Deadly Intent

He picked up his car keys. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll be quicker in the Cessna.”

His glance inventoried her pale features and shaking hands. “You aren’t in any condition to fly anywhere.”

“Maybe not, but I’m going to anyway. You don’t have to come.”

Stopped in his tracks, he said, “Would you rather I didn’t?”

Her faltering smile and slight shake of her head was the answer he needed. He swept up her bag and his jacket in one hand, and her in the other. Holding her close at his side, he walked her out to the car. “Forget the Cessna. I’ll drive you there. By the time you do your preflight, take off and land, and get from the airport to the hospital, you won’t get there much faster.”

“How long do you plan to stick around?”

Ryan brushed her lips with his then opened the car door for her. “Consider me glued to your side from now until we find your diamond mine.”

Chapter 4

The Halls Creek Hospital had been built in the 1950s as a nursing outpost before being upgraded to its present modern level. Having helped out with many medical flights, Judy knew the compact size belied the wide range of health services the facility provided to the people of the hundred and fifty thousand square mile shire.

When Ryan pulled up outside the main building on Roberts Avenue, Judy saw Cade’s old Holden parked nearby. Her heart began to pound and a headache tugged at her temples. She had known this moment would come, but now it was here her hands felt clammy with fear. Her father’s life was in the balance. Not even the roughest landing on the most inadequate airstrip could compare with the dread gripping her now.

Ryan cut the engine and took her hand. “He’ll be okay, trust me.”

Feeling his strength flowing into her, she resisted the temptation to cling. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“We don’t know he won’t.”

“Mr. Sunshine,” she snapped, but a little of her fear had receded in the face of his quiet confidence. “Let’s get this over with.”

Inside the hospital they found Cade pacing, his features taut with worry. He returned Judy’s hug and nodded toward Ryan. “What’s the latest news?” she asked.

“He’s having some tests now. We’ll know more when they’re done.”

Aware of Ryan shadowing her, she said, “I should have been at home.”

Cade’s gesture negated this. “Wouldn’t have made any difference. He was fine until just before dinner. Then during the meal he complained of chest pains and had difficulty breathing. I brought him straight here.”

“You did the right thing,” she agreed.

“When do they plan on airlifting him to Perth?” Ryan asked from behind her.

Cade’s shoulders lifted. “Not until they’re sure he’s strong enough to handle the transfer.”

She felt Ryan’s hand press on her shoulder. “You’ll be able to see him before he goes anywhere.”

“I’m going with him if they’ll let me,” she vowed, not wanting to admit to herself how much comfort she took from his touch. Cade didn’t seem to find anything untoward in the gesture. Only she knew how differently Ryan viewed their relationship.

Damn him, why did he have to choose tonight to complicate everything? She wanted to keep her mind clear to focus on her father’s problems, not have to agonize over where she stood with Ryan.

She didn’t have to, she resolved in a snap decision. Just because he’d declared his desire for her didn’t mean she had to reciprocate. She didn’t have to do anything except carry on as she was. It had nothing to do with her.

Except she knew it wasn’t so simple. She had feelings for him, whether she acknowledged them or not. Tonight she’d realized she was fooling herself if she thought she could remain uninvolved with him around. If she could have managed without his help, she might have had a chance to resist. As it was, she needed him.

Ryan was the original all-or-nothing man and he was in danger of sweeping her along on the tidal wave of his determination. She was going to have to tread water like crazy to keep ahead of this particular tidal wave without being dragged under.

“Have you heard from Blake and Jo?” she asked to divert her unruly thoughts.

Cade shook his head, his long raven hair falling across his piercing blue eyes. “Blake was rounding up a rogue crocodile that’s taking cattle on a property near Broome. Jo went with him to write about the capture for her magazine. I couldn’t reach them by phone, and they aren’t expected back until tomorrow.”

She touched him lightly, grateful for his steadiness. He might not be as muscular as Ryan, but his tall, thin build concealed an inner strength she appreciated. “I don’t know what Dad would have done without you.”

“Running Diamond Downs is good therapy,” Cade said, making her wonder why he needed such a thing. “It doesn’t leave much time for anything else.”

Didn’t she know it. Before Cade came home, her flying business had suffered as she’d tried to hold everything together in her father’s stead. Her brain refused to deal with the possibility that he might not make it. Logic told her she would have to lose him someday, but not now. She wasn’t prepared.

“Ryan, what are you doing here?”

Hearing the feminine voice, Judy’s hackles went up instinctively. She turned to see a woman only a little younger than herself planting a kiss on Ryan’s cheek. The woman’s hair looked as if she’d combed it with her fingers and the skin beneath her eyes was smudged with violet, but she still managed to look glamorous. And familiar for some reason.

Before Judy could place her, Ryan took the woman’s hand and tugged her into their group. “Judy Logan and Cade Thatcher, this is Heather Wilton, one of my favorite women in the world.”

The woman extended her free hand and Judy shook it automatically. “Hi Judy, Cade. I’ve heard a lot about your family from Ryan,” Heather said.

Her voice was low and sexy. Beautiful in an interesting sort of way, she had fluffy blond hair, huge blue eyes beneath winged eyebrows, and indecently full, roseate lips. Judy saw a keen intelligence in Heather’s gaze and tried not to feel envious of the way she made a watermelon-colored tank and denim shorts look like high fashion.

Judy didn’t recall seeing Heather around Halls Creek or on any of her regular aerial routes. “Why do I feel as if I know you from somewhere?”

“Heather used to present the weather reports on Perth television. You might have seen her there,” Ryan said, sounding proud of the woman’s accomplishments.

“But I live at Citronne now,” Heather supplied quickly.

Judy felt her eyebrows lift. “The cattle station near the edge of Lake Argyle? That’s a long way from Perth TV.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Moving up there was a huge culture shock but I love it.”

“Did your work bring you to the Kimberley?” Cade asked.

Heather beamed a secretive smile at Ryan. “It was nothing less than true love.”

Judy felt ill. They were supposed to be worrying about her father, not rehashing Ryan’s love life. It didn’t seem to matter that mere moments before, she’d resolved to let him be love-struck on his own. She didn’t like to think meeting one of his old flames—current flames?—had changed anything.

“Shouldn’t we see how Dad’s doing?” she asked pointedly.

Ryan gave her an amused look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking. But all he said was, “I’ll see what I can find out.” He moved purposefully toward a nurses’ station.

“I gather your father is the patient,” Heather said. “Is he going to be all right?”

“We hope so.” Judy felt her stomach clench with nerves as she fought to stop herself imagining anything else. Briefly she explained the situation to Heather, who nodded in sympathy. “What brings you here?” Judy asked in turn.