Page 7

Chapter Seven

Present Day

Logan held his hand on his Taser and stared down the teenagers they’d caught making a mess of a crime scene. Today, he was very glad he wasn’t a detective. All he had to do was respond to the call. Detective Wyatt Remington, just back to regular duty after getting shot, and Detective Doug Ramirez would get the joy of sorting out what had happened.

A ring tone that sounded like his rang in the distance. He patted his pocket. Maybe it was his phone.

Zara had also responded to the call and was standing closer to his squad. “Jackson, that’s your cell.” She pointed into his car.

“Answer it?”

“Sure.”

Wyatt turned to Logan. “We’ll take these guys in. They can sit in the car and wait.” He directed one of the teens to stand and head for the detectives’ unmarked car.

“Logan!” Zara’s voice held urgency.

He spun toward her. “What’s wrong?”

Her face was ashen, mouth agape. “It’s the hospital. Your wife has been in an accident.”

The words slammed into him, and the world stopped.

His wife. What had happened?

He looked at Doug. “Take my squad?”

“Go.”

He tossed Doug his keys. “Zara, drive me.”

“Are you going to tell me—”

“No.” He was shaking and couldn’t breathe. The last thing he could do was explain to Zara the past twelve-plus years.

He slipped into her passenger seat, and she got in, handed him his phone, and drove.

He dropped his head to his hands and tried to pray. How bad was it if they called him? He really had been a jerk to her. His wife. He hadn’t called her that in years, but it was the truth.

With lights and sirens, they reached the hospital in five minutes. Leaving Zara in the dust, he bolted through the emergency room doors. But she was right behind him.

The nurse at the desk nodded to Logan and pressed the button to open the door. “She’s in the third room along the back.”

“Thanks.” Logan darted down the hallway and turned.

Ty stood in his path.

“Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine.” He didn’t let Logan pass.

“Let me see my wife.”

“I don’t know that I should.” Ty crossed his arms.

“She’s my wife.”

“Is she?”

“Yes. And who made sure they called her emergency contact?”

Ty shrugged with a sideways grin.

“That’s what I thought.” Logan pushed past Ty and swerved around the corner into the room.

Zara was beside him. “AJ?”

She looked up at the two of them from where she sat on the hospital bed.

Relief washed over him, but he didn’t know what to say or do.

Zara went to AJ while he hung back near the door. The women embraced. Zara asked, “What happened?”

“I took a tumble off the top of the fire truck.” She gave Zara a goofy grin then winced.

“Careful.” Zara squeezed the arm AJ was not cradling in front of herself.

AJ said, “I’ll be fine. I blacked out; that’s the only reason I’m here.”

Ty spoke around Logan. “And to get that arm and your ribs x-rayed.”

“They aren’t broken.”

Ty slapped Logan’s back. “She’s being as stubborn as ever.”

Logan chuckled. Stubborn had always been a good word for AJ.

Ty said, “I should get back to the station if you are going to stay with her.”

“I will. If she’ll let me.” Logan tentatively met AJ’s gaze.

She nodded.

Ty left, but before an awkward silence could claim the air, a nurse stepped in. “How are you doing, Alice? Anything I can get you while you wait for radiology?”

AJ slowly shook her head, and the nurse disappeared.

Zara said, “Alice? The A stands for Alice? I don’t think I can handle any more surprises today.”

Logan and AJ both laughed.

“Anyway, if I go back to work, are you two going to kill each other?”

“I promise not to kill him . Logan?”

“I promise. I’ll even be nice.” He gave AJ a rueful smile.

“Okay. Call me if either of you need anything.”

Logan nodded, and Zara left the room.

“You can come in,” AJ said softly and pointed to the chair next to the bed.

He trudged farther into the room closer to her and sat.

He didn’t know what to say. “I’ve been a jerk.”

“You aren’t the only one.”

Silence fell. Why was it so hard to talk to his wife? He knew the answer. The weight of the last six years was too heavy.

As AJ exited the x-ray room, Logan fell in step beside her. She still couldn’t believe he was here. They had hardly said anything to each other. Why did she choke on the words I’m sorry ?

For one, I’m sorry would never be sufficient. And, of course, she was afraid he wouldn’t listen anyway.

They walked down the hallway following the tech. They turned down another corridor, and Miles came from yet another one. His eyes widened. “Hey, Logan. AJ.”

“Miles.”

AJ nodded at him but the motion made her dizzy, so she grasped Logan’s arm. He wrapped it around her.

Logan asked, “You okay?”

“Moved my head too fast.”

“What happened?” Miles took a step closer to them.

AJ lifted her palms to the ceiling. “I fell at work. I’m fine, just a bump on the noggin.” She relaxed into Logan’s side. It didn’t mean anything, but she appreciated the steadiness he was providing to her body, even if it was leaving her heart in turmoil.

The tech said, “Mrs. Jackson, I need to get you back to your room. I have another patient waiting for me.”

AJ said, “Oh, of course. It was nice to see you, Miles. I trust you’re feeling better.”

“I am. Thanks. I’ll see you guys around.”

AJ and Logan followed the tech back to AJ’s room. By themselves again, silence reigned.

She sat on the edge of the bed, and Logan took the chair.

Was she fooling herself to think things had changed the moment he came running to the hospital? Or was it the concussion?

She didn’t know what to say. It seemed like every time she opened her mouth, it made things worse. Maybe simply sitting in the same room with each other was all they needed right now.

Resting her head against the bed, her eyelids began to feel heavy.

“Stay awake.” Logan’s voice was raspy.

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

The hardness that had been there for the last five years was still there, but was that a tiny little crack?

“I just want to rest my eyes.”

“You know better.”

“Yeah. Any idea how much longer I’m going to have to sit here?”

“Long enough.”

“Are you talking to me again?”

He diverted his eyes and stared at something on the floor. “I don’t know.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I was scared.”

“Why—no, I’m sorry. I won’t push you to talk to me. Thanks for coming.” She watched him carefully.

His eyebrows lifted briefly, but she wasn’t sure how to interpret it.

Silence fell again. This time it was a little less comfortable.

So many words needed to be said, but so many had flown in the past that had no business being aired. If only she could take them back …

Dr. Madison Baker entered. “Hey, AJ. Logan. I looked at your x-rays. Nothing is broken.”

“I didn’t think it was.”

Madison smiled and came over to her. “I’m not surprised either. How are you feeling?”

AJ shrugged. “Killer of a headache.”

“No doubt. Take acetaminophen such as Tylenol every six hours as long as the headache persists. But don’t take any ibuprofen.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re going to have to lie low for a bit. No work—limit physical activity. Nothing that requires a lot of focus mentally, including reading or TV. Give your brain a minute to heal up. Got it?”

AJ released a puff of air. “That’s like telling a three-year-old to sit still. I’m going to go stir-crazy.”

“Just don’t let yourself become fatigued. Rest a lot.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Madison looked at Logan. “Make sure she obeys.”

His eyes widened. “I’ll pass it along to her roommate.” He twisted his hands in his lap.

Last Madison knew they were married … well, they were still.

“Take care of yourself, AJ.”

She nodded and Madison left.

Logan was sitting beside her, but it felt like he was a million miles away. She longed for him to take her hand and reassure her everything would be okay. But she was pretty sure those words weren’t in his vocabulary.

After another eternity of sitting there, AJ was finally discharged and walked out with Logan by her side.

Zara drove up to the curb as they were coming out the front doors. Logan opened the passenger door for AJ, and she slid in. He got in the back.

They took her home to her and Zara’s apartment above AJ’s grandmother’s house. She changed out of her uniform and grabbed a few things before going to her grandmother’s living room and settling on the couch.

Logan and Zara left once she was comfortable. Her grandmother would do a fine job of fussing over her. Even if Granny’s face was alive with questions about Logan being there. Thankfully, she kept her mouth shut for now.