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The paramedics arrived, and Jack jumped out of their way. Let them work their magic. He had to call Kimberly anyway, let her know Robert was probably on the way to surgery.
There’d be one truck on the way to the hospital, one on the way to the morgue, but he only cared about one of the ambulances.
The paramedics were loading Robert on a stretcher when he grabbed Jack’s arm. “Hey bud, he wants to know if I’m allergic to anything. Tell him what I’m allergic to, would you?”
In spite of himself, Jack managed to crack a small smile. Leave it to Robert. Jack glanced at the two paramedics staring at him in expectation.
“Bullets. He’s allergic to bullets.”
The paramedics shook their heads and loaded Robert into the back of the ambulance. If that joke was any indication, Jack felt great relief course through his veins. Robert would be fine.
“Call Kimberly, tell her I love her and the girls,” Robert said before they shut the doors.
“You’ll tell her yourself. You’ll be fine,” Jack said.
The last words he’d ever said to Robert Craig, and he hadn’t thought about them in close to a year. It was easier to forget than have to regret. Unfortunately, Maggie had forced him to remember.
Just like she forced him to feel something, when he’d tried to numb it all. And mostly he’d had success, until now. First, her kid getting under his skin, and now Maggie. Except that the way Maggie got under his skin didn’t feel like a bad thing. She made his heart race in a good way. But they were a package deal, and both of them were far too much trouble.
God, I swore I’d never have anything to do with You again, but Maggie seems to count on You. So if You’re real, please make the pain stop. At least for one night.
The sound of someone pounding on his door jerked him awake, and the first thing he noticed was that the light filtering through the blinds had changed. No longer moonlight. Herubbed his eyes, but no doubt about it. Sunlight filtered through his blinds, and he’d slept all night.
Still in the jeans and t-shirt he’d changed into the previous night, he ambled to the door half-awake. The sleep felt like some kind of drug he couldn’t shake off and he moved slow, almost lethargic. Strange.
“Are you OK? I don’t think I’ve brought Chief back once when you haven’t practically been at the door before I knocked,” Maggie said when he opened the door.
The sight of her snapped him to attention.
She stood, wearing a green top that hugged her beautiful form and set off those green eyes.
“Sorry, must have overslept. What time is it?”
“It’s nine o’clock. I would have brought him over sooner, but I took Lexi in to school late, and I thought you wouldn’t mind.”
Nine o’clock.
Good grief, had he turned into a banker overnight? He hadn’t slept until nine o’clock since before he’d enlisted.
“May I come in?” Maggie asked.
Chief had walked right past as if he owned the place. Not good.
“Of course,” Jack said and turned his head in the direction of a slamming car door. Black sedan, clearly a rental car.
No. It couldn’t be, not now. But there was no denying that his past and present had just collided before his eyes. Tiny lines were now etched deeper along her dark brown eyes, her formerly long dark hair was now cut short. Still, he would have recognized her anywhere. A smiling Kimberly Craig walked towards him and Maggie.
“You can take that look right off your face, Jack Butler. I told you I wouldn’t give up on this.” Kimberly had an overnight bag with her, which meant she planned on staying.
Just after getting a good night’s sleep, the last thing he needed. The living, breathing reminder of his greatest failure had come to visit.
“Kim—what are you doing here?” He stammered.
“Really? This is how you greet an old friend? I’m Kimberly Craig.” She turned to Maggie and stuck her hand out.
“This is Maggie, my neighbor.”
He introduced the two as thoughts formed and competed for attention, all of them amounting to what Maggie would think. Would she believe he and Kim were an item, or even worse, would Kim tell Maggie what he’d done?
