After Love (25 page)

He pointed it at them, trying desperately not to let his hand shake. “Drop the weapon!” he shouted in a weak version of his usual loud command.

The men just laughed. “Fuck you,” the short one muttered. “You're not such a tough guy now, are you?”

Nick heard their gun fire just a split second before a bullet burned a hole in his side. He automatically fired back and was gratified to hear a thud and a loud grunt. The man shot again, and the bullet hit Nick in the right shoulder, causing his hand to go numb. The gun dropped from his limp fingers and hit the rocks. Then another bullet burned into his chest. Suddenly, behind him, there was a deep-throated growl, much fiercer and more frightening than any dog sound he'd ever heard. He saw the black and tan flash of fur as Harley launched himself at the gunman.

Another shot and Harley cried out in pain, but he didn't stop. A second shot found its mark in the dog, but he reached his target and took the man down. Ninety-five pounds of angry animal held the man on the ground while Harley's jaws clamped around the man's right forearm.

“Get him off me,” the guy yelled, his voice high-pitched with terror.

The other guy ran forward and landed a booted foot in Harley's side, knocking the air out of the dog long enough for the two men to scramble back up the slope.

Vaguely Nick heard their car start, followed by the powerful roar of the BMW's engine as they took off. Then there was quiet. Only the faint trickle of the lazy creek over the rocks several feet away broke the silence. Nick struggled to lift his head so he could see Harley. The dog was lying on his side. Blood was pouring out of several wounds, and he looked lifeless.

“Harley,” Nick cried. He stretched out until he could touch the dog's tail. “Harley,” he repeated weakly, then felt the earth start spinning around him. Nick could feel himself being pulled into a dark hole. The thought occurred to him that this was all wrong. Dying people were supposed to be drawn toward the light.

“Jamie…” Her name escaped his lips in a shallow breath. Would she miss him, or would she be glad she'd pushed him away? She'd been right….There were no guarantees in life. At least she wouldn't have to go through the pain of burying another man. He'd thought he would never fall in love, but he had…head over heels. He wished he'd told her…and now it was too late.

Nick's eyelids fluttered closed as blackness enveloped him. Apparently even the afterworld wasn't going to give him a break. Fuck, his day had just gotten even shittier.

Harley raised his head. The two strangers were gone. He looked around and saw his man lying on the ground just outside the truck. Harley whimpered and tried to wag his tail, but the man didn't move.

Harley was shaky, but he forced himself into a standing position. The ground was uneven, and he fell once, but he dragged himself back up and kept moving until he reached his man. Harley nudged the man's hand, but it was completely limp. The rancid scent of blood and sweat filled the dog's sensitive nostrils. He'd smelled blood before, but this time he intuitively knew that this wasn't right.

He pushed his wet nose against the man's cheek, but still no reaction. This was bad. The man always responded. Even when he was asleep and Harley needed to go outside, a touch of the dog's cold, damp nose always brought the man wide awake. Why wouldn't he wake up now?

The man was bleeding from several wounds. Harley tried to lick one, but the blood kept flowing, confusing him.

The dog didn't know why he felt so tired. He saw his fur was wet with his own blood, but he didn't take time to clean it off. He lay down next to his man and rested his head on the man's chest. Why wasn't he moving? Why wasn't he saying what a good dog Harley was? His man was always so generous with praise, and Harley would do anything to please him.

Harley whimpered again. His whole body hurt, but he was more worried about his man. He nudged his cheek again, but the man's head just rolled to the side. His eyes were shut, and he wouldn't wake up.

Harley lifted his nose in the air and sucked in. His lungs weren't working properly, so it was a shallow breath, but there were some familiar smells. He recognized the scent of animals and the pungent odor his woman had trained him to find. It reminded him of the old lady who sat on the porch and slipped him treats. She was nice and his man seemed to like her. She would help wake his man up.

Harley licked his man's cold cheek. The dog sensed that he needed to hurry. Each step sent pain shooting through him. The rocks hurt his feet, but he followed the creek bed until he was on the other side of the highway. The scent was stronger here, not mixed with exhaust fumes. He stopped for a drink and to catch his breath. He didn't understand why he was having so much trouble breathing.

He took another drink, then left the creek bed behind as he squeezed between the rails of a fence and walked across a field. A rabbit darted past, cutting back and forth in an effort to escape, but Harley ignored it. Normally it would have been a fun chase, even though he rarely succeeded in catching the animals. It was all about the game.

But not today. He was on a mission. His man needed help, and Harley had to get someone to save him. The dog slogged on, forcing his legs to keep moving. He reached the other side of the field and crawled through the fence. In front of him was the gravel road. Another scent was added to the rest: his woman. Harley perked up a little. She would know what to do. She could fix anything.

He wished he could trot, but he just couldn't make his legs move any faster. With every step he took, the smells got stronger. Then the house came into view. Just a little farther. One heavy paw at a time.

The two women were sitting on the porch. They weren't looking in his direction. Bark. That would get their attention. The sound that came out was nothing like his usual bark. It was sort of gurgly and gruff, but the women heard it.

“Harley! Oh my God, what happened to you?” His woman raced toward him. Just seeing her face made him happy. He managed a small wag of his tail, but that seemed to drain the last bit of energy from him. Just as she reached him, he collapsed.

“He's bleeding…all over,” his woman cried as her gentle fingers probed his fur. She cradled his head in her lap and stroked him, crooning sweet words that he loved hearing. He had no idea what she was saying, just that her voice was warm and kind and familiar.

But he had to get her to go help his man. Painfully Harley struggled to his feet in spite of her attempt to make him stay down. He swayed but managed to turn around and start heading back down the road. He stopped and looked back.

They weren't following. What was wrong with these people?

He barked again and started walking.

“It's Nick. Harley's trying to tell us that Nick's in trouble!” Jamie exclaimed. “Good boy, Harley. I'll find him. You stay here with Grammy.”

Harley didn't understand, but he felt the old lady's hand grip his collar.

“Hurry,” she said. “I'll call 9-1-1 and get Harley in my car. Where should I take him?”

“Ted Pendergrass went to school with me. He's at the Town & Country Veterinary Hospital in Dripping Springs. If the office is closed, he lives in the little blue house next door.”

“I know where that is. I've used him a couple times for the alpacas.”

The woman pulled her keys out of her pocket and ran to her SUV.

The old lady led Harley to her car. It was quite a struggle to get him in the small front seat of the Mustang, and Harley wasn't able to help much. He seemed to have lost all strength in his legs. The old lady carefully pushed his rear further into the car and moved his tail out of the way as she shut the door.

Harley was tired…so tired. He was comforted that his woman was going to help his man. Harley gave a contented sigh and let his body relax. His work was done.

Am I dead?

The light pierced Nick's closed eyelids. Actually, he was relieved to be out of the darkness and the cold. Wherever he was, it was warm and soft…and goddamn bright. His eyes didn't want to cooperate, but gradually he was able to work them open. The images were blurry, but he could make out two men, about the same height, standing in front of a window. One had golden blond hair and the other had dark brown hair almost the same shade as his own. If Luke had come all the way from DC, it must be serious.

He slowly panned the room, taking in a TV mounted on the wall and a pole with a curtain hanging from it. To his left were two women.

“Jamie?” he croaked, the sound raspy and unfamiliar. His throat was raw and dry, and the word barely came out, but both women immediately rushed to him.

“He's awake!”

He recognized Grammy's voice. He felt her cool, wrinkled hand on his cheek. The two men stepped closer. “Luke, what are you doing here? Who's watching the borders?”

“You had us all a little worried,” Luke admitted.

“What happened?” Nick asked. His memories were sketchy. Images flashed through his mind: crashing through the bridge rail…tumbling down the embankment…feeling good that he and Harley had survived the wreck…

He shifted and pain shot through him. He realized he had bandages wrapped around his chest from his neck to his belly button and his leg was immobilized by a heavy white cast and suspended by a sling hanging from a pole attached to the bed.

More memories flooded back: two men standing over him…shots ringing in his ears, echoing in the narrow confines of the creek bed…Harley sacrificing his life to save Nick's. Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes and ran into his ears.

“How's Harley?” he asked.

Grammy spoke up, her voice gentle and sympathetic. “I'm so sorry, Nicky. He was in pretty bad shape when I dropped him off at the vet's. He had been shot several times and barely made it to my house before he collapsed.”

Nick frowned. “He went to your house? But how?”

“God only knows how he made it. He could barely walk, but he wouldn't rest until we realized you needed help. You'd have been proud of him.”

“He saved your life,” Justin added. “If Jamie hadn't found you when she did, you would have bled out.”

Nick gingerly touched his chest. “Jamie found me?” He knew he was repeating everything, but his mind was having trouble putting all the pieces together.

“She and I were waiting for you to arrive for dinner. When she saw Harley, she took off. She saw your truck and you lying beside it down by the creek. She called 9-1-1, then ran down and applied pressure to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived,” Grammy explained. “It was raining cats and dogs, but she stayed right with you.”

Nick tried to judge the time by the angle of the sun shining through the window, but he was completely disoriented. “How long have I been here? Overnight?”

Grammy exchanged worried looks with Justin and Luke. “You've been unconscious for four days. You took a bullet in the lungs and another one broke a couple ribs. You didn't stabilize until yesterday. That's when they moved you out of ICU into this room.”

“Four days?” he echoed.

The other woman stepped forward, and he saw it was Bobbi.

“Nick Archer, you always have to do it the hard way,” she said, but her smile was relieved. “Congratulations, you solved the case.”

Nick tried to sit up, but his grandmother pushed him back down. Instead she pushed the button on the controller that was hanging from the bed rails, and the back slowly moved up, easing Nick into a more upright position. When he grimaced, she stopped, but at least he was more at eye level with everyone. “What case?”

“The loosie-gooseys.” Bobbi shook her head in amazement. “Your instincts are excellent. It's just your execution that blows.”

He sucked in a gasp. “You found the guy that was making the loosies?”

“No…
you
found him.”

“I did?” Nick was too groggy to play it cool and pretend he had a clue what she was talking about. “Who was it?”

“Garret Grossman!” Bobbi announced dramatically.

Now Nick was positive he was dreaming all this. Whatever drugs he was on, they were fucking great.

“Did you hear me?” Bobbi asked. “It was the congressman's son. He was the mastermind behind all of it. When he stole the caffeine, he was going to use it as an additive for an extra kick, but you spoiled that.” Bobbi chuckled. “He was a business major, not a chemist, or he would have known that his other special ingredient might cause quick highs but could also be deadly.

When Nick didn't react, she reached out and pinched his arm…hard.

“Ouch!” Okay, this was real. “Well, fuck me.”

“I'm sure that's what he was thinking when he checked into the hospital with an
accidental
gunshot wound. Unfortunately for him, you had already been found, along with your pistol and his. I don't know what went on down there, but there were spent cartridges everywhere.”

It was starting to make sense. He'd thought the silver BMW looked familiar. The kid with the glasses who had stolen the bags of caffeine had another enterprise up his sleeve.

“Good. I hope that little shit is in as much pain as I am,” Nick muttered.

“He's already been released.” Bobbi smiled. “He didn't know we had a guard on the door, and he was arrested as soon as the doctor said he was ready to go.”

“I'll bet Daddy bailed him out,” Grammy commented, her usually mellow attitude disturbed.

“Not this time. The illegal drug charges were the least of it. Four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder of a government agent should keep him in prison for twenty to life.”

“How did you connect him to the loosies?” Nick asked.

“DNA. He'd gone to the apartment you busted to get it set up before the cooks arrived, just like you guessed. His mistake was to take a drink and not destroy the glass.”

Nick relaxed back against the pillow. “I guess the governor is happy.”

“Ecstatic. He didn't like the congressman, so this is a win-win for him. He thinks you're the greatest thing since electric lights.”

“I'll bet he'll be upset to hear that I've lost my job.” Nick's eyes widened innocently.

“I never said you were fired.” Bobbi had known him too long to be fooled by his act. “But I don't know what I'm going to do with you. Your cover was blown by the puppy rescue, and all the press from this arrest will pretty much seal the deal.”

“I'm not hearing the good news.”

“We'll find something for you to do…after you get well.”

“Did I mention that I need a new vest, a new phone…oh, and a new truck too, because mine was destroyed in the line of duty.”

Bobbi shook her head and exhaled. “I'll check the budget.”

Grammy stepped closer to the bed and fussed with Nick's pillow.

“You scared the dickens out of me,” she said, being uncharacteristically grandmotherly.

“Where is she, Grammy?” he whispered.

His grandmother didn't pretend to not understand. “I don't know,” she answered honestly. “She was a superhero when it came to finding you and saving your life. She even rode with you in the ambulance and slept in the waiting room that first night. When you didn't come around, she left…and I haven't seen or heard from her since.” Grammy patted his hand. The sympathetic adult wasn't a role she played often.

“How about Brad and Brent? Do they know?”

“No, we've been waiting. I'll see if I can get them here for a visit if you're up to it.”

“Maybe in a couple days. I don't want them to see me like this. It'll scare them.” Nick leaned back. He was tired all the way to his bones, and weak. He hated being sick, but even he had to admit that he was pretty banged up. Surrounded by the love of his family and the appreciation of his boss, he should have felt better. He knew how close he had come to dying, and he was delighted that the loosies were off the street. It wouldn't take long for the college kids to find something else that was dangerous and possibly deadly to take its place, but at least this threat was gone.

But he'd blown it with Jamie. His accident couldn't have happened at a worse time in their relationship. Shit…who was he trying to fool? He'd never really had a chance with her. She'd been one of the few people in the world who had a great marriage. Nick had no clue what that even meant. His own marriage had been such a fucking disaster.

Apparently relationships just weren't his thing. Now he wouldn't even have Harley to go home to. It was a crushing realization. That silly dog had managed to worm his way so deeply into Nick's heart that there would be a huge void without him. Harley was a DEA agent, and he deserved an honorable burial.

“Bobbi, I have one more request,” he said.

“What? A new house? A trip to Italy?”

“A funeral for Harley. And not a plot in Paws in Paradise…a real officer's funeral.”

Bobby started to protest but must have seen the stubborn set of his jaw because she nodded. “I guess he deserves it.”

“Don't make those arrangements just yet.” Jamie walked into the room, pulling the flatbed wagon that she used on the farm.

Nick's eyes focused on her face. The heart monitor beeped at the dramatic increase of his heart rate, and he tried to will himself to stay calm.
Be cool, dude. Don't chase her away again.

A whine pulled his attention to the wagon as Jamie pulled it next to the bed, and the heart monitor beeped again. “Harley!” he cried.

The dog had bandages wrapped around his chest, and one leg was in a cast. One side of his neck had been shaved, and a neat row of stitches stood out against his bare skin. As soon as he saw Nick, he wiggled and tried to stand. Jamie half lifted, half supported him as he struggled to his feet, whimpering and whining in delight at seeing his man. Harley's thick tail wagged so fast, it was probably leaving bruises, but Jamie didn't flinch as she helped him get closer.

The dog was finally able to reach out and put his good front paw on Nick's arm. He stretched his nose toward him, sucking in his man's scent with delight.

Every little movement hurt, but Nick managed to wrap his arms around Harley's big head and bury his face in the dog's fur. “You big, crazy mutt. I thought you were dead.”

“He thought you were too,” Jamie said. “I didn't think he'd make it through surgery, but he did. Dr. Pendergrass did all he could, but Harley seemed to have lost his will to live. He wouldn't eat or even try to get up. When I found out you were awake, I thought I'd bring him here to see if that would help.”

Nick's cheeks were suspiciously wet, and he didn't try to hide it. “This is the best therapy I could have.” He rubbed Harley's ears. “I think he feels the same way.”

As happy as he was to see Harley, it occurred to Nick that Jamie wasn't here to see him but to help Harley. She was simply doing her job. “Thank you for taking such good care of him.”

She gave Harley a hug. “He's the bravest, most intelligent dog I've ever seen. You wouldn't believe how badly injured he was when he came to Grammy's. But somehow he figured out how to get from your wreck across a half mile of rocks and pastureland to get help. Then he wouldn't let himself lie down until he saw me leave to go find you. I know he wanted to go with me, but he was literally almost dead on his feet.”

“We can recover together. Between us, we have four good legs.”

“You're going to stay at my house until you're both well,” Grammy said. “I'll let you have my bedroom downstairs.”

Nick knew he didn't have a choice. For at least the first couple of weeks he would need help getting around and preparing meals. He hated putting out his grandmother, especially considering what a burden it would be on her.

“Actually, I have a different idea,” Jamie spoke up. “I've just remodeled the master bedroom in my house, and Nick could stay there. My house is already handicap accessible, and I'm a veterinarian, so I can take good care of Harley.”

All eyes focused on Nick as he considered his options. Of course he wanted to stay with Jamie, but not as an invalid. He was afraid she was taking him on as another one of her strays instead of because she cared about him. “I think we need to talk about a few things first.”

“Let's go get coffee,” Grammy announced.

Luke's expression reflected everyone's confusion. “You don't drink coffee.”

“Then make it a margarita…a big one.” She hustled everyone out of the room before they could protest further.

“That was subtle.” Nick lay back on his pillow, and Jamie eased Harley down into a lying position on the wagon. The dog didn't take his eyes off his man, but he was exhausted from the effort and was satisfied with being close.

Jamie moved next to the bed. “I was hoping we'd get a chance to talk.”

“Me too,” Nick agreed.

They both simultaneously blurted out, “I'm sorry,” then laughed a little nervously.

“You go first,” she said.

“No, you.” There was so much he couldn't say until he knew what she was feeling.

“I was terrified you wouldn't survive.” She blinked back tears at the memory. “You were a mess. I could barely feel a pulse, and you were so cold. I didn't know if you'd hang on until the ambulance arrived.”

“Thank you for that,” Nick said. “But how did you find me?”

“I drive that road almost every day, and I noticed the broken guardrail right away. I pulled over, but I couldn't see your truck until I got to the edge of the embankment.” She wiped her eyes and tried to steady her shaking voice. “I think I went into shock until the next day when I saw you in the ICU. You were so pale and still…like you were dead. I guess that kind of freaked me out.”