Love Inspired Suspense December 2015, Box Set 2 of 2 (26 page)

They both had a lot of healing to do. Maybe neither one of them would ever be able to overcome what they'd suffered since their college days. Only time would tell. Right now she needed a friend, and that's what he would be.

He opened the car door and started to get in but stopped and glanced at the house. As a friend, there was one thing he could do for her. He closed the door and headed back into the house to find the one thing that brought her comfort, her teddy bear.

CHAPTER EIGHT

M
ia sat up on the side of the bed in the emergency room cubicle where she'd been since arriving at the hospital and touched the bandage that covered the side of her head. The pain medication the nurse had given her had kicked in, and the room seemed to tilt.

She hated being in a hospital. It reminded her of all the visits she'd made in the past and her feeble attempts to explain away her bruises and injuries. Now as she thought about it, she wondered how she had ever convinced herself that she'd fooled the hospital staff into believing the stories Kyle had made her tell. After all, there had to be a limit to how many times even the clumsiest individual could fall down a flight of steps or walk into the corner of an open door.

To the credit of the doctors and nurses she'd seen on those visits, she had always been counseled about what she needed to do to protect herself from further abuse, but it had done no good. She had wanted so badly for her life to be different, and she had convinced herself to believe Kyle's promises that he would never assault her again. But there had always been a next time, and each one worse than the one before.

Tears filled her eyes. With an angry swipe she brushed her cheeks and took a deep breath. Kyle was never going to hurt her again, but it wasn't so easy to forget what had happened in the past. Time was what she needed. Quiet, peaceful, stress-free time—which she would never get until Tony Chapman was back in jail. Once she was safe, she'd be able to get on with her life. But what kind of life would she have? What did she have to fill it? A home that she hated. No job. No family. No friends.

Movement at the door caught her attention, and she darted a glance in that direction. Her pulse beat out a staccato rhythm when Lucas walked into the room. His forehead wrinkled, and his gaze raked her as if he was trying to convince himself she was all right.

He walked across the room and stopped in front of her. Her breath hitched in her throat as he reached up and touched her cheek just below where the bandage on the side of her head ended. His fingers trailed down to her face, and he cupped his hand around the curve of her jaw.

“I'm so sorry he hurt you,” he rasped. “It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone.”

Mia reached up and covered his hand with hers. “It's not your fault. We had no idea Clyde was anywhere around. I should have waited until you came back down from the attic. But if I had, he might have shot you and then kidnapped me. Tell me what happened. I remember him taking me out the patio door and hitting me on the head. The next thing I remember is waking up with your...” She hesitated. She had intended to say “with your lips on my forehead,” but she didn't. “With you holding me.”

Lucas nodded. “Well, it's kind of a long story. How about my telling you about it on our way to my parents' home? You're being released, and my mom is expecting us. I told the doctor you'd have your own private nurse until you're feeling better.”

“I feel fine now, and I'm ready to get out of this place. I don't like hospitals. They remind me of... Well, never mind what they remind me of. I just don't like hospitals.”

He smiled, and his eyes narrowed a bit. “I understand.”

“Can I leave now?”

“You can.” When she started to climb down from the table, he reached out and placed his hands on her waist. She'd forgotten how strong he was until he lifted her as if she was light as a feather and set her feet on the ground. He held on to her for a few seconds as if to see if she could stand alone before he released her. “My car is outside.”

He took her hand and led her from the room to the nurses' station. A nurse came around the desk when she spotted them. “Mrs. Lockhart, all your paperwork is complete, and I have a wheelchair ready to take you to the exit.” She glanced at Lucas. “You can go get your car and pull around to the double doors. We'll wait for you there.”

“Okay.” He held Mia's arm as she sat down in the wheelchair. Then he bent over and gave her hand a squeeze. “I'll be waiting for you in the car.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Lucas. You've been wonderful today.”

“Don't mention it. You're easy to be nice to.”

She watched as he turned and hurried down the hallway. When he'd exited the ER, the nurse grabbed the handles of the wheelchair. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am.”

“The doctor gave you a prescription for some pain medication, if you need it tonight. Your friend said he'd get it filled on the way home,” the nurse said as she pushed her down the hallway.

“Thank you, but I feel fine now.”

“I'm glad, but you never can tell how you'll feel later. You have a nasty bump on your head. Your young man was quite concerned when he arrived. He paced back and forth in the waiting room the entire time he was here until he was allowed back to see you.”

Mia's face warmed, and she tried to suppress the smile that wanted to spread across her face. “He's not my young man. He's a good friend who's helping with a problem in my life. In fact, he saved my life today. I'm very grateful.”

They had reached the exit by this time, and Mia caught sight of Lucas pulling to a stop outside. The nurse chuckled as Lucas jumped from the car and hurried back toward the exit. “Not your young man, huh? I see friends of patients all the time in my job, and I'd say that man coming toward you right now has more than friendship on his mind.” She leaned forward and whispered in Mia's ear. “Take my word for it.”

Mia started to respond, but Lucas opened the door for the nurse to push her outside. When they stopped at the car, Lucas put his arm around Mia's waist and helped her to her feet. Then, supporting her weight against his side, he opened the car door and held on to her until she was safely seated. Once she was settled, he turned and smiled to the nurse.

“Thank you for all your help.”

“You're welcome,” she answered. “And you have the prescription?”

He nodded. “I do. I'll get it filled on the way home.”

Lucas still held the car door open, and the nurse leaned over to speak to Mia. “Good luck. I'm glad you're getting to go home. Just take it easy for a few days.” She glanced over her shoulder at Lucas. “And don't forget what I told you.”

Mia smiled and nodded as the woman stepped back and Lucas closed the door. Then Lucas was in the car, and they were pulling out into the late afternoon traffic. “What a day,” he said.

Lucas directed his attention to the street in front of them and didn't say anything else as they drove toward his parents' home. Mia leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, her mind returning to the way Lucas had stared down at her after he'd pulled his lips away from her forehead.

Her heart hammered at the memory, and she clasped her curled fists in her lap. Thoughts like that would only end up getting her hurt. Lucas had made it clear he only wanted to be friends. “So, tell me everything that happened after Clyde hit me with his gun.”

Lucas darted a glance at her and frowned. “We don't need to go into that right now.”

“Yes, we do. I want to know.” Her head was starting to ache, in spite of the pain reliever the hospital had given her, and she felt exhausted and frightened and perilously near the end of her rope. “I'm paying you to work for me, and I want a full report on what happened at my house this afternoon.”

He gave a short gasp and then glanced at her, a scowl etched across his features. “Excuse me, Mrs. Lockhart, I guess I forgot for a moment that I'm only the hired help instead of a friend who's concerned about how you're feeling. I won't make that mistake again.”

Her throat constricted at the harsh tone of his words, but she couldn't let him know how much she regretted what she'd said. Putting a little more distance between them was for the best, even if it hurt to see him scowl at her like that. “Then, please, tell me what I want to know.”

His lips pursed for a moment, and then he began to speak. As the description of what had happened while she was unconscious began to unfold, she found her heart rate accelerating. When he described falling to the ground and shielding her with his body, she began to tremble. When he'd finished, she had the urge to reach over and squeeze his arm, but she forced her hands to remain in her lap.

“Thank you for saving my life.”

“You're welcome. Just part of the job.” His clipped tone pierced her heart, and she groaned inwardly. He didn't look at her but stared through the windshield, the muscle in his jaw flexing.

She swallowed hard and turned her head to stare out the window of the car. Ten minutes later they pulled into the driveway at his parents' home. She was out of the car and walking toward the porch before he caught up with her. The front door opened immediately, and Mrs. Knight stood there, a worried expression on her face.

“I thought you would never get here.” She reached for Mia's arm and pulled her inside and underneath the entry hall light. “Lucas told me you were hurt. Let me get a look at your head.”

Mia smiled. “I'm okay. No need to fuss.”

Mrs. Knight checked the bandage on the wound and nodded. “It seems good to me, but I'll keep a close watch on you tonight.”

Lucas stepped into the house and headed for the stairs. For the first time Mia noticed that he had her suitcase in his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Where did that come from?”

He stopped on the first step and glanced around at her. “I went back in the house and gathered up some of your clothes before I came to the hospital. That's what we went there to get. So I'll take this up to your bedroom, and then I'll go on home,” he said.

“You'll do nothing of the kind,” his mother replied. “You're staying for dinner.”

Lucas shook his head. “I can't, Mom. I'm tired, and I want to get on home.”

“But I made your favorite, spaghetti. You can leave as soon as you've eaten.”

“Mom, please.” He sighed and shook his head. “Not tonight.”

His mother's eyes darkened, and she bit down on her lip. “All right, darling. If that's what you want.”

The atmosphere seemed charged with electricity, and Mia darted a glance at Mrs. Knight. “Can I help you get dinner ready?”

Mrs. Knight pulled her gaze away from her son and reached out to squeeze Mia's hand. “After what you've gone through today, absolutely not. Now, go sit down in the den until I get the food on the table.”

Mia cast a quick glance at Lucas, who had continued upstairs, and headed toward him. “I think I'll go see what Lucas packed in my suitcase.”

Without waiting for a reply, Mia hurried to the steps and arrived at the bedroom just as Lucas set down her suitcase. He pressed his hands on top of the case, bowed his head and exhaled a deep breath. When he straightened and turned around, his eyes grew wide. His gaze traveled over her face as he stared at her standing in the doorway.

“I didn't know you had followed me upstairs.” He took a step toward her. “Do you need any help unpacking?”

She shook her head. “Lucas, I think I insulted you in the car, and I wanted to apologize.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Could you possibly be talking about what you said about me being the hired help who was supposed to report to you?”

Tears filled her eyes. “I didn't mean it to sound like that, Lucas. I just don't know how to act with you. When I came to see you, at first you acted like I was the enemy. You've made it clear that you would like for us to try to be friends, but I think it's fair to say that neither of us knows if that's possible. Then today I wake up, and you're kissing my forehead. It's hard to understand.”

He raked his hand through his hair and nodded. “We were in love once, Mia. And you're right, I don't know if we can ever be friends or not. It's like we take one step forward, and then two back. But I think if we work at it, we can have some kind of relationship.”

Tears blurred her vision. “I think so, too. I'll try.”

“I'm really not in the mood to talk about it tonight. I'll see you in the morning.”

Mia nodded and moved aside as he walked from the room. She closed the door behind him and leaned against it a moment. Then, shaking her head, she walked over and lifted the lid of the suitcase, her eyes opening in surprise.

Teddy lay on top of her clothes, his one eye staring up at her. She picked him up and held him close as she sank down on the bed. Today Lucas had saved her life, and then he'd gone back into the house and brought her the one thing that he knew would bring comfort to her.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She'd taken Lucas's kindness for granted years ago. Now, after the years of abuse she had suffered at Kyle's hands, she could appreciate all those times he'd insisted on staying late at night at her rehearsals so he could walk her back across a dark campus. How he'd dragged her away from cramming for exams to make sure she had a healthy meal. And how he'd always shown up with her favorites—strawberry ice cream and a chocolate cupcake—when she was sad because her father had ignored her birthday.

And she'd repaid him by breaking his heart. She took a deep breath, stood up and placed Teddy on the table beside the bed.

She should never have come to him for help. It could only remind him of her betrayal. After all these years, she'd shown up with all the baggage her choices had made, and she wasn't going to make Lucas suffer any more than he already had. As soon as Tony Chapman was behind bars, she would be on her way. Then Lucas would never have to see her again.

* * *

Lucas slammed on the car's brakes just in time to keep from running through a red light. Behind him horns blared as vehicles slid to a stop in the heavy morning commuter traffic. His face burned with embarrassment that he'd let his thoughts distract him. That wasn't like him at all.