But hospitals made his skin crawl. Go figure.
He’d arrived just as the nurse had been going in. She’d snapped the door closed in his face, unimpressed with both his credentials and sense of urgency. What he’d done to piss her off, he hadn’t a clue.
Abbott, he thought. Probably directed the woman to stall him.
A smile touched Billy Ray’s mouth. He could stall all he wanted, but this was it. His chance to nail Abbott, after three long years.
It’s going to happen, my love. I’m going to make him pay.
True.
He didn’t allow himself to think of her often, or to linger on what might have been. But when she popped into his mind, she came with a wisp of something both tender and bitter.
Tender. And bitter. He mostly focused on the bitter. Or tried to. That he could hold on to. It didn’t tease or torment.
Billy Ray thought again of this moment. Henry Rodriquez shot to death. Logan’s pretty new wife, red with blood. Too much to be from her head wound.
His gaze drifted back to the clock. And to True. In his mind’s eye, the clock turned back. Back to that first meeting. And to that moment when he’d realized how desperately she needed him.
He’d been on patrol that morning. Cruising with the windows down, enjoying the breeze through the windows. It reminded him of being a kid, riding along with his uncle Nate, feeling free and happy. He hadn’t had a whole lot of happiness in his childhood, but those ride-alongs with Uncle Nate stood out in bright contrast to his otherwise grim memories.
They’d cruise the winding country roads talking about the world, life or sometimes nothing at all. He’d felt safe with Uncle Nate. No wonder he’d followed in his footsteps and become a cop.
Up ahead he saw a woman sitting slumped by the side of the road, her head in her hands. He tapped the siren, slowed and pulled up alongside her. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a high ponytail; she wore hot pink and black exercise gear.
“Ma’am, you okay?”
She lifted her head and he realized who she was. Logan Abbott’s young bride.
Lordy, she was beautiful. Take-your-breath-away gorgeous. At the moment, however, she was as pale as a ghost.
“Miz Abbott? It’s Officer Williams, remember me? Billy Ray. We met down at the Stop and Shop.”
She nodded. “I remember.”
Her voice was like a breath of spring. Light and sweet. The sound of it just made him feel good. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, please. I don’t feel so good.”
Billy Ray grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler on the floor of the cruiser and brought it to her. “Here you go, ma’am.” He twisted off the top and handed her the bottle. He noticed her hand shook as she took it.
She tipped her head back and drank. Billy Ray found himself staring at the smooth arch of her neck and jerked his gaze away, embarrassed.
“Thank you, Billy Ray,” she said softly, cradling the now-empty bottle in her hands.
“You’re very welcome, Miz Abbott. I’ll take that, if you’re finished?”
“I am.” She handed it over. “And please, call me True.”
Blue eyes. Clear and guileless as a summer sky. “I’d be happy to, True.” Her name felt like poetry on his lips and he longed to say it again. He resisted and carefully deposited the empty bottle in the cooler, then held out a hand. “You feel strong enough to stand?”
She nodded and laid her small hand in his. He curled his protectively around it and helped her up.
“Good as new,” she said lightly, “thanks to you, my knight in shining armor.”
He smiled. “You look a little wobbly to me. Climb in, I’ll give you a ride home.”
She hesitated, something apprehensive moving across her expression. “I’m fine now. Really.”
“Abbott Farm is more than a mile up the road.”
“Logan won’t like it.”
“Pardon?”
“You bringing me home. He’s a little jealous.”
“Well, look here, True. I’m the law and I’m just gonna insist.”
He helped her into the cruiser, then went around and climbed in. “Buckle up.”
She did as he asked and he pulled onto the road. “What happened, True?”
“I went for a run. I didn’t intend to go so far and suddenly I was just overcome. I thought I was going to faint.”
“You didn’t bring water?”
“No.”
“Or a cell phone?”
She shook her head. “I just wanted some time to myself. To clear my head. You know what I mean?” She looked at him, the expression in those wide blue eyes hopeful.
A lump formed in his throat. “I do.”
“Pretty dumb, huh.”
“Not at all. Overconfident.”
She laughed. “That sounds a whole lot better, but it’s not true. I just wanted to … go. Dumb,” she said again.
He reached the Abbott Farm gates, with its ornate logo. They stood open and Billy Ray turned in. He followed the drive to where it split: to the right lay the stable and training facilities, to the left the main house.
“House or barn?” he asked.
“Barn.”
Moments later, he rolled to a stop; Logan stepped out of the stable, a commanding figure in riding breeches and boots.
True flew out of the car and ran to him; Billy Ray followed more slowly. Something about the way Abbott pulled her against his side had Billy Ray seeing red.
“True, baby, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice shook slightly. “Officer Williams here rescued me from the side of the road.”
“Is that so?” He turned his gaze to him. “Then I’m indebted to you, Billy Ray.”
He held out a hand; Billy Ray took it. It seemed to him Logan held it a bit too tightly and for a moment too long before letting go. “Just doing my job, Logan.”
“What happened, baby?”
“I went for a run and felt sick. I thought I might faint and sat down. That’s when Officer Williams came along.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I forgot to bring my phone.”
Billy Ray noted the untruth. She had told him she’d deliberately left it. Why lie?
Logan frowned. “That’s not safe, True. We talked about that.” He shifted his gaze to Billy Ray. “She leaves her phone behind all the time.”