I need to talk to Hannah about revising my therapy plan because I don’t think two days a week is going to cut it. As I approach her door, I hear a commotion on the other side. Then, a yelp, followed by a deep growl. On the beach, when I zone in on a swimmer in trouble, a burst of adrenaline shoots through me and launches me into action.
I recognize that same feeling now as I throw the door open, ready to jump in and help Hannah. She needs help, and I’m ready for action.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t expecting to encounter a massive Great Dane. I lock eyes with him. The General. We’ve met once before, and he seemed friendly enough.
“No! Shut the door!” Hannah’s voice rings out, but it’s too late.
The General charges faster than I can move out of his way. With a dog this big, there’s really no give in a doorway, and he clearly has the jump on me. Which he does, knocking mebackward onto the walkway outside. The sound of his paws beat down the walk like a horse galloping away.
I rub the back of my head as Hannah appears in the doorway. “Are you all right?”
A young woman rushes past us. “I’ll get him!”
Hannah watches her fly past, then crouches over me.
When I try to sit up, a sharp pain in my arm makes me hiss.
“Just be still a minute, and let me check you out.” She leans in closer, checking me over with her eyes and her hands.
My immediate concern is my shoulder, but Hannah’s gentle touch helps settle the panic simmering below the surface as she gently probes my neck and shoulders and then runs her hands down my arms.
“Ow.” I flinch when her hand touches my right elbow, and the residual ache in my shoulder is growing. I attempt to sit up.
“Take it slow, Nick. You have a nasty scratch on your elbow. Let me help you.”
“I’m okay.” Before I can shift to get my feet under me, Hannah does a one-eighty, crouches by my left side, and loops my arm over her shoulder.
“Lean forward and push up with me.”
The woman is way stronger than I give her credit. Impressively so. She’s not that much shorter than I am, which I’m sure helps. Once I’m on my feet, she ducks from under my arm to stand in front of me.
“Any dizziness?”
I shake my head. “I’m fine, considering I just got trampled by a horse.”
She giggles. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“What about the horse?”
She snorts, bringing out that cute crinkle she gets at the top of her nose. “Jenny can handle him. He won’t go far. He never does.”
“This has happened before?”
“A couple of times. Sometimes, The General gets the rips after his session, and his owner is half his size. Thankfully, he doesn’t go far.”
Once inside, Hannah gestures to the massage table. “Sit. I’ll get my first aid kit.”
Her voice is commanding. Like she’s instructing one of her furry patients, but I do as she says with a soft chuckle.
She frowns at me while grabbing the kit from the upper cabinet. “What’s so funny?”
I shake my head at first. “The way you told me to sit down.”
Her expression turns thoughtful, and then she blushes. “I guess I was still in dog mode. Sorry about that.”
Hannah dabs the scape with an alcohol swab, making me hiss through my teeth, but I stay still. She’s so close that I can’t help inhaling the musky scent of her shampoo or whatever it is that she puts on those curls. Before I can stop myself, my words slip out with a flirtatious tone. “So, is that what I remind you of, a dog?”
Her gaze slides up to meet mine, giving me a closer look at those golden flecks in her hazel eyes. No missing the way her pupils dilate, which confirms that she’s feeling some attraction, too. I’m not proud to say I’ve seen it enough in the past to recognize it for what it is, and I’m not too proud to admit seeing it does crazy things to my head and body.
