I'll Be There Part 11

"Here." He picked her up like she weighed nothing and laid her on the cloudy bed. "You shouldn't try to get up without help. You're weak."

"Why?"

He tucked the covers around her in the nicest way. Funny he looked really mean and scary, but he was so nice, but in a dangerous, bad boy sort of way. Like Keanu Reeves in Point Break...

"You're sick."

"What's wrong with me?"

"I'm not sure."

"Do you think I should see a doctor?"

"Probably."

"Okay, then. Climb in and we'll go."

"What?"

She pulled back the covers and repeated, "Get in. I'll drive."

"Here, take these first."

He gave her two pills and held the drink up. "What's that?"

"Medicine for your fever that will help you breathe and rest."

"Oh." She took the pills from him and swallowed them. While she was at it, she drank the rest of the golden liquid. That's when she started giggling and couldn't stop. "Are you sure that wasn't ambrosia? I think maybe you're trying to get me drunk."

Another wave of giggles came. The s.e.xy man stood and began pacing. Watching him move back and forth-back and forth-made her dizzy. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms to her temples. "Whew..."

"What's wrong?"

When she opened her eyes, he was standing over her. "I feel really weird."

He sat next to her again. "Close your eyes."

She did and he cupped her head in his hands. Then his lovely fingers began doing magical things to her temples.

"Just relax and try to rest."

"Yes, rest. I'll just take a little nap..."

After she fell asleep, Cord stood and began pacing the room again. She was delirious. It was the fever talking. He raked a hand through his hair. He'd hoped her temperature would be down this morning but it wasn't. It was the same as when he'd taken it in the middle of the night. He didn't know what else he could do for her. He needed help.

Chapter 9.

He checked on her one more time, then grabbed his coat. Outside, the snow was level with the porch and still coming down. He opened his phone, and he marched around in the snow until he found a spot with weak signal. Trying to stand very still, he dialed directory a.s.sistance and asked for the number of a doctor in Angel Ridge. When asked if he wanted to pay the extra to be connected, he agreed.

After two rings, a woman answered. "Doctor's office."

"h.e.l.lo, my wife is ill. I was wondering if I could speak to the doctor?"

"He's out. This is his nurse. With whom am I speaking?"

"I'm from out of town. We got stuck here in the snowstorm."

"I see. What are your wife's symptoms?"

"Fever, congestion, nausea, dizziness, fatigue."

"Temperature?"

"Was 103, but it's down to 101, and it's been there since three a.m."

"How long has she been ill?

"Since yesterday afternoon."

"What have you given her?"

"Over the counter cold medication with something in it for pain and fever."

"Is the nausea persistent?"

"No. She threw up one time. She said it was a reaction to aspirin I gave her."

"Okay. Is she achy? Have a headache?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like the flu or a virus. Could be a respiratory infection. Is she coughing?"

"No."

"Good. If she had pneumonia, you'd have to get her to our office which would be difficult right now."

"Right."

"Is she able to keep fluids down?"

"Yes."

"Good. Give her as much as she'll take. She's probably a bit dehydrated and that could prevent her fever from coming down."

"Does she need antibiotics?"

"That's hard to say. If it's the flu or a virus, it'll run its course. If it's a respiratory infection, then she would need them. But since she has a high fever, we'll rule it out unless you can't get the fever down."

Cord gritted his teeth. He hated feeling helpless. "And if I can't get the fever down?"

"Call me back tomorrow and we'll try to get the doctor to you."

"All right. Thank you."

When he disconnected the call, he had the urge to crush the phone in his hand and throw it as far as he could. The nurse had told him to wait. Two things that he was not: patient or good in situations he couldn't control. He turned back toward the house knowing he'd have to do what the nurse had said-wait it out-and there was nothing he could do about it.

Grady checked the caller ID on his cell and said, "Fuzz, I been meaning to call you."

"Reckon I saved you the trouble, then. Hey, I just wanted to let you know I was out in the wrecker with the plow on the front, trying to keep the main roads cleared, and noticed something strange."

"What's that?"

"Looks like there's smoke coming out of the chimney at that old tenant cabin on the Craig farm."

"Yeah, I wish I'd had the chance to check in with you sooner, but it's been crazy around here with this storm. I need you to help me keep an eye out for any outsiders that may have gotten stuck in town because of the snow. There was a situation up on Laurel Mountain last night."

"You don't say."

"Yeah, the Marshal Service, in their wisdom, decided to hide Jenny Thompson in a cabin up there."

"What?"

"Yeah, some backwoods boys found them and shot the place up. We suspect it was part of the crime ring she busted last fall."

"Sorry to hear that. I hope everybody's okay."

"Well, Jenny got out, but the marshals didn't fare so well."

"Where is she now?"

"We got her up at the Craig farm in that tenant house."

"That explains it then. I thought maybe some hunters had got stuck out in this and helped themselves to the shelter." He paused, then added, "I sure am glad to know Jenny's all right. Who's with her?"

"A local and Cole."

"All right, well, I'll keep a lookout and let you know if I see anything unusual."

"I appreciate that, Fuzz."

Fuzz disconnected the call, and smiling, placed another.

"Yeah, boss."

"Have you found the girl yet?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"We been lookin', but-"

"Shut up and listen, you idiot. She's out at the Craig farm, about five miles outside of Angel Ridge. Retrieve her."

"That might be difficult in this weather."

He ground his teeth. "You're paid well to deal with any situation, so I don't care how difficult it is."

"There's a blizzard in the area, boss."

"I'm aware of the weather, stupid."

"But it's so far from any main roads, snow plows won't get out that way for awhile and the elevation will mean deeper snow."

"I'm plowing the road where she is now, so stop with the excuses. Take every available man. Use any means necessary. She needs to be eliminated by morning."

Cord scanned the property and the woods at the perimeter. When he saw no movement or activity, he went back inside the house. Jenny stood in the kitchen wearing only his green flannel shirt and a confused look. She had a gla.s.s in her hand.

"h.e.l.lo."

"Hi." Standing there in his shirt, she looked as s.e.xy as she would have in a lacy, low-cut negligee. She still had the confused look, but seemed steady on her feet. "Were you looking for something?"

"Uh-huh." She cleared her throat. "I mean, yes."

Cord took off his coat and hung it on one of the pegs by the door. He moved into the room, watching her carefully. Her color was better. She wasn't quite as flushed. "Did you want something to drink?"

She looked at the empty gla.s.s in her hand. "Yes. Yes, that was it." She ran a hand through her tousled hair. "I'm sorry. I'm having trouble putting thoughts together."

She walked over to the refrigerator, opened the freezer and frowned.

He came up behind her, reached in and grabbed a handful of ice which he transferred to her gla.s.s.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He got a ginger ale out of the refrigerator, unscrewed the cap and poured it in her gla.s.s.

"I'm not helpless," she complained weakly.

"Of course you're not."

She walked over to the small table and sat. He wanted to touch her face to check her temperature, but wasn't sure of her present mood. So instead, he asked, "How's your temperature?"

"101."