Read Online Sleep No More by Susan Crandall - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Crandall
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instead of shoes. And that long, beautiful dark hair was matted and tangled at the ends.
And now she was scared to death for her father. Unfortunately, Jason thought that fear was likely warranted.
He inched closer.
"No answer." She punched the "end" button and handed the phone back to him with a frown. Her eyes roved the lobby, as if she was deciding her next move.
"Does he have a cell?" he asked.
"No. Refuses to get one. He had Mom's account cancelled after she died and donated her phone to a battered women's shelter."
"And you said you didn't tell him about the accident?"
She shook her head. "I didn't want to upset him before he got in the car."
Good thinking.
"Wait just a minute."
He left her and stepped over to the reception desk. He gave Janet Baker, the woman on duty, the name and description of Abby's dad and instructions to call Jason's cell if he showed up. He also asked her to have Emergency call him if Abby's father arrived there, either as a patient or looking for Abby.
Then he sent a quick e-mail from his BlackBerry cancelling lunch with a colleague.
When he returned to Abby, all of the lethargy that had enveloped her when he'd first walked up had disappeared. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet and twisting her dismissal papers into a tight rope in her hands.
"All right," he said. "Let's go."
She looked at him with startled eyes. "What?"
"I'll drive you to your dad's house. Maybe he just stopped someplace and we'll pass him along the way."
It was clear that she could see through his pretext; but she played along, clinging to her denial just a little longer.
"What if we miss him and he shows up here?" she asked.
"I've told Janet to call me if he does." He inclined his head toward the reception desk.
The woman sitting there gave Abby a smile and a reassuring nod. It did nothing to soothe her agitation.
He could see the argument rise in Abby's eyes, then quickly fade as her worry overcame her independence. "Okay."
On the way out the door, she said, "You think there's something wrong with him, don't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"The look in your eyes." She paused.
He was normally much better at masking his thoughts. Or maybe Abby just read him more easily than most people. "Let's find him, then we'll deal with whatever comes next."
He was glad she didn't ask any more questions.
When they got to his car, he opened the passenger door for her. She slid in, giving him a naked glance that tore at his heart. After he closed the door, he looked at her through the window for a moment. He wanted to fix this--not as a psychiatrist, but as a man. He wanted to restore that cheerful spark in her eyes that he'd seen last night. Last night, when he'd felt a connection unlike anything he'd experienced with a woman in a long, long while.
His own house wasn't in order. His invitation to future dinners had fallen out of his mouth before he'd fully engaged his brain. He had no business even thinking about getting involved.
And yet, here I am.
He could guise his actions in just being a good Samaritan all he wanted; his true motives were pounding in his veins like a primal drumbeat.
He'd find her father, then he'd back off. It was the only fair thing to do. She had enough to deal with without heaping his issues on top of her own.
With a self-disgusted grunt he walked around and got into the driver's seat.
Abby scanned the lot as he pulled out of his reserved parking space. "Dad drives a Black Explorer with tan trim around the wheel wells."
At this time of day the lot wasn't crowded. There was no black Explorer.
Jason pulled onto the street. "Should be easy to spot, then."
He watched oncoming traffic. Abby looked down the side streets and checked parking lots as she directed him toward her father's house.
Jason asked, "Have you noticed changes in your dad lately?"
"You mean like that 'where they bury people' thing yesterday?"
He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road, looking for the
And now she was scared to death for her father. Unfortunately, Jason thought that fear was likely warranted.
He inched closer.
"No answer." She punched the "end" button and handed the phone back to him with a frown. Her eyes roved the lobby, as if she was deciding her next move.
"Does he have a cell?" he asked.
"No. Refuses to get one. He had Mom's account cancelled after she died and donated her phone to a battered women's shelter."
"And you said you didn't tell him about the accident?"
She shook her head. "I didn't want to upset him before he got in the car."
Good thinking.
"Wait just a minute."
He left her and stepped over to the reception desk. He gave Janet Baker, the woman on duty, the name and description of Abby's dad and instructions to call Jason's cell if he showed up. He also asked her to have Emergency call him if Abby's father arrived there, either as a patient or looking for Abby.
Then he sent a quick e-mail from his BlackBerry cancelling lunch with a colleague.
When he returned to Abby, all of the lethargy that had enveloped her when he'd first walked up had disappeared. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet and twisting her dismissal papers into a tight rope in her hands.
"All right," he said. "Let's go."
She looked at him with startled eyes. "What?"
"I'll drive you to your dad's house. Maybe he just stopped someplace and we'll pass him along the way."
It was clear that she could see through his pretext; but she played along, clinging to her denial just a little longer.
"What if we miss him and he shows up here?" she asked.
"I've told Janet to call me if he does." He inclined his head toward the reception desk.
The woman sitting there gave Abby a smile and a reassuring nod. It did nothing to soothe her agitation.
He could see the argument rise in Abby's eyes, then quickly fade as her worry overcame her independence. "Okay."
On the way out the door, she said, "You think there's something wrong with him, don't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"The look in your eyes." She paused.
He was normally much better at masking his thoughts. Or maybe Abby just read him more easily than most people. "Let's find him, then we'll deal with whatever comes next."
He was glad she didn't ask any more questions.
When they got to his car, he opened the passenger door for her. She slid in, giving him a naked glance that tore at his heart. After he closed the door, he looked at her through the window for a moment. He wanted to fix this--not as a psychiatrist, but as a man. He wanted to restore that cheerful spark in her eyes that he'd seen last night. Last night, when he'd felt a connection unlike anything he'd experienced with a woman in a long, long while.
His own house wasn't in order. His invitation to future dinners had fallen out of his mouth before he'd fully engaged his brain. He had no business even thinking about getting involved.
And yet, here I am.
He could guise his actions in just being a good Samaritan all he wanted; his true motives were pounding in his veins like a primal drumbeat.
He'd find her father, then he'd back off. It was the only fair thing to do. She had enough to deal with without heaping his issues on top of her own.
With a self-disgusted grunt he walked around and got into the driver's seat.
Abby scanned the lot as he pulled out of his reserved parking space. "Dad drives a Black Explorer with tan trim around the wheel wells."
At this time of day the lot wasn't crowded. There was no black Explorer.
Jason pulled onto the street. "Should be easy to spot, then."
He watched oncoming traffic. Abby looked down the side streets and checked parking lots as she directed him toward her father's house.
Jason asked, "Have you noticed changes in your dad lately?"
"You mean like that 'where they bury people' thing yesterday?"
He nodded, keeping his eyes on the road, looking for the
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