over there acting like it doesn’t bother him, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see he’s stressed.”
She looked at Mitch standing near the house talking on the phone with his hand clamped on the back of his neck. His posture was rigid and his jaw tight. She remembered when he’d said he worried about this exact thing happening and not being able to stop it. Of course he was talking about someone he cared about then. Not her. So Tommy was way off base here.
She moved her focus back to Tommy. “I don’t get how taking me to the hospital is going to help with that.”
“On the ride over, you can convince him that this wasn’t his fault, and he’ll get a chance to see that you really are okay.”
Was Tommy really being honest with her, or was he just trying to play matchmaker?
“So this is really about Mitch and not you meddling in our lives?”
“Okay, fine. Maybe I’m meddling a little.” He shifted and leaned closer. “But this is the first time I’ve ever seen you let your guard down around any guy, and I’m not going to stand around and watch you let it pass by without doing something about it.”
She studied him again. Her partner. Former partner. Mr. Macho. Squatting there and giving her advice on her love life. It suddenly hit her as hilarious and she started laughing. She saw Mitch’s eyebrow raise in question, then his eyes cloud with concern. He probably thought she was going into shock and losing it. She was losing it all right, but not from shock.
“What?” Tommy asked, clearly baffled by her behavior.
She shook her head. “You. The man who has never had a relationship longer than a month giving me advice.”
He smiled, an adorable grin that women had a hard time ignoring. “I do all right with the ladies.”
“I know you do, but trust me, that does not qualify you to give relationship advice.” She stood, felt a little lightheaded and wobbled. Tommy shot out an arm to steady her, and Mitch came rushing over.
She took a step back and planted a hand on the side of the ambulance. She appreciated Tommy’s and Mitch’s concern, but she didn’t appreciate their continued coddling in front of the other law enforcement personnel swarming the scene.
Intent on giving him a warning look she peered up at Mitch, but the warm concern was alive and glowing in his eyes and she felt all of her reserve melt away in the heat. She was so in over her head here. She’d just been shot by a killer and right now this look Mitch had trained on her felt far more dangerous than the man threatening her life.
* * *
In the hospital waiting room, Mitch laid his head back against the cushioned chair, closed his eyes and replayed their ride to the E.R. Something had changed between them on the ride over here. Or at least something changed with Kat. She was more cheerful and positive. Making sure he knew she was fine and treating him as if she felt like he needed cheering up. Who knows, maybe Tommy said something in their little discussion to make her change.
Not that it mattered. Mitch had just guaranteed her mood was about to crash. He’d done the unthinkable. The minute the medics arrived and took over Kat’s care, he’d ignored wishes that she’d made completely and totally known to him, and he’d phoned her family. Now he had to figure out how to tell her that Cole—once he got over yelling at Mitch for not involving him sooner—had agreed to meet them at her house and work alongside Mitch to keep her safe.
He could already see her reaction. She’d fist her petite hands, plant them on her hips, maybe jut her jaw out like she did sometimes and let him have it verbally. That he wouldn’t mind so much as she’d get over it. But he also knew there’d be a healthy measure of disappointment and pain of betrayal in her eyes for going behind her back.
The worst part was that he understood her reason for keeping her family out of this. Distance protected people. He lived by that motto and
She looked at Mitch standing near the house talking on the phone with his hand clamped on the back of his neck. His posture was rigid and his jaw tight. She remembered when he’d said he worried about this exact thing happening and not being able to stop it. Of course he was talking about someone he cared about then. Not her. So Tommy was way off base here.
She moved her focus back to Tommy. “I don’t get how taking me to the hospital is going to help with that.”
“On the ride over, you can convince him that this wasn’t his fault, and he’ll get a chance to see that you really are okay.”
Was Tommy really being honest with her, or was he just trying to play matchmaker?
“So this is really about Mitch and not you meddling in our lives?”
“Okay, fine. Maybe I’m meddling a little.” He shifted and leaned closer. “But this is the first time I’ve ever seen you let your guard down around any guy, and I’m not going to stand around and watch you let it pass by without doing something about it.”
She studied him again. Her partner. Former partner. Mr. Macho. Squatting there and giving her advice on her love life. It suddenly hit her as hilarious and she started laughing. She saw Mitch’s eyebrow raise in question, then his eyes cloud with concern. He probably thought she was going into shock and losing it. She was losing it all right, but not from shock.
“What?” Tommy asked, clearly baffled by her behavior.
She shook her head. “You. The man who has never had a relationship longer than a month giving me advice.”
He smiled, an adorable grin that women had a hard time ignoring. “I do all right with the ladies.”
“I know you do, but trust me, that does not qualify you to give relationship advice.” She stood, felt a little lightheaded and wobbled. Tommy shot out an arm to steady her, and Mitch came rushing over.
She took a step back and planted a hand on the side of the ambulance. She appreciated Tommy’s and Mitch’s concern, but she didn’t appreciate their continued coddling in front of the other law enforcement personnel swarming the scene.
Intent on giving him a warning look she peered up at Mitch, but the warm concern was alive and glowing in his eyes and she felt all of her reserve melt away in the heat. She was so in over her head here. She’d just been shot by a killer and right now this look Mitch had trained on her felt far more dangerous than the man threatening her life.
* * *
In the hospital waiting room, Mitch laid his head back against the cushioned chair, closed his eyes and replayed their ride to the E.R. Something had changed between them on the ride over here. Or at least something changed with Kat. She was more cheerful and positive. Making sure he knew she was fine and treating him as if she felt like he needed cheering up. Who knows, maybe Tommy said something in their little discussion to make her change.
Not that it mattered. Mitch had just guaranteed her mood was about to crash. He’d done the unthinkable. The minute the medics arrived and took over Kat’s care, he’d ignored wishes that she’d made completely and totally known to him, and he’d phoned her family. Now he had to figure out how to tell her that Cole—once he got over yelling at Mitch for not involving him sooner—had agreed to meet them at her house and work alongside Mitch to keep her safe.
He could already see her reaction. She’d fist her petite hands, plant them on her hips, maybe jut her jaw out like she did sometimes and let him have it verbally. That he wouldn’t mind so much as she’d get over it. But he also knew there’d be a healthy measure of disappointment and pain of betrayal in her eyes for going behind her back.
The worst part was that he understood her reason for keeping her family out of this. Distance protected people. He lived by that motto and
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