Ghostly Liaison (21 page)

“I’m not looking at the guys. I’m looking at the girls. I know them all. I guess he didn’t bring her.”

“What are you talking about?”

Tori stared at Bridget. “I called Rob and asked him out, like we discussed. But he told me there was someone else and that he might bring her here today. The only women out there are married.”

“He didn’t tell you who this someone else is?”

“No. But then, I didn’t ask, either. I was hoping he’d bring her so I could check her out. You know, see what my competition is.”

Bridget had never been anyone’s competition before. Rob trotted over with Barnaby on his heels. Would he spill the beans? She waited in anticipation. He smiled at her and held his hand out—her cue to hand him a water bottle.

“Hi, Tori.” He opened the bottle and chugged.

Tori straightened and smoothed her dress. “Hello, Rob. I see you didn’t bring your date. Couldn’t she come?”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and glanced at Bridget for a split second before returning his gaze to Tori. “She came.”

“She did? Well, where is she?” Tori stood and looked out.

Rob asked with his eyes and Bridget shrugged back and smiled, giving him permission to say whatever he wanted.

“She’s sitting right next to you,” he said.

Tori looked to her left. Oops. No one there. She looked to her right and Bridget smiled.

“No, really. Where is she?” Tori asked.

Bridget shook her head. When had her cousin ever seen her as competition? She’d grown up a tomboy and never strayed from that, while Tori had always been and would always be a girlie-girl.

A frown had flitted across Rob’s face, but he was grinning mischievously when he leaned over the seats. Bridget waited for him to hand the bottle back and nearly came in her pants as he planted those oh so luscious lips on hers. Using his tongue, he urged her to open and she obediently behaved, as if she could have turned him away. His kisses sent her brain on hiatus.

“Mmm, you taste good.”

She lost the ability to speak. Was her heart even beating?

With his whiskers scratching her cheek, he whispered into her right ear, “Don’t hate me. Couldn’t resist.” With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, he handed her the empty bottle and ran back to the field. Barnaby hesitated for a moment before joining his master.

After Bridget jump-started her heart, she caught Tori’s shocked expression.

“Brian does have some nice-looking friends out there.”

“Oh, shut up,” Tori snapped and carefully stepped her way off the bleachers.

Bridget stifled the laugh that threatened to take over. The man who made it all happen swaggered back to the diamond.

Suzie, forgive me, but I think I’m in love.

* * * *

Rob adjusted his ball cap, grinning all the way back to the diamond. Damn, but that kiss got him hard. Bridget didn’t even shy away. He liked that even better.

“What’d you say to Tori?” Brian asked. “I’ve never seen her get so red-faced before.”

Maybe what he’d done was mean, but the woman had it coming. If she were a guy, he might have belted her one. She’d downright insulted Bridget.

“I thought actions spoke louder than words. Especially when she didn’t listen to mine.”

Brian slapped him on the shoulder. “Yeah, right. That’s why you kissed Bridget.”

Rob shrugged and picked up his glove. “We gonna talk or play ball?”

They took their positions on the field, Brian pitching, Rob playing first base. He would have preferred to sit on the bench beside Bridget, but Brian would have never let him live it down. There were some things just not worth the aggravation. The first batter stepped up to the plate and Rob’s pulse raced. It had been years since he’d actually played. Hopefully he wouldn’t look like a fool in front of Bridget, or her family.

By the fourth inning, he gained his confidence, having caught the balls thrown to him. A bruiser of a man came up to bat. Rob didn’t catch the guy’s name, only that he was married to one of Bridget’s cousins. Brian pitched and the monster smacked the shit out of it.

The ball flew over the center fielder’s head. Mr. Bruiser jogged toward Rob and grinned on his way by. The center fielder reached the ball as the runner jogged through second. He continued his leisurely jaunt as the fielder heaved the ball to the second baseman.

The catcher, a small woman, looked around frantically. Brian was busy watching the play and not backing her up. Rob ran to cover home plate, because he was sure she wouldn’t be able to catch the ball, seeing how she hadn’t caught anything yet. She gave him a look of gratitude and he motioned for the second baseman to throw it in.

The runner must have determined his home run wasn’t a gimme after all and turned on the jets. Rob held out his glove and caught the ball.

Blam!

Mr. Bruiser drove Rob into the ground. When Rob opened his eyes, several players were standing around staring at him. How long had he been lying there? “What happened?”

Brian laughed. “Artie made a pancake out of you. You okay?”

Before Rob could answer, Bridget’s frantic voice cut through the air.

“Let me through!” She shoved at the people stupid enough to stand in her way and fell to her knees by his side.

“It’s Nurse Bridget to the rescue!” Artie said.

“Dammit, Artie. This isn’t football.” She lifted Rob’s arm. “You’re hurt.”

“No, I’m—” The ball dropped out of his glove. “Hey! I got him out.”

“You’re bleeding, Rob. We need to go clean this up.”

Blood trailed from a gash on the back of his forearm. Funny, he didn’t feel any pain, but she sure was fussing over him.

She helped him sit up. “Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Do you know what day it is?”

“No, no, Monday. I didn’t hit my head.” He scrambled to stand and everyone backed away. Except Bridget. She held onto his elbow. Had he hovered over her the same way at the Rialto site?

“Game’s over!” Brian yelled. “Let’s go eat.”

People scrambled outward, picking up bases and gathering equipment. Rob tossed his glove to Brian as Bridget escorted him to the bleachers.

“I’m okay.” He couldn’t get over her concern for him. Maybe he was growing on her after all.

“You weren’t knocked out?”

“No.” He rubbed the back of his head. No bumps. No pain.

“Why’d you check, then?”

He sat on the first row of the bleachers and pulled her down beside him. “You worried about me?”

“Artie’s a big guy. He’s been known to play dirty. When I saw you go down….”

Damn, she
was
worried about him. Kind of gave him the warm fuzzies. “You got a tissue in that bag so I don’t drip all over the place?”

She rummaged through her bag and handed one to him. While they walked back to Kate’s, he wanted to hold her hand, but holding the tissue in place made that impossible. Once they arrived, he stayed outside and sat at one of the picnic tables while Bridget went inside for a first aid kit. Barnaby followed her.

The rest of the gang straggled in behind them.

Bridget backed out of the house, carrying a box under one arm and holding a bowl of water in her hands. The dog stayed inside, probably taking advantage of the AC. The day had gotten rather hot, yet she still wore clothes more appropriate for cooler weather. Maybe with her lack of finances, she hadn’t been able to purchase any summer outfits. He’d like to remedy that, just picturing some skin gave him a hard-on, but she might take offense.

She settled the items on the table and then sat beside him. He would have scooted closer, but wasn’t about to overplay his hand. Right now, he’d take what he could. Like that kiss back at the park. Oh yeah.

With gentle hands, she cleaned and bandaged him. He could get used to this kind of treatment.

* * * *

Rob’s wound wasn’t all that bad, but seeing him go down had rattled her. And Artie was such a cheat. If she could get away with hitting him without breaking her hand, she would have done it. What a butthead.

“You were a nurse before, right?” he asked as he admired her handiwork.

She put the items back into the first aid kit. “Yes.”

“Then how come you’re working for Kate?”

She swiped her sleeve across her drippy brow, for what little good that did. Her shirt was drenched in sweat. “When you think you’re going insane, it’s best to stay away from doctors. Not to mention patients.”

Rob leaned in close. “I felt her. Yesterday. I think she kissed me on the cheek.”

She froze in the process of cleaning. He’d spoken about Charlie as if it were normal. Had he gotten the proof he needed, or did he finally believe her? Did it matter? He didn’t think she was crazy and it nearly brought tears to her eyes. She closed the lid and gathered the trash. “Why do you think she did that?”

“Because I acknowledged her.”

She stared into those beautiful brown eyes of his and loved him a little more. “Yeah, she would have kissed you for that.”

He looked at his bandaged arm. “Do you think you’ll ever go back to being a nurse?”

Never, never, and never. That life was over. Before she had a chance to answer, an older gentleman slapped him on the back.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Hey! I’m glad you decided to make it.” Rob lifted his injured arm. “I got scratched making a play at home. Bridget fixed me up, though.”

“I doubt washing it and slapping on a bandage is fixing you up,” she said.

“So you’re Bridget, huh?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Rob said. “Bridget, this is Carl.”

Carl? As in killer Carl? Hell’s bells. All the moisture in her mouth disappeared. Her heart might have skipped several beats, too.

Carl went to sit on the other side of the table. “Whoops! One of the kids leave this lying around?”

The rubber snake was probably a foot long, but with the way Rob jumped, it could have been the size of a crocodile.

His face paled. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“What, you’re afraid of rubber snakes now, too?” Carl asked.

Rob squinted at it. “Rubber? You sure? It sure looks real.”

If she wasn’t freaking out, she’d probably laugh. “Give it to me. I’ll get rid of it.” Anything to get away from that killer. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold it together. Hopefully the guy wasn’t staying for lunch.

Rob’s cell phone played “Who Are You” and he pulled it from his pocket. While he took the call, she picked up the bowl and headed to the side of the house, her steps a little faster than normal. She tossed the water into the rock garden and placed the snake in the trash.

“Good riddance, buddy.” She covered the fake varmint, turned around, and nearly collided into Carl. Her heart pounded to be free and she grabbed her chest. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you follow me.”

“Didn’t mean to scare you. Snakes don’t bother you?”

“Not usually. Especially the rubber variety.”

He chuckled. “Then I guess Rob’s in good hands with you, huh? So how are you feeling? I heard you got hurt at the Rialto site.”

“The what site?”

“The construction site where you got attacked. Rob told me.”

“Oh. Well, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” She moved to go around the killer, but he stepped into her path.

“What were you doing there?”

Shit. Best to stick with the lie she started out with, else she would get her stories all mixed up. “I was riding my bike when I saw the building was one of Rob’s projects. I only stopped to take a peek.”

She stepped to walk around him a second time, but he continued to block her path. Her nerves could start a generator, but she had no reason to feel concerned. There were too many people around and he couldn’t possibly know about her investigation.

“How did Rob find you if it was a chance stop?”

Hell’s bells. Why all the questions? Did he only care because it was his project? Or did he know more than he was letting on? “No idea, but I’m sure glad he did.”

“You get lucky a lot, don’t you?”

The way he said it implied he knew about her first accident. Was that how people saw her? As lucky? Heck, maybe she should play the lottery then. “I’d have been luckier if I never went in the building.”

He laughed at that. “True.”

“There you are.” Rob’s arrival eased her edginess. She’d never been so happy to see him. “Carl, do you mind if I talk to Bridget in private?”

“No, of course not. Smells like the burgers are almost done anyway.”

Rob watched Carl walk out of sight before turning his attention back to her.

“What’s so important you had to send him away?” Not that she minded. Maybe he was hoping for another kiss. She could use a kiss now anyway. She’d rather her heart raced in pleasure than unfounded fear.

“I didn’t think you wanted anyone else to know about the incident.”

“You haven’t told anyone?”

“No, of course not.”

Those words sat in her stomach like a bad piece of fish. If Rob didn’t tell Carl…

“Anyway,” Rob continued, “that call was from the police. Seems the vagrant living in the Rialto building couldn’t have attacked you. Would you believe he has an alibi?”

Her heart rate picked up tempo, not that it had slowed much. “Alibi?”

“Yeah. He was at the homeless shelter waiting on the next mealtime. Lots of people saw him there during the time you were attacked.”

Of course it wasn’t the vagrant. She couldn’t possibly be a threat to him. But to Carl? Oh shit.

Carl knows. Carl knows
. Those two words kept swimming in her head. Her vision wavered and Rob’s voice sounded a great distance away, even though he stood right beside her.

“Bridget! What’s the matter?” He grabbed her arms. “Damn, you’re burning up. Let’s get you inside.”

Carl had been there, which meant he’d heard her call out for Nick. Did that mean he was coming for her next? Well, duh!

She shivered and it had nothing to do with the blast of air conditioning that hit her as they entered the house. How did she get here?

“Bridget, did you bring a change of clothing?”

Clothing? Why did that matter? “No.” She grabbed onto Rob. “We have to leave.”