Hope White - Mountain Ambush

“Your assistant is supposed to start tonight,” Cal said.

“Assistant?” Spence questioned.

“Ruth hired someone to help you out until you’re fully recovered,” Cal said.

“That’s not necessary.”

“Perhaps not, but she doesn’t want to take any chances. She found someone to check in on you for the next week or so, until you’re up and running at your usual 120 percent.”

Spence suspected it might take longer than a week. Two or three perhaps? What if he never cleared the clutter from his brain, and had to give up practicing medicine? He fisted his hand, frustrated at the thought of not being a doctor, not saving lives.

His life would be, in a word, over. Panic overwhelmed him.

Get it together, Spence. He pulled himself back from the edge. He’d be okay; he had to be okay. He was just exhausted.

The men went to the cabin and Cal swung open the door.

Margaret, matriarch of the McBride clan, was directing her daughter, Cassie, on building a fire.

Cassie glanced over her shoulder, dropped the kindling and ran into Nate’s arms. “Hi, Chief. I could use your fire expertise.”

Spence noticed Nate’s face light up as he hugged his girlfriend.

“With pleasure, dear,” he said, teasingly.

“Dr. Spencer, it’s so good to see you up and around,” Margaret said.

“Thank you.”

A light, melodic sound echoed from the kitchen. Spence glanced across the cabin. Maddie stood at the counter with her back to the group, singing along with a song playing through her earbuds.

“And I always knew...with your love...”

“Maddie?” her aunt Margaret said.

“I could do anything...”

“Maddie!” her aunt tried again.

Cassie grabbed a piece of kindling and tossed it at her cousin to get her attention.

Maddie shrieked and spun around, wielding a chopping knife like a weapon. She glanced at the utensil in her hand and scrunched her nose. Removing the earbuds, she offered a smile, blushing. “Sorry. Got lost in the music. Hi, Doc. Hi, Chief.”

“Maddie, nice to see you,” Nate said.

“I didn’t know there’d be four for dinner.” Maddie glanced over her shoulder at the vegetables she’d been chopping.

“Actually, I’ve got an appointment,” Cal said.

“I won’t be staying for dinner, either,” Nate said.

“Hey, my cooking isn’t that bad,” Maddie joked.

Joked. Smiled. Cooked. Spence enjoyed the moment, however fleeting.

“It’s not your cooking, coz,” Cassie said. “Chief promised me dinner at Mackey’s Dim Sum tonight.”

“Nice,” Maddie said with envy in her voice.

Spence suddenly wanted to take Maddie out to dinner.

Okay, now he was really losing his mind.

“Well, I’m off,” Cal said.

“Could I have the spare key for the officer who will be keeping watch?” Nate asked.

“Sure, Chief. Spence, your assistant should be checking in at eight. Well, have a good night, everyone.” Cal handed Nate the key and left.

“Your assistant?” Maddie asked.

“Dr. Carver hired someone to keep an eye on me,” Spence explained.

“Ah,” Maddie said, and went back to chopping vegetables.

Something felt off, Spence wasn’t sure what. He and Maddie hadn’t spoken about what had happened in the MRI room, and they probably should. At the very least he should apologize for kissing her hand.

“I brewed some herbal tea from Healthy Eats,” Maddie said. “It’s especially good for healing. Would you like a cup, Dr. Spencer?”

“Maddie, you’re in my home, making me dinner. Call me Spence like everyone else.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And no sir stuff.”

“Okay, Spence.”

It sounded strange coming out of her mouth, unusually intimate. Nate helped his girlfriend build the fire, and Margaret assisted Maddie with dinner preparation.

“So tea, yes?” Maddie asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Spence wandered to the living room sofa and collapsed.

“We’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes, Doctor,” Margaret said.

“Thanks.”

The cabin had an open floor plan along with two private bedrooms, so Maddie was never out of Spence’s sight. For some reason he liked being able to watch her auburn ponytail dance across her shoulders as she moved back and forth from the refrigerator to the sink.

This had to stop. He ripped his gaze from Maddie in time to see Nate kiss Cassie on the cheek.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Nate said.

“I’ll be ready.” When Cassie hugged him, Spence had to look away.

The love shared between those two was palpable. Spence had accepted the fact he wasn’t meant to experience romantic love, but some days he ached for what he was missing. No, it was the head injury messing with him, making him moody, that’s all.

“Come on, Ma.” Cassie motioned to Margaret.

“But I’m not done helping—”

“I can finish,” Maddie said. “I think the chief has to ask me some questions anyway, so I’ll stick around a little while.”

Margaret grabbed her purse and smiled at Spence. “You’re in our prayers, Doctor.”

“Thank you, Margaret,” he said.

“Don’t be late,” Cassie said to Nate.

“Am I ever?”

“That means no police emergencies, either.” Cassie winked and shut the door behind her and her mom.

“If only that were up to me,” Nate said softly. He joined Spence in the living room, sitting on the sofa. “How ya feeling, buddy?”

“Better, now that I’m home.”

Nate glanced across the cabin. “Maddie, can you take a break? You should hear this, too.”

Spence didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t want Maddie to be threatened by the danger stalking him.

When Maddie joined them, Spence noticed a few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail, framing her face. He snapped his attention from her and looked at Nate.

“We went through video footage from the hospital and came up with this.” Nate flashed a photo on his phone of a man in a black jacket with a cap pulled low over his forehead.

“It’s the same guy from the mountains,” Maddie said.

“How can you be sure? You can’t see his face,” Nate said.

“His shoes squeaked. I heard it in the mountains, and again after he shoved me against the wall and ran out of the MRI room.”

It felt like someone punched Spence in the gut. “He shoved you against the wall?”

“I’m fine, and he is too apparently. Obviously survived the fall off the trail. Do you have any better images?”

“Unfortunately not.” Nate pocketed his phone. “He disappeared right in front of security.”

“How is that possible?” Spence asked, growing more frustrated.

“We’re not sure,” Nate said.

“What about Kurt? Did he remember anything?” Maddie asked.

“Nothing usable,” Nate said. “The attacker got him by the throat and stuck him with a syringe. As he was losing consciousness he said he saw a gorilla.”

“Whoa, that was some drug,” Maddie said.

“What we can’t figure out is why he came after you at the hospital, Spence,” Nate said. “At first this looked like you randomly stepped into trouble when you went to help Gwen. Now I’m not so sure that’s all it is. I hate to ask, but can you think of anyone who’d want to hurt you?”

“Hurt me?” Spence scoffed. “Dr. Dreamboat?”

Nate and Maddie weren’t smiling.

“What?” Spence challenged, anxiety trickling across his nerve endings.

“You’re being awfully cavalier about this,” Nate said.

“As opposed to what, launching into full-blown panic?” Which was exactly where he was going. Then he remembered the emails.

“What is it?” Nate said, eyeing him.