whispered, as I turned the corner through the kitchen and out to the screened-in porch where Mom was relaxing with a glass of iced tea.
“Mom, I have to go out, could you watch Gizmo for me?”
“Of course I can. He’s adorable.” She took furball in her arms. “Did you not get in touch with Ace?”
“He is kinda cute. And no Ace. Somebody said he’s on one of his rescue missions. I guess they must be right.”
She was baby-talking to the mutt as I rushed toward the door.
All I could think of as I drove was Mac might be hurt. Fellow journalist, likes dogs, protected me from rocks, and I needed to pump him for information; those are legitimate reasons for concern. Right? No attraction. Nope, none whatsoever.
****
I rushed through the big glass doors into Ugly Creek General Hospital. To one side I saw Mac talking to a man in a white coat, presumably a doctor. I admit to feeling a huge relief that he was safe.
But somebody was hurt, and I wanted badly to know what happened.
I edged toward the two men, and when White Coat turned and took off, I approached. “Mac.”
He turned toward me, and shocked me by taking my hands in his. “Madison.”
“What happened?”
“Somebody hit Shaun in the back of the head.”
I must have frowned, because a moment later he followed up with, “He took Kevin, the sound guy, to the emergency room to get his arm treated.”
I closed my eyes for a moment. “That’s terrible.”
“I’ve already arranged for security for the rest of the shoot, and we’re not going to announce where we’re shooting next. Or even that we are shooting.” He looked into my eyes. “I’m not going to let people get hurt.”
“I know.” Why was I leaning closer to him?
He seemed to hesitate before he said, “Provided Shaun is medically cleared by then, we’re shooting day after tomorrow just south of town at that old railway station.”
It took me a moment to realize the trust in me he’d just shown. “Thank you.”
He swallowed. “I debated telling you.”
Well, his reluctance was understandable. I am press. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
“I know that.” He brushed a long strand of hair off my face. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I smiled. “I can take care of myself.”
“Good,” he whispered.
“Am I interrupting something?” Kate Stone’s voice raked over me like a tension headache.
The woman should really have been a shark.
“I’m going to get some coffee,” I said. “Either of you want anything?”
“I’d love a cup,” Mac said.
Kate just stared at me like I was a wounded fish and her inner shark was hungry. “I can’t believe you’re fraternizing with the press, Gib.”
“Madison is a friend,” he said, and smiled at me.
So she called him Gib, and I could see in his expression he didn’t like it. “Maddie,” I said.
“What?”
I smiled slowly with a touch of smirk. “My friends call me Maddie.”
Shark Woman glared even harder. Hard to believe that was even possible.
“I’ll be right back, Mac.” I hurried down the hall before I got my head bitten off. Maybe literally. I couldn’t resist a little smirky smile as I headed off in search of coffee.
There was a coffee machine in the emergency room area, but I needed to do some walking. Mom says my inability to be still is the reason I can eat the way I do and not gain weight. I just hope the looming three-oh doesn’t mean pounds are looming too.
Toward the other side of the huge building I found the coffee machine the nice lady at the help desk told me about. I got a couple of cups and headed back toward the ER. As I walked, I caught a glimpse of a sign for the burn unit. My feet slowed for a moment, but I kicked them in gear and hurried away from that side of the building. Memories from ten years ago lapped at my heels, but I refused to allow them to get hold of me. The past was over, and right now I had things to do.
By the time I got back, the shark was
“Mom, I have to go out, could you watch Gizmo for me?”
“Of course I can. He’s adorable.” She took furball in her arms. “Did you not get in touch with Ace?”
“He is kinda cute. And no Ace. Somebody said he’s on one of his rescue missions. I guess they must be right.”
She was baby-talking to the mutt as I rushed toward the door.
All I could think of as I drove was Mac might be hurt. Fellow journalist, likes dogs, protected me from rocks, and I needed to pump him for information; those are legitimate reasons for concern. Right? No attraction. Nope, none whatsoever.
****
I rushed through the big glass doors into Ugly Creek General Hospital. To one side I saw Mac talking to a man in a white coat, presumably a doctor. I admit to feeling a huge relief that he was safe.
But somebody was hurt, and I wanted badly to know what happened.
I edged toward the two men, and when White Coat turned and took off, I approached. “Mac.”
He turned toward me, and shocked me by taking my hands in his. “Madison.”
“What happened?”
“Somebody hit Shaun in the back of the head.”
I must have frowned, because a moment later he followed up with, “He took Kevin, the sound guy, to the emergency room to get his arm treated.”
I closed my eyes for a moment. “That’s terrible.”
“I’ve already arranged for security for the rest of the shoot, and we’re not going to announce where we’re shooting next. Or even that we are shooting.” He looked into my eyes. “I’m not going to let people get hurt.”
“I know.” Why was I leaning closer to him?
He seemed to hesitate before he said, “Provided Shaun is medically cleared by then, we’re shooting day after tomorrow just south of town at that old railway station.”
It took me a moment to realize the trust in me he’d just shown. “Thank you.”
He swallowed. “I debated telling you.”
Well, his reluctance was understandable. I am press. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”
“I know that.” He brushed a long strand of hair off my face. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I smiled. “I can take care of myself.”
“Good,” he whispered.
“Am I interrupting something?” Kate Stone’s voice raked over me like a tension headache.
The woman should really have been a shark.
“I’m going to get some coffee,” I said. “Either of you want anything?”
“I’d love a cup,” Mac said.
Kate just stared at me like I was a wounded fish and her inner shark was hungry. “I can’t believe you’re fraternizing with the press, Gib.”
“Madison is a friend,” he said, and smiled at me.
So she called him Gib, and I could see in his expression he didn’t like it. “Maddie,” I said.
“What?”
I smiled slowly with a touch of smirk. “My friends call me Maddie.”
Shark Woman glared even harder. Hard to believe that was even possible.
“I’ll be right back, Mac.” I hurried down the hall before I got my head bitten off. Maybe literally. I couldn’t resist a little smirky smile as I headed off in search of coffee.
There was a coffee machine in the emergency room area, but I needed to do some walking. Mom says my inability to be still is the reason I can eat the way I do and not gain weight. I just hope the looming three-oh doesn’t mean pounds are looming too.
Toward the other side of the huge building I found the coffee machine the nice lady at the help desk told me about. I got a couple of cups and headed back toward the ER. As I walked, I caught a glimpse of a sign for the burn unit. My feet slowed for a moment, but I kicked them in gear and hurried away from that side of the building. Memories from ten years ago lapped at my heels, but I refused to allow them to get hold of me. The past was over, and right now I had things to do.
By the time I got back, the shark was
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