didn’t make any other moves to cause alarm.
The doctor pulled the stethoscope from around her neck and held it up. “Mind if I examine you?”
Aiden stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head.
The examination was quick and perfunctory, but Aiden’s body quaked with tension by the time she was finished and moved away. Duncan eased away just a bit to reach his cane to lean on, his hips aching from holding Aiden to the bed.
Aiden looked up as Duncan moved away and fear flashed through his eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere. Just adjusting.”
“Where am I?”
“Kansas City, Missouri.”
If he hadn’t been watching, he’d have missed the tightening around the other man’s eyes.
“You apparently climbed in the back of a tractor-trailer to get here.”
Aiden blinked at him but didn’t say anything. He looked over Duncan’s shoulder to the window outside, as if the bleary sky would be able to tell him where he was. “How long have I been here?”
Duncan shrugged. “You’ve been gone from Colorado for several weeks.”
Aiden dropped back against the bed. Though there was no other outward reaction, Duncan thought he was shocked at the amount of time that had passed. “You don’t remember?”
He shook his head.
Duncan could ask him what happened in the alley later, when the people were gone.
The doctor shooed everybody out. “I’m sorry we had to take the steps we did, Mr. Willingham, but I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt.”
He avoided her gaze but nodded his head. With a final glance she left the room.
Duncan turned and eased down into the chair, legs stretched out in front of him. His hip was aching like a sonofabitch. “So how much of your trip do you remember?”
Shaking his head, Aiden scrubbed his hands over his face. “Not much. Cold. I remember the cold.”
Duncan snorted. “Well, you were damn near a popsicle when you got out here. You’re lucky the driver found you when he did.”
Aiden cringed. “Am I?”
He didn’t like the tone of the other man’s voice. “Yes, you are,” he told him firmly. “Do you have family or someone I need to contact?”
Blankness settled over Aiden’s features. “Nope.”
Though his gaze was steady, Duncan felt like he was being lied to. “Well, if you think of somebody, let me know and I’ll get a hold of them.”
“I won’t.”
He’d gone blank-face and Duncan had a feeling he wouldn’t be forthcoming with anything else about his family situation.
“Were you coming this direction for a reason?”
Aiden stared at him. “Nope.”
Again, deception. But it wasn’t like he had any hold over him. He could lie all he wanted to. “I’m trying to help you out, Aiden.”
“I’m pretty tired. I’d like to sleep for a while.”
Duncan thought about leaning back in the chair and telling him to go ahead, but he didn’t want things to get antagonistic. Instead, he pushed to his feet, fighting to keep the grimace from his face. “Okay, Aiden, I’ll let you rest. As soon as I get settled into the hotel I’ll call the nurse’s station and leave them my information.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Frowning, he looked at the man on the bed. “I want you to have it.”
“I don’t need it.”
Without saying anything more, Duncan left the room, disappointed at Aiden’s reluctance to accept anything.
Chapter Four
T hey spent a quiet day in the house.
Chad paced the living room, restless. It had been quiet outside and inside for too long. Lora had been cleaning the bedroom where she’d been attacked. She’d made several trips with soiled sheets and bags of trash. At one point he’d offered to help. She’d stared at him for several long seconds before shaking her head. “No, thank you.”
The little girl played in her room for a while then wandered into the living room to watch TV. As she clicked through the channels, Chad felt her eyes watching him. He lifted an eyebrow at her in question.
She
The doctor pulled the stethoscope from around her neck and held it up. “Mind if I examine you?”
Aiden stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head.
The examination was quick and perfunctory, but Aiden’s body quaked with tension by the time she was finished and moved away. Duncan eased away just a bit to reach his cane to lean on, his hips aching from holding Aiden to the bed.
Aiden looked up as Duncan moved away and fear flashed through his eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere. Just adjusting.”
“Where am I?”
“Kansas City, Missouri.”
If he hadn’t been watching, he’d have missed the tightening around the other man’s eyes.
“You apparently climbed in the back of a tractor-trailer to get here.”
Aiden blinked at him but didn’t say anything. He looked over Duncan’s shoulder to the window outside, as if the bleary sky would be able to tell him where he was. “How long have I been here?”
Duncan shrugged. “You’ve been gone from Colorado for several weeks.”
Aiden dropped back against the bed. Though there was no other outward reaction, Duncan thought he was shocked at the amount of time that had passed. “You don’t remember?”
He shook his head.
Duncan could ask him what happened in the alley later, when the people were gone.
The doctor shooed everybody out. “I’m sorry we had to take the steps we did, Mr. Willingham, but I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt.”
He avoided her gaze but nodded his head. With a final glance she left the room.
Duncan turned and eased down into the chair, legs stretched out in front of him. His hip was aching like a sonofabitch. “So how much of your trip do you remember?”
Shaking his head, Aiden scrubbed his hands over his face. “Not much. Cold. I remember the cold.”
Duncan snorted. “Well, you were damn near a popsicle when you got out here. You’re lucky the driver found you when he did.”
Aiden cringed. “Am I?”
He didn’t like the tone of the other man’s voice. “Yes, you are,” he told him firmly. “Do you have family or someone I need to contact?”
Blankness settled over Aiden’s features. “Nope.”
Though his gaze was steady, Duncan felt like he was being lied to. “Well, if you think of somebody, let me know and I’ll get a hold of them.”
“I won’t.”
He’d gone blank-face and Duncan had a feeling he wouldn’t be forthcoming with anything else about his family situation.
“Were you coming this direction for a reason?”
Aiden stared at him. “Nope.”
Again, deception. But it wasn’t like he had any hold over him. He could lie all he wanted to. “I’m trying to help you out, Aiden.”
“I’m pretty tired. I’d like to sleep for a while.”
Duncan thought about leaning back in the chair and telling him to go ahead, but he didn’t want things to get antagonistic. Instead, he pushed to his feet, fighting to keep the grimace from his face. “Okay, Aiden, I’ll let you rest. As soon as I get settled into the hotel I’ll call the nurse’s station and leave them my information.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Frowning, he looked at the man on the bed. “I want you to have it.”
“I don’t need it.”
Without saying anything more, Duncan left the room, disappointed at Aiden’s reluctance to accept anything.
Chapter Four
T hey spent a quiet day in the house.
Chad paced the living room, restless. It had been quiet outside and inside for too long. Lora had been cleaning the bedroom where she’d been attacked. She’d made several trips with soiled sheets and bags of trash. At one point he’d offered to help. She’d stared at him for several long seconds before shaking her head. “No, thank you.”
The little girl played in her room for a while then wandered into the living room to watch TV. As she clicked through the channels, Chad felt her eyes watching him. He lifted an eyebrow at her in question.
She
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