Bubblegum Blonde (16 page)

The truck smashed into my car one final time. My head slammed into the side window, but I let go of the wheel, and it spun hard to the right. My tiny Beetle hit the side of the road and was airborne, then flipped in midair before landing in the ditch on its top.

I was surprised that the roof hadn't caved in on impact and that I was still alive. I was hanging upside down from my seatbelt. I was still conscious but just barely. I'd never again roll my eyes when a car salesman prattled on about the five-star crash rating.

My vision was blurry. I fished around on the roof of the car where all of my belongings now rested and nearly wept with joy when my hand connected with my cell phone. I heard the truck slowly approaching. I had no idea who was behind the wheel of that vehicle, but I knew without a doubt that his intentions were to kill me.

The vehicle stopped. I heard it idling and listened for the door to open.

My mind went into a tailspin. I felt around on the roof of the car but couldn't find my gun. I'd taken it out of the waist of my pants and set it in the passenger seat while I drove.

What if whoever was behind the wheel of that truck got out and made sure he finished the job? Did he have a gun? A knife?

I opened my one unswollen eye and dialed 9-1-1. Before the dispatcher answered, I heard the truck roar by. He hadn't gotten out. I guess he figured he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do.

"9-1-1. What is your emergency?"

"I've been in an accident…"

His nametag read Dr. Richard Hope, but it should've read Dr. Hotty McHotterson.

I was starting to sweat just being in the same vicinity as the incredibly hot emergency room doctor while he finished wrapping my right wrist in an ACE bandage.

"Just a few seconds and you'll be all done."

I hadn't been to a lot of emergency rooms in my life, but I was fairly certain not all doctors looked like the hunk of hotness seated on a low stool before me. I expected to see a short, round man with grey hair wearing a long white coat. Instead I got mister tall-tan-and-handsome in a pair of well filled-out, dark blue scrubs.

To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

"I don't think I've ever treated a female private investigator before. This is a first for me."

"I'm so happy to be the one to pop your female private eye cherry," I joked.

He laughed a deep, rumbling laugh that warmed my insides.

"Sassy," he teased with a saucy wink of his own.

It had been a long time since I'd indulged in a little harmless flirtation, especially with someone as hunktastic as the doc. I forgot how good it felt.

"The good thing is that your wrist isn't broken, but it
is
severely sprained and will be sore for a couple of weeks." He secured the bandage. "You're lucky. You could have been killed." He reached up and smoothed my hair off the giant bruise making itself at home along one side of my forehead.

"That's a nasty bruise, but the scan didn't show anything serious." He checked the chart. "You'll have a headache for a couple of days. Ibuprofen should help with any pain, but if you experience any dizziness, nausea, or vomiting, you need to get back here immediately."

"Thanks." I attempted a smile. "Honestly, being run off the road isn't a common occurrence. As a matter of fact, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me."

He shook his head, and I took a second to appreciate his sharp profile. The doctor had the most mesmerizing blue eyes and full lips. His pale blond hair was slightly shaggy, as though he was a couple of weeks late for a trim. He was hands-down one of the handsomest men I'd ever seen.

"But that's exactly what happened, isn't it?" he asked seriously. "Hopefully it won't happen again." His eyes met mine. "I'd like to keep you here overnight for observation, but you made your dislike of hospitals abundantly clear when the ambulance brought you in." I saw him struggling not to smile at the memory. "So, since your scan didn't show any fractures or internal bleeding, I'm not going to force the issue." He gave up and grinned.

I hated the thought of staying in the hospital more than I hated the
Jersey Shore
reality show I'd had the displeasure of stumbling upon late one night. I hadn't watched television for a month after coming across that little piece of WTF.

"Thank you. I really would rather nurse my wounds in the comfort of my own home."

He nodded his blond head. "That's what I thought you'd say."

"A cup of hot chocolate and a snuggle with my cat, and I'll be as good as new."

"A snuggle, huh?" Dr. Hope smiled up at me, and my skin tingled. Not only was the good doctor handsome, he was charming.

The curtain separating us from the rest of the emergency room was ripped back. The metal curtain hooks screeched their protest against the rail, and I had to fight the urge to grit my teeth and cover my ears.

"What in the hell happened?"

I jumped as Detective Black barged past the curtain.

The doc stood up between us and raised his palms in an attempt to stop the detective's advance. "I'm sorry, but you can't be in here."

"The hell I can't." Black held up his badge, and the doctor dropped his hands to his sides.

 "I need to ask Ms. Jackson some questions, starting with
what in the hell
she was doing alone on that lone stretch of highway so late at night."

I scowled. Who in the heck did he think he was? Barging into the hospital, interrupting the only flirting session with a sexy man (not counting Silas. That situation was a bit one-sided.) I'd had in what felt like ages, and grilling me like I was a common criminal in front of said sexy man? The last time I checked, I was the victim in all of this.

"She needs to rest, and I don't care who you are. You're not just going to barge in here and yell at my patient." Dr. Hope stood his ground. "She's been through a lot tonight—"

"I was doing my job." I cut the doctor off. "And the last time I checked, it was perfectly acceptable for a woman to drive alone at night. This isn't the early nineteen fifties, in case you haven't noticed, and I don't need a babysitter."

"Yes, I'm fully aware that you're grown and what year it happens to be." Detective Black glared at me around the doctor. "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the fact that you didn't bother to tell anyone where you were going."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have to report in to anyone, especially you." I pointed at him with my uninjured hand. "And for your information,
Detective
, Mandy knew exactly where I was going."

He growled. Actually growled. Like a caveman.

It was hot and irritating and confusing all at the same time.

"But you still chose to go
alone
?"

"Seriously, Detective—"

"Tyler." He interrupted me.

"What?" I frowned at his interruption.

"My name is Tyler." He ran a hand through his hair with frustration. "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that I'll be dealing with you and your irresponsible antics a lot more in the future, so we might as well get on a first-name basis with each other."

I shook off the snide remark and continued my rant. I was on a roll, and there was no stopping me once I got started. I was almost killed, had a serious headache, my car was totaled, and I was late to feed Mickey which meant that he was probably taking a poo in my favorite shoes as we spoke.

"
Tyler
." I practically groaned. "I'm a grown woman. I think I can take care of myself."

"Like you did tonight?" he snapped. "I told you to be careful, to watch your back, but did you listen?
Nooo
." He tossed his hands into the air. "You just went off and did as you saw fit. Do you ever stop to think about your own safety?"

The doctor stood looking back and forth between us like he was watching a ping-pong ball.

This time I growled, but Tyler ignored me. He was the one on a roll now, and I was just about fed up with his high-handed behavior. He was ranting so hard that he was starting to resemble an irate teenage girl who'd lost her favorite T-shirt, and I was getting seriously annoyed.

I briefly wondered what kind of jail time I would be looking at if I kneed him in that big set of balls he obviously had.

"All right, that's enough."

As soon as the words were out of the doctor's mouth I wondered if he had a death wish. The look Tyler bestowed upon him was so anger-filled it would've scared Manson himself, but the doc ignored it.

"Ms. Jackson was—"

"Barb. Call me Barb."

The doc cast a quick glance in my direction then looked back at Tyler. "Barb was just in an accident. She's injured, shaken, and the last thing she needs is for you or anyone else to come in here bullying her. I don't care if you're a cop, her parents, or the pope himself. You will not harass her. She needs rest and someone to care for her instead of nagging her about what she should've done and what could've happened."

Tyler stepped forward and visibly clenched his jaw.

"I'm not bullying her." He took a deep breath. "Someone tried to kill her because of a case she's working.
My
case, to be exact. Now, because of her recklessness"—he jabbed a finger at me—"it's
my
job to keep her safe."

"Excuse me, but I was not being reckless." I tried to interject, but it was like I wasn't even in the room. The men were too busy comparing the sizes of each other's package to even notice me anymore.

Tyler's dark complexion and thick muscular frame facing off against Dr. Hope's light, leaner muscular frame was quite a sight to behold.

I have to admit, being witness to the two hottest men I'd seen in a long time face-off was a bit of a turn on. Now all I needed was Silas to show up shirtless with his sexy grin, and I could sell tickets.

I seriously needed to get out more.

"Good. See that you do," the doc said then turned to me. "Do you feel safe alone with this man?"

I peered up into the doctor's concerned blue eyes then chanced a peek at the detective. While Tyler looked more than a bit ticked off, I couldn't gather a sliver of fear of him.

I nodded. "He's not as bad as he seems." I winked at the doc. He smiled, then fished in the pocket of his scrubs and pulled out a card. He scribbled something on the back then handed the little slip to me.

"That's my cell number on the back. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

I took the card and smiled as he tossed a wink at me, glowered at Tyler, and then turned to leave.

He grasped the curtain, then turned back to me.

"I meant it when I said if you need
anything
. Just give me a call. You can sign your discharge papers at the desk on your way out."

Tyler growled. I blushed, and the doc grinned.

Once the doctor was out of the room, Tyler pulled the curtain shut and took a seat next to me on the bed.

He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep calming breath. When he spoke again, his tone was much softer.

"I just saw your car, Barb. You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive."

"I have an idea," I said.

He reached up and swiped his thumb over the bruise on my forehead, then jerked his hand back as though he caught himself doing something wrong, but his expression softened. "Are you really all right?"

"I was a lot better before you came in here yelling at me and stomping around like a bull."

Tyler frowned at me. "I didn't mean to yell at you, but you have to understand. You could've been killed. I think whoever ran you off the road had that express intent in mind."

I knew that what he said was true, but someone trying to kill me just didn't make a lick of sense. Who was driving that truck, and why were they out to kill me? Perhaps I'd gotten too close to the truth about Lydia's murder without knowing it. That theory was a long shot as I'd just started working the case and thus far had diddly-squat to go on other than Lydia was apparently a madam, but it was still an option worth considering.

Mainly because it was the only option I had.

I sat that curiosity on the back burner for later examination and nodded at Tyler.

"When I saw your car, I thought there was no way you could've survived. You scared me to death," he murmured and looked away from me.

"You barely know me."

He smiled and chuckled. "I know, but what can I say?" He shrugged. "You're a hard woman to forget, Barb. I hate to admit it, but I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since I saw you in the police station."

I felt a blush rise in my cheeks and glanced away. What was I supposed to say to that? A man I barely knew, a man I was more attracted to than any man I'd ever known, had just confessed that he couldn't stop thinking about me. Was worried about me.

I didn't know what to say or do, so I just sat there like a lump. Wasn't it just like a man to add more fuel to the fire of my already-addled brain?

Tyler rubbed his hands together like he didn't know what to do with them, then stood up in front of me and shoved them into his pockets.

"I know what you mean," I said and looked away. There had barely been a minute since I'd met him that I'd been able to stop thinking about him.

"But you don't have to tell me how lucky I am. I was in that car, in case you've forgotten."

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten." He regarded me seriously. "I don't think I'll ever forget."

I didn't know what it was about this man I barely knew, but he had me twisted in knots. I couldn't decide if I wanted to throw myself into his arms or run as far away as possible.

For the moment, I'd settle for a steaming hot bath.

"I have some questions for you about what happened."

"Can we do this back at my place?" I asked. "I'd really rather get the heck out of here. These places give me the heebie-jeebies."

Tyler laughed. "I understand completely. Sure." He smiled down at me. "We can get out of here. I'll call and let the station know that I'm taking your statement in-home so that you can get some rest instead of sitting at the station all night."