got out of the car, Jesse walked up and the width of his shoulders and his height were reassuring, but then again, she just wasn’t sure what was going on and the whole hidden enemy part of the equation was daunting.
She was back to it. To the trepidation and fear.
But at least she wasn’t alone.
“If you’ll disarm the alarm, I’ll go in first.” He said the words in a calm, unaffected tone. “Just in case.”
The temptation to let him just take over was there, no doubt about it. On the other hand, she didn’t want anything to happen to him because of her, and besides, she’d been independent a long time and making decisions was a strong part of her job and her life. Kerin shook her head. “ I’ll go in first. I’ve been gone over a week. If whoever it was that left the device wanted in, they’ve had plenty of time. I’m more likely to notice if something is off.”
“Ah, the take charge doctor is back, I see.” He grinned.
The man was just too good-looking with all that dark tousled hair and that boyish, compelling smile. She reluctantly smiled back. “You getting hurt on my behalf isn’t part of the plan. And let’s not forget nothing has really happened in particular in a physical way. It’s all so vague.”
82
Kate Watterson
“Not so vague if someone has broken into your house. Just let me go in first, Kerin. Bow to my male ego, if nothing else.”
The garage was heated but it was cold just standing there with the door open, so she finally nodded and went to the door. One button closed the door in a low grind of the mechanism and she punched in the code and heard the latch click.
Jesse stepped past her and she followed, aware of how tense every muscle in her body was at the moment she entered the darkened interior. Had she been doing this alone…well, she wasn’t sure she could.
All was quiet, dark due to the gloomy January sky, and on first glance, seemed undisturbed. She quickly moved to flick on the light on the table in the hall.
“Nice place.” Jesse looked around with obvious interest, taking in the hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings. “I expected something like this.”
“Like what?” Kerin felt a measure of relief to see there was no menacing sign of anything amiss in the great room or entryway. She moved around and began to switch on more lamps.
“Elegant yet understated. Warm and comfortable but not lived in.”
“I live here.” There was a slight defensive edge to her tone.
“Do you?” He looked amused as he prowled into the room and looked around. “You already said you spend most of your time at the office or the hospital.”
“I’m a doctor. It’s a lifestyle choice.”
He stopped and turned, a glimmer in his dark eyes. “Is that a warning?”
Maybe it was. With everything so upside down, how could she tell? She set down her bag and walked into the kitchen, unwilling to deal with thoughts of the future when the present was so tenuous and unsettled. If someone had told her before this all started that she’d be petrified, on the run, and would eventually invite back to her house a man she’d known only a week for an undetermined amount of time, Blindsided 83
she’d have referred them directly to a psychiatrist.
The marble counters gleamed, clean and shining, and the faint musty disused smell was the only indication she’d decamped without notice. “We’re going to have to order out tonight,” she said, avoiding the question.
“Fine.” Jesse followed her, folding his arms across his chest and leaning a hip against a cabinet. “Whatever you want.”
He wasn’t just talking about dinner and she knew it. “Everything in the fridge is likely to be spoiled. I just…left.”
“We’ll deal with it.”
That once again there was a double meaning to his words made her hesitate. Finally, she nodded. “I think so, too.”
“That’s a start. Shall I really look around?”
“Help yourself.” The shrug she gave was feigned nonchalance.
She was back to it. To the trepidation and fear.
But at least she wasn’t alone.
“If you’ll disarm the alarm, I’ll go in first.” He said the words in a calm, unaffected tone. “Just in case.”
The temptation to let him just take over was there, no doubt about it. On the other hand, she didn’t want anything to happen to him because of her, and besides, she’d been independent a long time and making decisions was a strong part of her job and her life. Kerin shook her head. “ I’ll go in first. I’ve been gone over a week. If whoever it was that left the device wanted in, they’ve had plenty of time. I’m more likely to notice if something is off.”
“Ah, the take charge doctor is back, I see.” He grinned.
The man was just too good-looking with all that dark tousled hair and that boyish, compelling smile. She reluctantly smiled back. “You getting hurt on my behalf isn’t part of the plan. And let’s not forget nothing has really happened in particular in a physical way. It’s all so vague.”
82
Kate Watterson
“Not so vague if someone has broken into your house. Just let me go in first, Kerin. Bow to my male ego, if nothing else.”
The garage was heated but it was cold just standing there with the door open, so she finally nodded and went to the door. One button closed the door in a low grind of the mechanism and she punched in the code and heard the latch click.
Jesse stepped past her and she followed, aware of how tense every muscle in her body was at the moment she entered the darkened interior. Had she been doing this alone…well, she wasn’t sure she could.
All was quiet, dark due to the gloomy January sky, and on first glance, seemed undisturbed. She quickly moved to flick on the light on the table in the hall.
“Nice place.” Jesse looked around with obvious interest, taking in the hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings. “I expected something like this.”
“Like what?” Kerin felt a measure of relief to see there was no menacing sign of anything amiss in the great room or entryway. She moved around and began to switch on more lamps.
“Elegant yet understated. Warm and comfortable but not lived in.”
“I live here.” There was a slight defensive edge to her tone.
“Do you?” He looked amused as he prowled into the room and looked around. “You already said you spend most of your time at the office or the hospital.”
“I’m a doctor. It’s a lifestyle choice.”
He stopped and turned, a glimmer in his dark eyes. “Is that a warning?”
Maybe it was. With everything so upside down, how could she tell? She set down her bag and walked into the kitchen, unwilling to deal with thoughts of the future when the present was so tenuous and unsettled. If someone had told her before this all started that she’d be petrified, on the run, and would eventually invite back to her house a man she’d known only a week for an undetermined amount of time, Blindsided 83
she’d have referred them directly to a psychiatrist.
The marble counters gleamed, clean and shining, and the faint musty disused smell was the only indication she’d decamped without notice. “We’re going to have to order out tonight,” she said, avoiding the question.
“Fine.” Jesse followed her, folding his arms across his chest and leaning a hip against a cabinet. “Whatever you want.”
He wasn’t just talking about dinner and she knew it. “Everything in the fridge is likely to be spoiled. I just…left.”
“We’ll deal with it.”
That once again there was a double meaning to his words made her hesitate. Finally, she nodded. “I think so, too.”
“That’s a start. Shall I really look around?”
“Help yourself.” The shrug she gave was feigned nonchalance.
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