A Shot in the Dark (Dark #1) Read online

  He had already called Detective Neal to let him know where Laney would be staying that night. Because the apartment was out of the detective’s jurisdiction, he enlisted the help of Stephen Miller, since he was familiar with what was going on with Laney and the apartment was in his jurisdiction. Officer Miller helped by getting a squad car to patrol the on-call apartment for the night. Josh felt better about her safety.

  Laney would probably be tired and hungry after work so he made a quick stop by the grocery store and picked up some flowers and some other items to make her feel comfortable and more at home. Then he stopped by Panera to pick up some salads for dinner. It was still early and she would not be getting off for a little over an hour. He didn’t want to have to reheat any food, especially since he was on call and he might not even be around to eat with her.

  He took the food and her clothing back to the on-call apartment. He put the flowers in a vase and placed them on the kitchen counter. He took special care and arranged her things in the bathroom so when she got there, she would be able to find everything with ease.

  As she was getting close to getting off work, Josh locked up the apartment and headed over to the hospital. Again, he watched to make sure no one was following him.

  When he got back to the emergency department, Josh caught a glimpse of Laney. She was chatting with a patient and laughing. He admired her beauty, grace, and her ability to put everything aside when dealing with her patients. He loved seeing that she could still laugh despite her world crashing around her. She was truly an amazing woman, and he knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t let her get away.

  He waited for her to finish with the patient before approaching her.

  “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “How are you?”

  “Well, I’m forty-five minutes into my call night and so far, no pages,” he said.

  The smile that Josh loved so much made its appearance. “That’s awesome.”

  “So you’re off in what, forty-five minutes?” he asked.

  “Actually, the night nurse is already here. She told me I could hit the road if I wanted. I told her I’d come in a few minutes early for her tomorrow so she could get her kids off to school. I was just killing time until you got here.”

  She melted his heart with her smile.

  “I love your smile, and I love that you can still find something to be happy about despite everything,” he said.

  “What other choice do I have? I can’t just sit and wait for something to happen and I can’t make myself miserable thinking about it. I’m certainly not going to make those around me miserable just because I have stuff going on.”

  “I love your positive attitude, Laney. I just wish you could carry that over into our relationship.”

  “I don’t think this is the place to talk about that. How about we get going?”

  “Good idea.”

  Josh took Laney back to the on-call apartment. He thought it would be a better idea to walk, in case someone was watching his car. Josh opened the door and allowed Laney to enter first. She noticed the flowers right away.

  “Irises! Those are my favorite.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes! They’re an amazing shape and I love their different colors. It looks like someone just painted their colors on. I think they’re fascinating.”

  “I had no idea. I was just trying to stay away from roses.” Josh froze, afraid he may have screwed up.

  “It’s okay. I’m not that fragile.”

  “I’m sorry, I just feel like I’m walking on egg shells right now. I don’t want to do anything to upset you or push you away.”

  “Look, I’ve done some thinking today while I was working. And you were right. I can’t just run away from what we have because of this stalker. I really enjoy the time we spend together, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Do I think we might have moved too fast? Absolutely. Would I prefer we slow down a bit? Sure. But there are things in life that I can’t control, and one of them is the way you feel about me and the way I feel about you. Right now, I love spending every minute with you. So I promise to embrace it for what it is and try not to over think things.”

  This was just what he’d hoped for. Josh pulled Laney into his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it. To some extent, maybe it did. He swooped her off her feet, carried her into the bedroom, and laid her onto the bed.

  “I don’t think I said I wanted you to whisk me off to the bedroom and have sex with me.”

  “Really? Give me a little more credit.”

  Josh walked into the bathroom and ran the water in the tub. He stepped out a couple of minutes later and began undressing her.

  “I can undress myself, thank you.”

  “Do you have to be so stubborn about everything? Can’t you allow me to take care of you once in a while?”

  She quit resisting and allowed him to undress her. Josh picked her up, carried Laney into the bathroom, and set her in the tub. She studied the ambience he’d set.

  “Scented bubble bath? Candles? You think of everything.”

  “I try. Is the water warm enough?”

  “It’s perfect, thank you.”

  “I just wanted you to have an opportunity to relax and be pampered. So take your time in here and when you’re done, I’ll have dinner waiting for you.”

  “I do like that I have my controlling boyfriend back instead of the nervous one who’s afraid to upset me.”

  Josh laughed. “Even when I’m nervous, I’m in control. Don’t think for a moment that I wasn’t.”

  “So do you keep all of this stuff here normally and take romantic bubble baths by yourself?”

  “No, I stopped by the store on my way back from your apartment. I wanted you to relax. But now that these candles and bubble bath are here, I might have to start doing that.”

  Laney giggled.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to leave you to yourself for a while. I need to go answer some pages. When I get back, I’d like to do the honor of washing you and scrubbing your back.”

  “Are you asking?”

  “Not particularly. I was letting you know that I’ll be back to wash you.”

  “I’ll be waiting. Please don’t be long.”

  “You’re a funny girl.”

  He headed into the living room.

  A short while later, he had finished all of his calls. He was happy that he hadn’t been called back to the hospital for a trauma. There were nights when he wouldn’t have to go into the hospital at all. Hopefully, tonight would be one of them. He didn’t want to leave her alone. Perhaps more importantly, he wanted to spend every possible moment with her.

  Josh carefully washed Laney, making certain he brushed and stimulated some of her parts. She didn’t seem to mind and he took that as a good sign. He helped her out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her. When he finished drying her off, he grabbed her nightie and slipped it over her head. Even in the cotton sheath, she couldn’t look any more beautiful.

  Josh led Laney into the small dining area, where he had a couple of candles lit on the table and their salads arranged on plates. He pulled out her chair and ushered her into it.

  “This looks amazing. Did you make the salad?”

  “No, my friends at Panera did. I hope you like it.”

  “The fact you took so much care with the presentation makes me sure I am going to like it. Not to mention I don’t think there is a bad thing on the menu at Panera.”

  Laney was relaxed for the first time in days. It warmed Josh’s heart. They ate their dinner while having some light conversation. When she had finished, he led her into the bedroom and tucked her in. Laney fell asleep quickly. Josh finished some work before joining her.

  ***

  Laney

  Laney woke up to the alarm on his phone going off at five-thirty in the morning. The fact that Josh was still by her side meant that he had an uneventful call night and was
able to stay with Laney the entire night. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, his presence was comforting.

  Laney glanced over to find Josh staring at her. “How long have you been awake?”

  ”Only for a few minutes. I love watching you sleep. You’re so relaxed and peaceful.

  Laney’s cheeks grew warm. “Should I be worried about your stalker tendencies?”

  “No, I just like watching you sleep. There’s nothing freaky going on.”

  “I’m afraid to ask. But do we have any presents at the front door?”

  “I haven’t gone to check yet. I was just enjoying my time here with you. I didn’t want to ruin the moment.”

  She rolled over on top of him and kissed him on the lips.

  “I’m certainly glad you stayed in bed. It allows me the opportunity to do more of this.” Laney placed several small kisses on Josh’s chest while he breathed in the scent of her hair. Even though she hadn’t showered, her hair had a flowery scent. Probably from the bubble bath.

  Laney smiled at Josh before making her way down his abdomen and finally to his nether regions, where she found him completely aroused. She took him into her mouth. But before she could finish, he rolled her over and entered her.

  She loved him being on top of her. There was never a moment that she felt more loved and safer than she did right then. If they never left that bed, it would still be too soon.

  When they had finished making love, Laney willed herself out of bed and into the shower. Despite the fact that she was right across the street from the hospital, she was still running late. Their time in bed was certainly not rushed, but now she was going to have to speed up her morning routine if she had any chance of getting to work reasonably on time.

  Josh had a cup of coffee waiting for Laney when she got out of the shower.

  “I thought you could use a little pick-me-up.”

  Laney took the mug from his hands and took a sip. “Mm. Just what the doctor ordered. It’s delicious.”

  “I have some good news.”

  She raised her eyebrow at him as she took another sip. “Do tell.”

  “The doorstep is free and clear of any surprises. It appears we have thwarted your stalker’s efforts to find you.”

  “That’s so awesome, Josh! Oh, I’m so relieved.” She put her coffee down and threw her arms around him. “I should stay here again. Would it be okay if I stayed here again tonight with you?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. You are mine to protect. And this seems like the safest place for you right now.”

  “Thank you for putting up with my craziness, my stalker, and most of all, thank you for making me stay here last night. You don’t know how relieved I am to have just one morning that I am not waking up to something dreadful on my porch. God, this is amazing!”

  “Thank goodness for small miracles. I love seeing you this happy.” Josh kissed her forehead. “Beautiful, I don’t mean to burst your bubble and pull you off of cloud nine, but you need to get moving. We are both going to be late for work.”

  “Oh gosh you are right. I’m sorry.”

  She threw on her scrubs and was ready in record time. They were out the door within ten minutes.

  As they walked over to the hospital, Josh told Laney he was going to call Detective Neal and ask if any disturbances took place at her apartment or if maybe they had caught the perpetrator. She agreed it was probably a good idea even though part of her didn’t want to know. Josh promised to connect with her later in the day to inform her on what he had found out. Laney would count down the minutes until she could hear his voice again. Hopefully that voice only came with good news.

  Chapter 24

  Rebecca

  “Good morning, Dr. Stone,” Rebecca greeted Josh as he walked into Skyler’s room.

  “Good morning. How are we today?” He asked Skyler.

  “Skyler?” Rebecca said.

  Skyler looked away from the television. “I’m doing great, Doc. When are you going to spring me?”

  Josh laughed. “You haven’t been in here all that long, buddy. You think you are ready to go home already?”

  “Well, yeah. If you could get my legs working a little better, I would be happier and I would be able to run out of this place. But since they don’t work, I can lie in bed at home just as easily as I can lie in bed here.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s true. Speaking of your legs, how are they doing? Any movement yet?”

  “I can move my toes on both feet. Not very well, but I do get some movement in.”

  “That’s great. Mind if I take a look?”

  “Sure.”

  Josh pulled back the blankets at the foot of the bed to uncover Skyler’s feet. “All right, let me see what you can do.”

  Josh watched as Skyler wiggled his toes. Not all of them moved and some moved more than others. But Josh was pleased with what he saw.

  “Nice job. You’re looking good.”

  “Thanks, Doc. So does this mean I get to go home?”

  “Not quite yet, but I am going to move you out of the ICU today. And you need that heart monitor any more. So, we will discontinue that. With the wires gone, it will give you more freedom to move about the hospital. I heard you got outside yesterday. Is that correct?”

  “Yeah, it was cool to get some fresh air. Not to mention, I had two hot nurses tending to my every need.”

  Josh chuckled, remembering what he was like when he was a teenager. He had been all hormones and only one thing on the mind. “You can go outside on one of the patios or down to the cafeteria as long as you have someone with you at all times. No going at it alone. Is that clear?”

  “Awesome! I’ll make sure my mom is with me.”

  “Good idea. It might be a good idea to get a friend or two in here. It may help pass the time and lift his spirits.”

  Rebecca smiled. “I couldn’t agree more. His friends have been asking about him. They would love to come and hang out with him. I don’t think any of them have ever been apart this long.”

  “Remember, this is a healing place. So, you boys are not allowed to get rowdy. Got it?”

  “Sure thing, but you didn’t answer my question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When can I go home?”

  “I’d like to keep you in here another day or two. It’ll allow me to make sure everything’s good and no secondary injuries are going to pop up. In addition, it’ll probably take that long to get home health and physical therapy scheduled to come to your house. You cannot go home without those things scheduled. I wrote an order to get physical therapy started today. They should be coming to your room a little later.”

  Skyler’s face brightened. “All right. You can have your two days. But I’d appreciate it if you could speed things up and let me go home tomorrow. I have things to do.”

  “And that is exactly why I’m going to keep you here for two days.” Laughter filled the room.

  “Do you have any more questions for me before I go and take care of my other patients?”

  “Man, this whole time I thought I was your only one.”

  Josh laughed. “I can assure you, at times it felt that way. Sadly, I have other sick people I need to go and check on.”

  “Well, get to it, then. I’m sure they want to go home as badly as I do.”

  “Skyler! Be polite.”

  Josh waved. “It’s okay. The kid is right. I’m glad to see him so punchy. It means he’s feeling better.”

  “Yes, I am. I’m feeling well enough to go home.”

  “Nice try, buddy. You two take care. And, Skyler, no venturing out alone.”

  “Don’t worry, Doc. I’ve got this.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Josh winked at Rebecca as he left.

  Rebecca focused on Skyler. “Did you have to be such a wise guy with him?”

  “Dr. Stone is cool. He doesn’t care.”

  “Well, at least try to use your manners with him.”
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  “Yeah, yeah. So I noticed that you seem especially happy today. What’s up? Did you have a hot date with Officer Stephen?”

  “Can’t a mom just be happy her son is doing better and may be getting out of the hospital soon?”

  “Yeah, but I have this feeling that is not the only thing making you so happy.”

  “Really, and what do you think it is?” Rebecca stared at Skyler.

  “I happen to think that a certain cop who seems to come by here excessively likes my mom a lot. And if I had to guess, I think she may like him back. So how was the date? Did you kiss him?”

  “Skyler!” Rebecca blurted out.

  “So you did!”

  “No, I didn’t kiss him!”

  “But you like him. And you did go on a date with him. I see it written all over your face.”

  “He’s a nice guy.”

  Skyler sat up straighter. “You should go for it. Where did you guys go? What did you do?”

  Skyler was like the girlfriend that Rebecca never had; always encouraging her to date and always getting excited at the prospects of it.

  “We went for coffee this morning.”

  “Lame.”

  “I actually thought it was nice.”

  “When are you two love birds going out again?”

  “I don’t know. He said he would call me. Besides, I am not interested in doing anything but taking care of you and making sure you recover as quickly as possible.”

  “You’ve been taking care of me my entire life. It’s time to take care of you. And besides, it would be awesome to have another guy in the house.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah! No offense, Mom, but you kind of suck at guy stuff. It would be cool to have a guy around to hang out with.”

  Rebecca frowned. “You never mentioned this before.”

  “Well, I never wanted to upset you. Besides, you always seemed really happy just being with me.”

  “That’s because I am.”