Chapter 12
Coffee
Rhyne waited until after ten o’clock before going over to the hospital. Although he knew Norris wouldn’t be at work until after one, it wasn’t the lab tech he needed to see.
A strange sense of awkwardness filled him as he pedaled his way down the streets.
Many questions challenged him, asking him why he felt the need to protect a human woman he hadn’t exchanged more than a couple dozen words with.
The only reason he could agree on was the fact that he felt possessive.
He wanted to be the only person regifted with color sight, and he didn’t want to share that with anyone else of his kind.
“Does that make me wrong to feel that way?” he softly challenged himself. “Am I being selfish and self-centered?”
On the other hand, he argued, “Maybe. But in all your years have you ever encountered anyone with that magical ability? Whose blood is almost like a fountain of youth? Except in this case, instead of giving me extra years of life, it’s given me back memories of the life I’d lost years ago.”
Another very important point made him even more determined to protect her.
“She could be the only one of her kind whose blood has that ability. If I tasted another AB negative, it may not have that effect on me. Which means, if she’s a one-off, that makes her even more precious than any jewel or element on this planet. ”
If it is her, an inner voice declared. And if it is her blood. It may not be her blood itself that is the cause, but something in her blood, or in her body that creates some kind of protein or chemical, or something that leeches into the blood.
Arriving at the hospital, he chained his bike to the handicapped parking sign in front, then paused to stare at the brick facade.
“Okay, how am I going to frame this if she’s here? I can’t just come out and ask her what blood type she is.” Rhyne bit his lower lip. “Should I ask her about Welsh coming to see her?”
Common sense quickly squelched that idea. If he mentioned Welsh, it might cause a problem he couldn’t afford to tackle.
A flash of hope hit him. “Maybe it wasn’t her.
Maybe it was someone else he went to see, and he just happened to encounter her when he went to inquire.
Or maybe… Fuck this. Go in and let the dice roll.
” Shoving his hands into his jeans pockets, he walked into the hospital and went directly to the admissions office.
Fate was with him when he saw her at the counter speaking to someone. She glanced over as he stood in the door, and her expression changed. Her eyes widened, as well as her smile.
“I’ll be right with you!” she promised. It could have been his imagination, but he thought he caught an underlying expression in her tone. It sounded like hope. Hope he’d stay around? Hope they’d share more than a few brief words?
“When you go out this door, take a left and go to the first door on your left. Someone will be there to sign you in and get you registered,” she told the young man.
The guy thanked her and left. At the same time, she went to the inner part of the office.
Although she dropped her voice, Rhyne clearly heard her ask someone named Marcia to take care of the person.
That done, the woman returned to the front.
“Hi! Again!” She giggled softly, accompanied by a slight flush rising to her cheeks.
Unable to help himself, he took a slow, silent sniff of her unique scent and grinned back as he exhaled. “Hi.”
“Did you need to see Norris again? If you do, he doesn’t clock in until this afternoon,” she started to apologize.
“No. Actually, I came to see you,” he admitted in a soft voice.
His admission seemed to catch her off-guard. “You…do? Did?”
“I…” Rhyne stopped, somehow finding himself at a loss for words. After struggling to figure out what to say next, he was about to throw caution to the wind when the woman interceded.
“Do you like coffee?”
He stared at her. “Yeah. Why?”
She pointed over his shoulder. “This hospital has a Stokin’ Joe, and I’m due to take my morning break. How about I treat you to a cup?”
“I have a better idea. Why don’t I treat you to a cup? By the way, my name’s Rhyne.” He held out a hand. She took it and they shook as she gave him a perplexed look.
“Ryan?”
“Rhyne. R-h-y-n-e. But I answer to Ryan, too.”
That got a snicker out of her. “I’m Grace. It’s good to meet you…again.”
Rhyne glanced down at her hand in his, and a cold barb streaked through him. Pulling his hand away, he apologized. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Grace checked to see what he was apologizing for.
“Oh, that? Don’t worry about it. It’s a minor puncture wound.
I didn’t put a bandaid on it this morning since it was already starting to heal.
Hold on right there. I need to tell the others I’m taking my break.
Meet me over in the waiting area, would you? ”
He nodded, and she exited the office through the back way.
Rhyne stared at his hand. He’d felt the slight bump between her thumb and forefinger, and recognized it for what it was.
In vamp language, it was called a “taste cut,” where a vamp sliced or punctured the thin skin there to draw a single drop for “tasting” purposes.
Since there were fewer nerve endings on that part of the hand, the penetration would sting but not draw any intense pain.
In this case, hers wasn’t so much a slice as it appeared to be a stab, as if Welsh had “accidentally” stabbed her with something to draw blood.
It also explained why the guy had raised his right hand to his nose and sniffed it back at the house.
He must have swiped his fingers over the wound when it happened.
Why had Welsh done it? Why did he have to taste her? Rhyne believed it had something to do with the man’s remarks yesterday.
“I would be happy just sitting downwind from her and inhaling her fragrance all night long.”
The smell of her blood—or more specifically, her blood type—had attracted him.
And then, overnight, Welsh had regained his color sight.
Just like him.
“There you are!” Grace almost cheered. “Come. The coffee shop’s this way.”
As she turned to lead him in the direction she’d pointed to, he caught a full whiff of her scent again. It was as strong and potent as it had been when he’d first met her. She was still on her menses, and that alone might explain why Welsh was attracted to her.
Might.
Rhyne gritted his teeth. He and the guys had been around many, many females during their menses. They were able to disregard the majority of them. So why were they both attracted to Grace?
“You don’t say much, do you?”
He grinned. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. By the way, did your nephew like his color book?”
“He liked it. Thank you again for your help.”
They walked up to the counter together to place their orders. Rhyne pointed to the display case filled with sweets. “Add one of those cinnamon rolls, please. Would you care for something?” he asked Grace.
She held up two fingers. “Make that two cinnamon rolls, Heather.”
He paid for their coffees and snacks. Grace took the rolls and he carried their drinks over to a small table nearby. He waited until she’d added sweetener and creamer before speaking again.
“You’re probably wondering why I came to see you instead of Norris,” he began.
Her smile was infectious. “It did pass my mind.”
How the idea came to him, or where it originated, he couldn’t explain, but it sounded like a plausible excuse.
“Well, I’ve been talking to Norris about his job. What all it entailed and how difficult it was. I’m thinking about taking some classes over at the community college. After talking to Norris, I think I’d like to become a certified phlebotomist.”
“That sounds like a very good idea. But why in the world did you choose to be a phlebotomist?”
He chuckled. “I’ve been interested in blood and blood types for years, especially after I learned I have a very unusual blood type.”
“Really? What type?”
He had her full attention now. “I’m AB negative.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re AB negative? So am I!” She took a sip of coffee. “Wow. Talk about a small world. So why did you need to see me?”
This time he could be truthful. “Because I didn’t know you worked here until I came to see him. Once I found out, I wanted to see you again. Maybe get to chat for a while.”
Her face turned a bright pink. “I’m glad you did,” she softly admitted.
Rhyne took a long swallow of his coffee to hide his own excitement. Grace’s confession answered nearly every question he had, just as it almost sealed the wish he didn’t know he’d been harboring until now.
Almost.
Grace was his AB negative. She had to be.
Although he hadn’t personally witnessed the incident for himself, he was certain it was her blood Welsh had tasted. Blood that had changed his sight.
Although he hadn’t gotten confirmation or the name of the donor off that blood bag from Norris, she had to be the source. Her blood that had changed his sight.
All that remained was how he was going to tell her that her life was in danger, and there wasn’t a damn thing she or he could do about it.
Rhyne froze in his seat. Or maybe there is.