Tremors

Joe glared after her.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Lisa said, drawing his attention back to her. “I’m fine. Really, Joe.”

He studied her face and she suddenly felt embarrassed about how she must look. A mess, she felt certain.

What was wrong with her? She’d just survived an earthquake. Her car was a crushed metal pancake on what used to be the third level of that parking garage. She wasn’t supposed to look good. And she owed her life to the guy who’d recently broken her heart.

“You’re pretty shaken up, Lisa,” he said in that soft, pleading tone that likely got him laid anytime he wanted.

Lisa tamped down a rush of jealousy. Her fling with Joe was over. She wasn’t supposed to be jealous. Besides, he’d just saved her life. She should be grateful. She was! She just couldn’t get past that other thing. The hurt.

“A little shocky, I’d guess,” he went on, clearly oblivious to her mental tirade. “You need to be checked out and the paramedics here have their hands full.” He shrugged those massive shoulders that would no doubt be bruised tomorrow from squeezing through that narrow passage. “Besides, you need a ride home anyway. We’d have to go right by the hospital to get to your place. Might as well stop by emergency just to be sure.”

He had an answer for everything. And she was completely at his mercy.

That was the way with men like Joe Ripani. Women were putty in their hands.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she was a little shocky.

It might take her a few minutes, but one way or another, she promised herself, she would get her anti-Ripani defenses back into place. And when she did, he could just take his sweet-talking ways somewhere else. As much as she appreciated what he’d done for her, she couldn’t risk letting herself fall into that trap again. Not if she hoped to survive.

She had his number and it added up to only one thing…heartbreak.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE UNEASY SILENCE in his truck unsettled Joe even more as he turned from Fifth Street onto Washington to head toward Courage Bay Hospital. He’d insisted that Lisa ride with him back to the firehouse where he could pick up his own truck. The search-and-rescue canines and heavy equipment had arrived at the parking garage just as Joe was leaving.

In an emergency like this, local jurisdiction resources would be somewhat overwhelmed with rescue and treatment. Assistance would be called in from surrounding communities. Joe and his squad had done the same many times. Just as soon as he was sure Lisa was good to go, he had every intention of getting back out in the field. This wasn’t the sort of situation that would be resolved in a few hours. He let go a heavy breath. It would be a while before Courage Bay was back to normal. But the city was no stranger to disaster, and its emergency-services personnel had earned a reputation for excellence.

Lisa hadn’t argued when he’d urged her toward his own vehicle. In fact, she hadn’t said a word since they left the parking garage. At first he’d worried about shock, but he now had a feeling that she was simply annoyed at him.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who cared for heroic tactics, and she would see his rescue of her as exactly that.

His fingers clenched the steering wheel. Funny thing, if he’d been trapped in that SUV, he would have been damn happy to have someone help him out. But not Lisa. No, she would consider any rescue attempt as the foolish act of an adrenaline junkie. She would rather have sacrificed herself than risk anyone else. That was something else they had in common, he realized abruptly.

Besides, he had to admit he’d been called far worse than an adrenaline junkie. The thing was, it usually didn’t bother him. Somehow her rebuff did. He thought he’d gotten over his inability to impress a particular woman. Obviously that wasn’t the case.

What was it about quiet, sensitive and highly intelligent Lisa Malloy that made him want to revert to adolescent tendencies?

He flicked a glance in her direction. Sure, she was pretty. Long, chestnut-colored hair that she wore up more often than not. Blue eyes the color of the Pacific when the sun hit the water just right. Her compact frame carried more visual punch than most petite women could possibly hope for. Lush curves and yet an athleticism that spoke of strength.

Damn. His entire body hardened. What was wrong with him? He didn’t usually go gaga over any dame. Not this kind of gaga anyway. He didn’t mind a serious case of lust—hell, he appreciated the hot, tingly feelings. The searing release that good, hot sex brought could only be called incredible. But this case of lust had stuck with him far longer than it should have. Lust was supposed to wear off after a few thorough sessions in the sack.

What the hell was the problem here?

He refused to consider the other four-letter word that tried to pop into his mind. The only L word he liked being acquainted with was l-u-s-t. Fast and furious and red-hot. That’s the way he liked his short-term relationships, if he could call them relationships.

It was best for all concerned.

Plenty of physical pleasure without the emotional entanglements.

Lisa should be glad. He’d done her a favor.

Joe pulled into the emergency entrance of the hospital. As he’d anticipated, the place was buzzing with activity. He parked in the only remaining slot, which thankfully put them within a few feet of the entrance.

“This isn’t necessary,” Lisa insisted, breaking her long silence. “The doctors and nurses will be busy with real emergencies.” She turned to him with a plea in those baby blues that twisted his gut all over again. “Just take me to the clinic. I need to check on the animals.”

“I’m sure your pal Greg has everything under control.” He made the statement with a little more sarcasm than he’d intended. There was something about Greg Seaborn that irked the hell out of Joe.

Climbing out of the truck, he hurried to the passenger side. Lisa didn’t waste time arguing further. The man was completely hardheaded. She slid out when he opened her door, noting achy muscles for the first time. The little wave of dizziness had also set off a throbbing in her skull.

Maybe Joe was right. As he led the way through the chaos of the waiting area, she gently kneaded the right side of her head. She had herself a dandy lump. Made sense, now that she thought about it. She’d obviously been unconscious for a time after the earthquake hit. Considering the dizziness and the downright awful feeling in her stomach, a concussion was quite possible.

She wasn’t sure how Joe managed the feat, but the next thing she knew, she was being hustled into a treatment room. The nurse promptly told Joe he would have to wait in the lobby.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Joe said, smoothly countering the nurse’s instructions, his charming voice as silky as ever. “You see, this patient is my responsibility.”

Lisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, especially considering that her entire skull was now pulsing on the verge of one hell of a headache.

The nurse looked from Joe to Lisa and back. “Well, in that case, you can wait in the corridor outside the room.”

Joe smiled widely for the flustered nurse. “Yes, ma’am.”

The smile he directed at Lisa before slipping out the door melted every ounce of irritation she’d managed to dredge up on the way here. How did he do that?

“You just relax, Ms. Malloy. The doctor will be in shortly.” The nurse moved on to her next patient. How many others were there? Lisa didn’t want to consider how many lives might be lost…how many injuries there were.

She reclined on the treatment table, thankful that she could lie still and close her eyes. She didn’t want to think about the damage the earthquake had done to Courage Bay, or how many of the animals at her clinic had been injured. She didn’t want to think at all right now.

As the nurse said, the doctor came in quickly and put her through a typical screening. He, too, worried there might be a mild concussion.

“Let’s send you up to radiology,” Dr. Winslow concluded. “Just to make sure there are no surprises.”

Lisa tensed, chewing her lower lip. She couldn’t ignore the possibility—not now. The risk was too great. “This may be a false alarm…” Her heart all but halted in her chest as she blurted in a near whisper, “There’s a chance I could be pregnant.”

For the space of two beats she held her breath, wanting desperately to snatch back the words. But there was no going back now. The idea that Joe stood right outside that door made her pulse skip.

The doctor smiled. “Let’s get some blood work, then.”

Lisa relaxed marginally. Okay. She would soon know. She needed to know. She’d put off finding out for too long.

Dr. Winslow moved on to other patients, and within moments of his departure, a lab tech arrived to take the necessary sample. To keep her mind off her own reality, she asked about other patients. According to the tech, the E.R. had been filled with people involved in automobile accidents related to the quake and others who’d been rescued from office buildings and homes. Lisa took some solace in the fact that there had been no fatalities reported as yet. She silently thanked God for looking out for Courage Bay’s citizens.

The lab tech assured her that results would be back stat, but Lisa waited what passed like a lifetime for Dr. Winslow to return to the treatment room with the final word. Joe still waited in the corridor. Suddenly Lisa felt very tired. The nurse had popped back in with something for her headache. She had assured Lisa that it was safe to take the pain medication. Lisa understood what she meant. Safe, regardless of the test results.

Oh, God. If she was…

The clues had been there for the past two weeks. But Lisa felt certain she’d been in deep denial.