3. CHAPTER 3
The sight that greeted Daniella as she rounded the corner onto Alex’s property was one she’d never forget: Alex, bearing the weight of her injured daughter with a tenderness she hadn’t imagined possible, his own injuries overlooked in the face of Emily’s need. Relief surged through her, propelling her forward.
“Alex!” Daniella’s voice cracked with emotion as she caught up to them, her eyes darting between Emily’s pale face and the makeshift bandage. “Thank goodness you found her.”
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Emily said, her hands reaching out for her mothers. “I didn’t mean to leave the Beach Hut like that, but when Hicks took off after that bird…”
“I’m just glad you’re okay, honey,” Daniella told Emily as they walked into Alex’s house.
Alex gently laid Emily on a sofa in the entertainment room. Daniella’s relief that Emily was safe quickly turned to concern as she noticed the state of Alex’s hand; the wet cast a clear sign of his disregard for his own well-being.
“You need to come to the clinic with us,” Daniella insisted, looking pointedly at Alex’s hand. Her voice was firm despite the gratitude that warmed her gaze. “That cast won’t do you any good now.”
“Why the heck don’t our phones work out there?” Harriet and Harley rushed into the house.
“It’s a dead zone,” Alex explained.
“Thank you for finding Emily,” Harley slapped Alex on the back.
“We need to get Emily and Alex to the clinic,” Daniella said, pulling the sweater back from Emily’s leg and drawing in a breath. “That’s going to need stitches, and your ankle is probably sprained, but we’ll get an X-ray.” She looked at Alex. “We’ll need to get another X-ray of your hand as well.”
“I’ll take Emily and Daniella in my pickup,” Harley told them.
“I’ll get to the clinic in my car,” Alex told them.
“You’re going to drive with that hand?” Daniella glanced at his hand and then looked at Harriet. “You’re going to have to drive him.”
“No way!” Alex shook his head. “Harriet Speedster is not driving my car.”
“I won’t speed,” Harriet told him. “That was one time, and I’m sure your car can’t even go as fast as mine.”
“Not all our uncles can afford to buy us supercars for our birthdays!” Alex looked at Harriet with a smug smile. “But the point here is that you don’t have a license anymore; it’s suspended until you retake the test, remember?”
“Fine, then walk to the clinic,” Harriet told him, pulling out her phone. “I’m calling the limo service.”
“It’s closed,” Harley told her. “We can all fit in my pickup, which has a twin cab.”
“Great! Shotgun!” Harriet called, giving Alex a smug smile. “Enjoy squishing that big frame of yours into the back.”
“That’s fine with me.” Alex shrugged and smiled at Emily, signing. “I can ensure Emily is comfortable.” He pulled a cushion from the sofa and showed it to Emily as he signed. “We’ll take this for your foot.”
Daniella was touched and surprised that Alex had translated the conversation they’d had into sign language for Emily. But as she watched Harriet and Alex bickering playfully, Daniella wondered if there was something between them. A sense of unease tugged at her heart, an unexpected pang of jealousy that had no place in her current reality.
Concentrate, Daniella. There are far more pressing concerns,she scolded herself.
Her daughter’s injuries demanded immediate attention—a stark reminder of the responsibilities resting on her shoulders as well as a shadow of a past threat looming large in her mind. Daniella didn’t need any more complications fraying on her already over-taxed nerves.
The ominous phone call was still fresh in her mind, and Daniella glanced at Harley—her cousin was her rock anchoring her at the moment. Between him and Uncle Sam, Daniella felt safe, but at the same time, she didn’t want to put their lives in danger because of her. Daniella suppressed a shudder as she thought of how quickly things could change—today had been a prime example of that when Carly, Shay, and Alex had been kidnapped. While they hadn’t meant it to, Ethan and Carly’s past had put people they loved in the path of danger.
Daniella would rather run than put her family and friends at risk. The word friends brought a brief smile to her lips. Daniella had always been reserved and had three good friends throughout her life. They were her cousin Carly, Jennifer Gains, and her late husband, Tom. But since she’d moved to Plum Island, Daniella had been embraced by a special group of friends that included Caroline Danes and a few other people on the island. Then, a year ago, when the film crew had moved in to film the Cobble Cove Mysteries, Daniella had made a few more good friends in Dawn Vanderbilt and Harriet Joyce.
Daniella stepped back as Alex stepped beside her and carefully scooped Emily into his arms.
“You should let Harley do that,” Daniella told him. “You can’t put that kind of stress on your hand.”
“It’s fine,” Alex assured her. “You can check it later after you’ve taken care of Emily.” He looked at Harriet. “Grab a cushion from the sofa to put Emily’s leg on in the car.”
Daniella couldn’t help but acknowledge the gentle strength in his actions, a stark contrast to the reputation that preceded him. It was a moment that underscored the complexity of the man before her—a renowned playboy known for his brief romances and lavish lifestyle, now showing a depth and tenderness that was utterly disarming. Daniella felt an unwelcome stirring within her, which she ignored because even if Daniella were looking for a relationship, it wouldn’t be with a man who represented everything she had resolved to avoid.
Focus, Daniella. This is not the time for such thoughts. Your daughter needs you, she reminded herself sternly.
As Alex turned, his arm brushed hers, and Daniella’s breath caught in her throat at the zing of electricity that ignited her nerves. She waited for him to be a good few steps ahead of her before following him to Harley’s pickup, which was parked in Alex’s driveway.
Harriet tagged along behind them with a cushion clutched in her hands for Emily’s leg, switching off lights and locking up after them. As Daniella watched Alex’s face soften into a smile as he placed Emily into the back of the pickup, her heart did a flip, but she shook it off.
No. No. Not Alex, and not now!Daniella chided herself again, climbing into the pickup and pulling the door closed behind her while Emily rested her head in Daniella’s lap.
“We’ll be at the clinic in no time, sweetheart,” Daniella assured her daughter.
Alex slid into the other side of the back of the pickup, and Daniella forced herself not to glance his way, keeping her attention on Emily.
“Pillow!” Alex demanded, and Harriet shoved it into his hands. “Sorry, Emily.” He signed. “I’m going to lift your legs and put them on the pillow.”
Emily nodded and signed back, Okay, thank you. She sat up and looked around frantically. Where is Hicks?
“Harriet’s got him,” Alex assured her. “He’s going to sit up front with her so he doesn’t fall or hurt your leg.”
“Oh, no!” Daniella’s eyes widened as she watched Harriet climb into the front passenger seat and Harley put Hicks on her lap. “He’s going to shed all over your lovely pants.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Harriet turned and gave Daniella a warm smile. “Nothing the dry cleaners can’t get out.”
On the way to the clinic, Alex kept Emily amused as they chatted about her favorite subject—marine life. Emily wanted to be a marine vet, and Alex surprised Daniella yet again with his knowledge of the subject. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Alex and Emily use sign language that was so fast that Daniella couldn’t keep up. She wondered how he knew how to sign, and her frown deepened over the conundrum Alex Blackwell was turning out to be.
Alex’s world of fast cars, supermodels, and endless parties on his superyacht belied the warm, gentle man who’d risk his own safety to save her daughter—not to mention the potential damage that Alex could’ve done to his already injured hand. Daniella shook her thoughts away as they pulled into the parking lot shared by the clinic and the library.
Alex insisted once again on carrying Emily into the clinic. Daniella buzzed Tanya to let her know they were there, and she unlocked the automatic doors, allowing them to slide open. Tanya and the new young EMT, Wally, were waiting for them with a gurney for Emily. Alex put Emily onto it, letting her know he’d be there to check on her when she was done.
Daniella instructed Alex to wait for her in an exam room as she followed Tanya and Wally down the corridor. When they disappeared into the X-ray room, Daniella slipped into an examination room, where she pulled on scrubs, washed her hands, and put on gloves and a mask.
By the time Tanya had finished taking X-rays of Emily’s leg and ankle, Daniella had already watched and guided Wally on how to cut off Alex’s cast. Once Tanya let Daniella know that Emily was in another exam room, Wally led Alex to the X-ray.
When Daniella stepped into the room where Emily was, her heart twinged, seeing her daughter lying there in pain. But she wasn’t the mother right now. She was the doctor, and Emily was her patient, so she snapped her professional mask tightly into place. Daniella slipped off her used gloves and dropped them into the waste bin.
“I’ve already gotten everything ready for the stitches,” Tanya advised her, walking into the room behind her and going over the tray once again, moving with practiced ease. “If you don’t mind Wally shadowing you, I’ll go take Alex’s X-ray.”
“Thank you, Nurse Beckett.” Daniella walked over to her daughter, signing. How are you holding up, sweetheart?
I’m okay. Emily signed back and then said, “Where… is… Hicks?”
Daniella loved it when Emily used her voice. She had such a lovely voice, but the older she got, the less she tended to use it. Emily said it echoed in her head, and she didn’t know if she was making the right sound.
He’s with Harley and Harriet.Daniella smiled. They’re going to take him across the street to that new all-night burger bar.
He’ll love that!
Daniella noticed that Tanya had removed Alex’s sweater and bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding and keep impurities out. She turned and walked to the screen where Tanya had hung the X-rays and switched on the light. Daniella scrutinized the image, relieved that there were no breaks or fractures. She turned off the light and then went back to tend to the cut on Emily’s leg. Stopping off at the basin, she scrubbed her hands and put on clean gloves.
“I’m here, Doctor Thornton,” Wally rushed into the room. “Sorry, I had to help Nurse Beckett.”
“That’s okay, Wally,” Daniella said. “I was just about to unbandage Emily’s leg.”
“I’ll wash up,” Wally told her.
Daniella readied a syringe with a local anesthetic to numb the area where Emily needed stitches.
Wally will remove the bandage from your leg, and then I will administer a local anesthetic. You will feel a little pinch, Daniella signed, and Emily nodded.
Once Wally had discarded the bandage, he put the magnifying helmet with a light on Daniella’s head as she sat next to the bed and examined the leg. The gash on Emily’s leg was deep, and Daniella’s heart clenched at the thought of her daughter in pain. She picked up the syringe she’d readied and, as gently as she could, injected the areas to numb them.
We’ll get you fixed up in no time, Daniella reassured Emily, offering her a brave smile that she hoped masked her concern. After a few minutes, she tested the skin. Can you feel this? Emily shook her head.
“Okay, Wally,” Daniella turned to the young man with the curious eyes, “I need you to help clean and disinfect the wound before I stitch it.”
Wally nodded and sat on the opposite side of the bed. He switched on the light for the magnifying glasses helmet he had on, and they got to work. Daniella’s steady hand belied the horrible feeling inside her as she worked on her daughter’s leg. Even with Daniella’s meticulously neat stitching, the wound was going to leave a terrible scar. Once the wound was clean, Daniella stitched it. Emily had fourteen stitches in her leg. When she was done, she kissed Emily on the forehead and left Wally to finish dressing the wound.
Tanya will be here in a few minutes with a CAM boot for you.Daniella told Emily. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done with Alex.
Daniella slipped out of the examination room, pulled off her gloves, and walked into the room where Alex was waiting for her. His hand was propped up on a table beside the examination bed Tanya had escorted him to. Despite his attempts to downplay the situation, Daniella couldn’t help but notice the wince of pain that crossed his face when he thought no one was looking. It was a testament to his resilience, or perhaps his stubbornness, a trait that Daniella found a little infuriating and, she begrudgingly admitted, endearing.
“How is Emily?” Alex asked as Daniella walked over to where Tanya had hung the recent X-rays of Alex’s hand.
Daniella turned and gave him a tight smile as she switched on the light for the board.
“Her ankle isn’t broken,” Daniella told him. “She had fourteen stitches to sew up that gash.”
“Ouch!” Alex said in sympathy for Emily.
Daniella studied the latest X-ray of Alex’s hand and compared it to the one he’d had done earlier. Luckily, no further damage had been done to it.
“Your hand looks the same as it did earlier,” Daniella told him, switching off the light, going to the sink to wash her hands, and putting on clean gloves. “I just need to check the swelling and bruising.”
She ignored the quickening of her heart as she gently touched his warm hand. His scent wafted over her, teasing her senses.
“Is that one of those surgical headlights?” Alex pointed to the contraption on her head that Daniella had forgotten she still wore.
She nodded, examining his hand. “It’s called a surgical loupe.”
“Cool.” Alex nodded.
Daniella could feel his eyes watching her as she carefully felt his hand, feeling him flinch when she hit an extra tender spot. She rested his hand back on the cushion Tanya had rested his arm on.
“Alex,” Daniella said, ignoring his magnetic blue eyes, “you’ll never know how grateful I am that you found my baby. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude.”
“Uh-oh!” Alex lifted an eyebrow. “I can feel a beratement coming.” He held up his hand. “Before you start, may I ask you something?”
“Sure!” Daniella nodded.
“Will you and Emily come to my house tomorrow afternoon for a barbecue?” Alex’s invitation floored her.
She knew that Emily would want to go, but Daniella wasn’t even sure if they’d still be on Plum Island the next day. Nor was she sure spending more time in Alex’s company was a good idea.
“I’m not sure, Alex,” Daniella answered honestly.
“Harriet and Dawn are moving in. They’ve been tasked to look after me while my hand is in as cast,” Alex explained, shaking his head before joking, “I personally think it’s just an excuse for Harriet and Dawn to save money on their hotel bills.”
“Yes, I was there at the impromptu meeting about your well-being,” Daniella told him. “You may as well hear it from me—“ She gave him a teasing smile. “I voted yes for them moving in.”
“You’re my doctor, so I’d not have thought otherwise.” He grinned. “The barbeque is a housewarming welcome for them and a thank you to you for helping me with this.” Alex pointed to his hand.
“That’s sweet,” Daniella acknowledged. “But unnecessary on my part. I’m a doctor, and it’s my job to heal.”
“Regardless,” Alex insisted. “You were on your way out when I ruined your plans, so allow me to say thank you… or I could give you my yacht.”
“Can I take the yacht instead of the barbeque?” Daniella looked at him thoughtfully. “I could do a lot more with it.”
“You’d prefer that over a barbeque with me cooking?” Alex looked at her with mock hurt.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Daniella sighed, playing along. “My sailing skills stop at a forty-five-foot craft, and I’ve never actually sailed a superyacht, so I wouldn’t be able to afford someone to captain it for me.”
“I would be your captain for free,” Alex told her. “And it would be really fun to see the look on my brother’s face when he came to borrow it, and it belonged to you.”
“Ah!” Daniella nodded, updating the tablet Tanya had left in his room. “So offering me your yacht is actually about being spiteful to your brother?”
“No. It’s more like revenge for setting Harriet and Dawn on me.” Alex snorted and shook his head. “Those two together are like a super sergeant major.”
“Well, while heroic, what you did tonight was careless,” Daniella pointed out. “Again, as a mother, you’ll never know what you did for me and Emily tonight. But as your doctor, I have to tell you to cut the heroics until your hand is one hundred percent.” She moved the cart with the materials to put a new cast on Alex’s hand closer to the bed. “If having Harriet and Dawn as your houseguests until your hand heals ensures you don’t try anything stupid again, then I’m glad they’re there.”
Alex hadn’t taken his eyes off her as she’d delivered her speech, and Daniella patted herself on the back for getting through it without faltering. His gaze had a strange effect on her.
“I have to check on Oz and restitch his head,” Daniella told Alex. “So Nurse Beckett will be along shortly to recast your hand, and I’ll check on you once it’s set. So sit tight and relax.” She handed him a remote for the television. “Watch a show.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Alex smiled, taking the remote. “How is Oz?”
“I’m not happy with the gash on his head,” Daniella admitted. “But he’s even more stubborn than you are and determined to get back to being a hero.”
“Why do you have to restitch his head?” Alex frowned as her words sunk in.
“He insisted on going to the bathroom unaided and without letting anyone know,” Daniella explained. “On the way back to his bed, he passed out and reopened some of his stitches.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “Once I have his head stitched, he’ll need another CT scan.” She blew out a breath. “I don’t trust our CT scanner at the moment. It’s been more out of order than it has been operational.”
“You need a new one!” Alex’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“We don’t have the budget for it at the moment, so the one we have has to do.” Daniella shook her head.
“I’m ready,” Tanya said, walking into the room and glancing at Daniella. “Oz is ready for you. I’ve put him in exam room seven.”
“Thank you, Nurse Beckett,” Daniella nodded and looked at Alex. “I’ll be in to check on you later.”
Exam room number seven was on the other side of the clinic near the wards. Daniella walked through the reception area. Harriet and Harley had taken up a vigil in the waiting area, their conversation a low murmur in the background as she walked past them.
“How are the patients, Doc?” Harriet asked, genuine concern in her eyes.
It struck Daniella then, the intricate web of relationships that had formed among them, a tapestry of care and concern that extended beyond mere friendship. Her eyes dropped to the paper bags on the seat next to Harley. Hicks was sleeping in the chair next to Harriet with his head in her lap. Even Emily’s crazy, mistrustful dog loved their new friends.
Daniella gave them a quick overview of Emily and Alex’s condition.
“I’m glad they’re both okay,” Harley breathed a sigh of relief.
“Me too,” Harriet agreed.
“As soon as Tanya is finished with his hand, you can go see him, and you can go see Emily now if you like.”
“I think we’ll do that,” Harley said, standing and stretching. “Can we take her a burger?”
“Sure,” Daniella nodded. “Just try and keep Hicks in one place. He shouldn’t really be in the clinic but he doubles as Emily’s support dog.”
“He does?” Harriet’s eyes widened. “That would explain why he was so alert when we were crossing the road.” She glanced at Hicks. “I didn’t know you could train bull terriers to be support dogs.”
“He’s actually highly intelligent,” Daniella told Harriet. “That’s why I have no idea what got into him tonight or why he took off after a bird.”
“Maybe it was an Alex-type bird, and it offended Hicks in some way.” Harriet grinned.
Daniella laughed and shook her head as she wondered for the second time that evening what was between Harriet and Alex. It seemed to go deeper than mere friendship. The two of them had a rapport that Daniella couldn’t quite explain. While they were at each other’s throats all the time, there was also so much love between them. That pang of jealousy stung her nerve endings once again, and Daniella shook it off.
“Don’t let Alex eat anything until his cast is completely set,” Daniella warned. “Excuse me.”
She continued on her way to exam room seven, where she found Oz dozing. Daniella noticed the gauze on his head and that Tanya had already cleaned the excess blood from the surrounding area. While he slept, Daniella walked quietly into the room, readying a syringe of local anesthetic.
“Oz,” Daniella called, waking him up. “Hi. How is the head feeling?”
“I’m much better, Doctor Thornton,” Oz exaggerated. “Just stitch me up, and I’ll be ready to get out of here in the morning.”
“I hate to break this to you, Oz.” Daniella looked at him apologetically. “It is already early morning, and the fact that you passed out while walking means you’re going to be with us for a while.”
“Seriously, Doc, I have to get back to my duties,” Oz told her. “I hate thinking that Shay, Miss Donovan, and Alex were almost hurt, and I wasn’t able to prevent it.”
“Unless you were walking around with a helmet on,” Daniella pointed out. “There would’ve been no way you could’ve seen that ambush coming. You were hit in the head with a rock—not a small rock either—which was thrown at you by a military-trained man.”
“Thank you for trying to make me feel better.” Oz smiled gratefully. “But whichever way you spin it, I failed Shay.”
“I’m not going to argue with you,” Daniella told him. “Because it doesn’t matter what I say, but when you’re feeling better, I’m sure the Blackwells will tell you the same thing I just did.”
“Who is taking care of Shay, Alex, and Ethan?” Oz asked her.
“Harley has commissioned a few of his old buddies from the military who were pleased to get the work,” Daniella put his mind at ease. “Harley, Alex, and Ethan have been wanting to see you since they got back from Boston, but I won’t allow them to visit until tomorrow.” She gently pulled the gauze from his wound. “Oz, I’m going to have to fix this as you opened up nearly all of your stitches.” She looked at the swelling on his cheek. “And you’ve given yourself another bruise on your cheek.”
“War wounds!” Oz laughed.
“I fear this one is a war you’re waging against yourself, trying to force your body to cooperate when you need to rest and let it heal.”
She gently felt his cheekbone, and Oz winced.
“I just don’t like leaving my duty,” Oz reiterated.
“I know.” Daniella nodded, getting to work on his head. “But we all need downtime, and right now, that means complete bed rest for you. Nurse Beckett and Wally will be here when I’m done to take you for another scan. Please get in the wheelchair this time.”
“Sure, I’ll use the wheelchair,” Oz promised with a sigh.
When Daniella was done, she told Oz to relax until Nurse Beckett came to take him for his scan. She left Oz watching television and decided to pop in and check on her other two patients who were occupying two of the other wards. Once she was satisfied and had updated their charts, she went back toward the examination rooms on the other side of the clinic.
The clinic reception area was eerily quiet, and the waiting area was empty. Daniella quickly made sure that the automatic entry doors were locked. A shudder went down her spine remembering the phone call from earlier, and her heart thudded in fear as her mind started racing. Daniella wished Uncle Sam was back home with news on the situation for her. He had stayed in Boston when Harley had called him to let him know about the phone call Daniella had gotten. Uncle Sam was going to consult with his friends in the US Marshal office. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to rest and would be on edge until she heard from her uncle.
Daniella glanced at her wristwatch. It was the early hours of the morning. She loved the stillness of this time of day and took a moment to quieten the storm of emotions raging within. Daniella allowed herself a moment to reflect on the day’s events and how thankful she was that Emily, Carly, Shay, and Alex were all okay and safe. She rubbed her eyes suddenly, feeling exhausted, but Daniella also knew that the moment her head hit her pillow, she’d be wide awake, worrying because that was the time when a person’s worries seemed to be greater than they truly were.
A few hours later, the first light of dawn began to filter through the clinic windows, casting a soft glow over the room. Emily and Alex were ready to go home while Tanya and Wally got ready to hand over to the day shift in another two hours. While the sun was coming up to ensure another clear day, the shadow of the threatening phone call loomed large in Daniella’s mind, a dark cloud on the horizon of her newly found tranquility.
As Harley helped Emily into his pickup, Daniella couldn’t help but steal a glance at Alex, his profile silhouetted against the morning light. There was a ruggedness to him, a strength that she found both reassuring and dangerous. It was a paradox she wasn’t ready to explore, not when her world felt so precariously balanced on the edge of upheaval. Daniella wasn’t looking for a romance, especially with someone like Alex, whose relationships never went longer than a couple of months. It wasn’t only her life and heart that Daniella had to protect.
If her past taught her anything, it was that you couldn’t trust anyone as we all hid parts of us away from the world. And she’d learned firsthand just how dangerous those hidden parts of a person could be. Daniella watched Alex protesting when Harley insisted Alex wait to be helped into the pickup by Harley. She couldn’t help the smile that split her lips as Alex moaned about it being bad enough that Harriet had to push him out of the clinic in a wheelchair. He didn’t need Harley’s help getting into the vehicle. It was only his hand that was injured, not the rest of him.
“Stop moaning and get in,” Harley’s voice was laced with impatience. “Hicks listens better than you do.”
“That’s because Hicks is highly intelligent and trained,” Harriet added, grinning at the glare Alex shot her.
And there it was again—the green emotion as she watched the easy interaction between Alex and Harriet. She shook it off, and as she was getting into the car, a creepy feeling that she was being watched made her shudder. Daniella looked around but couldn’t see anyone.
You’re being way too paranoid!She scolded herself, pulling the door shut and cradling Emily’s head in her lap.