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Joe headed to his own room and unpacked the stuff he’d brought. He already had a lot of things here and he wondered if he’d been deciding for a long time to shift his life up here.
Now, he was thinking it might just be the right time to move. And to convince Lia to stay.
Lia was glad for the moment to herself. She wasn’t used to being surrounded by people who weren’t coworkers. And then only when she was working.
Her time off work was mostly spent sleeping. Alone in her apartment. This tiny room with the pink and yellow bathroom and hand carved furniture had more personality than any space she’d ever occupied since she’d lived with Carlotta. Donating her things back in Atlanta had been easy. She hadn’t been attached to a single item. Not even a special coffee mug or lamp.
Why had it taken a devastating injury to realize she was living her job, not living her life? And why hadn’t she really put it all together until today?
Her life had always been quiet. Her mother had left Lia alone a lot even before she’d disappeared permanently. Carlotta had been a soft and gentle soul who loved reading and music and bird-watching. Lia had never had any desire to go to clubs or parties. She’d set a goal of saving lives and she’d done everything she could to get to that job as quickly as possible.
She missed having a goal. Surely surrounded by these amazing people, she’d figure out something. Something out there had to make her feel excited about life again. Something had to bring out her passion for achieving a goal.
Of course, an image of Joe floated into her mind as soon as the thought passion crossed her mind. He was a fascinating man. How strong did you have to be to negotiate with hostage-takers? She couldn’t even imagine the bravery it had taken for him to walk into that operating room, knowing he was facing off a pissed-off man with a gun. And he did that kind of thing over and over again.
When she’d first spotted him at the airport in Burlington, she’d thought she was imagining him because she’d thought of him so often in the past few months. He’d looked just as strong, just as sexy. But he’d also looked weary.
She’d wanted to hug him and try to make him feel better. She hadn’t because she was a virtual stranger and she wasn’t actually much of a hugger herself. Although she’d basically clung to Tansy.
Was that another lie she’d told herself? She wasn’t a hugger. She didn’t need anything other than work. Socializing wasn’t for her. Saving lives was more important than a personal life.
Lia took a shower then changed and unpacked her clothes. Everything took twice as long as it should. She put her things in the wooden dresser that looked to be handmade. Until that fateful day, she’d hardly owned anything other than scrubs and the shorts and t-shirts she slept in. Now she had leggings, t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters. Nothing fancy, but different enough from her usual that she knew her life had changed irrevocably. She’d even bought jeans for the day when she could manage buttons.
Lia sat in one of the overstuffed chairs that faced the large windows and finally looked at her hand. She knew she avoided looking at it, at the reminder that she wasn’t a surgeon anymore.
Dr. Aziz had done a good job of repairing the damage. Sure, there were scars and it would never look quite the same, but that didn’t bother her. She didn’t care what it looked like, she just wanted it to function.
And it would, to a point. She’d need to follow her physical therapist’s routine for months more but eventually her fingers should regain at least seventy-five percent of their range of motion and flexibility. Which was far better than it could have been if Dr. Aziz hadn’t been willing to fly in for the surgery. They’d been colleagues from school and the man had always treated her like an equal, not like a kid. He’d joked that the only person better suited to the operation would have been Lia herself.
Lia sighed and leaned back in the chair. She needed to stop reminiscing and getting trapped in the pity loops. Dr. Beth had taught her grounding techniques. She took a deep breath and started the one that usually helped.
Five things she could see. The beautifully carved headboard. The ridiculously fun bathroom. Midnight Lake. More shades of green than she had words for. A canoe tied up on the dock. Could she learn to canoe?
Four things she could touch. The soft cushions of the chair. The relief of being somewhere new. The ridges of the scars on her hand. The smoothness of the windowsill. How many people had run their hands over the surface like she was doing now?
Three things she could hear. The window was open, so she leaned forward. What could she hear? Birds. She didn’t know what kinds, but something was tweeting out there. Carlotta would know. She’d figure them out for her.
What else? Her breathing. She was alive and making progress. And the muted voices of the people who lived and worked at Midnight Lake. A creative bunch with incredible work ethics.
Two things she could smell. A deep breath brought the outdoors into her lungs. It smelled different from Atlanta but she couldn’t identify the scents. Not yet. When she inhaled again, she smelled cinnamon. A candle or something baking, maybe. Whatever it was, her stomach rumbled in response.
One thing she could taste. Toothpaste. Her runaway imagination had her thinking of Joe again. How would his kiss taste? What would his skin taste like if she licked that powerful body?
Her face flushed and she smiled at herself. Thanks, Dr. Beth. She was definitely in a better mood and more presentable for company.
On cue, a soft knock sounded on her door. “Lia?”
Joe’s voice had her grinning again. She thought she’d seen a spark of desire in his eyes a time or two. Maybe one day, she’d be able to find out what he did taste like.
She opened the door to find him leaning against the doorframe, all sexy and relaxed in jeans, a t-shirt with a plaid flannel thrown over top. Definitely lickable.
Her face flushed and she couldn’t stop the smile. “Hey.”
His head tilted as he studied her. “You ready to get some food and meet the gang?”
She nodded but felt her smile fade as she straightened her spine. “Ready.”
He frowned and reached out to gently touch her lips with a finger. A tingle ran through her at the simple touch. His eyes flared with something and his lips lifted a little. “What happened to the smile?” His voice was gruff and more tingles zipped around her belly.
