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Amanda dropped the pretense and twisted her lips in annoyance.
“What if I am?”
“That would be stupid in your condition.”
“What condition? A minor cut that doesn’t even bleed anymore, and a sprained wrist? I can still walk and look around,” she retorted.
“And that’s what I’d call as overdoing it.”
Gene kept going toward Amanda’s house, ignoring her earlier directions to the car rental.
“Hey, you missed the turn!” Amanda exclaimed as they drove past the intersection.
“You’re not hiking in the woods alone after a head injury. Are you freaking kidding me?”
“Like you said, you’re not my doctor. You can’t tell me what to do.” She glared at him. “Turn the car around or I’ll call the police. Then we’ll see about that reputation of yours, doctor.”
“Seriously? You’re threatening me now?”
“I don’t want to, but you gave me no choice,” she said. “I need to go back there.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s a girl alone out there, Gene!” Amanda half-shouted. “I know you and the police don’t believe me. But I saw her. And I need to do what I can to find her.”
Gene heard the frustration in her voice, the fear she felt for the girl.
“I know you won’t let me go out there. But I’m a grown woman, dammit! I make my own decision,” Amanda declared. “Now, drop me off at the rental!”
Gene gave her a sharp look, but she didn’t back down.
“Fine.” He turned into a grocery store parking lot.
“What are you doing?” Amanda asked when he parked.
“Getting some water and snacks. You don’t go into a hike, searching for a missing person without supplies.”
“What?”
“Because you’re obviously determined to go, I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to come, but I need to do this.”
“I will go with you,” he repeated. “But you’ll listen to me when I tell you it’s time to rest. You may feel fine now, but you’re not completely out of the woods yet, Amanda.”
“Dammit, Gene. I don’t need to be more indebted to you than I already am.”
Guilt shadowed Amanda’s face, and Gene hated he caused that. He gently squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Amanda turned a resigned gaze at him.
“There’s no chance you’ll leave me alone, is there?”
“If you really want to get rid of me, I can’t force myself to be in your company.” It was more of a reminder to himself than anything else. “But if you insist on looking for this girl, let me help you.”
“Why would you help me?”
Gene blew an audible breath. “I see you, Amanda. After losing that match, the team’s feelings meant more to you than your injury. And not everybody would drop out of a prestigious program to take care of their ailing mother. Then last night, even with a head injury, you insisted the police look for that girl.
