Page 41 of Operation: Unify

“You scared me. I woke up from a dose to an empty truck.”

She smiled at him. “I was drawn to the music, and I stayed within sight. I figured I was safe in such a large group of people.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and tucked her close to his side. “I know I shouldn’t worry about you. You’re perfectly capable. But if the last few days has taught me anything, it’s that you don’t take situations for granted.”

She nodded as the band played the song through one more time without words. They started walking and much of the crowd followed them, leaving Lacy and Connor in a grove of trees, bathed in the glow of twinkling light overhead.

“Do I lose my man card if I tell you that you look positively amazing right now.” He threaded his hand within the hair on the back of her neck, drawing her closer.

“I don’t see how you could.” Why would that make him any less manly?

“Because I have uniquely un-manly words going through my head. Like cute. As in, your smile is cute. Forgive me, that’s not a word I would even usually have in my vocabulary. Adorable would be another.” He laughed as he kissed her forehead.

Somehow, the endearments were even sweeter coming from a huge, grumbly, masculine guy. She’d never thought for a second that he would equate her with ‘cute’. She worked, wore flannel, was in her thirties, and didn’t take a lick of time to beautify herself. Yet he thought she was adorable?

“Sorry, I don’t see it.” She held the unzipped front of his denim and duck canvas jacket and playfully tugged them slightly.

“Well, that’s okay. I’ll show you.” His kiss was gentle at first, a request, really.

The moment she responded, he held her closer and took his time. If he’d done this very thing back at home, she would’ve pulled away. She hadn’t been ready. Somehow, in front of a band playing a song she’d heard hundreds of times, she’d realized the error of her thinking. And his. They’d both believed incorrectly about the other.

Which meant they could both work together and fix the problem. It wasn’t one-sided. She ended the kiss and tucked herself close to him, letting his strength infuse her for a while. He would protect her. He would come for her. There was no question about it.

His phone buzzed in his coat, and she stepped back, letting him take the call. He looked torn for a moment, then relented and dug his phone out.

“It’s the hospital. I’ll answer, but let’s head back to the truck where it’s quiet and I can let you listen.” He was already walking that way as he swiped to answer.

“Connor.”

She rushed to keep up with his long strides and they made it back to the truck in less than a minute. He unlocked it with his key-ring, and she climbed inside. The moment she closed her door, he turned the phone on speaker.

“Melinda just finished her final meeting with the police. They said it was fine to allow Lacy to go in and see her friend. We’re not letting any men into her room yet. Since her husband hasn’t been apprehended and we don’t want the job of questioning everyone, that’s the rule for now.”

Connor half-grinned. “That’s fine. Lacy would like to see her if that’s okay? If Melinda is too tired, we can wait, but we’d like to hear how she’s doing from her own mouth.”

“She said she could see Lacy, but there was no one else she requested. She’s still so tired that it will have to be short. The police questioning was lengthy.”

“Good. I hope she told them everything,” Connor said.

“I’m not able to tell you that, I wasn’t there.” The nurse’s serious tone hinted that she was ready to end the call.

“Thank you for letting us know. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Great. Visiting hours end in fifty-five minutes.” The nurse hung up.

Lacy wasn’t ready to consider this a win until she talked to Melinda. People who lived with abuse were like people who lived with chronic pain. They often tried to hide the severity of what they went through because they were sure no one would believe them if they told the truth. Since Melinda had learned how to act in public so no one would ever suspect the internal screaming. She was probably good enough to win an Oscar.

Lacy buckled in while Connor started the engine. She hadn’t thought Melinda would be doing well enough talk within a day. The care at the hospital must be good or God was working on her in a supernatural way. She was the key to putting Tod behind bars.

As they made their way through town, the holiday lights slowly disappeared until they drove through a few neighborhoods where there was no indication that it was almost Christmas. The hospital at the edge of town was three stories tall and other than a large wreath, showed no decoration.

Lacy got out of the truck and a shiver washed down her spine. After Connor had been shot, she hated hospitals. At least, with him at her side, she could face this now.

At that hour,the hospital parking lot was close to empty. He maneuvered into a spot near the door and stashed his weapon in a locked box under his seat. “I’ll follow you inside, then wait in a waiting room.”

He didn’t like how unsettled Lacy looked. She wasn’t one to let nerves get to her. “Do you think he’s here?” He doubted Tod was anywhere around because there were so many cameras around hospitals.

“No, I just don’t like being here.” She visibly shivered but he knew she wasn’t cold.

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