A Million Little Things (Mischief Bay, #3)

“It is impressive,” she said. “Later, we’ll celebrate. What do you say we take that new car of yours for a spin around the neighborhood?”

Jack shrieked with excitement. She laughed. She had to admit that at first she’d been upset about the pedal car, but Jack was enjoying it so much. He’d caught on really fast and an article she’d read said the combination of having to move his feet while steering was good for motor skill development. And it was a fun way for them to get exercise together. While he pedaled around, she was able to get in some walking.

She unfastened her seat belt but before she could get out of the SUV, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Kirk’s name.

“It’s Daddy,” she said as she pushed the talk button. “Hi. What’s up?”

“Jen, there’s been a shooting.”

It took a second for Kirk’s stark words to sink in. Her heart stopped beating and she couldn’t hear anything. There was an awful sense of drowning, of losing control, of terror.

She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he told her. “It’s not me. It’s L-Lucas.” His voice cracked. “Jen, he took a bullet for me. It’s bad. It’s really bad. Can you come to the hospital? I need you.”

“Of course. I’ll be there.” She dug for a pen and wrote down the information. “I have to find someone to watch Jack,” she said. “I’ll call as soon as I’m on my way.”

“Thanks.”

She hung up and did her best to catch her breath. Lucas was shot. Lucas had taken a bullet for Kirk. Kirk was okay but Lucas had been shot.

She was shaking so hard, she couldn’t use her phone. She started the car and used the Bluetooth system to call her mom. Pam agreed to meet her at the house.

Twenty minutes later Jen was on her way to the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. She was still trembling and fighting panic with all she had. Later, she told herself. She would fall apart later. Right now Kirk needed her.

It took her over ten minutes to find parking. She ran into the emergency room and asked for Lucas. The admitting guy wouldn’t tell her anything, so she called Kirk and he told her he would come get her. As she waited, she saw dozens of LAPD officers walking into the hospital. They were here to watch over one of their own.

“Jen!”

She turned and saw Kirk hurrying toward her. He was pale, with blood on the front of his shirt. Her stomach heaved and the edges of the room seemed to fold in on each other. She sucked in air as he hugged her tight.

She hung on to him, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. Kirk was fine, she told herself over and over again. Her husband was fine.

“What happened?” she asked.

He put his arm around her and led her through the labyrinth that was the ER department. “We were checking out a lead when we heard a call about officers in trouble. We went to back them up. One second it was quiet and the next all hell broke loose. There were bullets flying everywhere. I was nearly hit. Lucas pushed me down. We both returned fire. It was only a couple of seconds later I realized he’d been hit.”

The trembling returned in full force. She had trouble walking along with him. It could have been Kirk, she thought, trying not to breathe in the hospital smell.

“I called for an ambulance. They got there fast, but there was so much blood.”

He led her to a bank of elevators. “He’s already gone up to surgery. We’re waiting there.” Tears filled her husband’s eyes. “They asked about family, you know, like they always do. Lucas doesn’t have anyone. His parents are dead and he was an only child. There isn’t anyone to call.”

Jen thought about all her resentments. How she’d assumed Lucas was a player, a cowboy who lived for danger. But he’d saved her husband’s life, risking his own at the same time.

“He has us,” she told Kirk as they stepped onto the elevator. “We’ll be there for him.”

They got out of the elevator and walked toward a waiting room. There were several LAPD officers there in uniform along with other men and women Jen assumed were detectives. She knew a few, but Kirk hadn’t been on the force long enough for her to have met them all.

One of the guys walked over and shook Kirk’s hand.

“He’s in surgery,” the other man said. “He’s got a couple of gunshot wounds. None are life threatening, but one’s through his shoulder. He’s going to have a hell of a recovery.”

They continued to talk in low voices. Kirk held on to Jen’s hand so tightly that her bones ached. But she didn’t complain. She knew that he was going to have to leave soon to give his statement. That he was only able to be in the hospital for now because Lucas was his partner—but there would be paperwork. She knew that once he left, it would be hours until he could come back.

She pulled him to the corner. “I’ll stay,” she said. “When you have to go do your thing, I’ll stay here until he’s out of surgery.”

Kirk’s gratitude was visible. “Thanks, Jen.”

“I want to be here. And when he gets out of the hospital, he can come stay with us.”

“You sure about that?”

She grimaced. “It’s not like his flavor of the month is going to stay with him. You’ll feel better knowing he’s taken care of, and Jack adores him. It will be fine.”

And the least she could do, she thought grimly. Because she’d misjudged Lucas and now she owed him.

*

“Returning women are the most successful demographic at college,” Janice said. “I joke it’s because they’ve felt the fear and are ready to change their lives.” She smiled. “While you don’t fit that profile, given how successful you’ve already been, I think you would do well here.”