Into His Keeping (27 page)

He didn’t want her to know how relieved he was. Acting as if he’d never expected anything different had made it so and he was superstitious enough to believe there was power in that. Preparation allowed one to capitalize on the opportunities luck offered. Holdin had willed his success over and over again. Willed it because he needed Jill. Willing it now was natural and also the most important gamble of his life. If fate had denied him, things could have gotten ugly.

“The woman who called my mother had no idea who you were. She is a friend of my mom’s and knew me when I was Drifter’s age. She recognized me in Drifter. That’s what everyone’s been talking about. Apparently they think you’re someone I met after I went to college. Half the work on the cover story is already done.”

Again Holdin didn’t spend time filling in all the blanks for Jill. His mother had known with a mother’s knowledge of such things that the only person who could possibly have had her grandchild was Jill. Carol’s confidence in that fact was the reason she’d known who was in town before she called Holdin.

Jill’s eyes opened to gaze at him for a long, silent moment. “I hope you’re right. I have no idea what else to do.”

“It’s about time you let me handle this, baby. Your job is to recover. Trust me to take care of my family.”

Jill closed her eyes again but a faint smile touched her lips. “Not much else I can do.”

“Damn right,” he assured her, putting as much flat confidence into the statement as he could. She had to see him as capable of protecting her and Drifter’s future. It was imperative she accept it now.

The door opened behind him and Dr. Robert Coates strolled into the room.

“Good evening,” he greeted them both as he raised a brow at Holdin.

Holdin’s hand tightened on Jill’s and he smiled at the doctor. The smile didn’t touch his eyes as he regarded Coates.

There was one thing Holdin had worked out very clearly. No matter what was between these two, Holdin was here to fight for Jill. Any altruistic thoughts of letting her go if that made her happy had died a silent death at the hands of his possessive soul. Her surrender to him at the ranch had sealed her fate and killed any questions he’d had about her still feeling the same way about him. Jill was his now. Nothing else was acceptable.

Chapter Ten

“Jill needs to rest and I believe you wanted to talk to me. Why don’t you wait outside a minute and then we’ll have that chat,” Coates directed smoothly while picking up Jill’s chart and glancing at the top page.

Holdin clamped down on the immediate rush of fierce possessiveness. This man was her doctor and had saved her life. His smooth command was meant to convey dominance and control of Jill. Coates knew exactly what he was doing by directing Holdin to leave. If Holdin stood up and meekly left, he’d be submitting to Robert’s superior position. It was petty to want to smash Robert’s face, but that was Holdin’s first reaction.

Holdin gently squeezed Jill’s hand and leaned over her as he rose. “I’ll be back, baby girl.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and waited for her smile before he stood. Turning to Coates, Holdin nodded curtly and exited the room before he did something stupid like challenge the man. This was Coates’ turf. Holdin needed Coates giving Jill his complete attention as her doctor, not nursing a broken nose.

Robert joined Holdin in the hall five minutes later. “Come on, we can talk in my office,” Robert offered, and led the way.

Neither spoke until the office door closed silently behind them. It hadn’t been a long walk, the hospital provided offices on the same floor for the surgeons. Robert waved Holdin into a comfortable leather chair in front of his desk as he moved behind it to his own seat.

Choosing to speak in his office put Coates in a position of authority but Holdin supposed that was his due. He was one of the finest brain surgeons in the country. He’d earned the honors surrounding him on the walls in neat black frames. The office was understated perfection, decorated with class while not being showy, very like the tall doctor sitting behind his desk.

“I believe you have some questions.” Coates regarded Holdin levelly.

“Correct. First I want to thank you,” Holdin stated calmly. “You’ve done more than be Jill’s doctor and I appreciate the kindness you’ve shown my son. It made this easier for him.”

“I became acquainted with Jill and Drifter some time before she had the fall,” Coates acknowledged while carefully including Jill in his life outside the hospital. His answer didn’t accept Holdin’s thanks nor rebuffed it. Holdin grinned internally as he chose words for this battle of wits.

“Yes, Drifter has a lot to say about you. As I said, his confidence in you was a comfort to him. It’s been a difficult couple of days for all of us.” Holdin paused as Robert nodded. “I have several medical questions you should be able to answer.”

“Of course.” Robert’s confidence sounded in his voice as he waited for Holdin to continue. He didn’t acknowledge Holdin’s turn of phrase that subtly questioned his ability to respond knowledgably.

The question that had been eating at Holdin was a handy place to start. Now that Jill was out of danger, it would serve several functions. One was to let the doctor know who was in possession of the woman. “Jill went into trauma shortly after we made love. Her head didn’t move during our interaction but her releases were intense. She was fine directly after, but a few minutes later the pain started. Did her orgasms cause the bone chip to move?”

For a second Robert’s expression didn’t change as he regarded Holdin. Then he shifted back in his chair, visibly relaxing as a smile touched his lips. “I could be an ass and tell you that’s exactly what caused the episode. But honestly, it was going to move anyway. The only way she could have possibly avoided the movement would be for her to have remained absolutely still and it might have moved anyway. The entire trip was the cause.”

Holdin nodded and let his relief show. Robert Coates had earned a bit more respect and Holdin relaxed. They both knew possession was established and Robert had bowed out. That also told Holdin Jill had never been intimate with the doctor. A point that was exceedingly pleasing to his dominant side.

“Is there any danger of recurring problems?” Holdin asked seriously.

“There are no guarantees, especially in medicine, but she’s a healthy young woman. We’ve seen no evidence of another weak point on her skull and it looks like she’ll make a full recovery physically. So far, I’ve seen indications that her memory is intact. At least where Drifter is concerned she appears to have total recall.”

“She has full recall,” Holdin informed Coates. “Is it correct to say you don’t feel her memory loss was due to medical reasons originally?”

“Really? You’re sure of her recall?” Coates leaned forward across the desk.

“Yes.” Holdin nodded without explaining how he knew.

“Not going to tell me why you’re so sure?”

“It’s better if you don’t know. Actually, safer for you,” Holdin answered seriously. “Jill would be upset if I put you in danger by telling you.”

Robert frowned. Surprise and concern entered his voice. “She and Drifter are in danger?”

“Could be, I don’t have all the information I need but I will soon. Which is part of why I wanted a word with you. Can we keep the number of people who need to enter the room to a minimum? I’m not suggesting putting a quarantine sign up over her door but I’d like to. Also so you understand why I’m not leaving until she does.”

“There’s no way to do what you’re asking unless you go loud with guarding her. Am I reading you wrong in assuming your keeping it quiet for some reason? I’d be more help if I knew what you’re worried about. I’m not just a doctor, I’m a military doctor. Not exactly helpless.”

“I know. You’re a credit to your profession, Coates.” Holdin grinned as he used Robert’s words.

Robert returned the tight smile. “You’ve done your homework.”

“Absolutely. Thanks for your service to the country. You volunteered after residency and were assigned overseas during difficult times. As I said, a credit to your profession.”

Robert nodded and waited a few more seconds to see if Holdin would add more information. “Since you’re being a dick about explaining why you want her guarded, back to your question on her memory. No, her memory loss had no apparent medical cause. The recall could have been triggered by the trauma of her fall but again I’m doubtful of that.” Looking Holdin in the eyes Robert raised a brow. “You’re not surprised, are you?”

“No. She had reasons. I believe her subconscious was trying to protect her.”

“Protect her from you?”

“If that were the case, she wouldn’t have come to me when she regained her memory.” Holdin grimaced. “Circumstances have changed and she knows I’m fully capable of taking care of the problem. The threat is the same one she faced before the first accident, though less urgent. I’ll be eliminating it shortly.”

“You’re certain of your intentions then?” Robert asked with undisguised concern. “Jill and Drifter can depend on you? In light of what you refuse to tell me, I have a right to know.”

“Yes, Jill’s my wife. We just don’t have the papers yet.”

Robert smiled easily this time. “I had to ask. You’re a lucky man.”

“Yeah, I am,” Holdin agreed. He couldn’t relax and return Robert’s smile but he appreciated the unspoken confidence it implied. Coates didn’t waste time questioning him on how he planned to eliminate the problem. “So when can I take her home? It’d be better for her if she weren’t in a building open to the general public. I’ll hire nursing assistance for as long as she needs it, but I want to get her in a controlled environment as soon as possible.”

“If you stay in Dallas so I can see her regularly for the next two weeks, you can take her to your place tomorrow evening at the latest. We’ll know if she’s got an infection by then. That’s the only medical danger I foresee. Her procedure was relatively simple. If she needed nursing care, it would be because she suffered a complication. We wouldn’t let her go in that case, so don’t worry about hiring someone.”

“Not a problem. We’ll be here in town.” Holdin stood. “I appreciate your time, Robert.” He held out a hand. They shook briefly and Holdin turned to leave.

“You know, if you screw up with her again, she’s not going to be available a third time,” Robert stated quietly as Holdin opened the office door.

Holdin looked back and smiled darkly. “Reason she’s mine is I never screwed up the first time. Don’t hold your breath.”

Holdin walked casually down the corridor toward Jill’s room. He’d enjoyed Robert Coates after they’d established boundaries. He’d been completely sincere in his admiration for Coates’ service record and the character the man displayed. Coates was trustworthy and a man Holdin understood.

Entering Jill’s room, he silently settled into the chair beside her bed. She seemed to be sleeping and he wanted her to rest.

“You’re not leaving tonight?” she asked quietly without opening her eyes.

“No. I’ll be right here. Sleep, baby.”

“Who’s watching Drifter?”

“He’s safe. My dad is a combat veteran.”

“Does he know what to look for?”

“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him but security comes naturally to Dad. Stop worrying.”

“Call him. Please.”

Holdin regarded her silently for a minute. “So it was the second-in-command who was after you?”

“Both him and his boss,” Jill confirmed softly.

Holdin pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Dad?” Holdin’s voice was calmly clipped. A tone Charles recognized. He’d taught it to Holdin along with the military phrases used in emergency situations. As a combat veteran, Charles had schooled his family on awareness and the fastest way to deal with any threat. Code phrases were part of those lessons.

“Yes?” Charles’ answer was brief then he was silent waiting for the code he knew would follow.

“Watch your six. Orange. Red is too late.”

“Roger that.”

“Tomorrow.” Holdin hung up having told his father that he’d be at the hospital overnight and explain tomorrow. “There, little mama lion, your cub is safe as he can be tonight,” Holdin assured Jill softly.

“You’re sure Charles understands?”

“That was a full-alert conversation. I spoke to him in the most direct way possible and he understood, Jilly-girl. It’s a code used in the military that he taught me when I was a kid. I couldn’t have been more plain-spoken or urgent just now. The colors indicate the level of danger. Red means the threat is present. Telling him red is too late was a statement indicating professional skill level of the aggressor. Giving him condition orange told him to watch for it. Using colors with universal meaning helps the military communicate situation information quickly, just like it did in this conversation. Okay?”

“Thank you,” she murmured seriously as if he were doing her a favor.

“Drifter is my concern too, baby. I simply have more faith in Dad’s natural abilities.” Holdin lifted her free hand and brought it to his lips for a light kiss.

Jill opened her eyes and a little smile warmed her tone. “You’re charming me again, aren’t you?”

“Hope so. Mostly I want you to relax. I got this. You can sleep, Jilly-girl. You’re not the one on guard duty tonight.”

“I know.” Her eyes closed again but the smile remained. “Thank you.”

“Let’s make that the last time you thank me for protecting our family. It gets insulting.” Holdin let humor soften his words but he was serious.

Jill’s hand tightened on his briefly but she didn’t respond. Soon she was asleep.

Ten minutes later an orderly came in. “Dr. Coates said to bring you one of these,” the young man explained, and began setting up a cot on the other side of Jill’s bed against the wall.

“Hang on.” Holdin stopped him. “Put that over here,” he directed, pointing to the spot he’d just moved the chair from.

“You’ll be in the way,” the orderly argued in hushed tones, glancing at Jill who appeared to be sleeping. “The night staff will wake you up every time they come in.”

“It’s all right. Put it here,” Holdin insisted.

Placing his body between her and door was exactly what he intended. It had been nice of Robert to send a cot but guarding her wasn’t about Holdin getting a good night’s sleep. He wanted to know every time that door opened.

It was a long, uncomfortable night. After the limited amount of sleep he’d had last night, it should have been difficult to remain alert tonight. It wasn’t. Partly due to the surface he was supposed to be sleeping on. It was possibly the most uncomfortable bit of construction anyone had ever had the nerve to call a cot.