Hunted Love (A Dangerous Kind of Love Book 2) (3 page)

CHAPTER THREE

The rest of the afternoon passed rather slowly, as Sarah tried to reach Brian Shaw, and finally succeeding just before the sun set.

It was a strange conversation
, she thought after she had hung up. At first, the doctor pretended not to know Jamie. Even when she explained that he was hurt and needed help, Dr. Brian Shaw seemed strangely distant. Wary it seemed. It was only when she told him what Jamie was going to say to Kristen and Nathan that he suddenly remembered his friend and promised he’d come as soon as possible.

Sarah hurried back to the cabin only to find Jamie asleep on the couch, his forehead still warm and he was moaning softly in his sleep. He awoke as she pressed a cold washcloth to his face, taking it from her hand, and telling her to stop worrying about him. With nothing else to do, she made dinner while Jamie went back to pacing around the room.

They spoke briefly over a couple of bowls of chicken soup, tiptoeing around each other like a couple of strangers, keeping the conversation mainly to safe topics such as the weather and the roads outside. After a while, they lapsed into silence. Jamie seemed to sense she was upset, but seemed confused as to why, and Sarah for her part was just too tired to talk any longer.

As soon as she had finished eating and she had changed into something more comfortable, she laid her head on the table, intending only to rest her eyes for a moment, but she promptly fell asleep.

Sometime later, she awoke with a start, lifted her head off the table and blearily looked around the cabin, her gaze finding the clock above the fireplace, certain that it had to have been after midnight.

Rubbing her eyes, she let out a little groan of despair. It wasn’t even nine yet.
This night was never going to end
, she thought laying her chin on her arms.

She felt as if she had been awake for days.
Probably have
, she thought trying to remember when was the last time she had slept a full eight hours. She had been so tired that she had changed into her pink and white striped silk pajamas as soon as she finished eating. She would have gone to bed then, but she didn’t want to leave Jamie alone until his friend arrived.

Not that Jamie needed her. The man was frustratingly adept at taking care of himself and seemed steadfastly determined not to be a burden to her, despite the fact she was more than ready and willing to help.

She glanced over at him, standing by the window, staring outside with the quilt wrapped around his shoulders.

“Is your friend here yet?” she asked through a yawn.

“No.” He moved the curtain back further. “Are you sure you told him—”

“I told him exactly what you said and he said he had a couple more patients to see but he’d come as soon as he could.”

She watched as Jamie pressed his forehead against the cold glass.

“Jamie, let me take you to the hospital. The police aren’t looking for you. There’s nothing to fear.”

“It’s too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s snowing again. Too dangerous to get out on those roads.” He pushed himself off the window. “I thought Brian would have been here by now.”

“Maybe he had to turn back. Do you want me to call him?”

“No,” he said, resuming his pacing.

She frowned at him. “I wish you’d wear that sling I made for you.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need it.”

“At least sit down before you fall down,” she said, exhaustion and worry making her tone sharper than usual.

He looked at her in surprise for a moment before sliding into the chair across from her.

She softened her tone. “You’ve barely touched your dinner,” she said, staring down at the bowl of chicken soup in front of him. “I could make some Shepard’s pie. I have Harry’s recipe,” she said, referring to the old cook at the pub where she worked.

Jamie grimaced.

“I thought you liked his Shepard’s pie.” She furrowed her brow. “You’re always ordering it.”

“That’s because it’s the only thing on the menu that’s half-way edible.” He shook his head. “I wish you’d find another place to work.”

“Why? Tips are good.”

“Come on, Princess, it’s not like you need the money. You’ve got an education. You’re talented.”

“No, I was talented,” she corrected, “but not anymore.” Her hand unconsciously moved to her knee. A vicious mugging last July—courtesy of her sister’s sick stalker—had ended her ballet career in New York and sent her running back home to recuperate. While she could still dance, she’d never be able to reach the heights she once did. Whatever talent she had was gone now and as far as she was concerned, it was useless to dwell or pretend otherwise.

“You could—”

“Dance?”

“Teach. You could open up your own dancing studio. I remember when you started at the pub that you said it was eventually your plan to own your own place. Teach little kids to dance. You said as soon as your leg healed that was what you were going to do.” He lifted his eyebrows. “You’ve been walking around pretty well lately.”

“Walking’s not exactly the same thing as dancing.” She looked away. “Dancing is behind me. I’m looking to the future now.”

“I see,” he said quietly. “So your future consists of serving alcohol and barely edible food to a bunch of drunks and gamblers now.”

“No,” she said testily, “I don’t plan on doing this for the rest of my life.” She traced her finger along the edge of the table. “It’s just that the pub is close to home right now. It’s easy to get to and it gets me out talking to people.”

“You could do that anywhere.”

“You didn’t see me right after I got mugged.” She reached a hand up to the scar on her cheek. “I didn’t go anywhere. I stayed locked up in my bedroom. I didn’t see anyone and I didn’t want to talk to anyone.” She lowered her gaze to the table. “I finally realized that I couldn’t hide in my room for the rest of my life, so I decided to do something. I got up, dressed, and made my way to the pub to get some lunch. Trust me, it doesn’t seem like much but it was a major accomplishment at the time. I had to force myself to get out and talk to people again. I saw the help wanted sign and I applied. You could say it’s therapy.”

“Sarah, you’re not some shy wilting flower. You’re one of the friendliest most outgoing people I’ve ever met. You don’t need to stay at the pub. It’s time for you to move on.”

Her eyes flashed. “I’ll decide when it’s time for me to move on. Right now, I’m perfectly happy where I am.”

His brow furrowed. “Why are you so determined to stay there?”

Because of you
, she thought, unable to say the words as she met his eyes.

He looked confused at first but then comprehension dawned. “Oh, I see,” he said softly.

She felt her face flush. “No, you don’t see,” she said, suddenly embarrassed. Nothing was worse than confessing your true feelings to someone who didn’t feel the same.

“So, you’re not hanging around because you’re hoping we might have a future together?”

“No, that’s not the reason,” she lied, desperately trying to save face.

He smiled sadly. “Baby doll, you are betting on the wrong horse. I am not the guy for you. So, if you are sticking around for me, you are wasting your time.”

“I’m not staying for you. I happen to like what I do.”

“Sure, you do.”

She crossed her arms. “I know this might come as a huge blow to your enormous ego, but my world does not revolve around you. You were the one following me around the last couple of months, remember?”

“Only because you paid me to. That’s the only reason, Sweetheart. The only reason.” He stood up and started pacing again. “Do you have any idea what your employers’ parents did for a living?”

“I’ve heard rumors that Kristen’s dad was involved in some shady things but—”

Jamie chuckled. “Shady? That doesn’t begin to cover what Patrick O’Malley was involved in.”

“But Kristen and Nathan aren’t mixed up in anything illegal, are they?”

“No, not now, but some of the people that they surround themselves with are the same people that hung around Kristen’s old man. Kristen and Nathan don’t want that life, but those people… they miss it.”

She looked at him. “Do you miss it?”

He gripped the back of the chair. “What makes you think that I was involved?”

“You lied to me,” she said.

“About what?”

“You told me that you went to prison—”

“Which was very true.”

“Yeah, but you told me you went to prison because you stole something. You didn’t tell me it was because you… because you murdered someone.” She glanced at his hands, which were gripping the back of the chair so hard his knuckles were turning white. “You didn’t tell me that you used to work for…well, that you used to kill people for a living.”

Jamie’s jaw tightened. “So, that detective your sister hired found out all about me. Didn’t take him long to tell you the truth. I was wondering if he had. I thought he had, but then when you saved me, I thought that maybe he hadn’t gotten around to it yet.” His face tightened. “I’m surprised you came out to rescue me last night. You must have been afraid of me.”

“No,” she said, quickly shaking her head.

“Then why did you lie to me this morning? I don’t blame you. I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes. You should never tell a convicted murderer that’s been lying to you for the last six or seven months that you know the truth now. Bad things can happen. Better just to play along until you can get away. I guess that’s why you spent so much time at your grandpa’s this afternoon.”

Her mouth dropped open. “I was trying to get hold of your friend, remember? It took a while. I wasn’t avoiding you and I didn’t lie to you this morning. Not really. You asked me if Ethan had told me about your past and I answered honestly that he hadn’t.” She paused for a moment before adding, “He told Madison and then she told me.”

“You knew what I was asking.”

“You were hurt and I just wasn’t ready to have this conversation yet.”

“Admit it. You just didn’t want to face up to the truth. You’ve built up some fantasy in your head.”

“Oh, please.”

“Now reality has come crashing down.”

“Oh, go back to sleep. The fever is obviously playing with your mind.”

He loosened his hands from the chair. “Then wh-why didn’t you tell the police where I was?”

She crossed her arms. “Like I said, I got you into this mess and I was going to get you out of it. It was the least I could do.”

A strange, almost vulnerable look passed across his face so quickly she barely had time to register it before it was gone.

“Very noble,” he said with a sigh, “and very dangerous too.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Maybe you should be.” He blew out his breath before sitting down. “You’re too nice for your own good. It’s going to get you into trouble someday.” He looked at her curiously for a moment. “What did your sister tell you about me?”

“Not much. I wanted to hear the truth from you.” She looked at him expectantly.

He threw up his hands in defeat. “Sure, why not? What do you want to know?”

“Who…” She took a deep breath. “Who were you accused of killing?”

He sat there for a few moments simply staring at her before finally saying, “My girlfriend.”

Sarah swallowed hard. Whatever answer she had been expecting it wasn’t that. “I-I see.”

“I didn’t do it.”

“I believe you.” She had known him too long to believe he could hurt someone he loved. She felt a wave of sympathy wash over her.
Well, that explained a lot
, she thought watching as he stood back up. No wonder he didn’t want to get close. After losing someone that he loved so violently, and then to be accused of it, the pain had to be unbearable. He probably wasn’t over her. And if he wasn’t, what chance did she have? How could she compete with a memory? “What was her name?”

“Robin,” he said softly, “her name was Robin.”

“Pretty name. I’m sorry for your loss. It must have been awful for you.”

“It was.”

“I knew you were innocent,” she said closing her eyes.

“I never said I was innocent.” He leaned forward. “I just said I didn’t murder
her.
”

“Who did?”

“I have no idea.” He glanced back at the window. “I wish Brian would hurry up.”

“Is my company so intolerable?” she asked with a sad smile.

“No, not at all,” he said quickly. “I love being with you. I wish I could stay…” He suddenly paused before looking away.

She glanced at him with a hopeful look on her face. Maybe things weren’t as hopeless as she thought. Maybe she still had a chance with him. After all, she couldn’t have misinterpreted the eager way he sought her out whenever she was working, the way he smiled whenever she came near or the needy expression on his face whenever she brushed past him or all the things he did to show her that he cared for her whenever he was around. The man even risked his life to save her and her sister. She couldn’t be imagining those things. Hope renewed, she smiled playfully at him. “You do?”