Christmas in His Bed

Spencer nodded. “No news on Taggart?”

Patton shook his head, taking another cookie. “These are good.”

“Are they?” He reached for one, popping it in his mouth. They were good. Not that he was surprised. Tatum had always liked to bake. Thinking of Tatum in her pink cat pajamas, pigtails bouncing, had him grinning from ear to ear.

“I take it she forgave you?” Patton asked, gathering his things up.

Spencer shook his head. “Not yet. But I’m working on it.”

The intercom on his desk buzzed. “Got a call for backup. Immediate assistance requested to Cliffs Point and Jones Avenue.”

“We’re shorthanded, Spencer,” Captain Ramirez yelled out.

“On it,” Spencer answered, jumping up and tugging on his coat. “Go home to your fiancée, Patton. Take her a cookie.” He winked as he sprinted out into the darkness.

12

“HELLO?” LUCY ANSWERED the phone while Tatum hunted for the remote control. “What’s wrong, Aunt Imogene?”

A chill settled in Tatum’s stomach. She flipped off the television and stood, suddenly too antsy to sit still.

“Which hospital? Glenn Oaks? Okay.” Lucy’s gaze met Tatum’s. There was a long pause. “I’ll come get you...Yes, she’s here...What?...I’ll tell her.” She hung up her phone.

“Spencer?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Lucy took her hands. “He’s okay.”

“What happened?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Don’t freak out, okay? He was stabbed—”

“Don’t freak out?” she repeated. He’d been stabbed.

“It could be nothing, Tatum, really. He’s in stable condition.” Lucy stood, hurrying to the door.

“Nothing?” she asked. “You said he was stabbed.”

“I’ll let you know...” She paused. “He...he said for you not to come.”

Tatum frowned. “Oh.”

“I need to take Aunt Imogene. She can’t drive on the ice, too jumpy,” she said, hugging her. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know more.”

Tatum nodded, feeling numb. “Okay.”

Tatum stared out the front window, watching as Lucy and Mrs. Ryan piled into her car and drove off.

He was hurt. In a hospital. But he was in stable condition. Stable enough to tell her not to come. She hugged herself, hating how cold she felt.

If he didn’t want her there she shouldn’t go. He had a good reason.

She started cleaning up the mess she and Lucy had made in the kitchen. But once the kitchen was sparkling, there was still no word on Spencer. She texted Lucy, asking for an update, but she didn’t get an answer.

Lucy would call her if it was bad. She’d call, period, wouldn’t she? She’d know Tatum was worried.

But since Lucy wasn’t texting her, she did a load of laundry and straightened the living room.

An hour and a half ticked by before she couldn’t take it anymore. She put on her thick black coat, tugged on mittens and a hat, and climbed into the SUV. She plugged Glenn Oaks Hospital into her navigation system and drove, slipping along the icy roads. The closer she got, the more she shook. Which didn’t help with driving on the icy roads.