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He pulled a rolling stool underneath him and scooted to the edge of the bed. The boy’s sallow color raised several concerns. “Hello, Aidan, I’m Dr. Ford. I hear you have a tummy ache.”
“It hurts a lot.” He lay back as he turned his tearstained face to Rosalie. “Are you a police officer?”
Rosalie positioned herself at the boy’s head. “Better. I’m a special agent with the FBI. Cybercrime.”
Cannon jerked his head up so quickly he almost fell off the stool. The ransom email warning flashed in his mind.No FBI.
Aidan hiccupped. “A-awesome.”
No, not awesome.
Aidan sniffed back snot. “Can you stay with me?” He pointed to the caped cartoon character on his sweatshirt. “You’re like a real-life superhero.”
Shawn wiped his son’s cheek. “If the special agent sticking around makes you happy, I’m good with it.”
Cannon cursed under his breath. Rosalie couldnotstick around. “The special agent needs to get her injury looked at.”
She waved her hand. “It’s just a scratch.”
Cannon huffed. “Where have I heard that before?”
Her eyes, rich with intelligence, deepened under her raised brows. “I think I have time to tell Aidan what kind of bad guys I catch.”
“No, you don’t.” He motioned Shawn away from the bed and away from her glare and dropped his voice. “Annie is going to call Dr. Murphy to examine Aidan’s belly.”
“What is it? Is it bad?”
Cannon pulled off his gloves and threw them in the trash. “We can’t tell without tests, but I suspect it might be appendicitis.”
“Okay.” Shawn nodded as if to affirm the words. “That’s fixable, right?”
“Absolutely.” Cannon handed him his card. “If Dr. Murphy isn’t here in fifteen minutes, call me.”
“Thanks, Dr. Ford. And again, I’m sorry for my earlier behavior.” Shawn held out his hand.
Cannon shook it. “I know it’s hard to keep your cool. Trust me, I do, but Aidan needs you to keep it together.” He returned to the bed. “Hope your tummy is better soon, Aidan.” He gave the boy a high five and crooked his finger at Rosalie. “Come on, Special Agent. Your turn to see the doctor.”
To Cannon’s surprise, she didn’t protest as he placed his hand on her lower back and guided her into the neighboring room. He pulled the privacy curtain closed. As the rings on the track grated to a stop, her shoulders shook. He cradled her hip to steady her, his body instantly remembering how well her curves fit against him. “Are you in pain?”
She pulled in a steadying breath. “I’m fine.”
Liar.
He recognized a bullshit line when he heard one. Julia lied all the time about how she felt.
“No, you’re not fine. You’re injured.” He backed her farther into the room, wrapped his hands around her small waist, and deposited her on the bed. He ignored her protest as he reached for the box of gloves on the wall. Adrenaline pulsed from hisfingers to his toes. He always got a thrill working in the ER on a chaotic night.
The urgency.
The split-second decisions.
The high of saving a life.
Today hadn’t been a thrill. Terrifying didn’t sum it up either.
“What were you thinking?” He cupped her chin and gently worked off the blood-soaked bandage. “That guy was big enough to break every bone in your body.”
“I had the situation in hand.” She gritted her teeth as he pulled the tape.
