Page 4 of Relentless
“Mystery Lake General is a good hospital,” Jarrod said. “Probably not as exciting as some of the things you’ve seen. But between the skiers, hikers, and boaters, it’s never boring.”
She smiled at him as she knelt and repacked her bag, careful to tuck her dirty gloves into a hazmat bag.
“I’ll take that,” Jarrod said, holding his hand out. Grateful she wouldn’t have to dispose of it, she handed the small bag over.
“You’re not the only one who’s recommended the hospital,” she said.
“Dr. Warwick?” Jarrod asked as the paramedics strapped Ethan onto the gurney and lifted.
Before she could respond, Ethan called her name in a surprisingly clear voice. The two men looked back at her, silently asking if she wanted to respond before they whisked him away. She nodded and stepped to his side.
With a grip that was stronger than she anticipated, he took her hand. His fingers were warm and rough as they wrapped around hers. “Will you let the family know?”
“Of course,” she said. “I’ll call Chad and Sabina right now.”
“Make sure the first thing you say to them is that I’m all right,” he said. Chad’s parents had been killed in a car accident many years ago. Those scars ran deep, and she understood that Ethan wanted to minimize the panic.
“Of course,” she said again.
His eyes searched hers, then his grip relaxed, although he didn’t let go. “Will I see you at the hospital?”
She nodded. “It will take a while to get the road cleared, but I’ll head straight there as soon as I can.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, his fingers slipping from hers. She wasn’t sure if he meant at the accident site or Mystery Lake in general. Although it was possible that he meant both.
“Me, too,” she said. Then she bent over and kissed his cheek. “Now you be good to the nice men in the ambulance, and I’ll see you soon.”
His deep green eyes fluttered as he fought the effects of the pain medication. She brushed her fingers through his dark hair, and he sighed as he gave up the ghost and let his eyelids close. She took a moment to study him, his strong features, dark lashes, and the hint of stubble. Tracing his jawline, she absorbed the feel of him against her fingertips.
When he asked her to dinner all those months ago, she’d almost said yes. She’d never denied, not even to herself, that there was something between them. Something strong. Almost elemental. But ten months ago, she hadn’t had it in her to give them the chance to explore how deep thatsomethingran. She’d been too confused. There’d been too many unknowns.
Truth be told, there still were.
Sure, ten months had passed since they’d arrested the senator who’d killed her mother. And six months since he’d been sentenced to prison. But she’d had obligations to her former employer that kept her from taking any time for herself. Obligations that had allowed her to avoid asking herself the questions she needed to ask. In many ways, she felt no different now than when Ethan had asked her out.
With one big exception.
Now, she not only had the time, but also the desire, to ask those questions. After what felt like a lifetime of being on the move—of running—she now had two months of quiet to discover more about the woman she’d become. She thought she wanted what Sabina had—a stable job, a home, maybe a partner. Or maybe she’d discover that was a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.
Regardless, now was not the time to dissect that particular question.
Stepping away from the stretcher, she nodded to the two EMTs and they began their trip back to the ambulance. She watched until they disappeared, then turned to Jarrod. “You all good? Anything I can help with?”
He shot her a funny look. “Not many docs would offer that,” he said.
She grinned. “In the world I come from, everyone does everything. We don’t have a choice.”
He studied her, then inclined his head. “Thank you for the offer, but we’re all set.”
“The delivery kid?” she asked, remembering the young man she’d seen on his phone. “I know he was pretty far back, but was he cleared for any potential head injuries?”
Jarrod nodded. “He was only going thirty-five when he came around the corner. He had time to brake and slow down but not enough time to stop. His airbag deployed, and he sustained a small burn on his left arm and bruised nose, but no other injuries.”
“Good, glad to hear it. Hopefully he’ll check in with his doc, just in case,” she said. Then, casting her gaze over the scene, she asked an important question. “How long do you think the cleanup will take?”
CHAPTERTHREE
Two and a halfhours after the paramedics whisked Ethan away, Kara walked into the emergency department of Mystery Lake General. As promised, she’d called Chad and Sabina, and they’d assured her that they’d let the family know. Knowing the Warwicks as she did, she fully expected the entire clan to be in the waiting room when she arrived. Unsure where she fell in the priority of people being let in to see Ethan, she pulled out her phone to text her sister. She’d just brought the screen to life when she walked into a wall of muscle.
