Causing a Commotion (19 page)
Read Causing a Commotion Online
Authors: Janice Lynn
Tags: #Humor & Entertainment, #Humor, #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Romantic Comedy
Straight-faced, she walked the rest of the way in silence, stopping beside a beat-up Chevrolet.
“Thanks,” she said, not turning toward him and looking all the more nervous.
“Give me your keys, and I’ll unlock the door for you,” he offered.
“It’s not locked.” She tugged on the handle to prove it, opening the door enough that the light kicked on, illuminating the interior of the car.
A Wolf mug lay tossed on the front seat.
Chapter Twelve
“Jilly, this isn’t for you to figure out. Nor is it your problem.” Jessie stared at her pacing sister and wished she’d sit down in one of the two chairs occupying her hospital room.
At her sister’s stricken look, she sighed, her heart pricked with guilt. “Don’t look at me like that. I love you and appreciate your concern and help, but the police came by earlier. I’ve told them everything I know. If someone purposely drugged me, they’ll take care of it.”
Jill closed her eyes. “Someone almost killed you. I’m not going to sit back and do nothing.”
“No, you’re not. You’re going to figure out what things you want to keep of Mom and Dad’s and then we’re going to sell the rest and the house.”
“We don’t have to sell the house. If money’s a problem, I can help.”
“Money isn’t a problem.” It felt so good to be able to say that. “I’m not going to want to live there, Jill. And, with that mausoleum Rob owns here in the city and with the house y’all are building on the outskirts of San Padre, you’re not going to want to either.”
“Jess-”
“I mean it, Jill. We should sell,” when Jill opened her mouth to protest, Jessie added, “I’ll be fine. I like living with Tamara and being in the city is much more convenient.”
“But it’s not home.”
“Neither is that empty house.”
“Oh, Jess.” Guilt contorted Jill’s face. “You needed me, and I wasn’t here.”
Jessie sighed. “No, I don’t need you. I love you,” she quickly clarified at Jill’s hurt expression, “but I’m a grown woman and can deal with my own problems.”
Her sister sighed. “But I worry like crazy.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Like that’s something new?”
Jill smiled. “You do have a point.”
“Of course I do, but I really am going to be just fine. You worry about taking care of your new husband.”
“Tell me about this co-host you mentioned last night when that doctor finally let me in to see you.”
“Colin?” Was her voice casual enough? She was going for casual. Very casual, because otherwise Jilly would see right through her. “What did I say?”
“That you wanted to jump his bones.”
“Oh, that.” Jessie sighed in relief, hoping that was all she’d said. “Yeah, well, if you’ve seen him, you’d understand why.”
“I have seen him.”
Sirens sounded in her head. “On our show?”
“There, but in person, too.”
“He was here?” Jessie guessed. She had a vague memory of Colin being in the room with her, of him brushing her hair back and kissing her temple, of him whispering promises and words of endearment.
But that couldn’t be right.
“He came last night.”
“He did?” That hadn’t been casual sounding. Had Colin really been in her room or had she imagined it? She tried to clarify her hazy memory and couldn’t. Actually, she didn’t remember anything about the day before. Not from the time she’d sat down to record
Causing a Commotion
until when she’d awakened this morning. Only that hazy dream of Colin.
“He didn’t stay long, but he did come by.”
“Did I…did he see me like this?”
“He’s who brought you to the hospital, but once you were here, no one saw you except me. Not until Rob and J.P. came by this morning.”
Jessie nodded, glad Colin hadn’t seen her during the craziness of the night before. It was bad enough that he’d been the one to bring her to the hospital. Had she been out cold or talked to him? Out cold seemed preferable.
Yet she couldn’t erase the memory of him being in the room with her. But he couldn’t have been. Jill would know if he had.
“I think you should stay away from him.”
“What?” Jilly was warning her against a man? That hadn’t happened in years. Not since Jessie hooked up with a motorcycle riding hunk whose night job was helping himself to other people’s belongings. Too bad, because he’d been a really nice guy otherwise. Jill assisted in his arrest. So why Colin? “I work with him so it’s a fair guess I won’t be staying away.”
“I mean personally.”
“I don’t have a personal relationship with Colin.”
“If you’d seen his expression last night, you’d understand why I beg to think differently.” Jill’s gaze met hers. “Or if you’d heard the longing in your voice when you asked if he was here.”
“Oh.” She gulped.
“Jess, I try not to interfere with your life, but someone drugged you. It could have been anyone at Wolf. Even this Colin guy.”
“No.” Colin didn’t have a thing to do with what had happened yesterday. She knew that. “It wasn’t Colin.”
“You can’t be sure.”
“I can. It wasn’t him.” She kept her voice steady, level despite the urge to shout the words at her sister.
A knock sounded on her door.
Speak of the devil, she thought seconds later when Colin, handsome as always in a perfectly starched suit, walked into the bland hospital room.
She sucked in a breath, hated that a monitor registered her increased heart rate, displayed it for anyone who cared to look. Personally, she was afraid to look. Just in case it topped the charts and nurses were going to fly into the room any moment.
“Colin,” she said, trying not to show how glad she was to see him. Trying not to show how seeing him both calmed and excited. Especially with Jilly watching her every move with an eagle’s eye.
“Good to see you awake,” he said, sounding unsure and stilted. His gaze shifted toward Jill. Did he sense her hostility?
“Have you met my sister?” she asked, then recalled that, of course, he had since Jill said she’d met him the night before. Duh. Had they exchanged words? Had Colin said something that raised Jill’s police woman hackles?
“Briefly last night.”
“In the hospital cafeteria.” Jill nodded, not looking happy to see Colin.
Jessie eyed them and frowned. What was up with Jill that she’d be anti-Colin? She didn’t really think he had anything to do with what happened? How ridiculous.
Jessie eyed their mundane verbal interaction, watching Colin’s response to her sister closely. Jill was the total package. Smart, sexy, and fun to boot. She was also very much in love with Rob Lancaster. But that didn’t mean Colin couldn’t fall under her spell. Jill was the kind of woman a man could love forever.
Jessie chided herself for her thoughts. If Colin fell for her sister, it wouldn’t do him any good and he wasn’t hers anyway, so it didn’t matter. Not really.
But he had kissed her.
Beep. Beep. Beep. There went that heart monitor again. Jessie slipped the clip off her finger, tired of having Colin’s effect on her displayed like a breaking news flash.
Jill eyed her curiously, then took a deep breath. “Since you have company and won’t be alone, I’m going outside to get some fresh air.”
“Don’t leave on my account,” Colin politely offered.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be far,” Jill warned. “I slept in that chair and ache from head to toe. Walking will do me good.”
Colin and Jessie’s gazes both shot to the chair that pulled out into a make-shift bed.
“It’s not as bad as it looks. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Jill met Jessie’s eyes. “Unless you want me to stay?”
“No, I’m fine.” Jessie sat in silence as Jill left. She wished she wore something more glamorous than a white drawstring gown with blue flecks. Hospital standard issue. Gross.
“I don’t think your sister likes me.”
“She’s just protective of me.” Too protective, but try telling Jill that.
“You look better today.”
“Better?” Jessie’s mouth dropped. The realization that she didn’t have a single stroke of make-up on her face hit. Fortunately, Jill braided her hair into a long French plait earlier. At least her hair wasn’t a wild mess.
Colin must have interpreted her thoughts, or noticed her clean face for himself because he stared at her. So intently Jessie wanted to pull the sheet up to block his probing eyes.
“You’re beautiful.”
Not what she’d expected him to say. “What?”
“Don’t go fishing for more compliments. You heard me the first time.”
“I think I’m still under the influence and heard wrong.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“What’s those?” She gestured toward the fresh flower bouquet he held.
A small smile played on his lips. “If you have to ask, I’m going to call a doctor in here and have him take another look.”
Jessie giggled. “You know what I mean.”
He walked over to the bed, stood at the edge. “They’re for you. I thought you might like them, but it looks like you’ve already accumulated your own florist shop.”
He gestured to the dozen bouquets she’d received from friends and co-workers including Tamara and a huge vase of roses from Maxwell.
“I do like them. Thank you.”
He turned and placed the flowers next to her bed.
“Wait.”
He did.
“Let me smell.”
He held out the bouquet, positioning it to where she could easily take a whiff but without water spilling from the vase.
“Mmm, heavenly.”
Colin set down the flowers. “Glad you like them.”
“I love them, Colin, but you didn’t have to.”
He looked cautious. “They’re just flowers, Jessie. Don’t read anything into them.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not.” She patted a spot on the bed next to her. “Sit.”
He looked like he’d refuse, but sat.
“Tell me what happened yesterday.”
His gaze met hers. “How much do you remember?”
“Nothing from the time I sat down to record the show until I woke up this morning to Jill standing guard over me.”
“You told me you thought I was the sexiest man alive.”
Jessie stared at him, trying to gauge his mood. Was he serious or teasing? Serious. Okay, so she’d told the truth. No harm there. “What did you say back?”
“I asked if you were okay.”
No returning compliment that she was the sexiest woman alive, apparently. “I wasn’t okay.”
“No, you weren’t.” Colin touched her face, tracing a finger over her skin. “You scared me.”
“I scared myself.”
“At first, I thought you were high.”
“I was.”
“I mean, of your own accord.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Someone laced your coffee. I’m sure of it. I went back to the studio to get the mug, but it was gone.”
Gone? “Perhaps one of the cleaning crew got it.”
“My cup was still there. The cleaners would have taken both.”
“Good point.” She turned her head, bringing her face into fuller contact with his hand. “Jill told me you came by last night. That you brought me here.”
Were you in my room or did I dream that?
“J.P. drove and I kept talking to you, making sure you breathed, that your heart kept beating.” He caressed her face.
She searched his gaze in wonder at the emotion she saw reflected in his eyes. Colin cared for her. Whether he wanted to or not. Whether he was receptive to the feeling or not. He cared. “If my heart had stopped?”
“I’d have resuscitated you.”
They were close now. Very close.
Jessie glanced at the blank heart monitor. When she turned back to him, nervous thunder thudded in her ears. “My heart’s not beating.”
Colin sucked in air. “Jessie.”
“Look at the monitor.” She pointed toward the flat-line on the screen. “Save me, Colin,” she whispered, before logic took over, “because I’ll die if you don’t kiss me.”
“A bit dramatic, even for you, don’t you think?” he said, but his voice had grown husky, his eyes that dark full of desire blue.
“No, I don’t. I can’t think. Not when you’re near.” She took his other hand and placed it over the thin gown, over her heart. Heat seeped through the material. Familiar.
Right
. “Feel.”
Torture clouded his expression. “This isn’t a good idea.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Cut me a break. I’m in the hospital and all I’m asking for is for you to resuscitate me.” She stared into his eyes and willed him to want her. “Kiss me, Colin. Now.”
He closed the distance between their mouths and kissed her. Not soft, not tender, but a kiss of passion. A kiss meant to jumpstart her heart.
