Loving Laura (The Cantrelle Family Trilogy) by Patricia Kay Read Free Book Online Page A

also like a volcano, it would die down and lie dormant.
    “Well,
chére,
we’d better go now. Let you get some sleep,” Denise said. “Is there anything you want me to bring when we come back?”
    “No, nothing.” Her eyes met Neil’s for one instant before brother and sister turned to leave the room. Her heart gave an odd little blip as he smiled.
    “Hang tough,” he murmured.
    After they left, Laura sank back against her pillows. Doubts began to plague her again now that their reassuring presence was gone. What if they’d been lying to her, just telling her she had had nothing to do with the accident to make her feel better?
    But, no. Denise might lie to her out of sympathy, Neil Cantrelle, on the other hand, would never lie to spare her feelings. She had a pretty good idea he said what he thought.
    Once again, she wondered exactly what had happened when Neil left Patinville. She knew very little about the episode, even though Norman had talked about his brother often. And that was strange, because even though he’d told her many unimportant things, Norman had withheld certain information. The only thing he’d told her was that Neil had been accused of dereliction of duty but had been found innocent. He’d refused to talk further about the circumstances, one of the few times Norman had kept anything back concerning his family.
    About Neil himself Norman had obviously been full of hero worship. He’d talked about Neil’s quick intelligence, his strength and ability, and told her volumes about their childhood together. Obviously, the brothers had always been close. Neil had taught him to hunt and fish. Neil had taught him to whittle. Neil had watched over him, fought Norman’s enemies fiercely. Neil had been a cop, a great cop. And Laura thought Neil had also been married, but now that she tried to dredge up the conversation when Norman had talked about the marriage, she couldn’t remember much about it. Only the idea that the marriage had ended unhappily. She’d had the distinct feeling that the end of the marriage had been linked to Neil’s quitting the police force and leaving Patinville, but Norman hadn’t elaborated, and she hadn’t probed.
    Now, though, she wondered. She felt inexplicably drawn to Neil Cantrelle. There was that hint of sadness around his eyes—a longing she recognized, because she felt a similar longing deep within herself.
    But there had been more than sadness and emptiness in his eyes tonight. There’d also been a question mark. Neil Cantrelle wanted something from her. Uneasily, she wondered what it could be.

Chapter Four
     
    “Your brother’s just regained consciousness.” The same skinny redheaded nurse who’d been on duty the day before beckoned them from the doorway of intensive care.
    Denise gave Neil a wide-eyed look. He squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring gesture. He felt the same apprehension he saw in her eyes.
    “I’d better call Mama and Papa,” she said.
    The nurse waited with Neil. Once Denise had made the call, they headed for Norman’s room. Pushing open the double doors that led into the unit, the nurse gestured them to follow. Inside, it was like being in a different world. The place hummed with activity, but it was a controlled, quiet activity. Neil glanced around, noticing with approval how each person moved with calm, but rapid, efficiency. The area smelled strongly of disinfectant and medication, and it was spotlessly clean.
    The nurse led them to the second doorway on their left. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll get Dr. Dunado.”
    She entered the room, and Neil and Denise looked at each other. Denise looked scared. Neil wished he could tell her there wasn’t anything to be frightened of, but if he were honest with himself, he’d have to admit he was scared, too. Inside that room Norman was fighting for his life. Fighting for his life, and only thirty-four years old.
    No one should die that young. Reluctantly, he remembered that Jimmy had