Surrogate Escape

Instead, she stepped closer.

You can do this, she thought. He’s just a man. Like every other man. But he wasn’t. He was the one man who short-circuited all her wiring, and he did it while asleep. That irritated her, but not enough to tamp down the unrest. She clenched the fist of her free hand to keep herself from stroking down the centerline of his body.

She stared at him, her body as tense as his was relaxed. It was safe now, since he was asleep.

But it wasn’t. Not really. Lori stretched her fingers and reached, unable to stop herself. She only just managed to redirect her touch to his forearm. His muscles twitched as her fingertips registered warm skin and the texture of the dark hair. His eyes flashed open as he reached with his opposite hand to his hip where his gun usually sat.

“It’s me,” she said and stepped away, clutching the bag before her.

The tension left his body. He squeezed his eyes shut, scrubbing his closed lids with his fingertips before forcing his eyes open again.

“Sorry. You startled me.”

He pushed himself to a sitting position, and her gaze slipped to his abdomen and the ribbed muscle there. She swallowed down the gnawing hunger.

“Everything all right?” he asked.

“Yes.” She forced her gaze upward to his face. Thankfully, he was looking toward the hallway.

“Who’s with Fortune?”

“Nina.”

He nodded and scrubbed his hands over his face.

His shirt flapped opened, giving her an unimpeded look at flexing chest muscles as he stretched. Her throat went dry and her eyes widened. He was making her sweat and he’d barely looked at her.

He noticed the water and poured a plastic cup full. She watched in silence as his Adam’s apple bobbed with each long swallow. Her stomach fluttered and she closed her gaping mouth.

She resisted the urge to step closer. Oh, no, you don’t, she told herself.

He wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand and then met her gaze. Did he see the raw desire there?

Jake’s mouth quirked. “What time is it?”

She glanced at her watch. “A little after six.”

His brows lifted. “Really? Seven solid hours. Can’t believe it.”

No one had gotten much sleep since the dam collapse. Everyone at the clinic was working long hours. They’d stayed open around the clock for the first three days to treat all the injuries resulting from the explosion and evacuation.

His gaze dipped and her skin flushed as his eyes roamed over her body and then settled on the bag she had forgotten she held.

“Do I smell food?” he asked.

She nodded and dropped the bag onto the mobile table. In a moment she had the table wheeled in place beside the bed, automatically adjusting the level to suit him. He ignored the food and instead stared at her.

She didn’t know what to do with her hands. Should she leave him to eat or stay? Lori glanced toward the corridor with longing.

Despite how it had ended, Jake had been kind to her after he got over the shock. He’d also stood by her and defended her from his mother, who’d opposed the marriage so vehemently. Her mother had been for it, delighted, in fact. But things had changed after she’d lost their baby. The distance between them had yawned as they drifted further and further apart. Lori laced her hands across her flat stomach, feeling a hollow ache that reached all the way to her heart.

“Any word from Bear Den?” asked Jake.

Lori shook her head. “No one from the force has been here all day.”

Silence stretched as the tension between them crackled like ice cubes meeting water. Jake pushed away the table that separated them and rose to his feet. Lori’s brain signaled danger, but the message never reached her motor centers because she remained frozen in place. Jake lifted a hand and gently cradled her elbow.

There was a knock, and Lori glanced up to see Dr. Kee Redhorse standing in the door with his perpetual generous grin and warm brown eyes. He’d been in the clinic much of the afternoon.

“So Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” said Kee. “Doesn’t seem to have improved your looks any.”

He strode in and gave his brother’s shoulder a firm pat.

“Anything happen while I was out?” asked Jake.

“Had a few more injuries related to cleanup. Seeing those every day since the explosion. Today it was Lawrence Kesselman.”

Lori had helped close the gash on Mr. Kesselman’s leg. The man had been gaunt, with deep circles under his eyes. Lori knew the reason. His daughter, Maggie, had run away last Sunday.

“And our mom was in,” said Kee. “She’s got another sore on her foot.”

The men shared a silent exchange that Lori read as worry. May was still able to walk, but if the ulcer did not heal, her condition could change.

“I’ve been with patients all day except for lunch over at the diner. Not sure which is bigger news, that you two found a baby or that Lori will finally speak to you again.”

“Speak to me?” Jake sounded incredulous.

She narrowed her eyes at the implication that he’d had reason to avoid verbal exchange with her. If he said another word on the topic, she was going to finally tell him what a complete jerk he was. Why had she let him kiss her?

Lori wouldn’t marry him now if he got down on his belly and groveled in the dirt. Redhorse was off the menu and he was not stealing any more kisses, either. Not today or ever.

“Whatever you say, Officer,” said Kee, and he gave Jake a playful push.

Jake’s mouth twisted as he allowed the shove to rock him and did not offer an insult back as he was likely to do with Ty or Colt. Kee had always been treated differently because of his leg-length discrepancy. His younger brothers looked out for him, his fiercest defenders. Even now, after the corrective surgery, the Redhorse men persisted as if their eldest still required special handling.

“How did Lawrence look?” asked Jake, wisely changing the subject.

“Just as you’re imagining.”

“Bear Den had me do that initial interview with him.”

“A tough place to start. A missing child, I mean.”

Jake did not disagree. “He also had me check back with the families of the others. A follow-up interview.”

“What others?” asked Kee.

“We have five missing girls since last November.”

“What? I didn’t know that,” said Kee. “Who?”

Jake listed the names, and Kee’s frown deepened. He turned to Lori. “Didn’t we see Maggie here last week?”

“I’m not sure,” she said. But the hairs on her arms were lifting as she considered the possibility. She was not sure about Maggie. But she was positive they had recently seen two of the other girls Jake had just mentioned.

“What’s wrong, Lori?” asked Jake.

“Maybe nothing. Excuse me, gentlemen.”

She stepped out, leaving Jake and Kee to watch her abrupt exit.

“What was that about?” asked Kee.

“Don’t know.”

“So...” Kee rocked back and forth from heel to toe. “You two back together?”

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