Safe From the Dark (3 page)

Colin
knew he wouldn’t get any real answers today, and for the moment there were
things to do. The cabin was chilled and unfriendly despite the homey paneled
interior. Spacious and comfortable – there was a bedroom on this floor, another
upstairs, a small kitchen with a cozy dining area, a wide living room, and a
couple of bathrooms. All of the furniture was coated in sheets, with a thick
layer of dust.

Colin
reached for the cell phone in his back pocket. Not there.

“Shit.”
It was probably still sitting on the night stand in his bedroom.

 He
tried the land line, this time not surprised to hear the familiar tone.
Phone
service, too.
He dialed.

“Jocelyn?
It’s Colin. Yes, cats and dogs. It’s a mess. Look, I need you to come out to
the old Asher cabin right away.”

He
explained the situation, fielded a few questions, and hung up the phone.

Evie
hadn’t moved. She looked frail and small, passed out on the couch, and Colin
was bemused by the hard knot of worry that was making itself known in his
stomach. He busied himself checking the cupboards and found a neglected
canister of tea. The kitchen tap ran brown from disuse for a minute, and then
cleared. Colin let it run for a few minutes more before filling the kettle he
found under the sink. He set the water to heat and turned his attention to the
fireplace. A quick check around back revealed that the covered woodpile was
fairly dry, and within minutes, Colin had a merry blaze burning. Then he sat
down on the couch, his hip nudging Evie’s side, and took her hand. Still too
cold.

“Evie?
Evie, wake up.”

He
watched as, with effort, she pulled herself to awareness, her gray eyes cloudy
with pain. She tried to sit up, and he impulsively put a hand on her stomach to
ease her back down, unaware that he was stroking her like a frightened kitten
through the sweatshirt.

“Shhh…stay
still. I called the doctor. She’ll be here in a minute.”

“I
don’t need a doctor.”

“We
can argue about that later. Right now, I want you to just lie here and get warm
while I make some tea, okay?”

The
room was warming up, so Colin pulled off his jacket and tucked it around her.

“Stay.”

EVIE’S
HACKLES ROSE AT the stern command, but she felt like shit, so she’d give him a
pass on this one. Besides, the guy had rescued her from drowning and built her
a lovely fire that was filling the room and her bones with beautiful, drenching
warmth.

His
hands felt good.

Thinking
about that wasn’t productive either, so she focused on getting warm, watching
Colin putter around her grandmother’s kitchen like he owned the place. She
hadn’t been here since she was a little girl, and while the bones of the cabin
were the same, her grandmother’s warm presence was missing, all of her knick
knacks and beloved books packed away somewhere.

Probably
in the attic,
thought Evie, determined to investigate when she felt better. She’d sold most
of what she owned, put a few boxes in storage, and the rest of her worldly
possessions were in the car, currently stuck in half a foot of mud down the
hill. Her knapsack held her holster and gun and a few essentials, and that was
it. All of her former life encompassed in a few portable items. Evie swallowed
a lump in her throat.

Enough
of that, Asher. You’re here. You’ll put down roots in this town, where Gram
lived. Where everyone knew her and loved her, despite what Mom did
.
Despite what you’ve done.

A
knock had Colin turning off the kettle and opening the door to a small woman in
a pink slicker. Her brown hair was damp and curling and shot through with
silver, and her face, though a little crinkled, had the sharpest eyes Evie had
ever seen. She carried a doctor’s kit and a huge bag of takeout, which she
unceremoniously shoved at Colin. The mouthwatering aroma of peanut noodles and
Tom Yum soup had Evie’s stomach growling – it had been hours since lunch.

The
woman shrugged off her slicker, handed it to Colin with a pointed glance, and
marched over to the couch. Evie carefully pulled herself to a sitting position
as the woman perched on the cushion by her hip, taking up her wrist to feel her
pulse.

“Well,
Evie Asher, I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

Evie’s
jaw dropped.

“How
do you know who I am?”

The
woman snorted and let go of her wrist to place a cool, firm hand on her
forehead.

“Who
else would Fran leave the cabin to? Besides, I never forget a baby I brought
into this world. Not that one – ” she said, jerking her head at Colin, “– and
certainly not you. And you’re the spitting image of your mother.”

Evie’s
heart sank. Life in Bright’s Ferry was going to be difficult if everyone
immediately compared her to her mother. Her dismay must have shown on her face,
because the woman chuckled.

“Don’t
look so worried. What’s past is past, and you were just a little girl when all
that nonsense took place. You’re back where you belong.”

She
tugged Colin’s jacket away from Evie’s torso.

“I’m
Dr. Griggs, but call me Jocelyn. Now, let’s see what you’ve done to yourself.”

Evie
didn’t think to protest as Jocelyn helped her out of the sweatshirt. The doctor
frowned at the bandages, noting spots of blood on her side seeping through the
white tank top.

“Colin,”
she said, “See if you can find some sheets and blankets in the boxes in the
attic and make up the bed in the guest room. It’s closer.”

Colin
nodded and left the room without a word, though Evie could practically feel his
eyes on her, eagerly soaking up every word about her past.
Obnoxious.

Jocelyn
winked.

“Make
the man at least buy you dinner before he gets to see your lacy bits.”

Evie
had no response to that, but let Jocelyn pull her tank top off, peel off her
jeans, and then carefully tug back the bandages on her shoulder and side to
inspect the damage. She stared for a long moment, but only said, mildly,
“Gunshots are nasty things. Shoulder looks okay, but you’ve popped a few
stitches in your side. I hope you’re not overly modest. Colin!”

He
came downstairs holding a pile of linens and blankets.

“Well,
at least the lawyer left all the boxes clearly marked – ”

Colin
stopped short at the sight of Evie’s near nudity and newly healed wounds. Though
her underthings were simple and modest, Evie had a sudden desire to cover up as
his gaze pierced her from across the room. Instead, she held still as Jocelyn
handed her a clean piece of gauze from her bag, instructing her to press it to
her side. She gritted her teeth against the sharp stab of pain, but did as she
was told while Jocelyn re-dressed her shoulder.

“Is
she okay?” Colin set the blankets on the kitchen counter.

“I’m
going to need your help. She needs a few stitches. Set up that lamp over here. I
need more light.”

She
glared at Evie, who had the grace to look guilty.

“You
have not been taking care of yourself.”

Like
a chastened teenager, Evie’s stubbornness melted in the face of disapproving
authority. Normally she would have felt compelled to stand up for herself, but
she got the feeling that Jocelyn had this effect on everyone.

“Sorry,”
she muttered.

Jocelyn
moved to the sink to scrub her hands, while Colin repositioned a lamp as
ordered.

“Are
you always this much trouble, Evie Asher?” he asked softly, his lips quirking
in a smile, though his eyes were grim.

Her
chin came up.

“Thanks
for your help. You can go.”

“And
have Jocelyn tear off a piece of my hide? I don’t think so. Besides, the good
mayor doesn’t abandon a citizen in need. I’d never hear the end of it.”

Evie
was shocked.

“You’re
the mayor? You’re too young to be a mayor.”

Colin
laughed.

“That’s
what I said when they offered it to me. Dad was mayor for years. After he died,
nobody else wanted the job. Then I came home and, well, the Town Council can be
pretty persistent...”

“Yes,
they pestered him for months. Colin’s the prodigal son. Did he tell you?” Jocelyn
grinned and pulled on a pair of latex gloves, “He can’t walk down the street
without some ambitious young woman throwing herself at him.”

“Although
most of them don’t get themselves shot to get my attention.” His voice was low
and teasing, for Evie’s ears only, and she glared at him, ignoring the way his
eyes danced.

The
last thing you need is to get involved with the mayor. No more high-profile
men, Evie Asher, do you hear me?
For once, she and the inner cop were in complete agreement.

Her
train of thought was interrupted by Jocelyn pulling the bloody gauze away to
swab at the wound with something that stung like the devil, and Evie sucked in
a pained breath.

“Fucking
hell.” The words just slipped out.

Jocelyn
was matter-of-fact. “I’ve got some topical anesthetic, but this is still going
to hurt like a son of a bitch. I’ll work as fast as I can. Colin, sit here.”

Colin
joined Evie on the couch, letting Jocelyn push and prod them until Colin was
supporting her, with Evie grasping his arms while he held her steady, partially
tilted on her side.

“Need
something to bite down on?”

Evie
was ready to reply with a stinging report, until she saw his face – he was
serious, and sympathetic. She shook her head.

“Okay,
then. Hold on tight.”

Jocelyn
leaned forward, needle in hand.

STITCHES
ARE NOT SEXY, Colin thought to himself as Evie bit her lip and held on, her
nails digging into his biceps. Jocelyn’s hands were sure as she closed the
wound with efficient movements. Even seeing the obscenely torn flesh firsthand,
Colin couldn’t wrap his head around it. People in his world didn’t get shot. But
Evie had been shot.
It was hard to believe anyone would physically harm
this beautiful woman, and he reminded himself that she had been NYPD. She was
hardly a delicate flower. But when he ignored the jagged wounds that marred her
creamy skin, the rest of her didn’t exactly scream tough-ass cop. He had to
force his eyes to remain on her face, and not drop to her naturally full
breasts, not too big or too small, cupped lovingly in simple white lace, or the
matching panties, demure and yet disturbingly hot, shaping an ass that he
really,
really
wanted a closer look at.

Pretty
pervy,
Daniels
,
he thought,
Quit ogling the gunshot victim.

He
wondered what color her nipples were, and his stupid cock twitched behind his
zipper, clearly eager to find out whether it made him a total perv or not.

Evie
let a whimper past her tightly clenched teeth and Colin suddenly felt like pond
scum.

“Almost
there,” he murmured.

Ten
minutes later they were done, and Jocelyn smoothed a new sterile bandage over
the stitches. Evie was shaking, damp with sweat, and clearly exhausted, and
accepted the painkillers Jocelyn handed her, gulping them down with half a mug
of tepid tea. Colin was equally shaken, but hurried to make up the bed in the
spare room and get the electric heater going, and then returned in time to hear
the last of Jocelyn’s lecture.

“…and
when I say take it easy, I mean it, or you’re going to wind up with a lot worse
than a mild fever and a few popped stitches. Colin, can you help Evie get to
bed?”

Colin
didn’t give Evie a chance to argue, but scooped her up into his arms, careful
of her wounds, trying to ignore her long legs and softer than soft skin against
his hands. She held herself stiffly until he set her gently on the bed and
pulled sheets and a handmade blazing star quilt up over her, gently tucking her
in. Her eyes clouded with confusion as he impulsively stroked a lock of hair
back from her face, savoring the silken strand against his fingers, which he
was sure his prickly new neighbor would never let him get away with if she
weren’t drugged and off her game.

“Get
some sleep.”

Her
eyes were already drifting shut as he reached for the lamp switch and then
softly shut the door behind him.

Jocelyn
was packing up her equipment, shaking her head.

“Frannie
would be spinning in her grave if she knew that little girl had gotten herself
shot up like that. I assume you’re staying?”

“I
– uh – ”

“Take
the couch. Those painkillers will knock her out for a good long stretch. Make
sure she eats when she gets up, but don’t let her overdo it for the next couple
of days.”

“Jocelyn,
I’ve got a million things to do tomorrow. I can’t – ”

The
diminutive doctor paused in the middle of pulling on her slicker to poke him in
the chest. Hard.