Chasing the Fire (Backdraft, Fully Involved, Flashover) (13 page)

Lisa Beth didn’t agree. Not thinking straight
from no sleep and having Linc in her life again, she raised her
chin. “I think risk was necessary to save the little girl’s
life.”

Tony closed his eyes briefly. “You didn’t
even know what had happened to her when you broke the rule.” The
lieutenant’s voice was hard. “And Langston, you had no idea the
grandma was in there. But I’m not going to argue with any of you
about this.” His fiery glance scanned them all again. “I’m only
gonna say this. If one more of you goes off the reservation, I’m
asking for a transfer to another house, even if I can’t be an
officer. Maybe somebody else can keep you cowboys in line.” He
kicked back the chair, threw some money on the table and stalked
out.

“Whew!” Riley said. “I’ve never seen him so
mad. Not even when I decked your ex.”

“Do you think he means it?” Langston
asked.

“I do.” Rocky Decarlo hadn’t spoken the whole
time.

“I do, too.” This from Jackson.

“What’s more,” Rocky continued. “You guys are
wrong. And I’m not afraid to say that I don’t like the idea of you
putting
me
in more danger, either, which you do every time
you play hero.”

They all knew Rocky was by-the-book, so
nobody challenged him. Lisa Beth conceded he might be right.

Riley said, “Okay, let’s swear to be
better.”

They all nodded.

Standing, Rocky quipped, “I’m outta here,”
and left, too.

“So am I.” This from Jackson. “Adam and me
got a painting job to get to.”

Soon, Lisa Beth and Riley were the only ones
at the table. “This is something.” Riley shook his head. “I never
meant to cause Tony this much grief.”

“Me, either, but that kid…” She smiled.
“She’s gotten to me.”

“You’ve seen her since you brought her to the
hospital?”

“Yeah, I spent the first day with her. And
the night.” Linc had had a cot rolled in for Lisa Beth, which had
melted more of the ice around her heart. “I’m going over again
today.”

“Well, kiddo, you got a lot of time on your
hands now.”

“I guess.”

“Spend some with me and Janie.”

“Okay.”

“There’s a party tonight at my sister’s house
for her foster kid’s birthday. Come with us.”

Lisa Beth knocked over her half-filled
coffee. It ran in tiny rivulets all over the white tablecloth.
“Hell,” Riley said and mopped the mess up with a napkin. Then he
frowned at Lisa Beth. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Nope.” She smiled. “Remember when I
committed myself to four dates with Dr. Awful for you?”

“Of course.”

“And you told me if I ever needed
anything…”

“Yeah. What are you saying, girl?”

“I need something now, Rye.”

oOo

THIS TIME, LISA
Beth walked into
Melody’s hospital room to find Linc visiting again. She stopped
halfway inside. He wore a taupe sports coat and dark shirt beneath
it. Even from beyond the bed, she could smell some spicy cologne.
“Oh, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“He comes a lot.” Melody seemed more awake
today. “I don’t think he’s so scary. Why don’t the nurses like him,
Lisa Beth?”

“Because he’s mean to them. And to paramedics
like me.”

The girl’s dark eyes rounded. Her long hair
had been combed recently, too. “You’re mean to Lisa Beth, Dr.
Linc?”

Dr. Linc
?

“I have been. But I’m trying to be
better.”

Aw, hell. “How are your parents?

“They asked about you.” He shrugged. “They’re
the same, I’m sorry to say.” He ruffled Melody’s hair. “Now, I have
to talk to Lisa Beth, outside in the hall.”

“Again?”

“Yep. For a minute before I do rounds.” He
pointed to the TV. “Take a nap. Then don’t forget to watch
America’s Best
and tell me who wins when I come back.”

“Okay.”

Lisa Beth followed Linc out the door. Once
there, he took her hand, startling her. His was big and masculine
and the feel of her palm in his made her…mushy. They used to hold
hands all the time…before. Still surprised, and hell, liking it,
she let him lead her down the hall to a small room. She stopped
abruptly. “What are you doing, Linc?”

“I need to talk to you. About two
things.”

“I have to talk to you, too, but we can do it
out here in the hall, like we did last time.” And not in private
surroundings.

“No.” He drew her inside a small space
labeled
storage
. At least he turned on the light. But then
he dragged her around behind tall shelving so they had complete
privacy. “Melody asked why I’ve been such a bastard to everyone. I
want you to hear the answer.”

“I don’t care.” Even to her own ears, she
didn’t sound convincing. And she did want to know. He used to be
such a nice guy, helping out other students, unerringly kind to
patients.

He didn’t bother acknowledging the comment.
“When I left you, I shut everybody out. Even Marcus. I couldn’t
allow my emotions to surface because I knew I wouldn’t survive what
came out. Then the behavior became a habit. No one could get close,
and when coworkers tried, I sliced and diced them so they’d stay
away from me.”

“You did a good job at that.”

For a moment, his face closed down. She
realized she’d hurt him. That she had the ability to hurt him. And
it didn’t feel good, at all. “Okay, Linc, I feel bad you’ve lived
so many years in isolation.”

“But I deserved it?”

“I’m not sure anyone deserves a life of
unhappiness.”

He touched her again. Ran his knuckles down
her cheek. She wanted to bask in the contact. “Well, that’s
something.”

She stepped back, coming flush with the
shelving. “Look, I have good news.”

“Me, too. You first.”

“Riley, the guy that decked you has a sister
who’s certified to take foster-care children. I had lunch this
afternoon with him and Abby. She’s worked extensively with Ms. Cruz
and thinks she can convince DCF to let her take Melody.” Lisa Beth
frowned. “At least it will buy us time to see if we can come up
with something more permanent.”

“You should take her,” he said simply. “You’d
make a wonderful mother.”

She swallowed hard, swallowed back the
emotion his words conjured. Being a mother would never happen to
her again. She couldn’t raise a child after… “I can’t take Melody.
No one would give me care of someone with the hours I keep.” She
waited. “So what’s your good news?”

He braced one arm on the shelving, leaning in
too close. “As I said earlier, Melody will need extensive physical
therapy if she ever wants to walk without a limp. Or run. I’ve
arranged for an orthopedic guy I know to be her doctor. He has a
practice which includes PT. Do you think Abby would drive her to
appointments?”

Lisa Beth felt a lightening inside her chest.
“Or I will when I can. Riley and Jane will help, too.”

“I can rearrange my schedule any way I want,
so I could take up slack.”

Who was this man she’d hated for so long?
Unconsciously, almost, she reached out and touched his chest. He
put his hand over hers. “You’d do that, Linc?”

“I would.”

“Why?”

“To help her.” He moved in closer. “And for
you.”

Her whole body softened. She was flooded by a
wealth of emotions. Gratitude. And a bit of fear. Desire.

He must have noticed the last, like an animal
sensing its mate. He edged in even closer. Slowly, he lifted his
hand and brushed her hair off her face. Then he cupped her cheek.
The gesture was so familiar it made her shiver. Grasping on to her
shoulders, he drew her to him. Her arms circled his neck in a move
so natural it made her want to weep. Their eyes locked. When he
lowered his head, she rose up on tiptoes to meet his mouth.

It was just like the thousands of times
before that they’d kissed. The world melted away and she floated in
a miasma of sensation. He probed her lips. She opened them and her
tongue invaded his mouth. He plastered her to him, aligning their
bodies. The kiss grew hotter, deeper. Her lower body bucked into
his. After a long time, he hiked her up and against the shelving.
Her legs circled around his waist and he pulled her T-shirt over
her head. “You’re bigger,” he said, cupping her breasts. His teeth
closed over a nipple. She moaned. Then his hands went to her jeans
and undid the top snap. Started to unzip her. “I have to see you.
Touch you.”

Oh, no. What was she doing? He couldn’t see
her. With the telltale signs on her body and the scar, he’d
know.
She wedged a hand between them and pushed back. “No,
Linc. This is too fast.”

He halted right away, though he looked a bit
dazed. After a few moments, he met her forehead with his. “At least
you said
too fast
. Not that it won’t happen.”

“I need time to think about this.”

He drew her close in a gesture so tender, so
opposite from the passion he’d displayed earlier, it made her cling
to him. “Okay, we’ll stop.” He kissed her head. “For now.”

oOo

“
SO,” LINC SAID
to Melody as Lisa
Beth wheeled her toward the elevator. “You’re leaving me.” He
leaned over and said, “I’m heartsick.”

The little girl blushed. “Dr. Linc, don’t
tease me.”

That was another side of himself he didn’t
remember. He glanced up at Lisa Beth. He’d seen her every day since
their time in the storage room—which he couldn’t even think about
without getting hard—but she’d managed to have someone with her and
there’d been no time to talk privately. Abby, who was smiling down
at Melody, had come with her twice. And then the cop husband had
visited. Now she was flanked by both.

Melody grabbed his hand. “I’m gonna see you
again? Promise?”

“Definitely. Maybe Lisa Beth can bring you
over to the hospital for lunch. Or I can come visit you at Abby’s
and we can watch a couple of episodes of
America’s Best
together.”

Abby said, “Thanks for everything, Dr.
Roberts.”

“Call me Linc. And thank
you
for
helping our girl here.”

“Are you kidding? The boys are looking
forward to having her.” She winked at Melody. “To tease her, I
think.”

Melody gave a weak smile.

He asked Abby, “Would you two mind getting
Melody to the car? I’d like to talk to Lisa Beth alone for a
moment.”

“Sure.” Aiden shook his hand.

When the three went out the door, he turned
to Lisa Beth. She wore her fire department uniform; the dark pants
nipped in at the waist and the shirt fit her well enough, so he
could still see her curves. Her hair was pulled off her face with a
band. “Hello.”

She gave him a questioning look.

“You haven’t come here alone once in the last
three days. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you.”

Clearing her throat, she glanced out the
door. “Not on purpose.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.” He
leaned in close. “You can put guards around yourself all you want,
but nothing can change what happened in the storage room.”

She shifted from one foot to the other and
her face colored. But she clearly wasn’t mad. Inhaling, he could
smell her lotion, shampoo and the essence of her, which had never
changed.

“You know you have to see me Saturday night.
Date number three.”

“I thought we’d go out with Jane and—”

He put his hand to her mouth. Her lips were
smooth and full. “No way. We’re having a real date. Alone. Dinner
and maybe some dancing.”

Her eyes widened.

“Look, honey, what happened in the storage
room was meant to be. We can do this; I know we can.”

At least she didn’t object. But fear filled
her face. “I’m afraid to go any further with you.”

Running his hands from her shoulders to her
elbows, he tried to convince her with his touch. “Please, let me
prove to you I’ve changed. That you can trust me again.”

Though she was obviously still doubtful, she
said “All r—”

“Linc, there you are.”

They both turned. Lisa Beth gasped. And Linc
drew in a deep breath. Behind them were his ex-wife and
ex-father-in-law.

“I’m outta here,” Lisa Beth said, yanking
away from him. She bolted out through the double glass doors before
he could even speak.

Jesus, this was
not
a complication
they needed.

oOo

“
NICE OFFICE,” MARCUS
Banning
commented, taking in the space that was half the size of the one
Linc had had in Marcus’s practice. Though it was bathed in sunlight
from its southern exposure, it couldn’t compare to the Chicago
one.

“I don’t need any more room than this.” Linc
couldn’t get Lisa Beth’s face out of his mind. She’d been shocked.
“Sit.” When they did, he dropped down behind the desk, putting
distance between them. “Why are you here?”

Marcus opened his mouth to speak. “We—”

“No, Dad, let me.” Juliet spoke the words
around trembling lips. Now that he got a good look at her, he
noticed she was thinner—a lot thinner—and one of the designer suits
she’d always favored hung on her. There were also lines around her
mouth and eyes. Something was wrong.

“What is it?” he asked more gently. He owed
these people, not for the opportunities they’d given him, but
because he’d been outrageously unfair to them both.

“My daughter is three.” Juliet’s voice shook
as she spoke. “She has hip problems. I want you to do the
operations on her.”

“Why? There are plenty of orthopedic guys in
the Chicago area.”

“Because you’re the best. You always
were.”

He steepled his hands. “Juliet, this is a
very bad idea.”

“For whom? You? Or
her?”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Both of
us.”

“She’s why you came to this little town,
isn’t she?” Marcus asked.

“Yes. And I’ll admit it up front. She’s why
it didn’t work with you and me, Juliet.”