Chapter 18

18

D ark clouds moved across the gray sky as the sun dipped behind the mountains. The bite of cold air urged Jenna faster as she ran to Calvin's truck parked on the road and hurled herself inside. She fastened her seatbelt with shaky fingers. "Get me out of here." Anxiety sat low in her stomach. Her encounter with Milo left her shaken. His height and build were like the man who'd tried to kill her. His flash of temper and rough way he'd handled her told her that he was more than capable of violence.

Calvin slid onto the quiet street and spared her a quick glance. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed past the lump of fear wedged in her throat. "Milo caught me in his office. He was pissed."

"Shit, Jenna. Did he hurt you?"

Her arm throbbed from where Milo had grabbed her, but the anger in Calvin's voice warned her not to mention it. "No. He showed his true colors, though, and they aren't pretty."

Calvin growled and turned away from the law office. "I'll figure out another way to get information from Milo. We should head back to the shelter and regroup."

Jenna's phone dinged, announcing a text message. With her hands still shaking, she plucked her phone from her pocket and read the message. "That was my boss. Dr. Kent moved two towns over, the same town where the flower shop is located, but he still works in Pine Valley."

Calvin tightened his grip on the wheel and cast her a quick glance. "Quite the coincidence."

"Let's go talk to him."

Groaning he turned toward the opposite end of town, away from the cluster of local businesses. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Are you sure you're up for talking to him now? I can take you back to the shelter and do this myself. You don't have to be there."

She tenderly touched the flesh along her throat that still burned from the night before. Fear licked at her belly, but she had to do this. Had to face the man who may be out to destroy her. "I'm sure."

He nodded then put the address she looked up in his GPS. The velvety smooth voice on his phone chirped out directions, and he maneuvered toward neatly maintained neighborhoods. A few signs hung outside of houses transformed into places of business. A white Victorian nestled between an apartment building and a vet's office boasted a sign for a family practice.

"Is this it?" she asked.

"Looks like it."

"It's hard to imagine Dr. Kent as a primary care physician. That'd be quite a downgrade in pay for a seasoned neurologist."

Calvin drove past the narrow lane that ran along the front of the house. "Driveway's full, and I don't see a lot attached. I'll have to park on the street." He looped around the block, pulling along the side of the road a few spots away from the doctor's office.

After Calvin cut the engine, Jenna jumped out and wiped her palms on her thighs. So many years had passed since she'd last seen Dr. Kent. Nerves knotted her stomach, but she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. Time was ticking and she needed to do everything within her power to find Stella's killer.

Calvin followed close behind her, the heat of his body chasing away the bite of the wind. Just like he'd had warmed her while she'd slept. Heat swirled inside her, but she couldn't simmer in the feelings she'd woken up with. Not now.

At the door, Calvin opened it wide and waited for her to enter then stepped inside.

She glanced over her shoulder before pivoting into the small waiting room.

"Are you ready for this?" He molded his palm against her back, leaning close to her ear as he spoke. "Doesn't sound like you two have a very good history."

She blew out a long breath. "Don't worry about me. I can handle it."

Turning into the square room Jenna marched toward the receptionist, ignoring the twenty-something man who sat on a chair pushed against the wall with a magazine in his hands.

A perky woman with round glasses and a tired smile sat behind the long counter. "Hello. May I help you?"

Jenna trained her most sincere smile at the woman. "Hello. I'm here to see Dr. Kent."

The woman frowned. "Do you have an appointment?"

Jenna grimaced. "No, sorry. But I'm sure he'd be fine with seeing me."

The receptionist dipped her chin, obviously not buying Jenna's bullshit. "Dr. Kent has one more patient before we close the office for the evening. I suggest you make an appointment and come back tomorrow."

Crap. Not knowing what else to do, she splayed her fingers on the tender skin of her throat. "I was attacked last night. I went to the hospital, but I'd feel much better if I could have someone I trust examine me and make sure everything's okay." She worked up a misty-eyed stare and forced a catch in her voice.

The woman glanced at the clock then back at Jenna. "I'll see what I can do." She disappeared down a hallway for a full minute then opened a second door that connected the waiting room to the rest of the office. "Follow me."

Pictures of smiling patients and children's homemade artwork lined the walls. Not the impression Jenna expected from the workplace of the stuffy doctor she'd once known. Keeping her mind open, she passed the receptionist on her way into the exam room.

"Dr. Kent will be with you shortly," the woman said, then closed the door.

Calvin circled the room, studying the space before taking a seat in the corner and crossing his arms over his chest. "Have you heard of this practice before?"

Jenna scooted up on the table. "Not that I recall. I don't deal with a lot of family care physicians."

Before Jenna could say more, the door swung open. A gray-haired man with a receding hair line entered the room. Concern hung heavy on his full face. He locked his gaze on her, confusion quickly replacing concern. "Dr. Simon?"

Calvin stepped out from the corner and placed himself in front of her. "Hello, Dr. Kent. I'm Calvin Spradling. I'm a private investigator, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

He reared his head back. "Excuse me? I still have one more patient to see today. I can't deal with whatever this is right now."

"Just one second. Please." She didn't need any more time than that. Dr. Kent was the right height, but his puffy middle wasn't the hard wall of muscle she'd been pinned against. Even if Dr. Kent held a grudge against her, he wasn't the man they wanted. "Calvin's helping me find the person who killed my sister, Stella Ryan."

Dr. Kent dropped his eyebrows so low they almost met at the bridge of his crooked nose. "I heard about her. I'm so sorry for your loss, but what information could I have regarding a woman I never met?"

"We think I may have a history with the person who killed her—that the person may be trying to punish me." Jenna swallowed the bile creeping up her esophagus. The theory they were chasing would never get easier to stomach.

Dr. Kent blinked several times before realization lightened his hazel eyes. "And you think that could be me?"

"You're the only person who could hate me that much. I'm the reason you lost your job at the hospital. I cost you a hefty paycheck. Your reputation."

"You did what you should have done." Dr. Kent ran a heavy palm down his face.

"What?" Surprise shook her voice.

Dr. Kent let out a long sigh. "In this line of work, a lot of things are bound to haunt you. I'm sure you know that by now. But at that time in my life, I was angry and short-tempered. My wife had just left me. My kids didn't want anything to do with me. And instead of looking at myself and asking what I needed to do to fix it, I became a bigger ass. I didn't give my patients the care they needed or my coworkers the mentor I should have been. That night…when that young woman came in." Dr. Kent lifted his shoulders. "I undermined you, made the wrong call, and she died because of it. She had her whole life ahead of her. Just been married. And I took that away."

"So you aren't angry at Jenna for reporting you?" Calvin asked.

Dr. Kent let out a humorless laugh. "Angry? No. That moment forced my eyes open. Made me reevaluate my life. My work. My priorities. Unfortunately, a young woman just passing through town from out of state had to lose her life for me to get my act together. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to see."

Calvin watched him leave then faced Jenna. "Wow."

Jenna nodded, a long, slow nod. "Yeah. Wow. I don't even know what to say. All this time I thought he hated me."

Closing the space between them, Calvin took her hand. "Looks like you did him a favor."

Jenna squeezed their linked fingers, and her heart fluttered. "He remembers everything about her, and I can't even recall her name. What does that say about me?"

"That you've saved hundreds of lives and spoken with even more family members and friends of people you've treated. You can't be expected to remember all of their names."

"I'd forgotten about her completely until this." Tears misted her eyes and threatened to fall.

Calvin folded his arm around her. "No one would think of you any differently for that. You're a great doctor. A great person."

She sucked in a breath. Her mind spun, and she longed to feel the brush of his lips upon hers. "Do you really mean that?"

He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Yes."

Not wanting to wait another second, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his. Warmth pooled all the way to her toes.

Calvin released her hand and wrapped his arms around the small of her back, molding her against him.

Desire and longing had her slipping her tongue in his mouth, tasting him, moving her body against him as pleasure burst inside her.

Calvin pulled back and gasped for air. "Jenna." Lust thickened his voice, and he moved his hands to cup her ass.

She slid her palms to his chest and closed her eyes to catch her bearings. "We need to get out of here."

"Agreed."

Lacing their fingers, she led the way from the room then pushed through the front door. The cool wind slid against her warm cheeks but couldn't beat down the flames of desire Calvin had ignited.

"I'll grab the car and pull it around."

Excitement bubbled in her chest as she watched him hurry to his truck. Dead leaves rustled under her feet as she strolled to the sidewalk. The stoplight at the intersection changed, the signal facing her now red. A black car barreled through the light, charging toward her at top speed.

Fear raced down Jenna's spine. Time slowed, but the car didn't. The vehicle bumped over the edge of the sidewalk, the headlights blasted her in the face, blocking the driver. Jenna leapt away from the speeding sedan, but the car struck her side. She slammed against the ground. Her head bounced off the sidewalk. Pain exploded inside her, and her world went dark.

A wide smile made Calvin's cheeks hurt. Something had shifted today. Jenna had kissed the hell out of him, and he wanted to see where that could lead. But more than physically. He wanted to have a real conversation and clear the air, then see if they could build a future together.

Retrieving his keys from his pocket, the roar of an engine caught his attention. His heart lodged into his throat. A car sped toward the sidewalk. Toward Jenna. She lunged to the side, but the car's bumper crashed into her.

His breath hitched. His heart sped. He ran toward Jenna. Sweat formed on his hairline. His limbs trembled with a fear he'd never experienced. His sneakers skittered over loose pebbles along the sidewalk. "Jenna!" The words scratched his dry throat. He couldn't lose her, not after he'd finally gotten a chance to win her back.

The black sedan disappeared around the corner. Calvin squinted to see the license number, but it was too far. Sonofabitch! Panicked shouts from down the street called for help.

Jenna laid sprawled on the sidewalk—eyes closed, body still, blood from a gash on her head splattered on the ground around her. Dizziness swam in his head. A fist grabbed hold of his gut.

He dropped to his knees. "I'm here, Jenna. Can you hear me?" She didn't move, but the steady rise and fall of her chest told him she was alive. He ached to gather her in his arms but moving her without knowing the scope of her injuries could be detrimental. Placing two fingers against the side of her neck he said a quick prayer. Please God. Don't let her die .

A strong pulse beat against the pads of his fingers. He glanced around. A few pedestrians had poured out of the surrounding businesses. "Someone call 911." Ripping off his jacket, he used the arm of the coat to press against the open wound on her head. He scanned the rest of her crumpled body. He braced his free hand on the side of her neck to keep her steady. He didn't want her to move and cause further injury.

"Ambulance is on its way," a man said from behind him.

"Go get Dr. Kent. He's in the office behind me." He yelled the order without turning to see who he yelled at. Steadying his breath, he tried to gain control of the trembling in his hands. He wouldn't do Jenna any good if he couldn't stop the fucking tremors from taking over his entire body. Minutes ticked by, each second with more excruciating torment than the last.

The wail of sirens split the air, the stressing call growing louder by the second. The crowd parted and a police cruiser screeched to a stop on the curb, an ambulance pulling in behind it. Emergency workers jumped from the cab, one rushing toward him and the other rounding the back of the large vehicle.

An EMT in the blue uniform, red hair pulled back in a practical ponytail jogged to Jenna's side. Her stern face softened as she crouched beside them.

"She was hit by a car," Calvin said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Sustained quite a bit of blood loss from the wound on the side of her head. Her pulse is strong and breathing steady."

Fingers brushed against his hand. He locked his gaze on Jenna. Slowly, she inched her hand over his, covering his knuckles. The rapid palpitations of his heart made his head spin. "Jenna?"

Her long lashes fluttered until her beautiful, blue eyes lit through the darkening sky. "Calvin?"

Emotions welled in his throat, pushing his breath back down to his lungs and making it hard to breathe. "I'm right here, baby. Everything's okay."

"Please, don't leave me." Her words hitched in her throat before her eyes drifted closed and the muscles in her hand went limp.

The icy prongs of terror tore into his flesh.

Calvin moved to the side, giving the paramedic room to do her job. But he wouldn't leave Jenna. Not now. Not ever. But first, he needed to make sure she made it out of this alive.