Mr. Hammond softened as she added a few more details about her ballroom competition days, his eyes never straying from hers.
A tap on my shoulder from the nurse signaled that we needed to move on. With a goodbye, I rolled back into the hallway, and we carried on with a morning of supervised introductions and medication delivery.
Delly was caught up with a patient when my lunch break started, so I made my way to the Locc to do a little drive-by visit to Jillie’s desk.
Yesterday, during a break in orientation, I’d done the same, and then I’d happened by the dance room, where I’d happened to see Ireland reflected in the mirror.
Okay… honesty.
I’d made a deliberate detour to the dance room after hearing the classical music trickling down the hallway.
And if I happened to see Ireland today, and it helped us bridge this awkward gap?
That would just be a bonus.
A beautiful, intense, lavender-scented bonus.
By the time I made it through the courtyard between Zinnia House and the Locc and beeped myself in, I was regretting my choice. The morning had been easy to deal with, pushing from room to room on the stool.
But that short walk had my ankle feeling weaker than ever, even braced in the boot.
I limped down the hallway slowly, and just as I turned a corner, it gave up completely.
“Heavens!”
Someone appeared under my arm, taking my weight.
“You looked like you were about to go for a swim, friend. But I’m afraid to report that this hard floor wouldn’t have been suitable for such a thing.”
I let out a surprised laugh as my savior herded me to anearby bench and guided me to sit. Was there anyone in Alabama I hadn’t fallen or almost fallen in front of at this point? I ran a hand down my face and blew out a breath.
“My brother makes that noise often. Especially in my presence,” the soft, sweet voice said.
Pushing my hair off my face, I looked up at the stranger. I was expecting some baby-faced young dude, based on that voice alone, but this guy was like…
Not that.
Tattoos, piercings, hair buzzed on one side and long on the other.
He seemed unconcerned by my silence or staring as he carried on. “Though maybe less lately, now that I’ve gone months without any incidents at the docks or anywhere else, and he has Princess to occupy his attentions now.”
Clasping his hands behind his back, the slip of a guy regarded me with a small, warm smile.
“Oh yeah?” I said stupidly.
“Yes,” he replied. “Love is funny that way. It changes you.” He continued to just stand there with that serene smile as if he hadn’t just said something so… so...
“Are you all right? Can I get you something?” he asked before I could find the word. If it even existed.
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for the save.”
“Liem?”
I sat up straight as if electrocuted, hyperaware that I’d been sitting on the bench like a croissant.
“Ire!” The guy turned to Ireland, his smile growing huge.
She approached him with something akin to caution, and I shot to my unsteady feet, suddenly on alert.
