Blurred Lines by KD Williamson (24 page)

“It’s not your fault. You can’t save everybody, and you can’t be everywhere,” Travis said.

“I know,” she whispered. A touch at the small of her back startled her. She stiffened and turned to find Sean smiling gently at her. She allowed the contact for a minute, but then shook it off. This was about Travis, not her.

“You can’t worry about me. This is about you.” Kelli glanced over her shoulder when she felt another presence. Sean stood on her right and Williams on the left. Despite the situation, it almost felt like the team was together again.

“I know,” Travis whispered in return.

There were no more jokes.

“It’s the elephant in the room. Can’t ignore it, and I don’t want to,” Travis said.

“Son, we’re not—”

The door swished open. “Good afternoon, everyone. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” The neurologist greeted them.

“It’s okay, Dr. Randolph,” Travis said.

The doctor nodded. “Well, I won’t keep you all waiting any longer.”

Kelli held her breath and reached blindly for Travis’s hand. He squeezed hard enough to hurt. She was more than okay with the pain.

“According to the latest MRI, it appears as though we were able to remove the majority of the scar tissue that the bullet caused. You should have some tingling in your extremities once all the residual swelling is gone. Then, after you’ve healed enough for it to be safe, you’ll start physical therapy. We are looking at up to a six-month recovery time, but I have every reason to believe that it will be full one.”

When she heard roaring in her ears, Kelli assumed it was her heart thundering against her ribcage, but actually everyone else in the room was cheering. She licked her lips and tasted salt. Kelli wiped her cheeks, and her fingers came away wet. Somewhere along the line, she’d started to cry, and for once, she didn’t try to stop herself. She was still holding Travis’s hand. Tears streamed down his face, but he smiled big enough for the patient in the next room to see it.

Kelli sobbed. She couldn’t wait to share this with Nora.

“Thank you! Thank you.” Gerald Sr. smiled and shook Dr. Randolph’s hand.

He laughed. “I’m glad I could help. All of you take care.”

The room exploded as everyone tried to talk at once.

“You have to come stay with me. You can have Sean’s old room.”

“I’ll make sure you have the best home care.” Gerald Sr. said as he wiped at his eyes.

“I knew you could do it, kid,” Williams said.

Kelli took it all in quietly and continued to hold her partner’s hand.

* * *

Nora taped a swatch to the living room wall. She stepped back and visualized the color encompassing the whole room. The hue was bold, and a far cry from her current color palette, but the modification seemed to fit her emotional metamorphosis. She decided to carry the wave of change she was riding from the kitchen to other areas of the house.

Change was past due.

The doorbell rang. Then it rang again and again, forming a recognizable pattern. Nora sighed, but not in exasperation. She loved Kelli’s playful side. Obviously, this meant good news.

When she opened the door, Kelli stood there, and her smile was dazzling. Her face was flushed, and her eyes had a spark Nora hadn’t seen before. This Kelli was completely different from the one she’d seen earlier in the day. She didn’t wait to be greeted or invited in. Kelli swept Nora into a hug and carried her into the living room. Her cane fell to the floor with a clatter.

She laughed happily. “He’s gonna be okay.”

Kelli tightened her embrace, and Nora’s heart raced. Nora hugged her back. Initially, she felt awkward, but it passed quickly. Nora savored Kelli’s distinctive, earthy scent, as well as the solid feel of her body.

The press of Kelli’s lips against her hair startled Nora, and her breath caught in her throat.

“I can hardly believe it.” Kelli mumbled. Nora had never seen Kelli so happy, and she was thankful to be a part of it.

Kelli sifted her hand through Nora’s hair, then splayed her fingers possessively at the nape of her neck, massaging gently. Nora shivered and tipped her head back to meet Kelli’s gaze.

She was captured by the intensity in Kelli’s eyes, and a bolt of arousal spread through her body, searing her from within.

“Nora,” Kelli whispered.

Kelli said her name with such reverence that Nora closed her eyes against the surge of emotions. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. Kelli trailed her fingertips from Nora’s cheek to her lips. Unable to help herself, Nora leaned into the touch. She fisted her hands into the back of Kelli’s shirt and held on as if her life depended on it.

When Kelli’s lips brushed hers, Nora gasped at the gentleness in the kiss. She felt Kelli’s joy, and she basked in her hope. Before she could respond, Kelli ended the caress. Nora’s eyes fluttered open. She stopped breathing and simply met Kelli’s burning gaze.

“I’m not sorry for this,” Kelli said softly.

Kelli dipped her head once more. This time, when Kelli kissed her, there was unchecked hunger. She ran her tongue along Nora’s lips and slipped seamlessly inside her mouth. As Kelli moaned, Nora whimpered. The sound escaped without permission, and little pinpricks of heat became a raging fire that spread through her quickly as Kelli’s tongue slid across her own. Nora clutched at Kelli’s shoulders, desperate to give as much as she was taking. Ultimately, she surrendered and lost herself in Kelli’s kiss. Her mind went blank and nothing else existed, save this.

As they moved deeper into the living room, Nora bumped into something, lost her balance, and tumbled to the floor. She gasped in surprise and pain. Phineas gave a loud grunt of acknowledgment and moved on without a care in the world. Nora touched her lips and peered up at Kelli.

Kelli blinked, and her startled expression transformed into a satisfied smirk. “Whole new meaning of knocking a woman off her feet, huh?”

CHAPTER 15

Nora took a long sip of her coffee and then continued to stare blankly at the far wall. Kelli was a hazardous addition to her life. This had become her mantra over the past few days. The knowledge wasn’t new, but the threat level had increased radically.

In the past, she tried to apply logic to her reaction to Kelli with the hope of understanding how one woman could cause such… Nora wasn’t sure there was a word that adequately described the overall situation. But logic didn’t work. Nora even tried to isolate herself, and all it took was a text, a call, a visit—a smile—and her defenses buckled like wet paper.

Nora licked the remnants of her French Roast and sweet cream from her lips. They tingled with the memory of Kelli’s kiss. Nora wasn’t a novice when it came to kissing, but with Kelli it was so different from all her other experiences. She lost herself in the moment—in Kelli’s touch, taste, and the woman herself. Her self-control deserted her the moment their lips touched. The feelings were both freeing and frightening, and Nora continued to struggle to handle them.

As a surgeon, she was used to delicate procedures. She should have the ability to separate and contain heated emotions, just as she did with necrotic tissue from viable organs, allowing their friendship to thrive just as a patient would. It wasn’t a well-thought-out plan, but it was an illusion to think she had some degree of control over this.

Kelli hadn’t brought up what had happened, which gave Nora a small reprieve. However, when Kelli looked at her now, there was something different in her gaze, and whatever that was called to Nora. To add fuel to an already powerful blaze, Kelli touched her with ever-increasing frequency. It felt as though Kelli was merely lying in wait.

Nora’s stomach quivered and then clenched into hard knots as a reminder of what her body wanted, what she craved. The feeling was a primitive reaction that scattered her senses every time it happened. Her body spoke one language, while the rest of her spoke another. Her mind flashed red in warning, but the alarm did not screech as loud as it did before. That, in itself, was unsettling.

Nora took a deep breath and tried to alleviate the ball of emotion steadily growing inside her. She checked her watch, and her heart sped up when she saw the time. Kelli would be here soon for their appointment with Nora’s lawyer. Her body filled with a strange combination of anticipation and the still simmering anger at Dr. Rader and Dr. Fuller. Nevertheless, Nora was ready for the deposition phase to be over so she could return to some semblance of a normal life.

Before, Nora had some doubts about her ability to win the lawsuit despite her innocence. Now, Rader and Fuller were as insignificant as flies and just as irritating. She wasn’t alone in this battle, and Kelli’s friendship gave her hope that she could get past this mess. As if it were common and an accepted practice, her thoughts centered on Kelli. Today, the compartmentalization of Kelli McCabe was just as ineffective as all her other attempts had been. Nora’s continued failure to keep herself in check shook her. She wiped suddenly clammy hands on her slacks.

She could still run. Nora inhaled deeply and dismissed the idea as soon as it formed. It didn’t work before, and Kelli deserved better. And Nora knew she deserved better too. The thought of going back to who she was—to
where
she was—held little appeal, however, moving forward terrified her. She was frightened by her own unpredictability, her own needs. Nora closed her eyes and accepted that she was just as lost as she was days ago, but for some reason, Kelli appeared more confident than ever. Despite her fears and reluctance, Nora gravitated toward the assurance Kelli offered. It was just one more contradiction to add to the ever-growing pile.

* * *

As she neared her Chevy Impala, Kelli pressed the key fob to deactivate the alarm and unlock the car. She lifted her shoulder to bring the phone closer to her ear.

“I talked to Antony last night. He sounded positive, but I know he’s struggling. He’s still mad at you and Sean, but I think it’ll pass. He just needs somebody to blame.” Carina told her.

“Yeah, maybe, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. He was pretty pissed when I talked to him the other day, remember? But I don’t care what he said as long as he takes this seriously,” Kelli said.

“What he said has to still hurt.” Carina’s voice was gentle and full of concern.

Kelli swallowed past the thickness in her throat. “Mom, I’m fine. Really. I’m making my peace with it.”

“Fine.” Carina sighed, but she didn’t push. “I’ll see you at dinner, then?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be there. I have some things I need to take care of. Can’t we just play it by ear?” Kelli asked.

“Let me guess. This has something to do with that doctor you’re seeing? Just bring her too.”

“I’m not seeing her. We’re just friends.” Kelli cringed. The words didn’t even sound believable to her own ears.

“But you want more than that? Sean said—”

“Sean needs to find a woman of his own. Maybe then he won’t be so nosy.”

“Is she nicer than that Ashley girl?” Carina asked as if Kelli hadn’t said a word in denial.

Kelli groaned. The Ashley thing was definitely something she wanted to forget. “Mom—”

“Or what was her name? Dina? She was pretty, but kinda cold.”

“How would you know, Mom? You met them both once.” Finally able to walk without her cane, Kelli appreciated how easy it was to open the door and get in her car.

Carina scoffed. “I’ve only met all of them once. That’s a good thing.”

Kelli sighed. “Anyway. Like I said. I don’t know about dinner.”

“Like
I
said. Bring her.” Her mother reinforced her offer.

“I don’t think she’s ready for that, and neither am I.”

“You must really like this one,” Carina said.

Kelli tiptoed around the trap her mother was trying to lay. “She’s a friend, and I’m just trying to help her. That’s all. Besides, she will probably cook when we get back to her place.”

Carina hummed. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

“She any good?”

Kelly smiled. “Yes, and she is one of those people who pairs wine with food too.”

“Is that right?” Carina asked innocently.

“It is.” Kelli knew it was just another tactic to fish for information, but she answered anyway.

“We’ve been through a lot these past couple months, but I still know when you’re full of it. You like her. She must be something to get you to drink wine.”

Kelli rolled her eyes and cursed her mother’s ability to sniff out even the smallest clues. “I’m not doing this. I’m a grown woman.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

It was a
hell yes
. Kelli bit her lip to keep the grin from returning. In the past, with other women, Kelli had walked freely into relationships that had all the symptoms of failure. She always saw the end coming a mile before impact but indulged herself while it lasted. It wasn’t the best decision, but it was often the easiest. This...situation with Nora was hard to read, and most of the time Kelli found herself overwhelmed by her feelings. It was different and scary as fuck, but Kelli couldn’t resist.

Kelli saved subtlety for police work. With everything else, she steamrolled her way through. At times, stuff actually worked out, and this 
thing
 with Nora was definitely one of them. Even though Nora looked as though she might run at any moment, she still answered Kelli’s calls and allowed Kelli’s touch. Thank Christ, because Kelli couldn’t keep herself from touching Nora if she tried. It seemed as if nothing had changed, but Kelli could almost smell Nora’s fear and knowing she was scared had held her in check over the past few days. But that would only last so long. Kelli knew what she wanted, and the kiss only solidified that fact. All of this had the potential to be messy, but that didn’t matter. Kelli learned something from what Travis went through—sometimes things worked out. She let the thought fuel her desire for Nora Whitmore.

“She’s kinda weird Kelli. I don’t know.” Her mother sounded wary.

“She’s just a little standoffish, but once you get to know her—”

“So, you know her?”

“Dammit.” Kelly was trying to avoid one trap and got caught by a different one altogether. Carina’s hesitance was just part of the game. This whole thing with Nora needed to belong to just her right now. It was too big and precious to share. “Hanging up now, Mom. I’ll call you later.”