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And the thought didn’t scare her the way it should have. No, it wasn’t fear that she was feeling.
It was anticipation.
And that did scare her.
Chapter Thirteen
Shady Oaks Retirement Village
Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California
Tuesday, November 8, 11:45 p.m.
Sam punched the pillow under his head, trying to get comfortable on Georgia’s sofa bed. He’d lied to Kit. He’d told her that the bed wasn’t that uncomfortable, but it was like a torture device. But Georgia and Eloise had gone to sleep feeling safe, so it was worth a few sore muscles.
He rolled to his back, staring up at the ceiling.
Kit had called. She’d reached out. Without any prompting from me.
It wasn’t the declaration of affection for which he’d been waiting for six months, but it was a start. Have a good night, Sam. I’ll talk to you soon. The words loosened the tightness in his chest. There was also the requisite be careful in there, too, but he figured she couldn’t help that. It was how she was wired.
He reached down to pet Siggy, who was stretched out on the floor beside him, then stilled, his hand in Siggy’s fur.
Siggy was growling. It was a low, barely audible sound that Sam felt more than heard. Sam’s pulse began to race and he slowly sat up on the sofa bed, wishing he’d brought his gun.
But weapons weren’t allowed here in Shady Oaks, and his gun had gotten him into trouble once before because it hadn’t been registered. It was now, of course, but he didn’t have a concealed carry permit, so he’d left it back in his apartment.
He looked around Georgia’s living room for something he could use to protect them, if necessary, his gaze falling on an iron sculpture on the entry table.
He threw the blankets back when Siggy slowly rose, the growl becoming louder. There was a scraping at the door and Sam leapt from the bed, stumbling for the entry table.
He hefted the iron statue in one hand, testing its weight. It would do, if he had to use it. He took a step back, drawing a deep breath.
The hum of the electronic lock releasing had his shoulders tensing. He lifted the statue, backing up against the wall as the door eased open. The intruder was tall, only a few inches shorter than Sam.
I can take him.
Unless he was armed. Then who would protect Georgia and Eloise?
A second later, he released the breath he held with a whoosh. It was a woman wearing blue scrubs. A nurse. Nurse Roxanne, specifically.
She crept into the room, then turned to see him, letting out a small shriek that she stifled behind the hand she slapped across her mouth. Her other hand was pressed to her heart.
Off-kilter from the fright, Sam put the statue back on the table and backed away, his hands up, palms out. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t know it was you.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide and wild. “Dr. Sam! What are you doing here?”
“Just staying with Georgia and Eloise for the night. They were missing Benny.” He didn’t need to tell her that he was afraid for their safety. The cops didn’t want anyone disclosing that they suspected someone on the staff. It would cause undue stress to the residents and their families.
And to the innocent members of the staff. Which was nearly all of them.
Heavy footsteps thudded down the hallway, Officer Stern appearing in the still-open doorway. “Everything okay in here?”
“Just a misunderstanding,” Sam said. “Nurse Roxanne didn’t know that I was here and I startled her.”
Roxanne pointed to the iron statue. “He was going to hit me with that.”
“Not you,” Sam said, torn between wanting to comfort her and berate her reaction. “A prowler. I was asleep and heard a noise. I woke up unsure of where I was and I…panicked.”
