Bull (Red, Hot, & Blue) (7 page)

Matt’s eyes opened wider. “Um, not exactly. You know, I think I’ll go call the commander. He’s going to want to know you’re awake.”

“You better call Lana too. She’ll be worried that I didn’t call after the training.”

Matt’s brows rose. “All right. I’ll take care of all the phone calls. You just lie here and don’t worry about a thing. I got it covered.”

When Matt left to make the calls, Bull glanced around the room. How long had he been out of it? More importantly, what were the extent of his injuries? He tried to take a mental inventory, but it seemed as if everything ached. It must have been a hell of an accident, but Matt had looked fine.

Why didn’t Bull remember any of it? He glanced toward the end of the bed. His chart was probably down there somewhere. If he could only reach it. Lifting his head caused enough pain that he let it fall back against the pillow, but in his quest for his chart, he noticed something else. There was a huge red, white and blue bouquet of flowers on the windowsill and next to it, a card and a small stuffed bull.

He was still squinting, trying to read the card from the distance, when a nurse came in smiling. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was run over by a truck.” As he answered, he realized it was a definite possibility.

The nurse laughed. “Glad to see your sense of humor is working fine.”

“How long have I been unconscious?”

“A couple of days. The doctor will be in soon. He’ll answer all your questions.”

She was about to leave, but Bull wasn’t done with her yet.

“Wait. One more. Who are the flowers and the stuffed animal from?”

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t here when they were delivered. Would you like me to read the cards?”

He was about to nod when he realized it would hurt. “Yes. Please.”

She made her way to the window and plucked a small white card out of the gigantic arrangement. The damn thing must have cost a fortune. It barely fit on the windowsill. “This is just a signature. It looks like John Dickson III.”

Bull frowned. “The senator’s son?”

“I’m not sure. Could be.” She shrugged. “Do you know him?”

“Not personally, no. What about the other things?”

She picked up the greeting card and opened it. “
Bull, I owe you for my life. Get better. I couldn’t stand it if I owed you for yours too. Marly
.” The nurse looked up and smiled. “Your girlfriend?”

“No. I don’t know any Marly. That’s all it says?”

The nurse glanced down again. “There looks like a phone number written here below the signature.” She carried the card to him and he grunted in pain as he raised his arm to take it. He tried to turn his head to see the side table but decided the effort wasn’t worth it. “Do I have a phone?”

The nurse pushed a rolling table with a phone in front of him. He raised his hand to dial and grimaced as he did.

“Want me to dial for you?” She smiled her happy, nurse smile.

He leaned back heavily against the pillows. “Please.”

She dialed and propped the receiver on the pillow against his ear. “I’ll give you some privacy.” She smiled again and left the room.

Bull listened to the ringing, wondering who Marly could be. Wondering also how he was going to hang up once he was done. He’d just have to grin and bear it, he supposed.

The ringing stopped and a woman’s mechanized voice said, “Hi. You’ve reached Marly Spencer. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.” That was followed by a beep. Bull almost got stage fright and hung up. He might have if the phone table didn’t seem so far away.

“Um, this is Bull. I just wanted to say thank you for the card.” What else to say? Besides, sorry I don’t remember you, nothing came to mind, so he wrapped it up. “Thanks again. Bye.”

He struggled to get the receiver back in the cradle and then crashed backward, bouncing off the pillow, exhausted from that small effort. This recovery was going to suck, he could tell already. He only wished he knew what he was recovering from.

Marly arrived home in a funk.

The insurance company was going to fork up the cash to replace her harp. That had been an interesting form to fill out.
Cause of damage—terrorist bombing.
That reason had required a bit of explaining. Luckily, the bombing had been all over the news and the caterers could verify she had been there. Proving the claim to the insurance company shouldn’t be a problem. The problem was her new instrument wouldn’t arrive for weeks. Until then, she had to rent a piece of crap from the music school in town.

Harp woes aside, the other issue remained that her ex was practically stalking her. Apparently getting blown up and almost killed had made her even more desirable in John’s eyes. She glanced at her answering machine and noticed the light blinking. She sighed. Chances were it was him again. How many calls would this make? A dozen or so in the past couple of days? She took a deep breath to steel herself and punched the button to play the message.

The sound of Bull’s voice had her going weak in the knees. He’d called her. Even better, he was not only alive, he was all right. At least okay enough to make a call. She hadn’t been able to get any information out of anyone about him or his condition. It was like his very existence was a secret. She’d even had to call in a favor from her ex and have him find out not only Bull’s last name, but where to send the card and gift she’d gotten him. That inquiry had yielded a general address for the local military base only, not Bull’s home or where he’d been taken for treatment.

She remembered that night. It replayed in her head over and over. Like a nightmare, but it had been reality.

Dazed, in shock and deaf from the ringing in her ears, she’d been wrapped in blankets and taken out of the mansion by emergency crews. John had been outside, frantic for her safety. The sight of the emergency team taking Bull’s limp body away had been enough to send her into hysterics while the ambulance crew checked her for injuries.

Thanks to Bull’s quick thinking, she’d walked away from an explosion that should have killed her. Her ears were still ringing, but she didn’t have a scratch on her. Marly had told everyone within hearing distance how Bull had saved her life, but all John had wanted to do was take her home and comfort her.

She’d let John drive her home—she was too shaken to have driven herself—but she didn’t allow him to
comfort
her in the way he had in mind. Not that night, nor since.

Of course, she couldn’t tell her former boyfriend she’d had sex with Bull. That she was pretty sure he was the kind of man she could fall in love with, even after having only spent a brief time with him that one night. It was crazy. She barely knew him. Was it Stockholm syndrome? She hadn’t been his hostage, nor he her captor. But he had saved her life by covering her with his own body, at great risk to himself.

It didn’t matter that it was crazy. She wanted to see him again. Needed to. She scrolled down the list of incoming calls in the caller ID on her home phone. Luckily, unlike her cell phone, her home phone showed the name of the caller as well as the number. And there it was. He had called from the hospital. The name was right there on the read out. Now she knew where he was, that’s where she was going. She grabbed her purse and flung open the door to find her ex-boyfriend, John Dickson III, standing in her way.

“John. I’m sorry. I’m on my way out.”

“I see that.” He stepped inside anyway.

With a sigh, she closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”

He smiled and took a step closer. Running his hands up and down her arms, he lowered his mouth toward hers. “You know what I want.”

Marly frowned. “We broke up.”

“No.” John shook his head. “
You
broke up. I didn’t agree to it.”

Was he kidding? Only a Dickson would have the nerve to say something like that. “Are you nuts? Because it’s really starting to sound like you are. Every time I pick up the paper, I see you with that other senator’s daughter, and everyone is speculating when you’ll get married. And before her, it was the governor’s daughter. What the hell do you want with me anyway? I’m a lowly musician who barely makes the rent.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with the silly tabloid rumors when we first started dating.” John continued to hold her arms. “Remember? You let me wine and dine you. Take you on expensive vacations. Buy you jewelry.”

He leaned forward as if he would kiss her. She pulled back and let out a bitter laugh. “I never asked for or expected gifts and trips and fancy dinners. I’m not a gold digger, and I resent you making me sound like one.”

John dropped his hold on her with a sigh. “Look, Marly. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I can’t help it if my father’s second goal in life, right after making it to the White House, is to marry me off into a powerful southern political family. There’s nothing I can do about that. But I do know I’m happy when I’m with you. I want to be with you.” He raised his hand again and caressed her cheek. “Both in bed
and
out of it.”

She decided to play along with his delusion. “So what happens to us when you do marry one of Daddy’s picks?”

“You’ll always be a part of my life. That won’t change. We just have to be discreet.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “My daddy’s been with the same woman for over twenty years.”

The senator and his wife had been happily married for thirty-five years so she knew John wasn’t talking about his mother. For twenty years, Senator Dickson had been hiding a mistress from the public, and from his wife unless she knew and didn’t care. Marly’s stomach churned at the thought. John was willing to place her in the role of long-term mistress without a second thought. She wanted—she deserved—so much more than that. She wanted a lifetime commitment. She wanted a home and kids. Maybe not this second, but one day.

When she thought about it, she realized she wanted Bull.

“I’m truly sorry for you, John.” Marly took a step back and out of his reach. More than anger, she felt pity. He really was messed up. Maybe growing up in the kind of life he had made it impossible for him to be any other way. “You think you don’t have a choice in how you live, and that’s sad for you. But I do have a choice, and I would never be happy being what you’re asking me to be.”

She turned and opened the door, then paused and looked back at him. “Goodbye. Please don’t call or try to see me again. Take the jewelry if you want. It’s all in the box on the bedroom dresser. You can let yourself out.”

Still shaking from the encounter, Marly walked out, leaving him standing in her apartment alone. He didn’t look shocked or saddened. In fact, his expression told her he didn’t believe a thing she’d just said. He’d continue to call and drop by, but she felt stronger now. She’d deal with it until he finally got the message, gave up on her and found himself a new girl.

But right now, there was someone she needed to see. Marly drove way too fast to the hospital. She swung her car into a space in the lot and left it parked crooked in her rush to get inside. She strode into the lobby, not stopping until she hit the security desk. “I’m looking for Bull Ford’s room.”

The guard searched the list. Twice. He shook his head. “I’m not finding a Bull Ford.”

Probably because it was doubtful Bull was his real first name. The touch of a hand on her shoulder had her jumping.

“That’s all right, Joe. I’ll handle this.”

She didn’t recognize the man who’d spoken. He, however, seemed to know the guard.

“Marly Spencer?”

It seemed he knew her as well. “Yes.”

He took a few steps back from the desk. She followed. “Nice to meet you in person. I’m Matt Coleman.”

He smiled and gave her a cocky, knowing look. She frowned, trying to place him. She met so many people out on gigs, they often remembered her, but she rarely recalled them.

“I’m sorry, I don’t…” Then it hit her. She drew in a quick breath and felt her face heat. “
That
Matt? Bull’s Matt?”

“Yeah. I’m afraid so.” He cringed. While she processed that this man had listened to her and Bull during a very intimate moment, he continued, “We need to talk before you go up and see Bull.”

“Is he all right?” All embarrassment disappeared, replaced by concern.

Matt bobbed his head. “Physically, he’s healing. That’s not the problem. Marly, he doesn’t remember anything about that night.”

“You mean the explosion.”

“No, I mean absolutely nothing. Not his being assigned to work security at the party, or the terrorists…or you.”

For the second time in an hour, Marly felt sick to her stomach. “Maybe once he sees me.”

“Maybe.” Matt nodded. “Our commander is talking to his doctor now to see how to proceed.”

How to proceed? Marly knew how to proceed. She would march right into his room, tell him what they’d shared, throw her arms around him and kiss him until he remembered her. “I want to see him.”

Matt grinned. “You don’t care what the doctor says, do you?”

“Yes, of course I care and I would never do anything to harm Bull, but…”

“But you still want to see him.”

He was still grinning at her, and she felt her face blush hotter.