Allison Brennan - Cutting Edge

Nora closed her eyes and started coughing.

Sean said, “We need to run, folks, or we’ll be in serious shit.”

“She’s in no condition to walk.” Duke picked her up. She held on to his neck. “Lead the way, brother.” He looked around. “The smoke isn’t getting worse. It might be improving.”

“I hope so,” Sean said. “I don’t think I could get out if it’s this bad where the plane is parked.”

“I’m proud of you, Sean.” They walked briskly in silence until Sean led them to an old logging road that branched off of Last Chance Road. If you want a full-time position at Rogan-Caruso, you have it.”

“Thanks, Duke. I appreciate it. Let me think about it.”

Duke frowned. “What do you need to think about? I thought that’s what you wanted.”

“Maybe I do. But I have some other ideas I want to explore.”

Nora squeezed the back of Duke’s neck. He glanced down at her in his arms, still concerned, but pleased that the color was returning to her face.

“Sean will be fine in anything he does,” she said.

“I know. I just want to keep my eye on him,” he whispered. “And you.”

“Good,” Nora said with a weak smile. “I want to keep my eye on you, too. I love you.”

Nora sat next to Quin’s hospital bed. She was so pale, still so weak, the cuts turning into angry red welts. She’d be scarred forever, but she was alive.

Her sister would live.

Agent Ted Bliss stepped in with a vase of yellow roses. Hooper had told her Ted saved Quin’s life by giving blood in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She smiled at him. “Come in.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Better.”

“She has more color.”

“Thanks to you. You can put those on the table.”

“Thanks.” He put them in a vase on the night table. “Well, I just wanted to bring those by.”

“Thank you. I know she’ll love them.”

He looked at Quin, nodded. “Um, tell her I said hi.”

“I will. Thanks, Ted.” She watched him leave. Yellow roses meant friendship, but Nora bet he wanted more. He had a crush on Quin big-time.

Nora took Quin’s hand and lightly rubbed it. Her skin was still cool, though she was under multiple blankets. She’d woken up several times, but not for long, and the doctors said the sleep was good for now, but in the next day they’d be working on keeping her awake more, getting her up and walking around.

Quin yawned. “Hi, Nora.”

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been beaten to a pulp.”

“That’s what you said yesterday. What’s new?”

“Okay, I feel like I’ve been beaten into partial pulp. A little better than yesterday.”

Nora handed her some water. Quin sipped through the straw.

“Ted came by again.”

Quin glanced at the night table. “He brought more flowers?”

Nora nodded, grinning.

“He’s sweet.”

“He is.”

“I loved Devon and I never told him.” Quin’s voice cracked and her eyes welled with tears.

“Honey, you need to take one day at a time.”

“I heard you talking to Duke yesterday.”

Nora frowned. “When?”

“In the evening, near the end of visiting hours. I’m glad you have someone like him. He treats you like you’re special. Like you’re the only woman in the world for him.”

Nora’s stomach fluttered. “He’s good that way.”

“You deserve someone like him.”

“So do you. Not Duke,” she quickly corrected, “but someone like him. Someone who treats you special.”

“I heard you say you went to see Lorraine. Did you really?”

“Yes.” Nora still had mixed feelings about her experience, but she didn’t regret it. Without the visit, she’d never have found Quin in time.

“You did that for me.”

“You bet. I love you, Quin. I’d do anything for you.”

Tears streamed down Quin’s face, and Nora brushed them aside. “Don’t cry.” Nora’s own eyes burned with unshed tears, watching the anguish on Quin’s face.

“I’m so sorry for what I said. I thought I was going to die and never tell you how much I love you, how much I appreciate you, how much I need you. I don’t know why I-”

“Shh. Quin, I’m not perfect. I’m a control freak, I always think I’m right, and you were right: I did follow you here to Sacramento. Not because I wanted to watch out for you-though that was probably part of it-but because I missed you. You’re my family. You were my rock. You’re the reason I became strong. You needed me, and back then I needed to be needed. It kept me focused. So when you didn’t need me, I didn’t take it too well.”

“I did need you, I just didn’t want to admit it. And I still do. I–I talked to my doctor about seeing a shrink. I think-I think I need to. I’ve got a lot of stuff in my head, and I know it’s not all good stuff.”

Tears rolled down Nora’s cheeks now. “I’m proud of you, Quin.” She kissed her.

There was a knock on the door, and Duke entered. “Hey Quin, can I borrow Nora for a minute?”

“Yeah. Nora, want to send Ted in? I want to thank him.”

“I’m sure he’s still out there. I’ll find him.”

She left and Duke asked, “Are you okay?”

“Terrific.” She kissed him.

“Melanie Duncan is here. She came by to share some great news. I think you’ll want to hear this.”

“Okay.” She saw Ted talking to Hooper. “Ted, Quin’s awake. She wanted to talk to you.”

He looked skeptical, but went into her room.

Melanie Duncan was in the waiting room. “Great news!” she said. “Fish and Game didn’t terminate D-Eleven.”

“D-Eleven?”

“The missing duck. The one Agent Hooper found in the cabin.”

“Right.”

“The lab in Wisconsin said none of the ducks had symptoms of the avian flu, and I’m flying with D-Eleven to the national lab there to re-create Jonah’s research.” She sighed heavily. “It’s going to take years. But with D-Eleven, we’ll be much further along.”

Duke said to Nora, “Jim Butcher agreed to donate all materials to the lab, and he’s taking a job with a biotech company in the Bay Area as their spokesman.”

Nora smiled. “I’m happy for you, and for the project. It’s good news.”

“It is. I’m leaving tomorrow, so I need to pack. Ian isn’t happy, but I told him I’d find him a job.” She smiled. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the bank account shrink-he’d already planned on flying out three times before Christmas!”

She hugged Duke and then Nora, and left.

“Come with me,” Duke said, and took Nora’s hand.

He led her out into the rose garden in the courtyard of the hospital. “What’s wrong, Nora?”

“Nothing.”

He stopped, sat her on a bench, and kissed her. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m tired. I’m still worried about Quin, though she’s doing better. I’m sad that fifteen thousand acres were destroyed. And-I didn’t want Maggie to die.”

“I know-but she tried to push you over the cliff.”

“But the thing is-I don’t feel guilty. And that bothers me.”

“Sweetheart.” Duke pulled Nora into his arms and breathed in deeply. “I love you so much. For your compassion and your determination and your honesty.” And for so much more. Spending the rest of his life with Nora would make him so happy.

He kissed the top of her head. She’d had a concussion, and that first night Duke had worried greatly about her. Between the smoke in the mountains, the running, being hit with rocks, she’d been in worse shape than either of them thought at the time. It made him realize that Nora was as much a part of his family as Sean.