc coming tonight?”

  Isabel’s heart hurt. Suzie had asked the same question every morning, and Isabel had put her off by saying he was away on a trip. It was time to break the bad news, but there was no ideal time to tell her. School mornings were no good because she’d most likely be upset and not want to go to school. Nighttime wasn’t good either because she would go to bed sad. It was Sunday morning and best to get it over with now.

  “Sit down, sweetie. We need to talk,” Isabel said.

  “About what?” Suzie asked, peeling the banana. She took a bite of it and munched as she sat beside Isabel.

  “Linc won’t be coming over tonight…or any night.”

  Suzie stopped chewing and put the banana down. “Why not?”

  “Because he will be working on a very important case, and he can’t be with us ever again.”

  Her eyes grew wide with dismay. “Never?”

  “Never,” Isabel confirmed, her heart breaking.

  Suzie’s face scrunched up pitifully. “But I want to see him again! Doesn’t he love us anymore?”

  “He loves us, but he can’t be with us because…just because,” Isabel said weakly. She couldn’t tell her the real reason or Suzie would worry about him dying like Frank had.

  “Please call him, Mami! You can make him come. Please,” Suzie begged, her voice shaking.

  “No, Suzie. We need to leave him alone so he can do his job.”

  “Why? I don’t understand.”

  “You’ll understand when you’re older,” Isabel said, swallowing against the huge knot in her throat as she tried to breathe, but her chest hurt too much. “I’m sorry you’re sad, baby, but we’re going to be okay without him.” God, how she wished she could believe it.

  “No, we’re not!” Suzie cried hotly. "I miss him. I wanted Linc to be my papi." Tears streamed down her face. "Now we're alone again."