Page 46 of Unhinged

Hannah’s brows drew together, and he almost laughed. After the kiss in her office last week, he was certain she knew where he stood. She, however, was a mystery. He had seen her exit a car that morning that clearly wasn’t hers, and the driver had looked suspiciously male. Was it the same guy from last night? And was he just a friend, or was he… more? She had just admitted that she didn’t have a boyfriend and that a man had never stayed over.

Deciding not to press for the moment, he changed the subject. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “A little sore from my tumble down the stairs, but I’ll be fine.”

“Did you get to see Dr. Stanton?”

“I stopped by the hospital today.” Hannah forked up some chicken. “Everything’s good, but the cut required a ton of stitches.”

He grimaced at the memory of the injury. “I’m sure. It looked awful.”

He could sense the change in her as they spoke of the incident, and he didn’t want her to draw away again. He needed to keep her there in that moment, with him. “Tell me about yourself, Doc.”

Her posture stiffened and her eyes dropped to her plate. “Not much to tell. What about you? How long were you in the military?”

He took another bite of food to cover his surprise at her abrupt deflection. Swallowing, he cleared his throat. “Sixteen years.”

Her eyes flared with surprise. “That’s a long time. Couldn’t you have retired soon?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m getting old and I decided it was time to get out. My body can’t handle that stuff anymore.”

“So you moved home?”

“Nah.” He shook his head. “My parents are back in Wisconsin. A buddy of mine from the Marines had this idea to start a private security firm, so I jumped on board. I didn’t know what I was going to do once I was discharged, so his offer came at the perfect time.”

She tipped her head, studying him with those perceptive gray eyes. “Have you been adjusting well?”

Was that her only interest—to see him as a patient rather than a prospective lover? He lifted a shoulder. “Yes and no. We all have our demons; it’s just a matter of not allowing them to control us.”

She tensed, fork suspended in midair, an array of emotions passing over her face. Curious about her reaction but not wanting to pry, he leaned back in his seat and studied her. “Did you grow up here?”

She met his eyes and shook her head. “I’m originally from Ohio.”

“So, what brought you to Florida?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “I needed a change. My grandparents live near Ft. Myers, so I moved down here about ten years ago, went to school at FGCU, and I’ve stayed ever since.”

Her story was succinct, and he instinctively knew she had left out a lot of very important details. Determined to win her trust, he teased, “Couldn’t have picked somewhere a little cooler?”

At that, she smiled. “It can get really cold in Ohio in the wintertime, so it’s kind of a welcome change to have warm weather all year round. On the other hand, I do miss having a white Christmas.”

“I can imagine. Winter in Wisconsin lasts about six months, or so it seems. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so we’ll see how I feel a year from now.”

She smiled. “I had no idea you’d just moved here.”

“Yep. Just over a month now. Knox—my buddy—and I met down here to check out a building he’d bought in the Industrial District. It pretty much had to be gutted, but he hired a construction company to come in and renovate the place. It’s almost ready to go.”

“Are you finding your way around okay?”

“So far. Although I really don’t have much reason to go out. Maybe once I settle in more.” He smiled at her. “Are you offering to show me around?”

She blushed. “Well, I just thought… Never mind, it was silly.” She stood and picked up her plate, then rounded the table.

Crap. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her. “Hannah.”

Snaking a hand out, he grasped her wrist, freezing her in her tracks. The plate slipped from her fingers as she recoiled, and it shattered with a crash. He immediately released her, shocked at her response. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Her entire body was rigid with tension, and he could hear the difference in her breathing. He couldn’t begin to comprehend what had just happened, but he decided not to push at the moment. He slowly rose from the chair. “I’ll get this cleaned up if you tell me where the broom is.”