Heart of a Hero (Baytown Heroes #10)

Chapter 1

1

“Laura! Olivia! You know the rule about breakfast before school!”

The early morning sun filtered through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow on the modest, cozy space. Karen Drummond stood at the counter, her movements practiced as she set out bowls for cereal and dropped bagels into the toaster. The comforting scent of coffee mingled with the toasted bread.

She would have taken the time to fix a hardier breakfast but had enough trouble getting her daughters to eat on a school day. Olivia bounded into the kitchen. She’d dressed in a carefully chosen outfit and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Smiling, Karen asked, “Is Laura on her way?”

Olivia responded with a smirk, an expression Karen recognized as a blend of sisterly exasperation and amusement. Chuckling, Karen pushed the box of cereal and carton of milk closer to Olivia before pouring a glass of orange juice. “Cream cheese or butter today?”

Olivia’s lips curved upward as she eyed the bagel when it popped up from the toaster. “Butter and jelly.” Her not-quite teenage voice at twelve years old still held a touch of excitement over something so simple.

Karen savored these moments, knowing all too well that the days when Olivia would be eager to share her preferences with such joy were numbered. Soon, there would be scoffs or eye rolls, as though she should know her daughter’s wishes without asking.

“I’m here, I’m here!” Fourteen-year-old Laura walked into the room, her voice breathless. Her hair was partially dry but fell in natural waves below her shoulders. She recently began wearing a touch of makeup, but Karen convinced Laura to do only mascara and lip gloss. Both girls had natural beauty, and Karen was grateful for every week that went by without their desire to succumb to the beauty rituals found in the media.

Laura flashed a grin. “Cream cheese on my bagel, please.”

The girls ate their cereal while chatting and laughing, and Karen loved the sound of easy banter filling the kitchen. She fixed their bagels before placing them on the counter. While the girls got ready, Karen had already applied makeup, fixed her hair, and dressed. She’d also had her breakfast. She liked to get up early to spend time with the girls before their school day started.

“You’re lucky, Mom,” Laura said between bites.

Lifting a brow, she waited to see what her daughter's explanation would be.

“You just wear scrubs to work. We have to figure out what pants work with what shirt and what shoes to wear.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Olivia piped up. “Mom has different scrub colors, so she has to choose the color to match her mood for the day.”

Laughing, Karen stepped back and twirled in the middle of the kitchen, her arms stretched out to the side as though on a model’s runway in her red scrubs. “What mood am I in today?”

“Red is the color of passion. Excitement. Maybe even danger,” Olivia replied.

Karen stopped twirling and stared at Olivia, calmly spooning cereal into her mouth while Laura lifted her brows as though amused.

“Sorry I asked,” Karen mumbled. “Danger… I hope not. Excitement… questionable. Passion… undoubtedly no.”

“Mom, you’re beautiful no matter what you wear,” Olivia added. “You should have more passion in your life.”

There was no time before school to even discuss how she had no time for passion. Taking the conversation back to clothes, Karen shrugged. “It’s true, I don’t have to give a lot of thought to my work clothes. But then, I’ve worn nursing scrubs for so many years, I would find it strange to have to choose my outfit each day.”

“Sometimes I wish our school had uniforms,” Olivia said. “Then it would be easy each morning to figure out what to wear.”

“There is a dress code at the middle and high school,” Laura announced. “Of course, not all kids adhere to it.”

“What happens then?” Karen asked as she peered at her daughters over the rim of her coffee cup.

Laura laughed. “The principal keeps a supply of giant ugly T-shirts they have to wear until their parents bring something appropriate. Believe me, no one wants that to happen.”

By now, the girls had downed their breakfast, loaded their dishes into the dishwasher, and raced back upstairs to brush their teeth. Karen glanced to the side, checking that their backpacks were next to the kitchen door. She smiled, her heart full. Life had brought unexpected changes, including heart-wrenching losses. But she’d been gifted with two beautiful daughters, and the three of them were forging ahead. She loved the small, mundane conversations that were the thread of their lives, weaving together the moments that mattered the most.

Karen walked into her bedroom. Stepping into the bathroom, she also brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her shoulder-length bob. A few stray gray strands were sneaking in, but her blond hair hid them well for now. Hearing the girls' footsteps on the stairs coming back down, she hurried out to meet them in the kitchen.

After Karen locked the door, the girls climbed into their small SUV. It didn’t take long to arrive at the high school where her oldest was a ninth grader. Before Laura alighted, Karen glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She saw her daughter’s gaze scan the sidewalks, looking for friends. Karen could tell the moment Laura’s eyes landed on people she knew when a smile crossed her face.

“Have a good day, sweetheart,” Karen said softly.

Laura smiled in return, a mixture of confidence and teenage nonchalance filling her expression before hopping out of the vehicle. Laura hurried over to a group of girls who greeted her warmly, and Karen offered a little sigh for the passage of time that seemed to go by faster each year.

Driving around the ball field, she pulled to a stop at the middle school. Unlike Laura, Olivia was full of energy, itching to race toward her friends.

“Bye, Mom!” Olivia chirped, her bright smile lingering as she hurried toward the others near the door.

The short drive to her office was a soothing transition from the chaos of getting the girls off to school to the calm of her workday. Nestled just down the street from the county seat in Easton, the North Heron Health Department came into view. Karen parked in her usual spot and took a moment to gaze around, letting the serenity of the early hour wash over her before heading inside.

The office was quiet, the kind of stillness she cherished. Flicking on the lights, she smiled. Being the first one in was her favorite part of the day, the solitude offering a rare moment of peace before the whirlwind of house calls began.

She moved to the coffee machine tucked in the corner of the break area. Once she poured another cup of coffee, she returned to her desk.

Sitting down, she allowed a few quiet moments to sip her coffee and review the day’s schedule. Something about these early morning moments—before the phones started ringing and her colleagues bustled in—centered her like the calm before the bustling chaos.

Hearing soft footsteps, she looked up and smiled. “Hey, Selma.”

Her nurse’s aide smiled in return, then lifted a bag, giving it a little shake.

“Oh my God! Did you make your world-renowned coffee cake?” she asked.

Selma Thompson laughed. “Well, I doubt it would be classified as world-renowned, but yes, I did.”

Karen moaned, thinking of the extra calories she would quickly and eagerly devour. Until Selma’s cake, Karen had always considered coffee cake to be dry. Selma had a moist and chewy family recipe filled with cinnamon and topped with local pecans.

Before Selma could make a cup of coffee for herself, Patrick Bellows, their physical therapist, walked in and hugged Selma from behind. “I smell your coffee cake. I might have to divorce my wife and marry you just to get your family recipe.”

Selma pursed her lips. “My Alfred might have something to say about that. But grab some plates so the others can get to business quicker this morning.”

Next in were Sharon Bundy, their occupational therapist, and Miles Markowitz, an LPN. Since they hadn’t announced anything, Karen wasn't sure, but she suspected Sharon and Miles were dating. They had come in together for the past couple of weeks, and their side-eyed looks toward each other were hardly hidden.

Their speech therapist, Nicole Havand, hurried in just before the last one arrived, Rick Salvador, their counselor. He spied the cake and grinned. “This is the first good thing about my morning… maybe even my week.”

“What’s going on?” Selma asked.

“Twin boys in their senior year of high school. They’d better get scholarships, or I might have to start selling plasma!”

With her daughters only two years apart, Karen knew they’d both be in college simultaneously and shuddered at the thought.

Once seated, the meeting ensued as they reviewed their current clients, then looked at the schedule for the week. “I’ll start my morning out with Bess Crowder.”

“Good God, I heard what happened!” Selma exclaimed, shaking her head. “First, you had to see her sister Belinda when she was shot, and now you’ve got Bess, who got hurt breaking up a car theft ring!”

“Those Crowder girls certainly know how to end up in the middle of things, don’t they?” Patrick shook his head.

“Will they need my services?” Rick asked.

“Right now, I’m not sure until I get in there and see her. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

After the meeting, she filled her travel cup with more coffee and grabbed her purse and nurse's bag. Walking out of the building, Sharon caught up to her.

“I wanted to tell you that Miles and I are dating. I know it can be awkward to have a workplace romance, but I really like him, Karen. He and I have talked about how we won’t let it affect our jobs, no matter what happens with us.”

Karen lifted a brow but simply nodded. Sharon and Miles were both excellent employees, and she would hate to lose one or both if they broke up and decided they couldn’t work in the same place.

“I applaud your foresight to think about everything, and I hope the two of you are happy together while not wanting your relationship to affect the workplace.”

“He is so much nicer than the last guy I dated.” Sharon huffed. “Even though we only went out a few weeks, I quickly realized he was not the kind of man I wanted to be with.”

Sharon was a young woman with her head on straight, but Karen hoped their office romance wouldn’t backfire. As they reached their cars and she said goodbye, Karen couldn’t help but think about Laura. Though Laura was only fourteen, Karen knew her daughter would be ready to date in a couple of years. Backing out of her parking space, she prayed that her daughters would make good choices.

As she drove down the road, she cast her thoughts on the young woman she would visit. Shaking her head, she knew her coworkers weren’t wrong about the Crowder sisters. Belinda had been shot by someone afraid that she’d inadvertently photographed the aftermath of a murder. When she’d come home from the hospital, her detective boyfriend ensconced her in his place, where Karen had first met Belinda and Bess. Now, more recently, Bess had been injured when she stumbled across a ring of car thieves. It just so happened that Bess was also dating a detective, and Karen was heading to his place.

Once there, she parked and grabbed her bags before approaching the door. When it flung open, she smiled at Brad, Bess’s boyfriend. “We meet again,” she said. “Although I do wish it was under better circumstances.”

Brad welcomed her inside, greeting her warmly. She was expecting a room bustling with friends but was surprised at seeing only one—a tall, dark-haired, striking man with a lean, runner’s body. He was dressed casually in jeans, but a button- up shirt and jacket gave an air of professionalism. Her attention was snagged by the badge clipped to his belt. He turned toward her, and their eyes met—his gaze dark, intense, and unreadable.

For a moment, Karen found herself frozen under his gaze. There was something magnetic about how he looked at her, his face composed but quietly assessing. He had the unmistakable build of someone who moved with purpose. She noticed the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, subtle hints of experience and a life lived. The few strands of silver in his dark hair added to the appearance of maturity.

Their eyes held for a moment longer than was polite, his expression giving nothing away. Karen was rarely self-conscious about her appearance. She was not one to fuss over what she wore to work, especially when her daughters often teased her about the practicality of her scrubs. But now, standing under his scrutiny, she suddenly wished her scrubs weren’t clinging so tightly to her torso, hips, and curves. She almost wished she had taken a few more minutes on her makeup this morning and done something to smooth away the exhaustion that showed beneath her eyes.

Shaking those thoughts out of her mind, she nodded, smiled, and walked toward him since he stood between her and the hall leading to the bedrooms.

Brad spoke up before she could move past the two men. “This is my partner, Detective Mark Robbins. This is Karen Drummond, the home health nurse. She took care of Belinda and now has Bess under her care.”

Karen turned back toward him, her heart softening as she smiled at Brad. “I hate the reason, but I feel lucky to have the Crowder sisters as friends as well as patients.” Her gaze shifted to his partner and inclined her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Detective Robbins.”

He nodded, offering a hint of a smile. “You can call me Mark, ma’am,” he said in a low voice. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

His voice was deep and quiet, reaching inside her. “And just Karen is fine,” she said with another nod.

Turning, she walked toward the bedroom where Bess was resting. Karen quickened her steps, hoping Mark wasn’t staring at her ass in the scrubs. When she reached the end of the hall, she glanced over her shoulder to find his eyes on her face. And she was struck with the comfort of knowing that even if he had been looking at her ass, he had the grace to do it when she wasn’t aware. Her heart skipped a beat when she caught his gaze. His eyes lingered on her face, warm and steady, as if he had been waiting for her to turn around.

At that moment, for some inexplicable reason, she felt a sense of comfort, knowing that beneath his stoic exterior, Detective Mark Robbins might just be the kind of man who saw more than he let on—a trait she shared.

Ducking into the room, she released a long exhalation and smiled at the beautiful woman lying on the bed with her leg bandaged and propped up on pillows. Adopting a lighter tone than where her thoughts had been, she said, “Bess, in all honesty, I’d love to just come into your bakery and have a cup of coffee and a treat without seeing you or your sister injured.”

Bess moaned and nodded. “I absolutely agree, Karen.”

She began her assessment, pleased to report that Bess didn’t have a fever, and there appeared to be no signs of infection where her leg had been sliced open on an old tool. After finishing her physical assessment, she looked around the room. “I see that you have a cane, which is good. Will you also need a walker?”

“No, I’m sure I won’t. But as you can imagine, Grandma Jules has more than one, so I can easily borrow one if needed.”

“Are you able to get into the shower? And to the toilet? We don’t want you to fall.”

“Either Belinda or Brad will be around to help,” Bess answered. “And with Grandma Jules and Great-Aunt Gwennie coming back with Mom and Dad in a couple of days, I’ll have more than enough help.”

“Good, then I’ll let you follow up with your regular doctor.” She eyed the wound placement. “If your doctor recommends physical therapy, then we can start that in the home with our at-home physical therapist or make a recommendation for someone through outpatient care.”

Bess eagerly agreed and promised to follow all the doctor's orders. Packing up her case, Karen smiled. “It really is good to see you again.”

“I’ll be back in my bakery soon, but let’s get together when we don’t have so much going on!”

Karen eagerly nodded but knew that with two daughters and their constant activities, finding time for anything other than her family and job was hard. “So, um… I met Brad’s partner?—”

“Mark? He’s nice.” Bess winced as she shifted upward against the plethora of pillows at her back. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Are you interested? I can ask Brad if he’s?—”

“No, no!” Karen tried to steady her features into a bland mask. “I was just surprised you didn’t have a houseful of people.”

Bess laughed. “I’ve had tons of phone calls, but Brad insists I need to rest.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Tomorrow, I have people coming over to keep me company while Brad is at the station.”

Karen laughed and shook her head, glad that Bess let go of the topic of Mark. “Well, just make sure you rest between your visitors.” After saying goodbye, she tossed a wave over her shoulder before walking down the hall. Her mind immediately turned to the handsome dark-haired detective, wondering if he was still there. Stepping into the living room, she only spied Brad and felt a strange sense of disappointment.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she gave her assessment of Bess’s medical needs and left instructions for Brad to assist Bess in her recovery. “She can see her regular doctor from now on, but if she needs anything, call us.”

After shaking his hand, she headed out to her vehicle, the soft crunch of gravel beneath her shoes the only sound in the stillness of the day. As she approached her SUV, she froze, her eyes catching sight of the detective—Mark, leaning casually against the sheriff’s SUV parked in the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized her vehicle blocked his in.

There he was, effortlessly relaxed, leaning against the driver's door, one ankle crossed over the other in a nonchalant stance. His arms were folded across his chest, but his posture was easy and not the least bit irritated or rushed. In fact, he seemed almost amused.

Karen hurried toward him, her cheeks warming. "I’m so sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "I thought that was Brad’s vehicle, and I never imagined I was blocking anyone in!"

Mark's lips curved upward, just a hint of a smile tugging at the corners as he pushed off the door and straightened to his full height. As he did, Karen was struck by how imposing yet comfortable he appeared. She wasn’t short at five-foot-six, but standing before him, she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. His presence seemed to fill the space between them, the air thick with new unspoken emotions.

"No need to apologize," he said, his voice low and smooth. "If I were in a hurry, I would’ve said something. But you were doing your job—taking care of something important. Waitin’ a few minutes to head back to the station wasn’t a problem."

Her smile widened, and a light chuckle escaped before she could stop it. "No mad dash to chase down any criminals?" The second the words left her mouth, she winced internally. Flirting? Really? She hadn’t flirted in… well, she couldn’t even remember when, and she certainly hadn’t meant to now.

But there it was again—his smile grew just enough to crinkle the skin at the corners of his dark eyes. "Not at the moment," he replied, his tone laced with a warmth that sent a shiver down her spine.

Karen swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. "Well, it was nice meeting you." She nodded toward her vehicle. "I’ll just get out of your way."

Mark dipped his chin, the gesture slow and deliberate. The kind of movement men made that conveyed a host of unspoken thoughts. For reasons she couldn’t quite understand, she found it impossibly sexy. She’d never considered a simple nod to hold such quiet intensity until now. The way his dark eyes lingered on hers made her feel flustered and strangely captivated.

As she turned and walked toward her small SUV, her thoughts buzzed with images of how effortlessly handsome he looked compared to how frumpy she suddenly felt in her work scrubs. She had always been practical—dressing for comfort and utility, never for attention—but something about how he made her feel standing there stirred a self-consciousness she hadn’t felt in years.

Once behind the wheel, she took a breath, hands gripping the steering wheel as she glanced through the windshield, expecting to see Mark climbing into his vehicle. But when she looked up, her pulse quickened—he hadn’t moved. Instead, he leaned his shoulder casually against his SUV, his gaze still fixed on her. And there it was, that faint smile still lingering on his lips.