Page 407 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

He roused for a short conversation with the doctor, where Addie held his hand and kept looking at him with those reassuring glances. As though she fully intended to take care of him.

He figured he owed her the chance to do that if it was what she wanted. He’d never take that grace for granted. The idea that after he’d broken things off with her, following the worst time in their lives, she’d give him the honor of wanting to be with him again. Even just as friends? Jacob was willing to take whatever he could get.

The light in the room had dimmed when he opened his eyes again.

A dark figure stood by the window.

Jacob’s head swam. “Who…?”

Where was Addie?

Panic rolled through him. Too many crazy things had happened lately for him to be at peace when he couldn’t helphimself. He’d have no choice but to pray and ask God to protect him and Addie.

Jacob tried to gather his strength enough to say, “What do you want?”

The man turned.

He tried to see the face. Was it the man who stabbed him?

Jacob’s world descended to black, and when he woke again the room was washed with light.

“Addie.” He blinked the room into focus. “Addie!”

The door flung open, and she rushed in, a paper cup in her hand. She set it on the side of the bed.

“Hey.” She leaned down close.

“I need water.”

“Okay.” She found a cup with a straw, and he drank the entire thing. “The doctor is coming in soon. They were going to uh…disconnect you from some things. And check you over.”

He felt its sensation and didn’t want to talk about his bodily functions with this woman. Or any woman. Or any doctor, but he figured he’d have to come face-to-face with reality whilesomeonewas in the room.

Jacob frowned. “Someone was in the room.”

Addie looked around. “It’s just me.”

“No.” Jacob shook his head. “Someone was here. In the dark.”

Her expression shuttered. “Do you know who it was?” The question had a guarded tone.

Jacob didn’t have the mental capacity to analyze it. He just liked looking at her.

“Jake, who was here in the dark?”

“I don’t know.”

She squeezed his shoulder. “I’m going to get the nurse again and talk to the officer on the door.”

He did not want to see the captain. “McCauley?”

“Eric Hummet.”

“I don’t know him.”

“He’s good. We’ve made friends.”

Jacob frowned.

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