‘I’m getting some water and going back to bed.’
‘Want anything to eat?’ He glanced at the pizza box and looked back to her. ‘I can scramble an egg, if you like.’
Since shaking her head hurt worse than talking through her bruised throat, she said, ‘No, thanks.’ But she didn’t move. Sitting here was easier than getting up.
‘How are you feeling now?’
Spreading her fingers on her right hand she tipped her hand back and forth. ‘So, so.’
‘Going back to bed? Or staying up for a while? I’ll change the TV channel. Cricket’s over, anyway.’
‘No. The flickering light would aggravate my migraine. What’s the time?’
A glance at his watch. ‘Ten-forty.’ He stood up, stretching that long body no doubt to ease the kinks gained from lying on the couch. ‘I’ll get your water and tablets.’
She didn’t need him running round after her. At the same time she couldn’t find the strength to stand up and go get what she needed. ‘Okay,’ she muttered to his back as he strolled out to the kitchen, looking for all the world like he was used to being in her home.
Actually, he looked comfortable in here, like he belonged. He and the cat. Glancing sideways, she knew immediately how Puss had got inside. Cool air flowed in through the open glass doors and an empty beer bottle stood on the concrete by the barbecue table. He’d made himself at home, and Harper wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
‘Here you go.’ A large hand with a glass and pill bottle appeared in front of her. ‘Get those into you.’ He sat down again. ‘Some guy phoned about tennis tomorrow. Something about playing an inter-club match.’
She shook her head. ‘You must’ve got it wrong. I can barely hit the ball over the net yet.’
‘You’re learning to play?’
‘Uh-huh. I’m trying to learn to play. Who’d have thought it would be so hard to bang a ball across a net?’ She’d joined the local club in spring and wouldn’t be renewing her membership at the end of the season. In fact, she doubted she’d even go to club day again. ‘What did you tell him?’
‘It wasn’t my place to say anything other than you’d phone tomorrow, though I sort of indicated you might be indisposed.’
‘Define “sort of”.’ He’d surprised her. Most people wouldn’t think twice about saying she was in bed with a migraine, or worse, describe the attack in the ED that morning.
‘Said you had rehearsals for the Christmas ballet in town. He was a little surprised— apparently you’re not very nimble on your feet.’ Those spring-green eyes were twinkling at her.
‘Look.’ She lifted the edge of her nightie to reveal her scabby knees. ‘Tennis is a blood sport.’
‘You’re meant to stay on your feet, not crawl after the ball.’ His chuckle was deep and rumbly and did funny things to her insides, alternately tightening and softening her muscles. His gaze seemed fixed on her kneecaps, and the tip of his tongue appeared at the left corner of his mouth.
Tugging her nightie as far down her legs as possible, she studied him right back. Cody sitting on her couch was different to Cody attending an old man with a broken leg. She liked this version.
She liked the professional one too.
So what? She liked George at work and when he was hanging out with Jason. She enjoyed Karin in the department and when they sometimes had a meal in town on a Friday night.
But Cody? She liked…
‘I’m going back to bed.’ Pushing up to her feet, she swayed back and forth until the stars behind her eyeballs blinked off.
A hand took her upper arm gently. ‘Take it easy.’
Pulling free of those fingers that felt like heat pads on her skin, she stumbled out of the room and down to her bedroom. Dropping onto the bed, she managed to swallow some pills and pour water down her throat—and down her chin and over the front of her nightie—before lying down and tugging the sheet over her head.
Playing ostrich in case her nurse decided to come and check on her.
‘You all right under there?’ Yes, the nurse had followed her. Or was that Cody the man?
Flicking the sheet off her face, she grimaced at him. It didn’t work. He still leant in the doorway watching her, nothing but genuine concern in his expression. For her? No one else here, so it had to be. ‘I had a dream.’
That gorgeous mouth flattened. ‘A dream or a nightmare?’
‘More like a movie where I had the lead role. You were in it, being as calm and useful as you were in the real deal, as was Strong—not being calm and helpful.’ She licked her lips nervously. She didn’t want to fall asleep and go through that again.
‘At least I didn’t change roles.’ Cody moved, sat on the end of the bed and gave her another soft smile. She was getting to like those. ‘Want a cup of tea? It might help you go to sleep. I’d tell you a story but I’m all out of them at the moment.’
Her mouth curved up in response to his smile. How could it not? Cody had a way about him that slipped through all her determination to remain aloof. A light, friendly way that did things to her insides, things that she’d thought long dead, things that weren’t about friendship but about something more intense. Not going to happen. It can’t. He’s bound to want children some day. ‘Tea would be lovely.’
Tea would be lovely, her brain mimicked.
What was it about this man that had her melting with just a glance? Could it be that strength of character she’d seen in play today? He hadn’t faltered from the moment the so-called detective had stepped into Resus. Be real. You were ogling him and salivating over his bod before the department’s unwelcome visitor turned up.
Whatever. Whichever way she looked at Cody, and not only at his physical attributes, he came up trumps. Fine. Whatever, she repeated under her breath. The fact remained she had failed at one marriage and the reasons behind that hadn’t changed. She still couldn’t have children, and her long hours at work hadn’t lessened, not even when she’d changed jobs.
‘Tea for the lady.’ Cody spoke softly from somewhere above her.
Her eyes sprang open. That was quick. ‘You move quietly.’ But then she already knew how light he was on his feet. This morning’s assailant hadn’t seen him coming—at least, not as swiftly as he’d been taken down.
‘If you were asleep, I didn’t want to wake you.’
He only got better and better. Which was bad, bad, bad.
Cody rubbed it in some more. ‘I’ll listen out for you during the night in case you have another rerun of that movie.’
Her heart thudded against her ribs, while her stomach slowly melted into a pool of longing. Longing for a man who might really, really be as big-hearted and understanding of her as Cody appeared to be. Stop these stupid dreams. They were never for real and only came back to bite people on the backside. Hers especially.
‘Thanks,’ she muttered and sipped her tea. What else could she say?
It was still Friday. There were two days before she went back to work and needed to have put Cody into the slot he was meant to be in. Ah, but hadn’t she kind of intimated he should go with her to Jason’s birthday bash? Not with her, exactly, but she hadn’t told him to stay away.
All this went to show that when a mad man put a gun to her head she couldn’t be responsible for anything she did or said for some time afterwards.
Harper sank down into her pillows, pushed Cody away out of her thoughts and finished her tea, thinking about her family, all her nieces and nephews, and how much she adored them. Despite her day, she felt safe. Nothing to do with Cody. Nothing at all.
The next time she woke, daylight was lightening the edges of her not-so-good blackout curtains. Lifting her head slowly, she was relieved to find the pressure band around her skull had gone and the drummers behind her eyeballs had packed their bags and left. Yeah. Progress. She still felt wiped out and would take any movement slowly. Swallowing hurt like stink but the swelling at the front of her neck felt as though it might have lessene
d.
Climbing out of bed, she shoved into a tee-shirt and tugged on a pair of long gym pants—not a fashion statement, but at least she could saunter out to her kitchen and face up to Nurse Cody without blushing about her night attire.
His eyes widened and those full lips twitched when he saw her. ‘You’re not going to tennis, then?’
Okay, maybe a light blush. ‘Has he phoned again?’ Her head might be a load better but thumping around a court swinging a racket would not be the best idea she could have. It wasn’t even on a good day, when all her faculties were in top working order.
‘No. It’s only a little after eight. Just thought that might be why you’re up early. As in, early for someone who had the migraine from hell and had dealt with a mad man on her watch in the ED.’