Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Laura Scott (speed reading book .txt) 📖

for Jonah. Grateful she’d cleaned up a bit, she made her way to Liam’s room.

Hooked up to beeping machines by a variety of tubes, Liam looked nearly as colorless as the institutional white walls. The energy and determination that were so much a part of him were absent. Tears leaked from her eyes to trickle down her cheeks.

“Liam,” she whispered. “I’m here.”

He stirred but didn’t wake. She lifted his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. Was it her imagination or did he return the pressure?

A nurse appeared, her smile understanding, her words firm. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now. Doctor’s orders.”

“Of course.”

Paige returned to the waiting room. When a middle-aged couple rushed in, the man bearing a striking resemblance to Liam and the woman a petite brunette at his side, Paige hurried to them. “Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie?”

“Yes.” The man offered his hand. “And you’d be the one who called us.”

“That’s right. Paige Walker.”

“We can’t thank you enough,” the woman said. “Have you seen our boy?”

“Yes, but only for a minute. He’s resting right now. The doctor says it will be a couple of days before he can leave the hospital.”

“As long as he’ll be all right, we can handle the rest,” Mrs. McKenzie said. “We’ve already decided that we’ll take turns staying here so someone’s with him all the time.”

“I’d like to be included in that, if you’ll let me.”

Liam’s father rested a large hand on her shoulder. “Of course you can. I have a feeling that you’re important to our boy.”

She didn’t answer that. How could she when she didn’t know how things stood between her and Liam? Liam’s mother nodded as though settling something important. “We’re going to get along just fine.” Mrs. McKenzie took Paige’s hand and led her to a seat. “You look like a strong wind could knock you right over. And no wonder, with all that you’ve been through. You rest right here while Angus sees to matters. He’s good at that.”

Though Paige topped the older woman by a good five inches, she felt like a child being put to bed, but she couldn’t deny that the idea of rest sounded good.

“Maybe for a minute,” she murmured. She needed a minute. Just one minute to process the fact that Liam was going to be all right.

But a minute turned into a few minutes, which turned into an hour. When Paige woke, it was to find Shelley sitting beside her.

“Hi, sleepyhead.”

“Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie...where are they?”

“They’re visiting Liam. Before you ask, Jonah’s with Caleb and the kids. When I left, he looked to be having the time of his life running through the house with the dog chasing after him. I figured you weren’t going to leave any time soon, so I stopped by your place and picked up some clean clothes.”

“Thank you,” Paige said with fervent feeling, thinking how glad she’d be to get out of the clothes she currently had on.

Hospital noises went on around them, but Paige scarcely noticed. She was too busy worrying over how Liam was doing.

Shelley reached for Paige’s hand, gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’d ask how you are, but since the last time I saw you, you’ve been kidnapped, used as bait and then watched Liam get stabbed. Even though I brought you clothes, I’d suggest you go home, get some rest and then come back.”

“I can’t. I told Liam’s parents that I’d take a turn sitting with him.”

Another hand squeeze. “It’s you I’m worried about right now. Are you going to be all right?”

“As long as Liam’s going to be all right, I’m okay. In fact, I’m better than okay.”

Shelley gave her a shrewd stare. “So it’s like that, is it?”

“It’s like that,” Paige said and leveled a steady gaze at her friend.

“Then I’m happy for you.”

Paige smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. “I’m pretty happy for me, too.” Then her smile faded. “I don’t know what Liam feels.”

“Judging from the way he looks at you, he has feelings for you.”

“But are they the real thing?”

“That’s not my place to answer.” Shelley stood. “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up. Those clothes you’re wearing look like they should be burned.” She wrinkled her nose. “Smell like it, too.”

Paige noticed how rank she smelled and grimaced.

After performing what cleaning she could and changing clothes in the restroom, she felt immeasurably better. In the waiting room once more, she found Liam’s parents talking with Shelley.

“I was telling Shelley that we can’t thank her enough for taking care of our Jonah,” Liam’s mother said. “One of us will pick him up and take him to Liam’s house when we get our shifts here arranged.” She turned an understanding gaze on Paige. “You can go back now. He woke up for a few minutes, asked for you.”

“Thank you.” Paige sent Shelley a grateful smile. “And thank you. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

She walked down the hallway to Liam’s room and saw that he’d fallen back to sleep. Content just to be near him and to absorb the fact that he was all right, she brought a chair closer to his bed and watched as he slept.

Mindful that she needed to trade off time sitting with him with his parents, she reluctantly returned to the waiting room and found Detective Reineke there.

“Ms. Walker. You’re looking a sight better than the last time I saw you.”

“Thank you. You’ve met Mr. McKenzie’s parents?”

“We’ve introduced ourselves. If you’ll excuse us,” he said to Liam’s parents, “Ms. Walker and I need to talk.”

Relieved that he had the tact not to talk in front of them, Paige followed him to an empty grouping of chairs.

The detective opened a small notebook. “We interviewed Jerry Newley. I guess he figured he wouldn’t get anywhere with lying, seeing as you and Mr. McKenzie were right there and can testify against him. He spilled the whole thing, starting with the first blackmail note up to holding you hostage. You’ll have