Hot Pursuit by Jo Davis Page A

was backing into place, getting ready to hook on to the rear bumper of Cara’s pickup. Blake was hovering near the back doors to the ambulance, anxiety written in his stance and the flat line of his mouth.
    Screeching to a stop, Taylor jumped out of the car and jogged over to the ambulance. He nearly sagged in relief to see Cara sitting in the open double doors, loudly complaining to two of the firefighters/paramedics from Station Five whom Taylor happened to know fairly well. Lieutenant Zack Knight and Clay Montana were patiently trying to explain why she should go to the emergency room, while a uniformed traffic officer stood by
not
so patiently, rolling his eyes and likely waiting to finish his report so he could leave.
    â€œI am not running up a bill for an ambulance ride and an ER visit just for a tiny cut on my forehead,” Cara insisted, scowling.
    Clay piped up, giving her what Taylor knew was the man’s best attempt at a charming grin. “Honey, that’s what health insurance is for.”
    Unfortunately for Clay, his brand of charm wasn’t well-received. “I
know
what health insurance is for, and I also know my own body. I don’t need a checkup, and my name is
Cara
, not
Honey
.”
    As Taylor approached, he suppressed the suicidal urge to laugh—both at Cara and at Clay. Clay didn’t always know when to quit, and Cara wasn’t falling for the firefighter’s smooth brand of persuasion.
    â€œUnfortunately, Cara, that’s not always true,” Zack told her with an understanding smile. “Patients are often the very worst judges of their own conditions, which makes our jobs much more difficult. Remember that country singer who had the bad wreck out on I-49 last year?”
    Some of Cara’s irritation eased. “No. But I’ve only been here a few months, and I don’t watch a lot of news.”
    â€œWell, the point is he refused treatment because he ‘felt fine.’ Turned out he had a slow bleed in his brain, and by the time his wife realized something was wrong, it was almost too late to save him. He had emergency surgery and underwent months of rehab. He’s still not back to a hundred percent.”
    â€œI get it,” she mumbled. “I’ll go and get checked. But I’m not riding in the ambulance.”
    Zack patted her arm. “Fair enough. I’ll just need you to sign a waiver, and for my own peace of mind, I’d like to know who’s taking you.”
    Taylor spoke up. “I am.”
    Zack turned, then stuck out his hand. “Hey, Kayne! What brings you here? Isn’t traffic duty a little off the beaten path for a detective?”
    â€œZack, good to see you.” Shaking the lieutenant’s hand, he cut a look at Cara, who quickly masked her surprise at seeing him. “Yeah, I’m a bit out of my realm here, but I spotted a couple of friends in trouble and dropped in to find out what happened.”
    â€œThat’s what I’d like to know,” the traffic cop put in grumpily. “You know, sometime
today
.”
    Chris snorted. “Dropped by, my ass.”
    Everyone ignored them both—except Cara, who latched onto Chris’s words and eyed Taylor with suspicion. “How
did
you know I was here? Did Blake call you after I told him not to?”
    Hesitating, he risked a glance at the younger man, thinking he might not want his secret outed. When he merely shrugged, Taylor nodded. “He did, and I’m glad.”
    â€œYou are? Why?” She appeared truly puzzled.
    Was she serious? He couldn’t exactly say
because I tend to care about people I sleep with
in mixed company. Though Chris knew the truth, that detail had been shared in confidence. “We have a mutual friend in Blake, and, to be honest, I was worried about you both. I’d like to think you and I are friends, too.”
    Crap, that sounded lame. Might as well pass her a note in class and ask her