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He grabbed her elbow and helped her inside, settling her on the couch with a blanket and a book. He examined the cover. “Sense and Sensibility?”
“Don’t start. I don’t want to hear about my lack of common sense.”
He forced a small smile. “Do you want anything?”
“I can always go for a cup of tea.”
He nodded, glad for the simple task, returning soon with her tea and some cookies. After placing them on the coffee table, he straightened. “Will you be okay?”
She nodded, yawning. “Thanks so much, Dan.”
He chewed his lip. He didn’t like to leave her, but the medics had cleared her of concussion, and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by insisting on staying. “I’ll be round to check on you first thing tomorrow.”
“Okay, thank you.” She smiled drowsily. “You’re so lovely.”
Her sweet words caught him square in the chest. Lovely? Not a word he’d choose to describe himself. But it made him feel taller, stronger,cleanersomehow.
After casting her a final look, Dan slowly slid open the glass door and headed home.
Dusk was falling.Dan placed the hand weights back on the rack and picked up his water bottle, Sarah’s accident still flashing through his mind. When she’d lain on the roadside, bloodied and still, he’d thought he’d gotten her killed. Once she’d opened her eyes he’d been so relieved he could’ve—
No.
He sucked in a breath. Walked outside, down the stony path to the end of the dock.
No. She was only a friend. Still hung up on a dead man.
He sat on the still-warm boards, drained his water bottle, and stared across the violet lake. Memories flickered of the last time he’d been so scared, eight years ago. He shivered. Imagine getting a minister’s daughter killed. Imagine telling his pastors their niece was dead.
The thoughts kept pecking at him. Maybe it was practice-what-you-preach time.Think about what’s good, true, lovely…
He frowned. Nope, that didn’t help him not focus on Sarah either.
Chapter 7
The soft thump kept intruding, chasing sleep away. Her heavy eyelids refused to open. Her brain felt like thick soup. Whatwasthat noise? And where had the sweet spot on her pillow gone, where she’d been blissfully asleep before that noise woke her? Why couldn’t she sleep more?
The noise continued, accompanied by faint shouts. Just sitting up was an effort, and now she had to go deal with whoever was outside.
She shuffled to the door, squinted out the window. Sighed. Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor.
“How’s it going?”
Bright morning light hammered her brain. She mumbled something.
“Don’t answer that question. I think I get the picture.” Dan snorted back laughter as she peered through eyelids that only wanted to close. “You’re ‘crabby in the morning’? I never would’ve guessed.”
Sarah glanced at her red pajama top, decorated with little crabs and a sentence that gave people fair warning, before crossing her arms. “I like to make a statement.”
His laughing eyes softened. “How are you feeling? You took a while to answer the door.”
“I wasveryhappily asleep.”
“Sorry, Princess, but I was worried about you.”
Now she was more awake she could see the concern edging his eyes. Annoyance ebbed away. “I’m fine. Well, a bit stiff and sore, but if I don’t do much today I’ll be right.”
After the pain she’d experienced during the accident and in the months of rehab that’d followed, yesterday was nothing—nothing but embarrassing. Although, seeing Dan stunned by her gritwassatisfying.
