by Janie Crouch
God, he loved how her mind worked, how fast she processed information but still listened intently to everything he said.
“By practicing it as much as possible in their everyday life,” he told her after answering all the others. “It doesn’t do any good to take the training if they don’t apply it.”
She shook her head, taking it all in. “I’m never parking in the same spot ever again.”
He caught himself one second before telling her that having a car that now operated properly would do a lot more for her safety than switching parking spots.
That would’ve raised a lot of questions.
“What’s your favorite thing to teach?” Her question saved him.
“Actually, I enjoy a lot of different things. We all have our own specialties, but we’re also pretty well-rounded. For example, I’m never going to be as good as Dorian at tracking or wilderness survival, but I still know a lot more about it than most people. I can do it and teach it. Same for him with hand-to-hand combat training. Dorian—God bless all six foot five of him—can teach it, but honestly, he intimidates the crap out of people.”
She laughed softly, a beautiful sound. “I can see why.”
“Plus, Dorian doesn’t really like being that close to people. So, he doesn’t do a lot of that sort of training, although he can. But to answer your question, I’m probably best at that and close-quarters fighting.”
“Not only due to your training, but because you have accelerated reflexes and ridiculous spatial awareness.” She said it factually, then grinned. “Does it frustrate you to have to slow down to teach it to mere mortals?”
He smiled back. “It used to, because obviously I’d rather have mortals fan me and feed me grapes.”
There it was again—her soft laughter. God, he loved the sound of that.
“But the first time a guy came back a few weeks after taking my class and told me how what he’d learned had saved his life when two guys jumped him in a bar fight? That’s when I realized being able to teach others what I do is more important than just knowing it myself.”
They arrived at the hospital, and he drove through the parking lot, hoping there wouldn’t be a spot, not wanting her to leave yet. “Listen, why don’t you come by Linear sometime? We can go over self-defense basics.” And then he could talk her into going to dinner with him.
She gave him a friendly nod. “That’s a good idea. I’ll look up the schedule online and see when the next beginner’s class is.”
And of course, here was a spot right near the front. He couldn’t pass it without it being obvious, so he pulled in. “Actually, I meant I’d like to personally teach you some close-quarters moves.” Crap, that sounded way dirtier than he’d meant it.
Although, hell, he’d take the dirty version too.
Her smile turned a little awkward. “No, that’s okay. I wouldn’t want to take up your time, Zac. I’m sure Linear has a class I’ll be able to make. Thank you for the ride.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand before she could move toward the door handle. “Annie, I’d like to teach you some self-defense moves because yes, it’s good for you to know them. But more than that, I would like to spend time with you.”
She gave him a crooked smile. “We just spent the whole morning together, and a bunch of time together over the last month.”
With anyone else, he would think she was being coy. Playing some sort of game to try to further snare his attention. Not that Annie could any more than she already had.
But she wasn’t playing or teasing. She’d never been that way.
Most women wanted to play games, liked the give and take of gentle flirtation when a relationship was beginning. But Annie and that giant computer-like brain of hers were always going to work best with absolutes rather than nuances.
“Annie, I enjoyed spending time with you today, although I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances. And I’ve enjoyed when we’ve been able to hang out the last few weeks, even though we’ve had a bunch of people around. But what I’m saying is I would like to take you out on a date.”
Her eyes flew to his, her mouth opening in a little O like a goldfish in water. “I-I-I have to go to work.”
She was out the door, and unless he planned on using some of his combat moves, he wasn’t going to be able to stop her. He watched her jog across the street to the building, wincing as she almost stepped in front of a moving vehicle.
He should let her go. She didn’t want someone chasing after her.
He gripped the steering wheel and closed his eyes. No. That was the problem. She was used to people leaving her alone. That’s what had happened her whole life.
He got out of the car and jogged toward the hospital doors, wincing again as he, too, was almost hit by a car.
If she shut him down cold and told him to fuck off—in a polite Annie way, of course—that she would never consider going out with him after what he’d done, it was no more than he deserved.
But damn it, he would at least try.
He could see her down the main hallway. “Annie!”
Okay, that got her attention, and everyone else’s. But she stopped and turned. He jogged the rest of the way to her, getting as close as he could without moving into her personal space.
“Um, hi.” She was looking everywhere except at him.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Those brown eyes darted up at him before looking away again. “I don’t think you actually asked me one.”
The corner of his mouth pulled up. She was too smart for her own good. “Then allow me to change my syntax. Will you go out on a date with me, Annie?”
There were people watching. In a town the size of Oak Creek, there always would be, ready to spread the word.
He didn’t care.
“Zac...”
“It’s not a hard question, Dr. Griffin. A simple yes or no will suffice.”
“You don’t really want to go out with me.”
Now, he very deliberately took a step into her personal space and lowered his volume so only she could hear. “You can tell me to go to hell if you want to. I wouldn’t blame you for that. But you do not get to tell me that I don’t want to go out with you. Do you know why?” He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up.
Now those big brown eyes were locked on his. “Why?” she whispered.
“Because there’s nothing I want more. Say yes, Annie.” His face was just inches from hers.
“Why?” she whispered again.
There were so many reasons why. Because he wanted to redeem himself. Because he wanted to show her how sorry he was for what had happened six years ago. Because he wanted to remind her that Oak Creek was really her home, and it was a wonderful place. Because he didn’t want her to stay at home on a night off with all her books if she wanted to go out.
But really there was only one that mattered.
“I want us to know each other. The ‘now’ versions. Not our high school selves or the each-others from six years ago. Those people are gone, and who’s left are the you and me from now. This Zac”—he touched his chest— “wants to know this Annie.” He touched her cheek.
“But...”
His lips touched hers. He wanted to back her against the wall and kiss her until neither of them could think straight, but now wasn’t the time. Another soft kiss. “Say yes, Annie.”
“Yes.”
Anne could feel Zac’s fingers against her cheek long after he smiled and said he’d call her later to work out the details.
And why was it so hot in the hospital? Normally they kept the temperature much cooler to make sure patients and employees were comfortable.
“It’s the regular temperature in here,” Riley said, grinning.
Had Anne said that out loud?
“Zac’s just got you all hot and bothered,” she continued.
Anne spun on her heels and headed back toward her office. Had Zac truly asked her out? Had she really
said yes?
“Yes, he did,” Riley responded, catching up with Anne. “And yes, you did.”
Seriously, Anne had to start keeping her internal monologue internal.
“I saw it, and a bunch of other nurses did too. That was nigh-near swoon-worthy, watching him rush in after you like that.”
Oh, good Lord. “Look, it’s a casual thing, okay? Not a real date. Zac doesn’t really like me in that way.”
Riley took one look at her face and burst out laughing. No, guffawing. So loud everyone around them was staring. Anne grabbed her arm and hauled the younger woman into her office, closing the door behind her.
“I’m sorry.” Riley held her stomach, trying to get her giggles under control. Anne moved behind her desk and stood there with her arms crossed. “It’s just, you’re so smart, Anne. How can you think Zac doesn’t like you?”
“Let’s say there’s enough bad history between us for me to doubt this offer is seriously romantically inclined.”
A vision of him flinging her dress at her naked form standing in the hallway filled her mind. But then those tender kisses from a few minutes ago battled it.
Riley finally stopped laughing. “Look, I was a kid when Becky died, still in high school. I was sad because, hell, all of us were. But I didn’t really know her. Honestly, I didn’t know Zac either, until the last couple years.”
She didn’t have time for this. “Riley, I enjoy your company, but I need to report for my shift.”
“Zac likes you.”
She sighed. “Zac’s a friendly guy. He likes everyone.”
Riley shook her head. “No, he likes likes you.”
“While I appreciate the sentiment” —and would love for it to be true— “I can say with pretty good authority that Zac doesn’t.”
“Look, I don’t know what happened between you guys in the past, but I’ve never seen Zac try this hard to get a woman’s attention while at the same time remaining completely behind the scenes. It boggles the mind.”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“He fixed your floors.”
“Yes, and I truly appreciate that.”
“He brought the guys in to finish moving all your furniture, so you didn’t hurt yourself.”
“Yes, that’s true too. And I—”
Riley raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, her pixie haircut framing her small face perfectly. “Anything else good happen in the past few weeks? I don’t know, your washer and dryer working better than they used to? Your fireplace flue all cleaned out? Enough firewood in case we have some super cold nights? Your car running better?”
Anne slowly sank into her office chair. “Oh my gosh.”
“Zac. Either directly or because he called in a favor or batted his pretty blue eyes at his buddies. None of the guys minded stepping up to help, but Zac initiated it. It’s been Zac who has been thinking about you nonstop for the past month.”
Was that even possible? “But...”
“Zac’s a pretty stand-up guy, but I would still get my locks changed if I were you.”
They already had been. Finn and little Ethan had shown up a couple days ago, new lock in hand. Finn had winked and said he wouldn’t want Zac to have a key to his place either. She’d been too caught up in his son’s utter cuteness to even pay attention to the details.
Like how would Finn have even known about Zac having the key if Zac hadn’t told him?
“This could still be him just being friendly.”
Riley smiled. “I hang out with the Linear guys all the time. Not the guns and fighting, but the adventure stuff they do on that property sometimes: repelling, rock climbing, hang gliding, you name it. The guys forget I’m there. And let me tell you, they have harassed the shit out of Zac for all the stuff he’s been doing for you.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t good. She didn’t want him fighting with his friends.
“At first he ignored them. Hell, it takes more than name-calling to get Cyclone frazzled.”
“Cyclone?”
“That was his call sign in the Army. Evidently because Zac can be surrounded by a cyclone and not lose his head during a mission. So yeah, he ignored them. Until Finn finally asked why he was really helping you so much.”
“Was it because of Becky?” she whispered. It was the only thing that made sense.
“Zac just said he’d finally seen you. That he’d known you most of your life, but now he could see you.” Riley shrugged. “I’ll admit, I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, and was getting ready to repel down the side of a cliff, so I didn’t care too much. But watching him today with you, I finally get it. He only had eyes for you in that hallway. We all could’ve been running around naked or on fire, and he still would’ve only been interested in you.”
Her chest hurt. She’d recognized a few days ago how much easier her life had been lately. The car...running. The house...a relaxing place to come home to, where she could rest and unwind rather than spending all her time off fixing, changing, and unpacking. All her bills had been easier to pay because she hadn’t had to come up with more money to fix things.
A lot of her stress had been lifted. Evidently, she had Zac to thank for that. Like Riley said, all the guys probably would’ve been willing if she had asked. But she never would have.
Zac had seen the needs—seen her—and just stepped in and done what needed to be done.
“Look, don’t you dare tell him I let the cat out of the bag, or I’m going to be banned from the fun stuff, okay? And we’re supposed to go paragliding next month in Colorado, so that would suck. But that man cares for you, Anne.”
She nodded and waved her hand toward the door. “Okay, I promise not to tell on you. Now get out so I can go to work.”
Work was what she needed, what she understood.
Zac Mackay? Not so much.
* * *
Anne buckled down the next few days and refused to even think about her upcoming date Friday night. It was the only way she’d survive with her sanity intact.
By Friday morning, it didn’t matter, it was shot.
She’d been able to focus on her job in med school when she hadn’t had enough to eat or sleep. She’d been able to when Darren had dumped her and told her she wasn’t the type of woman a doctor with his future would want on his arm.
One would think she could focus through a six-hour shift. A date wasn’t life changing. She’d known Zac for decades. There was really no excuse for misfiling a chart three different times in the past two hours.
Riley had the day off but was coming over to Anne’s house at six, two hours from now, to help her get ready for her date at seven. She was bringing Wavy Bollinger—Finn’s sister, who worked at the Frontier Diner.
They were going to help Anne with her hair and “do a little” with her makeup. Riley was even bringing over a couple of her own outfits, although what good would that do? Riley was at least four inches shorter. Any skirt she brought would be obscene on Anne.
She’d also texted and asked for Anne’s shoe size a few hours ago. Somehow that didn’t reassure her at all. Riley was way too excited about project “Doll Anne Up and Send Her Out to the Wolves.”
Or just Wolf.
Why had she ever said yes to this? Not only going out with Zac, but to The Eagle’s Nest? It was Friday night. Everyone would be there.
She tried to type a patient’s data into her hospital iPad, then set it down at the nurses’ station and rubbed her pounding temples. “Susan, why doesn’t this work?”
The older nurse looked over at the device, then pressed a button. “Because you’re trying to file it on archive. Again.”
Anne blew out a breath. “You think I’m an idiot. I am an idiot.”
Susan’s smile was kind as she patted Anne’s arm. “I think you’re not the first woman to get a little flustered at one of those Linear Tactical fellows taking them out.”
Did everybody in the whole hospital know?
If she could think of a reason to call off the date, she would. This couldn’t possibly go well. Was it wrong to pray for a bus accident? Not with any serious injuries, of course, just sprained ankles and contusions—enough to keep her here for the next six or eight hours.
At five o’clock, she handed the ER reins over to Dr. Lewis. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? It’s no problem.” Anne couldn’t be blamed if there were a medical necessity, could she? Zac would understand. Riley, maybe not so much.
“No, no.” Dr. Lewis shook his head, smiling. “Nurse Wilde mentioned you have plans and that unless there was an emergency not to let you stay. So, you go have fun since you have tonight and most of tomorrow off. Enjoy your young-person stuff.”
Damn Riley. This is why Anne didn’t have friends. They always stabbed you in the back and made you go out with the guy you’ve been in love with your whole life.
She walked down the hallway to her office to grab her purse and keys. Mia Stevenson was waiting outside her door.
If Anne could’ve left without getting into her office, she would have. Mia had been trying to corner Anne all week. This conversation wasn’t going to be pretty.
Straightening her shoulders, Anne put on her best head-of-the-emergency-department doctor face. “Nurse Stevenson, were you waiting for me? Some sort of hospital business that needs to be dealt with?”
Mia’s eyes narrowed. Obviously, she had expected to have the upper hand in this conversation from the start, but Anne had sidetracked her by keeping things businesslike.
“No. This has nothing to do with the hospital, Anne.”
“I see. Well, I’m about to leave, so now isn’t a good time.”
“I know you’re going out with Zac tonight.”
Anne put the key in her office door and unlocked it, walking in. “I’m sure many people have plans for the weekend.”
“I’ve already heard about you throwing yourself at him in the hall the other day.”
Anne turned and looked at Mia. People were beginning to glance their way—which may be exactly what Mia wanted: a scene. Anne wasn’t going to give it to her. She opened the door to her office and let the woman enter, shutting it to a crack.
