The Cop

“Are you bragging or complaining?”

“My feet are complaining. I don’t spend much time in high heels.”

“Me, either.”

Kelly chuckled. “I doubt if you could find any in your size. Aren’t you glad now that you went to the wedding and the reception?”

Cole smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, I am. But I’m worn out.”

They arrived at the Twilight Inn a few moments later, and she wheeled him inside to his apartment.

When he stood to move to his recliner, Kelly helped him off with his coat. She started to unbutton his shirt, and when Cole put his hands on her hips to steady himself, something strange happened to her breathing. A woozy feeling washed over her, her heartbeat accelerated and her fingers fumbled the buttons. She caught herself, palms against his chest. “Sorry, I must visited that fountain once too often.”

“How much champagne did you have?”

“Only a couple of glasses.” Kelly knew it wasn’t the wine causing her reactions; it was the intimate contact. She was doing fine until he touched her.

Cole’s fingers tightened on her hips, and she glanced up. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His eyes were almost black, and she could feel the pounding of his heart against her fingers.

Trying to ignore the sexual awareness that steamed like an overheated radiator, she quickly disposed of the shirt and unbuckled his belt. When she reached for his fly zipper, his hand covered hers. “I’ll do that later.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re exhausted, and I don’t mind helping.”

“Darlin’, I may too tuckered to pucker, but some parts of me don’t seem to have gotten the message.”

Automatically she glanced down and didn’t know whether to laugh or blush. “Well, at least you know everything is in working order.”

“Yeah, there’s that. But the timing is lousy.”

“I could come back later.” Had she really said that? She couldn’t believe she’d said that. What had gotten into her?

She didn’t have time to bemoan her gaffe any longer because Cole seemed to have gotten a second wind. His arms went around her, and he pulled her into a kiss that blew her away, stole her breath and set her reeling. His mouth was greedy, and her response was just as hungry. She plastered herself against him and savored every sensual moment.

Her pulse raced and her belly vibrated—

Kelly went still. Her belly vibrated again.

“Sorry,” she said, pushing away. “My pager.”

“Ignore it.” He reached for her mouth.

“Can’t. I’m not on call. It must be an emergency. I have to go. And you need to rest.”

He cocked one dark eyebrow. “Darlin’, right now rest is the last thing on my mind.” He sighed and loosened his arms. “Call me later.”

Chapter Five

Kelly charged in the back door of the hospital and collided with Warren Iverson. “Sorry,” she said and tried to step around him.

He blocked her path. “Careful, Dr. Martin. You could have injured someone. Have you been drinking?”

She wanted to clobber him. He knew very well she’d toasted the bride and groom—and had a second glass of champagne. He’d been at the reception taking notes.

“Excuse me, I have an emergency.” She pushed past him and hurried for the nurses’ station. Let the old goat stand there and sputter. She didn’t care.

The news on her elderly patient, Mrs. Phelps, was not good.

After Kelly checked her, she said to the nurse, “I think you should call her niece immediately.” Mrs. Phelps’s only relative was a niece in Shreveport. “And her pastor.”

Kelly elevated the frail woman’s bed to make breathing easier, smoothed damp gray tendrils back from her forehead with a cool cloth and sat holding her hand until someone from the church came to stay with her. Dammit, this was a perfect example of the town’s need for hospice care. She felt totally inadequate. Nothing in medical school had really prepared her for having to say goodbye to her patients. Oh, there was the usual admonition about staying objective and emotionally detached, but she’d never been able to do it. She cared too much.

But could anyone care too much?

She said a silent prayer and slipped quietly from the room.

When Kelly got home, she took a long bath and put on soft knit lounging pants and a top. She heated a can of chicken noodle soup, but she ate only a bite or two.

Restless, she turned on the TV, then turned it off.

Neither Rocky nor Pierre seemed in the mood to cuddle. They had retreated to their hidey-holes.

Pacing didn’t help. She wanted to scream or weep or…something. But she didn’t dare start crying or she might not stop. She hugged herself and shivered. She desperately needed—

“To hell with this!”

She grabbed her keys and hurried to her car. The car headed toward the Twilight Inn on autopilot.

When she arrived, Kelly hesitated before she knocked on the apartment door. He probably wasn’t even there. With all his family in town, he was probably visiting with them or—

The door opened.

Cole smiled when he saw her. “I thought I heard someone drive up. I’m glad it was you. Come in.”

She strode past him and stood stiffly in the middle of the room. Only a table lamp by his recliner was on, and a paperback book lay opened and facedown on the chair seat. She nervously smoothed her wild hair. “I look like a witch.”

“You look like an angel. Maybe a little wild-eyed. What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath. “I need—I need—”

“What do you need?” he asked softly.

“I need to be held.”

He opened his arms wide, and she flew into them.

Being enclosed in his warmth and strength felt heavenly, and her head fit perfectly against his shoulder. Tension eased as she melted against his chest. Even the walker rails between them didn’t bother her…at first.

Then she gradually realized what those rails meant. “I’m sorry,” she said, pushing away. “You don’t need to be holding me up.”