Authors: Kassandra Lamb
Edie started crying.
A knot coiled in his stomach. He swept her up, held her tight and kissed her damp cheek. “It’s okay, Pumkin. Mommy’s fine.” He ran back toward his truck.
Mac’s Hummer came to a screeching halt next to it. Rose jumped out of the passenger side and ran to meet Skip.
“Is Billy in my truck?” he yelled.
Mac was out of the Hummer, peering into the SUV’s window. “Yeah,” he called out.
Rose reached Skip. He set Edie on her feet and handed his keys to Rose. She took the child’s hand.
“Toby,” Edie said through her sniffles.
“Come on, honey, we’ll get the dog.” Rose led her toward Kate’s car.
Skip turned and tore off toward the ambulance.
Mac had beat him there and was hovering near where Kate sat on the side of a gurney. One paramedic dabbed at the blood on her face with a wad of gauze, while another was trying to convince her to go to the hospital.
The small crowd around his wife was keeping Skip from getting a good look at her.
But Mac’s face was a mask of fury. Except for his eyes, which were shiny with unshed tears. “Who did this, sweet pea?”
“I don’t know.” Kate’s voice, a bit slurred.
Skip shoved past one of the paramedics and froze. Kate’s face was a mess.
“Most of the blood’s from her nose, sir,” the young woman doing the dabbing said to him.
“Kate, are you okay?”
She looked up and made a choking sound. Throwing her arms out toward him–and almost backhanding the nearest paramedic in the process–she fell forward.
He grabbed her, dead weight against him. Had she fainted? Then he heard her sobs, coming from where her face was buried in his shoulder.
Oh my God!
This time it was a prayer of thanksgiving.
Mac stepped over next to them. “Is she okay?” His normal growl had gone up an octave.
“She doesn’t seem to be seriously hurt,” one of the paramedics said. “But she really needs to go to the hospital to have her head looked at.”
Again, hysterical laughter threatened to erupt from Skip’s throat. His wife definitely needed her head examined!
Mac was patting Kate’s shaking shoulder. “It’s okay, sweet pea. We’ve got ya now. You’re safe.” The man sounded like he was ready to cry himself.
Skip swallowed hard. “Mac, can you follow the ambulance in my truck?”
Mac nodded. “Sure thing.”
Kate’s head was shaking vigorously against Skip’s chest. He ignored the message. “Thanks, man,” he said to Mac.
A willowy figure emerged from the darkness. It took Skip a second to recognize the tall woman, dressed in black and white.
He left the paramedics to the task of trying to convince his wife to go to the hospital, although he doubted they’d succeed. He’d probably have to insist.
“Lieutenant, what brings you here?” He willed himself to relax his clenched fists.
“Your wife’s 911 call. She told the dispatcher it was related to one of my cases.”
”Josie Hartin,” he said.
Judith Anderson blew out air. “Someone made good on the threat in that note.”
“To a certain extent.” He didn’t even try to keep the bitterness out of his tone. “She’s got a notch in her nose now.”
Judith looked around. Silence hung in the air.
Skip was struggling to keep his anger tamped down.
But Judith was the one who exploded. “This is bullshit!” She stopped, took a deep breath. “Officially I’ve been told hands off, but that’s on the Hartin case. This is a whole new ball of wax. New case–the assault of Kate Huntington.”
.
The paramedics had won the battle about going to the hospital, but once in the emergency room, Kate kept asking to go home.
“We will,” Skip said, “just as soon as the docs say you’re okay.”
The ER doctor who was examining her flashed him a look. “I’d rather keep her overnight for observation.”
“No!” Kate said.
Skip shrugged at the doctor, then shook his head.
His hand had gone numb about fifteen minutes ago, but he wasn’t about to pull it loose from Kate’s grip. She’d clung to it during the ambulance ride, letting go only long enough for the paramedics to unload her once they’d arrived at the hospital.
“You have a concussion, young lady.” This despite the fact that the doctor was probably a decade younger than Kate.
Duh!
Skip thought. He’d have been shocked if she wasn’t concussed.
“I’m going to order a CAT scan, to make sure there’s no other damage. And you’ll need a couple stitches in that nose. I’ll send an intern in to take care of that.” The doctor left without another word.
He’d never said whether or not Kate could go home after she’d been stitched and scanned, but Skip knew that unless his wife passed out long enough for them to tie her to a bed, she would be going home tonight.
.
It was after one in the morning by the time Skip pulled up in front of their house. Kate had said very little on the way home, her head turned away from him and leaning gingerly against the headrest of her seat.
He helped her out of his SUV and up to the house. Unlocking the door, he held it open for her.
The house was quiet. Rose had called him earlier to report that Maria was home from her date and the kids were bedded down. He’d given her an update on Kate’s condition. The CAT scan had found no serious head injury. “Apparently her head is as hard as mine.”
Rose had chuckled. “In some ways harder.”
Skip had faked a little laugh. He wasn’t finding his wife’s stubbornness all that amusing at the moment.
Rose had said she’d swing by the hospital and pick Mac up. She’d also offered to collect Kate’s car in the morning. Skip thanked her profusely.
Rose had harumphed as if she were offended. “No thanks necessary. You’re family.”
Now Skip guided Kate toward the bedroom. They were halfway there when she said, “I’m hungry.” He changed directions and sat her down in a chair at the kitchen table. Then he went to the fridge to dig out some leftovers to reheat.
“Where’s Toby?” Kate asked.
“In the laundry room, I’d assume.” That’s where he slept at night.
“Let him out for a few minutes, will you?”
“He’s gonna jump up on you.”
“I know, but I need to see him.”
“Okay.” Skip had his doubts about this plan but he went to the back of the house and opened the door to the laundry room.
Toby came tearing out and made a beeline for the kitchen.
By the time Skip got back there, the dog had his front paws firmly planted on Kate’s lap and was vigorously licking her face. Kate had turned her head so he couldn’t get to the injured side of her nose, but otherwise she made no effort to stop him.
Instead she was smiling and murmuring, “Good boy. You’re such a good boy.”
“Since when do you like being licked in the face?”
Toby settled down some. He lowered his head to her lap and whined softly. Kate scratched his ears. “Since this guy woke me up with a doggie kiss, after scaring that creep off before he had time to do more harm.”
“You think the dog made a difference?”
“I suspect so. There were still people coming and going from the grocery store at the other end of the parking lot. The guy might have taken off anyway, but Toby’s barking probably made him go sooner instead of later.” The dog lifted his head and licked her cheek again. She chuckled. “Here, you better take him back to his bed before he drowns me in saliva.”
Skip took the dog to the laundry room, pausing to crouch down and give him a good belly rub. “Thanks, boy,” he whispered.
Back in the kitchen, the microwave dinged. Skip brought the bowl of stew to the table and set it in front of Kate.
Edie appeared in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Her gaze fell on Kate and she ran across the room, scrambled onto her mother’s lap, and threw her arms around her. “Mommy, I was so scared.”
Kate held her tight, rocking a little in the chair. “So was I, sweetie, but I’m okay now. And Lieutenant Anderson is going to find the man who hurt me.”
Edie pushed back to look her mother in the eye. “You cannot go outside until the lieutendent finds the bad man.” Her tone was an exact match of Kate’s when she was laying down the law to the kids.
Skip swallowed a chuckle, even as his eyes stung.
“
Lieutenant
, sweetheart,” Kate corrected her with a smile. “And I’m not going anywhere but the bedroom for at least a day or two.”
“Amen,” Skip muttered under his breath. He ruffled his daughter’s hair, then lifted her off her mother’s lap. “Come on, Pumkin. It’s back to bed for you.”
“’Night, Mommy.”
“Goodnight, sweetie.”
The nine-year-old allowed herself to be carried up the stairs to her room. When Skip laid her down on her bed, she hung onto him for a beat.
He pulled the covers up to her neck.
“Is Mommy telling the truth? Is she really okay?”
“Yes, Pumkin.”
“Is that man gonna try to hurt her again?”
“No, Pumkin.”
Not if I can help it!
He brushed the hair off her forehead and dropped a kiss there. “You go to sleep now.”
Downstairs, Kate was slowly spooning stew into her mouth. “I am so hungry, but it hurts to chew.”
He pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “You’re gonna be one big bruise by morning.”
She nodded slightly and lifted her spoon to her mouth again.
“Judith is going to use the attack on you as an avenue to quietly investigate Josie’s case. So no more poking around for you.”
Kate winced, then looked up at him. Something flashed in her eyes, then her battered face sagged. “My head hurts too much to think about that right now.”
Skip gritted his teeth but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Tears leaked from her eyes. She put down her spoon.
“For ditching Manny?” His tone was harsher than he’d intended.
“That wasn’t intentional. I was so rushed today that I never got around to telling him that I needed to go somewhere tonight. It didn’t even occur to me until he was driving away. Then I figured I’d be okay in a lighted, busy shopping center.”
“That was a major miscalculation.” Anger seeped through despite his best efforts.
“Yes it was.” She dropped her gaze to her half-empty bowl. “I haven’t been thinking straight for weeks. I’m so sorry I’ve let you down.”
Her forlorn tone made his chest ache. A medley of emotions roiled in his stomach. Anger won out. “More like scared the crap out of me.” He didn’t try to keep the sharpness out of his voice this time.
She shuddered without looking up. Then her shoulders shook with a silent sob.
His anger melted. Eyes stinging, he reached across the table and picked up her hand. “It’s okay, darlin’. We can talk about this tomorrow.”
“No, let me get this out before I lose my nerve.” She lifted her head. Her cheeks were wet. “I totally forgot about your presentation about bullying that night. It wasn’t until I called home and Maria said something that I remembered. And I blew off a lunch date with Rob. Again, I totally forgot about it. And you both let me off the hook, which made me feel worse, not better. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m so, so sorry.”
He went around the table and pulled her to a stand, then kicked the chair sideways and sat on it himself, pulling her down onto his lap. “Darlin’, darlin’, it’s okay.”
She burst into tears. “No, it’s not. Stop forgiving me. I’ve been a terrible wife and mother.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Sh, sh, it’s–” He caught himself before he said
okay
again. “It’s gonna be fine. You’re gonna be fine. Josie’s death has rattled you, that’s all.”
She cried for another minute, then swiped her cheeks with her fingertips.
He was sitting on his handkerchief and didn’t particularly want to get up, so he handed her the paper napkin from next to her bowl.
She dried her eyes and wiped her nose, then grimaced.
“Another miscalculation,” he teased.
She gave him a wan smile. “The doctor said I’m probably going to have a scar.”
He secretly hoped that she did, at least a little one. Maybe if she saw it in her mirror each morning it would remind her not to go chasing after killers on her own.
She leaned into him and gingerly positioned her head against his chest. “I thought I was going to die.”
He tightened his arms around her, his throat too clogged to say anything.
“I couldn’t fight back. My hands were pinned under me.” She sniffled. “I’ve had this false sense that I could handle whatever happened. Just because I have a brown belt in aikido.”
All the comforting words that came to mind would also encourage her to be foolish again. So he kept his mouth shut and rocked her gently back and forth while she wept.
~~~~~~~~
Kate woke in her own bed. She had a rip-roaring headache, her nose stung, and she’d gotten very little sleep because Skip had woken her up every hour or so to make sure she was okay.
But she smiled as she looked around the room. She was alive. She would heal. And she had confessed her sins to her husband.
She wasn’t sure whether or not he had absolved her of those sins, but she felt lighter for having fessed up. For about the third time in her marriage, she solemnly vowed to herself not to keep anything from Skip. Except, of course, her clients’ confidences.
And that was so often the rub. She’d get involved in something, like Josie’s murder, where she had to honor that confidentiality. Maybe she
should
get out of this line of work.
She shook her head, which turned out to be a very bad idea. When the pain subsided some, she decided to think about that some other time. Her brain was too fuzzy from the abuse it had suffered the night before.
The bedroom door opened and Skip stuck his head in. “You’re awake?”
“Yes.”
“Good, because the munchkins have breakfast for you.” He pushed the door the rest of the way open and stood aside.
Edie came in, walking slowly, a lap tray in her hands.
“Scrambled eggs and Maria’s biscuits,” Skip said. “Not too hard to chew.”