Page 14 of Double Take

An hour later, Lainie returned to find James in a drug-induced doze. While she stood in the doorway, pondering whether she should let him rest or try to wake him, his eyes fluttered open.

“Hi,” he rasped.

“Hey.” She stepped into the room and pulled a chair closer to his head. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good right now. What’s the verdict on the ribs?”

“Bruised. We think.”

“Not broken?”

“There’s a tiny, almost microscopic, place that could be a hairline fracture, but I’m not entirely sure and neither was the radiologist. I consulted another doctor and she said the same thing. Unless you want to do another X-ray at a different angle—”

“That’s okay, I’ll pass.”

“—you should take it easy for the next few weeks just to make sure.”

He frowned. “Few weeks? Not an option.”

Why did she know he’d say that? “Well, if it’s just a bruise, you’ll heal up faster than if it’s a fracture, and then you’ll know. In other words, time will tell.”

“Time. Right.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Thanks.”

She patted his shoulder. His very nice, muscular shoulder. She cleared her throat. “Rest for now. We should have the results back from the UA shortly.” If his urinalysis came back showing what she thought it might—Her iPad pinged. “Well, speaking of...” She read, then looked up. “Hmm.”

“What?”

“I’d like to keep you overnight.”

His eyes popped open. “No way.”

Lainie sighed. “You have blood in your urine. It’s very faint, but it’s there. I’m sure it’s only because your kidney was slightly traumatized, but I don’t want to release you until we know for sure—or the blood is gone.” She paused. “Actually, I think we’ll do a CT scan with contrast just to see how that kidney is functioning.”

His hands fisted at his sides. “I can’t stay overnight. I only agreed to the drugs because I didn’t think I’d have to.” He raked a hand over his face.

Lainie frowned and covered his hand with hers. “I’m sure your friends or Stephanie would take care of anything you need at home. Or whatever it is you’re worried about.”

Her phone buzzed and she ignored it.

He shook his head. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m staying with Cole while I look for a place.”

“Cole Garrison?”

“Yes, we’re partners.”

Partners and best friends since college. And now James was a cop in the town they’d grown up in. “I haven’t seen him in a while either.” She’d heard about him over the last month because he and Kenzie worked together, but apparently those two were keeping their distance from each other when they could. She eyed the man in the bed. “So what’s keeping you from staying? I mean, no one in their right mind actuallywantsto stay overnight in a hospital, I suppose, but...”

His jaw clamped shut and he breathed in through his nose. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Listen to the doc,” a voice said from behind them.

Lainie turned. She’d been so focused on the man in front of her, she hadn’t heard the door open.

“Cole, dude,” James said. “How long you been standing there?”

“Long enough to know you’ve got blood where you shouldn’t have it and a doc who thinks you should stay here for the night.”

“PA,” Lainie murmured. No one seemed to hear her.

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