She could be dead.

She pulled on a pair of plain white socks and a fresh hospital gown, tying it at the neck. She switched out the light and opened the door, but drew up short on the threshold.

Trapper was here.

Chapter 9

Her heart tripped, but she couldn’t have specified why. Fear? Or something entirely different?

However, exhibiting anything except annoyance would be a mistake. “Why do you feel at liberty to keep sneaking into my room?”

“Only twice now.”

“Kindly leave.”

“I don’t do anything kindly.”

“That I can certify.”

He eyed her up and down, making her uncomfortably aware of how short and insubstantial the hospital gown was and also of how defenseless she was. “Are you going to leave or force me to create a scene?”

“Tonight’s deputy on guard? He—”

“I have a guard?” She shot a glance toward the door.

“Yes, Kerra, you have a guard.” He said it as though he couldn’t fathom her not knowing that or grasping the necessity of it. “He’s Sheriff Addison’s man and knows how thick Glenn and I are, didn’t even question me coming in, so I doubt he’ll kick me out.” He gestured toward her. “No more IV.”

The sudden switch in topics threw her for a moment, then she followed his gaze down to her right hand. A bandage covered the spot where the shunt had been. “They took it out this afternoon.”

“Then you must be doing okay.”

“Okay” was going to take more than a single day, but she pretended to agree. “Have you seen The Major?”

“Twice today.”

“And?”

“No better, but no worse. Holding steady. Which at this point is good.”

“That’s what was reported on the evening news. I’m happy to have it confirmed.”

“The weather has taken a turn. It started sleeting about an hour ago.”

“The nurses have been talking about it. They’re worried about getting home after their shifts. But I’m told the weather hasn’t kept the media away.”

“No, they’re here. Like vultures circling a wounded animal, waiting for it to die.”

“That’s a distressing analogy.”

“But fitting.”

She had to agree and guiltily acknowledged that if she weren’t inside here, she would be out there competing with her colleagues for a scoop. “Did you have any trouble getting past the throng?”

“No, I have an avoidance technique.”

“Which is?”

“I tell them to fuck off.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

He was about to say something but changed his mind, disappointing her. She would have liked knowing what it was. Instead he asked how much longer she would remain in the hospital.

“Barring any setbacks, I’ll be released tomorrow.”

“Hmm. You still look puny, though. Here.” He rolled aside the table bridging the bed and motioned her toward it. “Climb in.”

She stayed where she was.

“Come on,” he said. “You look like you’re about to faint. If you do, I’ll have to scoop you up in that bare-assed gown and call for help. Talk about creating a scene.”

This had been the longest stretch of time that she’d been out of bed and, damn him for the accurate observation, she was feeling weak and light-headed. With what dignity she could muster, she reached around to her backside and held the gown together as she minced over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

“Need help getting in?”

He reached out to assist her, but she shrank from him. “I’ll sit.” She tugged a corner of the sheet out from under her hip and arranged it over her lap and thighs. “Why’d you come back tonight?”

“Your interview with The Major is on YouTube. I finally got around to watching it. You did a good job.”

“Thank you.”

“I brought you those.” He called her attention to a cellophane-wrapped bouquet of wilted carnations tied with a garish glitter bow. He’d stuck it into a vase of elegant long-stemmed roses sent by the network.

“Thank you.”

“Not that you need more flowers.”

The room had been filling up throughout the day. “People have been very thoughtful.”

“Who’s Mark?”

She looked at him with incredulity. “You read the enclosure cards?”

“Just that one.”

She glanced at the elaborate arrangement of calla lilies and white hydrangeas. “Why that one?”

“It’s the fanciest bunch. I figured the sender must be someone special.”

“He is. He’s a very special friend.”

“Yeah?” His gaze dropped to her lap, and when it reconnected with hers, he said, “A friend with benefits?”

That split-second glance, coupled with the insinuation, brought heat to her cheeks, which only minutes ago had been abnormally pale in the bathroom mirror. His audacity was insufferable, but her embarrassed reaction to it was even more so. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

He didn’t smile but there was amusement in his eyes. Maybe he was remembering that when he had kissed her, she’d done nothing to discourage or stop him. He’d ended it before she had.

However, the memory of that swift but potent kiss was immediately elbowed aside by ones of him demanding to know what or who she’d seen before barely escaping The Major’s house.

The space around her seemed to shrink, mostly due to Trapper’s large presence and his cocky stance: feet apart, jacket spread open because he’d slid his hands into the rear pockets of his jeans. And those damn blue eyes, penetrating and intimidating.

Panic swooped toward her like a bird of prey, blocking out the light with its wide wings, stealing her breath with their noisy flapping. Her hand moved to her throat. “I’m not feeling well.”

“Are you going to throw up?”

Immediately he was there, bending over her, holding a plastic basin under her chin with one hand. His other he placed in the center of her back, where the gown was open. Against her hot skin, she felt the cool imprint of each fingertip, the pressure of his wide palm.

A tide of heat spread up from her chest to enclose her head. The rims of her ears caught fire. She broke a sweat from her scalp to the soles of her feet. She kept her head down and prayed she wouldn’t retch as she had the night before. Even dry heaves would be humiliating.

“Breathe through your mouth.”

She did as he instructed, and that alleviated the nausea. Eventually the encroaching darkness and noise receded and then were gone entirely. The hot flash cooled. “I’m okay.” She pushed away the basin and straightened her spine to break the contact of his hand with her bare back.

“Want some water?”

She shook her head.

“Something else?”

Another head shake.

“Why don’t you lie down?”

She looked up at him. “Why don’t you go away?”

“A few questions, and then I will.” He returned the basin to the nightstand then backed up to the chair he’d sat in the night before and struck the same pose, elbows on knees, eyes on her. “Detectives from the SO questioned you?”

“Twice.”

“How’d it go?”

“Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Fine.”

“They clear you to go back to Dallas?”

She looked away from his blue-flame gaze. “Not yet.”

“Huh. Then your sessions didn’t go so fine.”

“Before I sign off on my statement, they want me to go through it one more time with … with Texas Rangers.” She rushed on before his arched eyebrow became a smart remark. “Only to make absolutely certain that I haven’t forgotten something.”

He just stared at her, saying nothing, but his skeptical expression put her on the defensive. “You should remember from your days in law enforcement how it works.”

“I do remember. Know what I remember best, Kerra? People lie.”