Foundation for Three Read Online Free Page B

something in his hand.
    He handed her a folder—her folder—the one she needed back. If it meant Thad would be okay, though, she’d have traded it in a heartbeat.
    “Dr. Donovan, I’m sorry I took so long to get this back to you. I was delayed.”
    “That’s okay. Thank you so much for retrieving it.” She ran her fingers over the red streaks covering the outside of the Manila folder.
    “I tried to clean it up.” Ethan looked sheepish, acting as if it was his fault he’d returned it in less than pristine condition.
    She shook her head at his guilty response. “It’s perfect.”
    Cade motioned with his head toward the two doors at the end of the hallway. “I’m going to check on Thad’s condition.”
    Ethan stabbed his fingers through his hair as if he, too, was overly worried. “Hartwick just called. I’ve got to get back. Text me when you know something.”
    “Will do. I’ll see you at the station as soon as I finish up here.”
    Ethan nodded to her and then took off.
    As Cade headed toward the nurses’ station, Zoey hugged her folder, more for comfort than anything. Her hands shook and a strong ache squeezed her chest. To keep her mind off poor Thad, she glanced inside to make sure all of her notes were there, but she closed it when it failed to hold her interest. Everything that had happened still hadn’t sunk in. Her foot tapped out a beat while she waited for Cade’s return.
    She still couldn’t believe Thad had been shot. She’d never be able to live with herself if he didn’t fully recover. When Cade returned a few minutes later, she jumped up and searched his face for some answers. The tension around his eyes appeared to have softened. “How is he?”
    “Thad’s out of surgery. I spoke with his doctor. He said nothing vital was hit, and that Thad is in recovery now.”
    She blew out a big breath in relief. “When can I see him?” Zoey hadn’t socialized with him outside the hospital, but when they’d talked during his undercover work, she’d seen a good man, a man who cared. She needed to thank him for what he’d done for her. If he hadn’t taken down that horrible person, she might have died. Probably would have. Her head throbbed anew at the thought.
    “In about half an hour.” Cade looked over at the snack machines. “Get you something to drink? I sure could use a coffee.”
    That was sweet of him to ask. “A diet soda, please?” Even though she was jumpier than a fish out of water, she needed the caffeine.
    Zoey was about to grab her purse to find some change to give him when she remembered she’d never made it back to her office to pick up her bag. Cade returned with not only a drink, but a pack of crackers for her. Amber was a lucky woman to have such a nice man.
    “Thank you.” She glanced at the clock to see how long it had been since Thad’s surgery. He’d be groggy for a while, but she wanted to look in on him. After taking only a few sips, Zoey stood too quickly and her temple ached.
    Cade jumped up, concern lacing his eyes. “Are you okay?”
    Not really . “Yes. I want to bring Thad something.” Her fingers worried the hem of her top. “What would he like?”
    “I imagine you being there will be enough.”
    That was nice of him to say, but she wanted to get Thad a thank you gift as a small token of her appreciation. No gift could ever be enough, though. The man had been a hero.
    Think . He was a runner, so candy was out of the question. Flowers would probably be dumb. A macho guy wouldn’t want them. There had to be something she could find. “I’ll go check.”
    She wanted to visit the store not only for the gift but because she was too nervous to sit. After a quick detour to her office for her wallet, she headed back down to the first floor. For a few minutes, she wandered around before deciding on a stuffed lion. It reminded her of Thad. He acted tough, but inside he was a softy.
    As she stepped to the cash register to pay, she spotted an array of