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“Spence, you live alone out in the country,” Ruth said. “If I send you home without MRI results and it’s worse than a mild concussion and you lose consciousness, I’d never forgive myself. Please don’t fight me on this,” she said with pleading brown eyes.
Ruth and her husband, Cal, both in their fifties, had been gracious to Spence when he moved to town, having him over for dinner a number of times and treating him like family.
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I’m proof that doctors make horrible patients.”
Relief eased across Ruth’s face. “Good, now that that’s settled, take the sedative so you can relax for the MRI. It’s very mild.”
If he was his own patient he’d be following Ruth’s protocol without question. He swallowed the pill and sipped water to wash it down.
“They’ll be up shortly to take you to imaging.” Ruth glanced at Maddie. “Are you staying?”
“Until my ride shows up.”
“You mean Rocky?”
“No, my cousin Bree.”
“Oh, I thought your boyfriend would pick you up.”
“My boyfriend?”
“I assumed you and Rocky were a couple, but kept it quiet because of work policy.”
Spence noted Maddie’s confused expression. Not guilty for putting her job at risk by dating a fellow employee, but she seemed confused by the question as if the thought of dating Rocky had never crossed her mind.
“Rocky and I are good friends, that’s all,” Maddie said.
Ruth nodded, but didn’t look convinced. “Well, it’s nice of you to stay with Spence. I didn’t realize you two were friends.”
“We’re not, but she saved me,” Spence said.
“Saved you?” Ruth said.
“Maddie showed up and distracted the guy from throwing me down the mountain.”
“Oh dear.” Ruth glanced at Maddie. “You are certainly a brave young woman.”
Maddie shrugged.
“That must have been terrifying,” Ruth said.
“It all happened pretty fast.”
Ruth turned to Spence. “Who attacked you?”
“I don’t know. He was wearing a mask.”
Ruth’s pager buzzed and she glanced at it. “I’ve gotta run. I’ll check in later.”
“Thanks,” Spence said.
Ruth left the room and Spence gazed out the window into the dark night.
It was clear that Maddie was hanging around because she felt sorry for him. After all, Spence had no family, no dutiful wife. Not that the women in town hadn’t auditioned for that role many times during the past year. He’d never step into that bottomless pit again.
Never trust a woman with his heart.
If he eventually considered marriage, it would be a partnership of familial obligation, not romantic love. Was there a woman out there who’d be open to such a life? It would be nice to share a home-cooked meal and conversation with someone, and he’d enjoy having a travel buddy, someone who liked to hike as much as he did. His guy friends were great, but they had other commitments—Nate with his job as police chief and new romance with Cassie McBride; and Aiden, who managed a resort and a relationship with his concierge, Nia Sharpe.
Deep down, Spence knew true love was an illusion. His parents had split only a few years after Bobby’s death, and his own fiancée’s betrayal had nearly destroyed him. Yet there were days when the thought of a solitary life spiked melancholy through his chest.
“Five bucks for your thoughts.”
He snapped his attention to Maddie. “What?”
“You were far, far away.” She frowned and raised three fingers. “How many fingers do I have up?”
“Knock it off. I’m fine.”
“So you keep saying.” She slid a long strand of copper-streaked auburn hair behind her ear. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not being totally honest with Dr. Carver?”
“You’re accusing me of what, exactly?”
“Wanting to get out of here sooner than later. I get it, I do. I was hospitalized for a migraine last year.” She shuddered. “The experience made me more compassionate with my patients, that’s for sure.”
More compassionate? She’d always seemed to have a gentle and consoling way with patients whenever she wheeled them into his ER.
“You need to be straight with Dr. Carver so she can help you. That’s what you always tell your patients, right?”
“Sure. Thanks for the advice,” Spence said, wanting to shut down this topic of discussion. “You really don’t need to hang around.”
A flash of hurt sparked in her green eyes. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. The concussion was obviously making him irritable. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she spoke first.
“My ride isn’t here and I’d rather not hang out in the lobby to be interrogated by fans wanting an update on Dr. Dreamboat.” She redirected her attention to her phone.
“Dr. Dreamboat?”
“You know they call you that,” she muttered.
“I didn’t—”
“Hi, Dr. Spencer.” Oscar Burke, a twentysomething orderly pushed a wheelchair into the room. “What are you doing here, Maddie?”
She didn’t look up from her phone. “Waiting.”
“For what?”
“The ski lift.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. My work is done here.” Without making eye contact, she turned and left the room.
He sat up, wanting to call her back and say something, express his thanks again.
Apologize for his rude behavior.
“She’s a weird duck,” Oscar said.
“Why do you say that?”
“Bossy one minute, friendly the next.”
Which actually sounded like Spence tonight thanks to the head injury.
“You ready for your MRI?” Oscar said.
“Yes.” Spence got out of bed and shifted his feet onto the floor. When Oscar reached out for the assist, Spence motioned him off. “I’m fine.”
Maddie was right. He kept repeating the words, but even Spence knew it wasn’t true. He sat in the wheelchair and Oscar adjusted the footrests.
The MRI was one more thing to check off the list. The radiologist wouldn’t see anything alarming and Spence would be released in the morning.
As Oscar wheeled him to the elevator, Spence closed his eyes, giving hospital staff the message that he wasn’t in the mood to talk. Unfortunately, Oscar couldn’t see Spence’s face.
“That was some fight you got into on the trail, huh?” Oscar said.
“It was.”
“Good thing you shot at the guy and scared him off.”
Spence was about to correct him, to say that Maddie had fired the weapon, but didn’t want to encourage further conversation. They successfully avoided hospital staff as Oscar wheeled him into the elevator.
Spence sighed with relief. Relief? He was usually outgoing, not the type of person to avoid social interaction.
The elevator doors closed. “Head hurts, huh?” Oscar asked.
“Yes.” Spence nodded and rubbed his temples.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? It’s not your fault,” Spence snapped. “Sorry.”
Again, that was not like him. He chalked it up to the hammering in his skull that wouldn’t quit. It would make anyone cranky. Perhaps he should ask for a pain reliever to help him sleep tonight.
Then again, sleep would only bring more nightmares, and besides, they were careful not to overmedicate patients suffering from head trauma.
Spence focused on relaxing for the MRI. Being in that enclosed space wasn’t the most pleasant experience with the banging, knocking and buzzing sounds filling the tube.
When they got to imaging, Oscar handed Spence off to an MRI tech named Kurt. As Kurt helped him onto the table, Spence could tell the medication was taking effect. He felt relaxed, and even a little light-headed.
“Music choice?” Kurt asked, handing Spence headphones.
Spence stretched out on the table. “Classical.”
“Okay. I can hear you so if you have any concerns while the procedure—”
“I won’t,” Spence said. He wanted this done, over. He wanted to go home to his remote cabin.
As Spence lay still, arms by his sides, the tech slid the table into the tube. A moment later, classical music drifted through the headphones. He’d try to find a peaceful place in his mind, a calm place. He’d always found peace in Echo Mountain National Park surrounded by majestic evergreens, pine and cedar trees—a blanket of green spanning the mountain range.
Green like Maddie’s eyes.
That’s why she’d been able to calm him down, because her eyes reminded him of the one place he could find comfort.
The hammering sounds of the MRI scan started to interfere with the calming effect of the music. His thoughts drifted to this afternoon’s rescue, finding Gwen and the brutal attack. Should he have performed the complicated procedure on her considering his brain trauma? Of course. Gwen was okay now, breathing on her own, Maddie said as much.
Maddie, his defender. She’d saved his life.
The medication caused him to drift deeper...deeper.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when silence filled the tube. Were they done? Had Spence slept through the forty-five minute procedure?
Heavy metal music blasted through the headphones, sparking a migraine that clawed its way through his skull.
“Ah!” He ripped off the headphones and fought the nausea rolling through his stomach.
The table slid out of the tube.
He was surrounded by darkness.
“Kurt?” he said, his voice weak.
Spence rolled off the table and stumbled across the room. The door, he needed to find the door.
“Kurt!”
“He can’t help you,” a voice whispered.
Spence whipped around. “Who’s there?”
“It’s time to pay for your sins.”
THREE (#u4ac38662-c546-58cb-b7e2-12103666bcd9)
Maddie motored down the hall, checking email on her phone. She didn’t want to be cornered by female staff members for an update on Dr. Perfect Spencer, nor did she want to perpetuate the story that he’d fired off the warning shot to save Maddie. That bit of untruth had been spreading like the flu ever since they’d arrived at the hospital, but Chief Walsh asked Maddie not to discuss details of the case. So rather than correct the chatterboxes and tell them she had saved Dr. Dreamboat, Maddie had to play the helpless waif.
Anyone who knew Maddie knew she was a determined woman who did not need protecting. But it was too easy for people to assume Dr. Spencer had been the protector since he was the confident and commanding type.
