Page 329 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“I owe you one, John. Twice now you’ve saved my life.”

“Think nothing of it.” He helped him back to the highway, but darkness crept in around the edges of his consciousness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Emily sat beside Wade. Hours passed as she listened to the clock tick and watched the monitors attached to the man she loved.

His eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“What am I doing in a hospital bed?”

“You took a couple of bad blows to the head. Trooper Cunningham said you lost consciousness before he could get you to the ambulance.” She poured a cup of water and held it out to him.

He took a long sip through the straw. “It’s nice to wake up to your beautiful face.” His voice was thick with emotion. “I was afraid I’d lose you.”

“You didn’t.”

“I broke protocol. I may find myself unemployed.” He gave her a tight smile. “Will you still love me if I lose my job?”

“What makes you think I love you now?”

“You’re sitting here beside me, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I am.”

“I’ve always loved you, and I always will, Em.”

“The doctor didn’t know if you’d wake up. She said head injuries were unpredictable. When they took you for the CT scan, she came back with news that there was swelling on your brain.”

“They shared my private medical information with you?”

“I may have allowed them to believe I was your wife.”

He grinned. “What else did they say?”

The doctor appeared in the doorway. “Here’s the doctor now, you can ask her.”

Wednesday morning,Emily went back to work. Her boss suggested she take some time off, but she didn’t want to sit at home. She was afraid she would replay the events again and again in her mind. She couldn’t help wondering what she could’ve done differently. Was there something she could’ve done to prevent Sandra’s death? Her patrol brought her past Boulder Field Road, and thoughts of what might’ve happened had she not escaped the root cellar bombarded her.

Wade was supposed to be released from the hospital later that day, and she’d be there for him, but until the call came through saying he was free to go, she would work and attempt to keep her mind occupied.

At lunch time, she sat at a picnic table devouring her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Austin strolled over to join her.

“I owe you an apology. I never should’ve left the park,” Austin said.

“We didn’t know Pete was the killer, Austin.” She reached for his hand. “How could we have known?”

“I should’ve known.”

“Second guessing yourself won’t help anyone now. We all did the best we could to find out who killed those women. It betrays logic for us to consider our friend and co-worker a suspect.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“My security detail gave me a false sense of safety. I believed I was well-guarded.”

“Is anyone ever truly safe?”

“That is a question for another day.” She glanced at her cell phone. “Wade’s being discharged. I’m going to head to the hospital.”

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