REESE quickly shut down his e-mail when Samantha entered the debriefing room. A part of him wanted to protect her from the horror of the crash while the logical portion of his brain insisted she was better off knowing the risks.
“You didn’t make any coffee?” Sam’s voice echoed with disappointment.
“Sorry. I don’t drink coffee.” He double-clicked on the e-mail icon and the crash message bloomed on the screen. With another couple of keystrokes he printed out the message. He heard running water as she prepared to brew a fresh pot. “I have some bad news here.”
“Bad news?” She hurried back into the debriefing room. “Denis?”
“No, not that.” He could have kicked himself for reminding her. Although he wasn’t sure the crash news was any better. He handed her the copy of his e-mail message. “Better sit down before reading this.”
“Oh, no.” Her eyes drank in the message, then lifted to meet his. “Reese, this is awful. Chicago is only about seventy miles away.”
“I know.” He sat heavily in his seat beside the satellite monitor.
“But this could have been us.” Agitated now, she leapt to her feet. She ran a hand through her hair, left down instead of braided after their night together, and paced the short length of the room. “I was insisting we fly to the crash scene last night. If we had gone, we could have crashed. Just like this.”
Reese couldn’t deny the grim truth. “There may be other mitigating factors we’re not aware of,” he pointed out. “The FAA will do a thorough investigation before making a final determination.”
“A final determination of what?’ Ivan asked, scratching his chin as he entered the room. “Samantha, you’re a doll for making coffee.”
“On the cause of the crash.” Reese knew Ivan had been flying long enough to know the risks.
Ivan’s expression turned somber. “Who crashed?”
“Air Angel.” Reese handed him the message. “Last night at 0200.”
“What were the flying conditions?” Ivan asked as his gaze flickered over the e-mail.
“Patches of fog but a cold wind coming in from the north.” Reese filled him in on the events of last night, including the decision to keep one chopper at Children’s Memorial rather than risk a return flight. “You were sleeping so soundly we didn’t wake you.”
“Thanks.” His white teeth flashed in a grin. “My wife will appreciate your thoughtfulness. I can help out with Bethany today, rather than trying to sleep in snatches.”
Reese nodded, not about to mention how he and Samantha had benefited from Ivan’s exhaustion. “Is Jared in yet?”
Ivan shook his head. “No, I think he’s going to be late today. Shelly has her first doctor’s appointment this morning.” When Reese’s eyes widened in alarm, the paramedic hastened to reassure him. “Haven’t you heard? She’s pregnant.”
His expression cleared. “No, I hadn’t heard. I’m happy for them, though.”
“Shelly, the peds flight nurse?” Samantha halted her pacing to turn and glance at them. “I knew she married Jared a few months ago and that they both still fly. Now she’s pregnant?”
Clearly, the news of the fatal crash was still too fresh and painful. “Knowing Jared, he won’t allow Shelly to keep flying once she’s further along.” Reese tried to console her.
“Yeah, but you’re assuming Shelly will listen,” Ivan pointed out dryly.
Since Reese already knew how stubborn Flight Nurse Shelly O’Connor could be, he held his tongue. “Samantha, calm down. Lifeline has an excellent twenty-year crash-free history. Safety is our prime concern.”
“I know.” She tried to smile, but failed miserably. “At least, I do now. I’m glad you insisted on remaining grounded last night.”
Reese rubbed his hands over his face and wished he’d acquired a taste for coffee. He could use the kick of caffeine to help dissolve the fog in his brain. The decision he’d made had been gut instinct more than anything. He could have just as easily agreed to fly. He’d been honest with Samantha last night, the weather could always change without warning. The day they’d tried to fly to Two Rivers, only to head back because of the weather, was proof of how even the best pilot could find himself facing poor flying conditions.
The truth was difficult to deny. Anyone could crash. He could lose Samantha, the same way he’d lost Valerie.
Long after Ivan had gone home, Reese buried his head in paperwork he’d neglected while waiting for Jared. He had a plan that he needed Jared’s approval to implement.
Samantha had given him a strange look when he’d told her he needed to work late today. He knew he was treating her badly, especially after the night they’d shared, but the news of the crash had shaken him more than he’d wanted to admit. Putting some distance between him and Samantha seemed prudent.
He heard voices in the hallway outside the debriefing room and wondered if Jared had finally arrived. Piling the reports in a neat stack, he grabbed his proposal and pushed away from the desk.
The voices came from Jared’s office. He paused outside the partially open door, trying to figure out who was in there. In a heartbeat he recognized Samantha’s husky voice.
“What’s your plan?” Jared asked.
“My only real plan for the moment is to ace my boards,” Reese heard her respond. “But after that I was thinking of moving to the West Coast, to the San Diego area. My parents still live there, even though my siblings are scattered across the country.”
Reese felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if he’d been punched. Samantha planned to move after graduation? She hadn’t mentioned those plans to him.
“Let me know. I’d be happy to write you a glowing letter of recommendation,” Jared was saying. “In the meantime, I’ll keep you posted on whatever information Rafter comes up with.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Reese steadied himself on the door frame, Samantha’s words swirling around in his head. When he sensed their conversation was over, he pulled himself together, rapped his knuckle against the wood and poked his head through the doorway. “Jared? Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” Jared and Samantha stood up. “Talk to you later, Samantha.”
She nodded and smiled at Reese, an unspoken question in her gaze. “See you both later.”
He knew she wanted to know if she’d see him sooner rather than later, but Reese couldn’t bring himself to answer. Neither did he stop her from leaving, much as he wanted to. Even though her future plans had shaken him, he knew Markowicz was still out there. He trusted Rafter, but the need to follow Samantha home was strong.
He forced himself to let her go.
“What’s on your mind, Reese?” Jared asked, settling in behind his desk.
“A team approach to flying.” He handed Jared his proposal before sitting across from him. “Did you hear about the Air Angel crash last night?”
Jared frowned. “No.”
Reese quickly filled him in. “I’m a cautious pilot by nature, but not every pilot sees weather conditions exactly the same way. With each takeoff, safety measures will only go so far. You know as well as I do there are many factors outside our control.”
“I’m with you so far,” Jared commented.
“I’m proposing that each team member has the right to decide if they feel comfortable flying in dicey weather conditions. If even one person has reservations, the flight is called off. The captain doesn’t have veto rights, insisting it’s safe to fly.”
“Interesting proposal,” Jared murmured, skimming the information Reese had handed him. “Have any other air transport companies initiated a similar policy?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Reese couldn’t lie. “In fact, companies that are in it for profit will push the limit on flying conditions. Air Angel just happens to be a commercial company.”
Jared thoughtfully nodded. “We’re lucky to be subsidized by the area hospitals and the state, allowing us to remain nonprofit status.” He tapped the proposal. “I like this, Reese. I say we implement your plan immediately. We’ll track the flight refusals and see how it goes.”
Relief loosened the tight bands around his chest. “Thanks, Jared. I appreciate your support.”
“I have as much invested in this program as you do,” Jared pointed out. His gaze dropped to the proposal. “In some ways, more than you do.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out Jared was thinking about his wife and unborn child. “I know.” He cleared his throat. “I take it there’s no news from Rafter yet?”
Jared shook his head. “Not yet. He’s dug into Markowicz’s background, though, and has staked out his condo. I’m sure we’ll hear something soon. At least, when he makes a move toward Samantha, we’ll know.”
Guilt flooded Reese. He should have followed her home. “Keep me posted, too.”
If Jared thought his request was strange, he didn’t mention it. “I will. Get some sleep.”
Reese drove home, knowing sleep would be a long time coming. He actually pulled into the parking space next to Samantha’s before realizing what he’d done. With a muttered curse he threw his truck in Reverse and headed home.
Inside, he couldn’t dredge up his usually insatiable appetite. His team approach to flying might have saved Valerie, but not if she’d been willing to go. The memory of Valerie didn’t hurt the way it used to. Samantha’s words came floating back to him. He should have followed his instincts and stayed far away from her. The time they would have together could be measured in days, maybe months, before she’d leave.
Pain tightened his throat as realization dawned. Losing Samantha would be far worse than when he’d lost Valerie. Because Valerie hadn’t had a choice. He’d known she’d loved him.
He didn’t have Samantha’s love, although he knew she cared for him. Still, when she left, she’d simply walk away.
Samantha should have been exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep. Not that sleeping in the bright light of daytime had ever been easy. She’d struggled when other residents she knew could drop off no matter what time of the day it was.
But the problem right now was Reese. The night they’d shared had been wonderful. Better than wonderful. But in the morning his whole attitude had changed.
She couldn’t really blame him. News of the Air Angel crash was enough to ruin anyone’s mood. But she couldn’t help but wonder about the woman Reese had loved. The woman he’d asked to marry him. To be jealous of a dead woman was utterly foolish, but her heart twisted painfully anyway.
Had he felt guilty for making love with her? Reese had been a willing participant during the night, the sight of him, sneaking from their bed, pulling his flight suit over his naked body and tiptoeing out to check the satellite monitor still making her smile.
Slowly, her smile faded. No, Reese’s demeanor hadn’t changed until this morning, when he’d read the news of the crash. Obviously, he was still torn up inside over losing his fiancée. What had she been like, this woman who still had a hold on Reese’s heart? She tossed her arm over her eyes, trying to block out the endless questions. What did it matter what the woman had been like? Reese wasn’t in Colorado anymore. He was here at Lifeline now.
But had he left his heart behind, buried with a woman who’d died in the mountains? She didn’t know.
How ironic that the first man she’d grown to love and trust in the years since she’d mistaken Denis’s companionship for love wasn’t in a position to return those feelings in kind.
A clunk outside her bedroom window woke her out of a sound sleep. Groggily, she blinked, trying to read the luminous numbers on her clock. Six in the evening. She’d only managed to sleep for a few hours.
Sliding her feet into slippers, Samantha crossed the room. With a frown she peered through the window. Had she heard something, or had it been her imagination? Since finding her smashed car battery, she tended to suspect Denis lurking around every corner.
The shrill ringing of her phone drew her attention and she immediately stepped away from the window. The moment she moved a loud crash burst from behind her. She instinctively screamed and threw herself to the floor.
She heard a shout followed by a yell somewhere outside. Samantha raised her head from the floor, glancing around in fear. Her bedroom window was broken, a gaping hole in the center surrounded by jagged glass. The opening wasn’t large enough for a person, she noted in relief. Had Denis struck again?
Her phone was still ringing, so she jumped to her feet and dashed into the kitchen. “Hello?”
Too late. The mystery person on the other end of the line had hung up. Shivering with the cold February air flowing freely through the broken window, she found her Lifeline jacket and slipped it on over her flannel sweats. Shaking, she tried to decide what to do first. Call the police? Call to have her broken window repaired? Take care of the broken glass splattered around her room?
Edging down the hall, she stood in the doorway of her bedroom. Lying in the center of her bed was a large, heavy brick. Wrapped around the brick was some sort of brown paper. Even from this distance she could see a message written on the note, addressed to her.
She didn’t want to read it, knowing the note would be more of the same. Come home, where you belong. Turning from the mess in her room, she returned to the kitchen. Seeing the brick had helped her make a decision. Police first, then repair the window.
She’d already called the police when she heard more noise from outside. A car engine, then the slam of a car door. She tensed. Had Denis come back?
“Samantha!” She heard someone shout her name a moment before there was pounding on her apartment door. “Are you all right? Open up.”
“Reese?” She peered through the peephole, surprised and very relieved to see him standing there. She opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Are you all right?” He came forward and cupped her face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. “Rafter called me when you didn’t answer your phone, telling me he pegged Markowicz outside your building.”
The wild look in his eye belayed her fear. “I’m fine. But my window isn’t.”
“I thought it was cold in here.” Reese pressed his mouth against hers in a brief, hard kiss. Then he glanced around the apartment. “What happened?”
“A noise outside woke me up.” His kiss rattled her brains and she frowned in concentration. “I…uh, got up and went over to the window to see if anyone was out there. Then my phone started to ring, so I stepped away to answer it. I heard a crash and hit the floor.” She was embarrassed at her reaction, cowering in fear instead of facing the danger head-on. “Someone hurled a brick through my window.”
“Someone? Markowicz?” Reese’s hands tightened on her arms. “Dammit, he could have hit you. The next time you hear a noise, don’t go anywhere near a window!”
“I won’t.” The closeness of her near miss, along with the cold air, made her teeth chatter.
“Did you call the police?”
She nodded. “They’re on their way.”
Reese led her over to the sofa, urging her to sit. “Stay here. I’ll check out the damage.”
Sam clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling. “I know Denis is probably long gone, but I’ll need the police report to pay for the broken window.”
He disappeared down the hall toward her bedroom. Samantha sat for a moment, then realized she was doing it again, letting others take control of her life. Jumping to her feet, she followed him.
“Stay back.” His voice was harsh. “You’ll cut yourself. There’s glass everywhere.”
Since her bare feet felt like twin blocks of ice, she knew she wouldn’t feel a sharp edge until it was too late. She hovered in the doorway, surveying the mess in her room. “How am I going to get the glass out of the carpet?”
Reese’s normally calm features reflected his seething anger. “I don’t know, but we can’t touch anything the cops may be able to use as evidence. I hope Rafter managed to get some evidence, too.” He turned away from the window. “Tell me what you need so I can get it for you.”
Samantha directed him to where her shoes, socks, jeans and sweaters were located. After their closeness the night before, there was no reason for her face to burn as he went through her drawers, pulling out the items she’d requested, including clean underwear. Once he’d retrieved her things she took them gratefully and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
She felt more in control when she emerged, fully dressed, a few minutes later. The police arrived fast, the broken window rating a higher threat than her earlier note. While she answered their questions, she noticed Reese talking on his cell phone.
“Was that Rafter?” she asked, breaking away from the police officer’s questions.
Reese nodded. “Yeah. I called and asked him to come over. He’s on his way. He almost had his hands on Markowicz, but the guy managed to slip away.”
She couldn’t hide the sharp disappointment. So close, they had been so close to nailing Denis in the act. Sam forced herself to remain calm. “Next time, I guess.”
“Damn. There shouldn’t have to be a next time.” Reese’s frustration mirrored hers. He’d raked his hands through his hair so many times the strands stood on end, sticking out of his head at odd angles. She suspected he’d recently woken from sleep himself. “I thought Rafter was better than this. I can’t believe he let the jerk get away.”
Samantha felt the same way, although she knew Denis was craftier than most people thought. Underestimating him was only too easy. She’d married him thinking he was a great guy, with similar goals and desires to hers.
She’d been wrong. Right now she was finding out just how wrong she’d been about him.
The police combed her apartment, taking photographs of the mess in her bedroom and dusting for prints on the wall surrounding the outside of her window and on the brick itself. After a few minutes, her buzzer sounded.
Hesitantly, she crossed the room. “Yes?”
“It’s Rafter.”
“Come on in.” She pushed the button to release the outside lock, then opened her apartment door.
Rafter didn’t look upset to have lost his man. In fact, a broad grin creased his features. In his hands he held several photographs.
“We got him.” He displayed the photos on her kitchen table. “I have a digital camera and downloaded these a few minutes ago.”
Reese crossed over to take a look. Samantha caught her breath. The pictures were amazingly clear. Rafter had caught a clear photo of Denis outside her window, holding what looked like the brick in his hand.
“Great.” Reese clapped a hand on Rafter’s shoulder. “I admit I couldn’t believe you’d allowed him to escape.”
“The pictures had to come first or, trust me, I would have had him. I honestly didn’t even see the brick in his hand at first. I didn’t know he’d planned to chuck it through her window until I saw the swing of his arm. But at least we have the evidence needed for the police to arrest him.”
Samantha lifted her gaze from the eerie photos. The officer who’d questioned her entered the room, the pictures drawing his attention.
“Markowicz is in clear violation of his restraining order and, more, this shows his attempted assault.” The officer picked up the picture of Denis holding the brick, mere seconds before he’d launched it through her window. “I’ll send out the team to stake out his house, authorizing his arrest.”
Samantha pressed a shaking hand over her heart. It was over. Denis would be arrested soon and the nightmare would be over.