Dangerous Tides (41 page)

"You looked so beautiful."

She shook her head. "My hair was wild and I didn't have any makeup on, but I appreciate that you'd say so."

"You don't heed makeup and I love your hair. I've told you that before, Libby." He slid out of the car and went around to her door, opening it before she had the seat belt undone. "Women are weird, you know that, don't you?"

She took his hand and hid her smile at his expression. "We're weird? How so?"

"I just don't understand how a woman can be so beautiful but worry constantly about her hair or nails or clothes. Who the hell cares?"

"You don't care whether or not I look nice?"

"Well, of course it's a plus, Libby, but I didn't fall for your looks." He frowned. "Well, okay, if we're being honest, I noticed your smile. And your mouth. You've got a killer mouth. And your eyes are really pretty." He started through the parking garage toward the hospital.

"So you do think about my looks," Libby pointed out.

"Not the way you do. And I love your hair, frizzy or not. It's so damn soft and smells good all the time." His fingers disappeared into the mass of silky strands. "I spent half the night just inhaling the scent of your hair."

"Ty." She stopped and faced him, her arms circling his waist. "Did you read a book on what to say to women? Because when you want to be, you're incredibly romantic."

"And I'm incredibly good in bed." He bent to brush a kiss across the tip of her nose. "I want you to remember that."

"I remember." She let her arms drop and took his hand so she could walk with him to the hospital entrance. "How many books did you read?"

He shrugged. "All of them."

Libby burst out laughing. "You nut."

"They paid off," he said smugly.

Libby was still laughing when they entered Jonas's room. The sheriff had finally been moved from ICU. Hannah rose immediately to hug Libby, clinging a little to her.

"Thank you for last night," she greeted in a whisper, glancing toward the bed. "He's been in a really bad mood."

"Stop whispering," Jonas snapped. "I'm not a child."

"I wouldn't have known from the way you were acting," Hannah said. "Libby's come all this way to see you. The least you could do was to be civil."

"Great. Stay across the room, Libby. I'm not having you touch me."

Libby studied the haggard face. She'd never seen Jonas look so pale, his face carved of stone, the angles and planes sharp, the lines of suffering etched deep. She blew him a kiss. "I love you, too, grumpy." She picked up the chart strapped to the back of his bed and began reading through the information.

"You're not my doctor."

"Jonas, stop it," Hannah ordered. "I mean it. You don't have to be so nasty all the time."

"No one asked you to stay, baby doll. In fact, it's damned difficult having you in the room watching me as if I were a little baby every minute."

Hannah shook her head and reached for her purse. "He's all yours, Libby. I'm going home." She turned her back on Jonas and walked out, her head high, but Libby caught the sheen of tears in her eyes.

"Did that make you feel better, Jonas?" Libby asked. "You're such an ass, even when you're hurt."

He sighed. "
Especially
when I'm hurt. She didn't have to run like a rabbit. I keep expecting her to hit me over the head when I'm mean, but she never does."

"In case no one has explained it to you, you nearly died. Hannah's been sitting with you night and day since it happened. And if she hadn't, you'd be dead. Didn't your doctor tell you it was a miracle you lived? Because if he didn't, he should have."

"I know. I detest her sitting there fading away while she gives me her energy. You think I can't see her getting weaker while I'm getting stronger? I feel helpless laying here like some impotent lump while she waits on me hand and foot all the while giving me her strength." He slammed both fists into the mattress. "I have to get out of here, Libby, or I'll go crazy."

"Well, Jonas," she said, seating herself on the edge of the bed, "I think you just prolonged your stay by several days, maybe weeks. Without Hannah, your recovery will be normal and with being shot four times, it won't be easy. And when you're actually out of here, you'll have physical therapy to do. So just so you know, you might want to eat a little crow and ask Hannah to come back."

"You're supposed to be a doctor, Libby. Your bedside manner stinks."

"Yes, well, your manners have always stunk so I guess that makes us even. I've got a bit of a problem and I thought I'd run it by you."

"Thank God. Something besides did I pee today. You've got to get me the hell out of here, Libby."

"You already said that. Pay attention. Someone is trying to kill me. Or maybe Ty. Or both of us." She related every incident, starting with Tyson's accident during the rescue, pointing out the harness was gone and ending with the explosion in the laboratory. She told him about Harry and ended by admitting she planned to talk to Edward Martinelli.

Jonas was silent for a few minutes. "Libby, whoever this person is has been escalating their behavior. It would be too big of a coincidence to think that there are two killers working separately, one after Ty and one after you. I just can't buy it."

"So you think the killer is after Ty."

"Don't jump to conclusions," Jonas cautioned. "Take it step at a time. I haven't seen all the forensics yet, but it's very possible you're both in danger. Ty, you've been around those safety harnesses for years. How could one of them be sabotaged? If it wasn't an accident, and the first attack was on you, then we at least know where to start."

Ty frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "If it was cut, I would have noticed before I ever put it on. The harnesses are examined over and over. Before and after each use. And believe me, I'm meticulous about that. Our lives depend on our equipment and all of us are careful."

"So you didn't notice anything at all out of the ordinary."

Ty shook his head slowly, still frowning. "When I go up, I get an unbelievable adrenaline rush. Everything is very vivid. Colors. Smells." He stopped abruptly.

"What is it?"

"I remember thinking I smelled chloroform."

"Certainly chloroform wouldn't do anything to a safety harness," Libby said.

"What other chemical smells like chloroform that would?" Jonas asked. "The suit looked as if something had chewed through it. The threads were gone completely. I could tell Brannigan thought it looked suspicious."

"Something that would dissolve material," Tyson mused. "Harry would have access to all kinds of chemicals and he'd certainly know what each one would do. For that matter, even Joe Fielding might. And Ed Martinelli. I don't think we're narrowing the field of suspects."

"No, but we at least are aware that your harness could have been tampered with and how they might have done it," Jonas pointed out. "Do you remember smelling anything else?"

Tyson shrugged. "The usual things I think. Cologne. Aftershave. I smelled garlic. Nothing else to identify a chemical."

"Some chemicals give off a garlicky smell, Ty," Libby reminded him.

"Who would have access to the harness?"

Tyson sighed and ran his hand through his hair, leaving him looking a bit rumpled. "I suppose anyone really. No one is supposed to go to the heliport, but it isn't high security. We have a gate, but it's open most of the time. If we're busy working, I think someone might be able to slip in easy enough."

"And the attacks began on both of you after you started seeing one another," Jonas mused aloud. "Let me think on this, Libby. You two concentrate on the chemical. If you think of something that would eat through the material that smells like chloroform, let me know. And be careful when you talk to Martinelli. I'm not going to tell you it's a bad idea, because you're going to do it anyway, but let him know up front that I know where you are."

Libby leaned over to brush a kiss across his brow. "Get better fast, Jonas."

Tyson wrapped his arm around her waist, his touch a shade possessive. Libby shot him an amused look.

"If Hannah's still out there, send her back in," Jonas instructed.

"No way. You're too abusive," Libby protested. "You deserve to lie here alone and think about what a jerk you are."

"I know, but send her in anyway." Jonas caught Libby's hand when she scowled at him and went to turn away. "She said she was leaving, but she'd wait for you. Come on, Lib, give me a break. She looks so damned skinny and pale and worn out and it just makes me mad. She doesn't take care of herself."

"So have her go home and we'll watch out for her."

"No, you won't. She'll watch out for all of you. At least when she's with me she has to eat. If she doesn't, I don't." He smirked at her. "It works every time. She falls for the pathetic look."

"She needs sleep."

"I'll get her to lie down on the bed with me. I don't want to be alone."

"You're such a baby. Fine, I'll ask her to come back, but you'd better treat her right and I'm going to tell her to leave the second you get nasty with her," Libby warned him.

Jonas waved his hand at her. Libby glanced up at Tyson as she followed him out the door. "He's never had patience for inactivity. I remember years ago when he came down with some virus and was running a high fever. All of us sat on him to keep him down. I can't imagine how poor Hannah puts up with his bad temper." She glared at him. "I wouldn't."

He held up both hands in surrender. "I wouldn't expect you to."

Hannah stood up as they approached her. "I waited to see if you were all right, Libby. I've had all these terrible fears for your safety and I keep calling home. Sarah told me about all the accidents. It's so scary."

"We'll figure it out eventually," Libby said. "How's it going here? I can see Jonas is in rare form. He's as mean as a snake."

Hannah rubbed her temples. "It's hard on him to just lie there, especially with you in danger. He hates it. He's not very nice to the nurses or to anyone else. He calls Jackson three times a day for updates. I don't know what he's going to do when he starts feeling even a little better."

"If he gets nasty with you, Hannah, leave. He's begging for you to come back now, but if you do and he starts getting abusive, leave him. He's out of danger unless he gets an infection, so he should be fine a day or two without one of us here. I know you're feeding him strength to heal him faster, but he has no right to upset you."

Hannah gave her sister a faint smile. "He's upset me for years. I doubt if he can suddenly change overnight."

"Well, let him try. Seriously, Hannah, he's wearing you out."

Hannah leaned over to kiss Libby on the cheek. "I promise I'll leave the next time he yells at me." She glanced at her watch. "Probably in an hour."

Libby laughed. "That's so Jonas. I'll see you later." She took Tyson's hand and with a small wave, walked out.

"She did look tired," Tyson observed.

"She's not getting any sleep. Hannah's a homebody. She travels for her work, but as soon as possible she goes home. She sleeps better and is much more relaxed."

"It's incredibly nice of her to stay with Jonas."

"We try to keep one of us with him at all times. Hannah is very connected to him in spite of all their bickering. She's always loved him, but they just fight all the time."

"Why? He's got that look when he's around her, the one warning other men off. If she loves him and he feels that way, what's the problem?" He opened the door to the passenger side of the car.

Libby snapped her seat belt in place. "They're both stubborn and complicated and refuse to admit how they feel. They'll work it out eventually."

Tyson slipped into the driver's seat. "Are you going to come home with me? I've got a surprise for you. At least I hope I do."

"What have you done?"

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

Libby found herself laughing all over again. "Just being with you makes me happy, Ty."

"Even though I forget our dates? You know I'm going to forget birthdays and anniversaries. I'll be terrible at that."

"You're so silly. We haven't gotten that far so there's no need to worry."

"I plan far in advance." He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "I found this just before I bought the house."

Libby stared at him for a long time before she took it out of his hand. He wasn't looking at her, but kept his eyes straight ahead, his other hand gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. Heart pounding, she opened the lid. The ring burst into fiery brilliance the moment the sun hit it, sparkling from every exquisitely cut facet. Her breath caught in her throat. "It's beautiful. More than that. I've never seen anything like it." And he'd paid a fortune for it. Libby loved jewelry, particularly diamonds, and she knew she was looking at an ideal, flawless stone. "Ty." She could only breathe his name, shocked at the perfection of the ring. It was designed for a small, petite hand, and pale skin. For her. He'd had it made for her. She hugged the knowledge to herself, once again shocked by his thoughtfulness.

"Well?"

"I can't speak. It's so incredible."

"Say yes, Libby. I could use a yes right about now."

"You didn't ask me."

"You're going to make me ask you?"

She laughed softly, hearing the note of exasperation in his voice. "I'm an old-fashioned girl."

"I'd rather just tell you and start off the right way."

"That might get you hit over the head."

Tyson drove for several miles in silence. A muscle ticked in his jaw. Libby was not going to help him out. She remained quiet. Waiting. He sighed. "Libby, are you going to marry me?"

She didn't hesitate or try to keep him in suspense. "Yes, Ty. I am."

He let his breath out slowly. "You sure? I'm not very social."

"That isn't exactly news."

"Put the ring on your finger."

Libby wasn't surprised when the ring fit perfectly. She held out her hand so he could see. "It's beautiful."

He caught her hand and kissed her fingers. "I don't want you to make up your mind about the house until we give it another try. Promise me you'll keep an open mind." He pulled the car onto a long winding drive leading up to high gates.