Chapter 12
After taking the new blood pressure medicine Dr. Clayton had ordered, Bailey closed her eyes and tried to relax. The only good thing about all of this was that she felt safe here in the hospital.
When Harper had brought her medication in, Bailey had asked about staying overnight. It felt awkward, as she doubted most people would not want to spend more time in the hospital than necessary. Harper had grimaced and said she didn’t think Dr. Schaffer would agree, but she promised to ask.
Bailey sighed, knowing it was a futile request. Hard to justify the expense of a hospital stay when the doctor’s orders were to take medication and to stay on bed rest. Her case was mild enough that the doctor had mentioned that she could get up to eat and use the restroom, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t move around a bit.
Yet she was scared to leave. Frightened to know the black-hat guy was out there, waiting for her. Her memory hadn’t returned either, despite getting some sleep. She tried not to overreact to her impending discharge. Trevor had promised to call his brother about the idea of her staying at the ranch.
That thought brought more guilt. What if Black Hat found her there? Would he hurt the other pregnant women? Feeling her muscles tense, she drew in a slow breath and rubbed her hands over her belly.
No stress. No stress. The words became a mantra in her brain.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Trevor’s voice had her opening her eyes. Had she fallen asleep? She glanced down, smiling when she saw Archie standing beside him.
“Fine.” She belatedly realized her headache was better, and she wasn’t feeling as sick to her stomach. In fact, she was aware of the gnawing hunger rumbling in her abdomen. “I wouldn’t mind breakfast.”
“Me too. Hopefully, we’ll be able to eat soon.” His tone was light, but his expression remained serious. “Chase is on board with us heading to the ranch.”
“Great.” She shoved the guilt aside. “I’m glad.”
“Yeah.” He glanced down at Archie, then patted the gurney. “Up, boy.”
Archie gathered himself and leaped gracefully up onto the gurney. She reached out to stroke the K9’s soft fur. Like before, he settled down beside her, resting his head between his paws.
There was a knock at the door, then it opened. Bailey was surprised to see one of the local cops standing there. “Trevor? You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah.” Trevor shot her a quick glance. “It’s probably nothing, but when I was out in the waiting room making calls, I noticed a large dark truck passing by. I ran outside to try to get the license plate, but there wasn’t one.”
The officer whose name tag read Anderson frowned. “That’s odd.”
“Well, there was a temporary plate number taped to the back window, but I couldn’t read it.” Trevor shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I was hoping you would put out a BOLO for the vehicle so we can find out who owns it.”
Bailey noticed the hesitation that crossed Anderson’s features. “I don’t know, Trevor. Having a temporary plate isn’t a crime.”
“I get that, but what if it’s a ruse? A way to keep us from identifying the vehicle and owner?
” Trevor didn’t back down. “Anyone can tape a piece of cardboard with a fake temporary license number. And this guy has been escalating. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to find the truck and ask the driver a few questions.
If it’s legit, fine. But if it’s not, then we need to know that too. ”
The officer blew out a sigh. “I guess it can’t hurt.” He lifted a hand to the radio attached to his uniform. “Unit 8, please be on the lookout for a dark truck without a license plate but has a temporary number tacked to the back window.”
“Roger that, Unit 7” was the response.
“Thanks.” Trevor grimaced. “I know I might be paranoid, but how many dark trucks are driving around the city at this hour? Especially when we already know this guy was out near the rental cabin?”
“Lots of dark trucks out here in Wyoming,” Anderson countered. “But I get your point.”
Bailey tried not to panic, despite her concern about how Trevor had noticed a black truck going past the hospital.
As much as she hated to admit it, Officer Anderson had a point about the prevalence of trucks in the state.
Yet the timing bothered her. What if that guy knew they were at the hospital?
What if he followed them to the ranch?
“Anything else?” Anderson asked.
“Not that I can think of.” Trevor gestured toward her. “I have a feeling we’ll be here for a while yet.”
She almost corrected him but decided against it.
Maybe Dr. Schaffer would take pity on her and allow her to stay.
Then again, would her medical insurance cover that?
She had no idea. She assumed being the receptionist for City Hall meant she had insurance, and she made a mental note to ask Harper about it.
“Okay. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.” Anderson glanced over his shoulder. “I have to get this guy booked before I can head back out on patrol.”
His comment reminded her that there were only two officers on duty for the entire city. How would two cops manage to find this guy? She tried not to let the despair overwhelm her.
“Thanks again, Heath,” Trevor said.
The cop turned away. Bailey continued to stroke Archie’s fur, taking solace in the dog’s presence. “You know him on a personal level?”
“Yeah, Heath was in Kendra’s grade at school. I don’t know the other cop, Jeff Riley, as well. He’s new to the force. Just started six months ago.” Trevor stepped closer, quickly eyeing the monitor overhead. “Have they rechecked your blood pressure yet?”
“No.” The word barely cleared her throat when the door opened revealing Harper.
“How are you feeling?” Harper’s tone was cheerful.
“Better,” she answered honestly. “My headache is gone, and I don’t feel as sick to my stomach as before.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Harper moved to the other side of the bed to do a blood pressure reading. She smiled when she finished. “Your blood pressure is much lower. Your heart rate has come down nicely too. I’ll let Dr. Schaffer know. I anticipate you’ll be discharged shortly.”
“Great.” Bailey forced a smile. “I’m relieved to know the medication is working. Oh, by the way, can you tell if I have medical insurance?”
Harper looked surprised. “You don’t know what insurance you have?”
“I don’t remember.” Wasn’t that the truth? “If you could let me know, that’s one less issue for me to worry about.”
“Of course.” Harper crossed over to the computer mounted in the corner of the room. She logged on, tapped several keys, then glanced at her. “You do have insurance, through the City of Cody.”
She nodded. “Thanks for verifying that for me.”
Harper typed more keys, no doubt entering her blood pressure reading. “Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
A long silence fell between her and Trevor after Harper left. She sighed. “Guess we’ll have time to get breakfast.”
“Yeah.” Trevor stared at the baby monitor for a moment, before catching her gaze. “I know Anna will make breakfast for us if you can wait long enough for us to get to the ranch. I’d rather hit the highway now when there’s less traffic.”
Her gaze clung to his. “Is that because you want to make sure we’re not followed?”
“Yep.” She was impressed he didn’t try to lie or sugarcoat the truth. “I wasn’t happy to see that black truck going past a few minutes ago. I still think it could belong to your Black Hat.”
“If he is, then I pray the officers will find him very soon.” She shivered despite the warmth of the room. “Too bad we can’t eat here at the hospital.”
“That’s an option.” Trevor’s expression turned thoughtful. “In fact, I like that idea. We’ll still be early enough to make sure we’re not followed, yet that will also give the cops time to track down the truck.”
“Great.” She felt better at the thought of staying within the sanctuary of the hospital for a little longer.
It took Harper about ten minutes to return. “Okay, Dr. Schaffer has signed your discharge paperwork. Let’s get you disconnected from these monitors.”
“Down, Archie,” Trevor said. The red lab rose, licked her hand, then jumped down to the floor.
Trevor turned away, and she was touched by his attempt to give her privacy.
She didn’t remember her husband, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Clark had a personality that was similar to Trevor’s. Sweet, kind, protective, and caring.
She could easily imagine herself married to a man like Trevor. Which begged the question, had she ever gone out with Trevor? He was her brother’s best friend, and he’d told her they’d known each other for years.
And if they hadn’t dated, then why not? Had she rejected him at some point? Or worse, had Trevor never expressed any interest in her? Based on her keen awareness of him, the latter option felt more likely.
Either way, it was too late for them now.
Trevor warmed to the idea of having breakfast here at the hospital. Not only would that buy them some time, but he could feed Archie as well. Despite his eagerness to get Bailey to the safety of the family ranch, he was concerned about the black truck he’d seen earlier.
No matter how many times he told himself not to be paranoid, he was convinced the shooter was nearby. He trusted the Cody police, but their resources were limited.
He’d follow up with Griff once they reached the ranch. His brother-in-law must know something useful about the Plymouth Properties by now.
“All set.” Harper’s voice had him turning around.
Bailey looked better. Her cheeks weren’t as pale as they had been, her mouth less pinched with pain.
She was beautiful, and it was all he could do not to cross over to pull her into his arms and kiss her.
A totally inappropriate thought for a woman who had no memory of the love she’d had for her dead husband.
“What about the prescription for my blood pressure medicine?” Bailey asked.