Authors: Lynette Eason
FOURTEEN
A
fter all of the excitement over the past two weeks, Cal couldn’t believe how quiet the past two days had been. Joseph had come through surgery and was recovering nicely. Joseph’s parents had managed to drive down from Raleigh. What should have been a four-hour trip turned into a twelve-hour nightmare, but they’d made it.
Fiona hadn’t had any more contractions and Zane had declared the ranch intruder-free.
At least for now.
And Abby.
Abby had waited on Fiona hand and foot, her watchful eye taking in every detail of Fiona’s health. She’d also seemed to enjoy taking care of little Tiffany when Zane worked the ranch.
His heart expanded with emotions he wasn’t quite ready to deal with but not so sure he wanted to ignore either.
Cal wasn’t so dense to not realize what was going on with him and his heart. He’d fallen hard for the quiet, troubled doctor and he wasn’t ready to tell her goodbye yet. However, her accusations against her brother-in-law made his gut clench.
Was he dealing with another cop like Brianne’s husband? A man who could lie and charm his way out of just about any situation imaginable?
He hoped not.
Cal walked up the steps of Fiona’s apartment where he’d made himself at home in case his sister or Abby needed him. Abby had moved upstairs like she’d offered.
But in spite of the quiet, Cal wasn’t ready to leave them alone or trust that the man had given up on Abby. If anything, the quiet simply tightened his tension as he waited for the next move.
At the top of the stairs, he found Abby in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. When she saw him, she handed him the first cup, then filled another for herself.
“Thanks,” he said, then asked, “how’s she doing?”
“Okay for now. No contractions and she’s relieved that Joseph is doing all right. She just wishes she could be with him.” Sorrow flickered across her eyes and he knew she was once again blaming herself for Joseph’s situation.
“Of course she does. But it’s not possible and it’s not your fault.” When she looked like she might argue, he gestured to the open laptop on the kitchen table. “What are you working on?”
Abby sighed and her shoulders slumped, defeat written in every line of her body. Concerned, he placed a hand on her arm. “Hey, what’s going on?”
She looked up and studied him. A shudder rippled through her even as she seemed to make up her mind about something. “I need help,” she whispered. “I can’t do this on my own anymore.”
“Abby, you don’t have to. Talk to me.”
She nodded. “Okay. Come here.”
Curious, he followed her to the table. She sat in the chair and jiggled the wireless mouse. Cal looked over her shoulder and couldn’t help noticing the fresh scent of her newly washed hair mingling with the smells of the coffee and toast.
He liked it.
He was glad she was here this morning. He really wanted to help her, to have her trust him. He wanted her to let him comfort her.
Looking up, she caught him watching and he didn’t look away. Instead he leaned down to capture her lips with his.
He felt her freeze and wondered if she would pull back. But she didn’t. Instead, she shifted to give him better access. His hand reached around to cup the back of her head. Lips still connected, she rose and wrapped her arms around his waist. Feelings and emotions long buried and forgotten about tumbled through him as his fingers wrapped themselves in the fiery strands of her hair.
His heart thudded against his chest as he reveled in their first kiss. And hoped it would be the first of many.
And then she pulled back, eyes wide and stunned, a red flush on her smooth cheeks.
He lifted a thumb to trace her cheekbone. “I’m not going to apologize for that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’d hit you if you did.”
Cal felt a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. An answering one echoed in her eyes.
He heard Fiona stirring in the other room and turned his attention back to the computer. “What did you want to show me?” He wondered if she could hear his struggle to breathe.
Taking his cue, she turned back to the computer and pointed. “These are my patients’ medical records. And please pretend I never showed you this stuff. I’m breaking a big rule by even discussing this with you, but I have to talk to someone or I’m going to go crazy.” She looked back at him. “And I trust you.”
Never had any four words sounded so good to his ears. Only three words would have sounded better, but he figured it was too soon for those.
Focusing, Cal listened as she explained about finding patients filed under her care. Patients she’d never seen before and then finding patients she
had
seen but had been billed for tests and procedures she’d never ordered.
“What does the total come to when you add up everything the various insurance companies have paid out?” he asked.
“Over half a million dollars.”
Cal blinked. “That’s some big bucks.”
Abby nodded and stared at the screen. The flush on her cheeks had faded but not much. The sight made him smile and elation filled him. Not only did she trust him, she cared for him.
Instinct told him she didn’t just go around kissing every guy she met. Which was fine with him. He was the same way. In fact, the last woman he’d kissed had been well over a year ago. She’d dumped him after six months together and moved to California.
Cal had been hurt at the time. Now he thanked God for it.
“It looks like it’s me, Cal. Someone’s set me up.”
“Any ideas who?”
She chewed her lip and looked at him beneath lowered lashes. He narrowed his eyes and reached out to take her hand. “Who do you think it is?”
“Reese. It has to be.”
Cal frowned. “And would he have access to this kind of information?”
“He’s a detective. What would you do if you wanted to get into those files?”
“I’d have to get a court order.”
She looked at him. “He’s got friends in high places. What if this is what he meant by making me suffer the rest of my life? What if he’s so mad about the fact that I let his wife die that he’s out to discredit me, make sure I never practice medicine again? Or…make sure I spend a really long time in jail?”
Christmas Eve morning, Cal’s mother wanted to come home and Cal was supposed to work part of the morning shift. Every deputy on the small force had agreed to put in a few hours so nobody would be stuck working the entire Christmas holidays. And they’d all agreed to stay on call in case of an emergency.
The snow had settled in at around a foot and a half. Temperatures hovered around freezing and Cal figured whoever was after Abby had holed up to wait out the weather.
But that didn’t mean he was dropping his guard.
Zane promised to keep an eye on things while Cal ran into Asheville to pick up his mother who’d insisted Jesse stay in town with his family for Christmas.
Cal would take the snowmobile as far as town, work his five hours, then use the department’s snow-ready SUV and head to Asheville.
Eli had okayed the use of the vehicle as long as Cal promised to do something that qualified as official business. Cal agreed. When his cell phone vibrated in his pocket, Cal cut the motor and pulled to a stop so he could hear.
“Hello?”
Eli said, “I just came across some mighty interesting information on Detective Kirkpatrick.”
“What you got?”
“His car is parked in front of the hotel.”
Cal jerked and nearly lost his balance on the snowmobile. “Come again?”
“I started running the plates on everyone at the hotel again. Last time we came up empty. This time, I came up with some interesting stuff, but the biggest one was your friend Reese.”
“What room is he in?”
“Room 406, but he’s not there. I sent Joel over to check and it’s empty. The desk clerk said he left about two hours ago.”
Frustration grabbed Cal. “Where’d he go?”
“To the car rental place. Guy said your man rented an SUV with chains on the tires.”
Cold swirled inside Cal, a freezing chill that made the weather around him feel warm. “He’s coming this way, isn’t he? He’s going after her.”
“I’m not sure what to think, Cal. But it gets more interesting. He called me a bit ago with some crazy story about how he was investigating Abby and found some kind of insurance fraud. He said one of her partners is in town. Before he could say anything else, I lost the connection. The storm is messing with all cell reception. I also think he said something about heading to your place.”
Cal’s fear spiked.
“Why wait till now? Why not call yesterday or the day before?”
“I don’t know, Cal, but you better get back there and find out.”
“I’m on my way. I left them at home alone with Zane.” Cal gritted his teeth and started planning what explanation he would give his mother about why he couldn’t come get her.
“Zane’s a good man,” Eli said. “He can take care of things.”
The chill deepened. “Not if he thinks things are fine. And I think things went from fine to bad the minute Detective Kirkpatrick rented that SUV. Sounds like we have a pretty determined man on our hands. I’ll give Zane a call and tell him to be on the lookout until I get back home.” A glint to the left caught his eye. “Keep me updated, Eli. Right now, I need to check something out.” He hung up.
When Cal moved his head, he could see an object far in the distance. A car? He tensed. Still gripping his phone, he punched in Zane’s number. No answer. When it went to voice mail, Cal said, “Zane, I think we’re getting ready to have some unfriendly company. Keep your eyes open.” Cal described the vehicle according to Eli and hung up. For good measure, he sent the man a text message telling him to check his voice mail.
The area between his shoulders itched. He started the snowmobile and took off to investigate what he’d seen. If someone was sitting up there with a rifle, it would be harder to hit a moving target.
Abby shivered as she stared out at the vast whiteness before her. No more snow fell, but clouds hovered overhead threatening more.
“Abby?”
Abby turned from the window to see Fiona standing in the door. The woman’s shocked expression sent her immediately to her side. “What is it? Are you all right?”
“Um…my water broke. I think. I mean, I’m pretty sure.”
“But you have another week,” Abby said dumbly.
Fiona let out a breathy laugh. “I don’t think this little one really cares.”
Abby shook her head and forced herself into professional mode. Of course the baby could come a week early. She had to get it together.
And not think about Keira.
“Okay,” she said. “Then we’ve got some things to do.”
“Like what?”
“Everything that entails getting you ready to have a baby.”
As Abby gathered the necessary materials to prepare for a home birth, she watched Fiona pace.
No doubt Fiona was going to have this baby sometime today. Could be in a few hours. Could be in a few minutes.
Either way, she needed to let Cal know.
Grabbing her cell phone, she powered it up.
One missed call.
That could wait.
She dialed Cal’s number and waited. It rang four times and went to voice mail. Frustrated, she left him a message to call her and that Fiona was in labor.
As Cal approached the area where he’d seen the object, he slowed.
A jeep?
And if there was a jeep, shouldn’t there be a driver? Cal slid from the snowmobile and approached the vehicle, wariness making him edgy, his muscles tight and ready for action.
The driver’s door caught his attention and his eyes honed in on the reddish handprint in the area of the handle. Blood.
He walked to the side and glanced in, trying to keep himself from being a target as best he could.
Empty.
His gaze landed back on the snow. Footprints led away from the car and drops of bright red glinted up at him.
“Who are you and what happened to you?” Cal whispered.
Wait a minute. He went to the back of the jeep. Harlan’s rentals. Chains on the tires.
Had he come across Reese Kirkpatrick?
Relief surged through him. For some reason, the man was hurt. That would slow him down getting to Abby and Fiona. Cal shifted his weapon and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Zane’s number.
No answer.
Cal hung up and dialed Fiona’s home number.
Abby answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
She sounded out of breath.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Fiona’s in labor.”
His stomach dropped. “What?”
“Her water broke a little while ago.”
“Why didn’t you call?” he demanded.
“I did.”
Her soft tone calmed him. A bit. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I was on the snowmobile and didn’t catch the phone’s vibration, I guess. Is Zane there with you?”