Shiver(114)

Aidan hung back in the corner, leaning against the wall of Raven’s room, enjoying Fox’s impatient wait for the news program to begin, regaling Raven with the story how they had interviewed them earlier. Fiona and Pike had returned to the lodge. He hadn’t seen any sign of Garrett and Sonya. He figured they were helping Peter with Lana until he could be there with her. They’d had a short conversation on the phone and she’d promised not to leave until he’d returned to Chatanika.

There was a knock on the door and Eva wheeled in Lynx who held their new baby girl as though she were made of glass. “Heard you were up for visitors,” Eva said.

“What happened to you?” Raven asked Lynx, her expression one of disbelief. “Eva, what are you doing wheeling him around? You just had a baby?”

“Yeah, you don’t need to tell me that.” Eva grimaced. “Just goes to prove again, who the stronger sex is.”

“I’m never living this down, am I?” Lynx murmured, shaking his head.

“Not in this lifetime.” Eva took a seat near the bed and asked Raven, “So how are you feeling?”

“Better. What about you?”

“You should have seen her,” Lynx said, pride in his voice, “giving the nurses and doctors orders as she pretty much single-handedly delivered little Lark. Do you want to hold her?”

“Oh can I?” Raven held out her arms as Eva transported the baby into them. Raven’s face lit up and she cooed to the sleepy, pink infant in that womanly, motherly way. “She’s beautiful.”

“We think so,” Eva said.

“The most beautiful baby girl in the whole world,” Lynx said.

Raven glanced at her brother. “Want to fill me in on why you are in the wheelchair?”

“A moose hit me.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “Come on, Lynx. You hit the moose. I’m not buying that a kamikaze moose lay in wait until you rounded the corner and then broadsided you.”

“But that’s what happened. It came barreling out of the trees, hit me on the passenger side and pushed me off the road. The tree I hit killed the truck. The moose snorted as it walked away.” He let out a frustrated breath. “Just you wait until you see the truck. Then you’ll believe me.”

“Okay, hon. Whatever you say.”

Lynx tried to convince Eva again with another play-by-play, but Aidan lost interest. He couldn’t take his eyes off Raven. She looked so natural holding the baby. How had she looked cradling their son in her arms? Did she ever wish she’d had more children?

She must have felt his eyes on her for she glanced up and their gazes caught. Heat began to smolder between them and just when he thought he’d implode, she turned back as Tern entered the room, carrying a vase of flowers.

He should have bought Raven flowers.

Tern set the vase down and jockeyed for position to hold the baby next, oohing and ahhing. The hospital room had gone from small to cramped.

“Hey, guys,” Fox interrupted the chatter. “Look, there’s me and Dad.” He turned off the mute button on the remote and increased the volume.

Aidan flicked his gaze to the television. Brooke Malone introduced the segment, standing to the side of Fox in his hospital bed with Aidan sitting on the edge looking scared shitless. The walk Fiona had suggested hadn’t done the trick. He looked flushed, his eyes bloodshot, his skin waxy. Maybe he should have let her have at him with the makeup?

Brooke’s words blended together creating a static in his head as the interview was replayed on the screen. Luckily it was a short segment, and the camera faded to Brooke standing outside the hospital.

“Something like a Greek tragedy unfolded in the otherwise quiet town of Chatanika this evening. Acclaimed graphic novelist of the best-selling Spirit Totem series, Aidan Harte, is being hailed a hero tonight. Just like one of the heroes right out of his own novels, Mr. Harte saved the lives of his son and the mother of his child, while also apprehending alleged kidnapper and murderer Alba Flake.

“What makes this story even more sensational is that Mr. Harte reportedly gunned down his father, Earl Harte, last July, while defending two hostages. The deceased, Earl Harte’s brother Roland, was wanted for questioning in three deaths, and according to sources, both men were intimate acquaintances of Alba Flake, street name ‘Genie in the Bottle’, who is currently being held without bail on charges of murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping.”

I know this reporter will sleep better knowing that the heroic Aidan Harte is living nearby.”

Aidan sucked in his breath. The news reporter had certainly done her homework.