SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,15
monitor her health. Her blood test results will be back in a few hours. If I’m satisfied with her progress, I’ll release her then.”
“Rafe,” Rio murmured. “We’ll handle it. No one will get to her on our watch.”
Outnumbered, Rafe gave a slight nod. “She needs to stay in her street clothes in case we have to leave in a hurry.”
“I’ll inform the medical staff.” Anderson glanced at Rio. “You’ll stay with her and Mr. Torres?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Excellent. Make sure she drinks plenty of fluids. I’ve given her a mild pain killer.” He told Rio the name of the drug. “She should sleep a few hours. Stan will transport her to her room. If you need me, I’ll be on duty for several more hours.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
Rafe breathed easier knowing that Kristi would recover soon. His gut still said trouble was closing in on them. “May I go in now?” he asked the doctor.
“Of course.”
Leaving Dr. Anderson and the others standing in the corridor, Rafe tapped on the door and slipped inside the room. Kristi sat on the examination table watching Grace store unused medical supplies in one of the many cabinets in the room. When she saw Rafe, Kristi’s tense expression eased.
“I’ll check on you while I’m on shift, Kristi,” Grace said. “If you need me, have Rafe call me. I’m on duty until noon.”
“Thanks, Grace.”
The nurse patted Rafe’s arm on her way out of the room.
“Well?” he asked Kristi, eyebrow raised.
She frowned. “What?”
“Are you crazy about Dr. Anderson like the rest of the women in town?” His lips curved when she laughed, glad he got the response he wanted.
“I’m afraid so. He’s a sweetheart.”
He sent her a look of mock disgust. “That’s what I figured. None of the single guys in town have a chance until the good doctor lets the women down easy.”
“I can see why.” She tilted her head and winced. “Ouch. Remind me not to do that again.”
Rafe sobered. “Head still hurts?”
“I swear there’s a bear pounding on it with a hammer.”
That surprised a laugh out of him. “A bear?”
“Probably the one I was worried about eating me in the cave,” she muttered.
A tap sounded on the door.
Rafe stepped in front of Kristi as Rio stuck his head inside the room.
“Stan’s here.”
The orderly entered the room, pushing a wheelchair. “Ready to go to your room, Ms. Stewart?” the cheerful older man asked.
She sighed. “I guess.” Kristi glanced at Rafe. “You sure you can’t spring me from here?”
He wanted to do exactly that. “As soon as we can,” he promised.
Her eyes widened. “You’re staying?”
“We’ll talk about the arrangements later.” Rafe didn’t want to talk with Stan in the room. He was a nice man who also fed Otter Creek’s gossip mill.
Rafe scooped Kristi into his arms and set her in the wheelchair, ignoring how good she felt in his arms. He didn’t want the orderly touching her. He told himself that his protectiveness was for safety reasons.
Minutes later, Kristi was in her temporary bed, huddled under two blankets. After Stan left, she said, “At least I’m not wearing a hospital gown.”
“I asked Anderson to let you remain in your street clothes.”
“In case we have to run.”
“I hope the precaution is unnecessary.”
“What if it’s not?”
“I’ll take care of you.”
“Who takes care of you?”
A spear of pain shot through Rafe’s heart. He breathed past the hurt. “My teammates.” He squeezed Kristi’s hand. “Rest while you can.”
“Who will stay with me?”
Rafe moved a chair to her bedside. “I’ll be in here with you. Rio and Josh are outside the door for the moment. My teammates will arrive soon, and they’ll take over the watch in the hall.”
Shivering, Kristi tugged the blankets higher. “Is that necessary?”
He stilled. “If you don’t want me in here, I’ll have Rio sit with you.”
“I’m glad you’re with me, Rafe. I wanted to know if having Josh and Rio in the hall was necessary.”
The ball of ice in his stomach melted. “Another safety precaution. Someone else may know about your GPS tracker.”
“Dad and I will talk about that.”
“Cut him some slack.”
“I still don’t like knowing he can track my movements. How would you like it if you had a tracker embedded under your skin?”
Rafe’s lips curved. “I do.”
Her breath caught. “Why?”
“Safety precaution for a dangerous job.” He frowned as she continued to shiver. “Are you all right?”
“Freezing.”
“I’ll be back in a minute.” Rafe strode to the door. “Rio, Kristi is still cold. She needs another blanket.”
“Adrenaline dump.” The medic straightened from the wall. “Let me talk to her