Page 9 of Embattled Ever After

At his skeptical look, she held up a hand. “Okay. It wasn’t all for him. I wanted to see you too.”

Duncan blinked as if she’d taken him by surprise. Surely he’d guessed she’d come out for him?

With a wince he pushed up from the table and walked across the kitchen, his broad back to her. At the sink he leaned over, propped on his arms. He didn’t say anything for a long time. “As incredibly flattering as it is that you flew all the way out here for me, I’m afraid my people have set you up for disappointment. I’m not a family man. Hell, I’m not even a good prospect for a hook-up.”

Though he laughed she could hear the pain in the sound. “Hmmm. You’re not egotistical or anything, are you?”

His head snapped around in surprise. “Excuse me?”

Alex stood and crossed the expanse of the kitchen to him. She leaned against the counter a few feet away. “You’ve stepped into a time warp or something, because you’re moving a lot faster than I am. I’m not proposing marriage and I’m not offering to jump your bones. There’s no chance that I came out because I liked the way you stood by your friend and would love to have a friendship like that? There’s no chance that I just wanted to see if we could connect without a patient between us? There’s no chance that I’m intrigued by your entire group and want to see and learn more about them?”

Duncan was scowling, now, as if her words had confused him.

“I enjoyed talking to you and the little bit I got to know you, but you’re dreaming up scenarios neither one of us are ready for yet.”

Blinking, he turned back to the window, arms crossed. “Okay, maybe I assumed things when I saw you that were incorrect.”

“I’m not ruling out a relationship at some point, but I came out just to see if the attraction I felt between us was real or not, and if the people out here were as amazing as they seemed.”

“They are,” he told her firmly, completely avoiding the beginning of her statement.

Alex smiled. “I have a feeling they are,” she agreed. “I’m a little tired. Can you show me where I’m going to sleep?”

Duncan stared at her for a long moment, then turned toward the front of the house. “Of course. Follow me.”

Alex retrieved her suitcase from the laundry room, the wheels guiding easily on the hardwood floor. It was indeed mostly dried. She also grabbed her bottle of water, knowing that she needed to drink it down. It wouldn’t be good to have altitude issues while traveling.

She followed Duncan down a hallway to the last door on the right.

“Sorry, I don’t have visitors very often.”

Alex was surprised he even had a bed. Amadebed, no less, with a nice, serviceable comforter. That was the military in him. There were some boxes stacked against the far wall as if this was his overflow from other rooms, but she didn’t mind. The room would do fine for her.

“The bathroom is back the way we came. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. And if you need anything please just ask.”

Alex smiled at him, appreciating that he was trying to make her feel at home. “Thank you very much, Duncan. I’m sorry I’ve crashed on you. As soon as the roads are clear, I’ll move to the hotel.”

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. But before he could move away, she reached forward and gave him a hug.

Though she planned it to almost be a hit and run, as soon as his arms wrapped around her and actually squeezed in arealhug, she paused to absorb the feeling. Oh, damn.

He held her for two incredibly long seconds, then let her go. Alex stepped back, a little devastated. She’d never had a hug feel like that before. Before he could see the tears in her eyes, she turned and disappeared into the room.

Chapter Three

John seemed tobe in a daze. As he went through the process of driving home exactly as he always did, Shannon had to wonder if she’d sent him into shock. Occasionally she felt his gaze resting on her, then the truck would jerk a little as he pulled it back into line.

“You need to watch the road, honey. You can look at me when you get home.”

John deliberately turned his attention back to the road, both hands on the steering wheel and the controls to operate the truck modified for his paralysis. The puppy slept quietly on her lap, bundled into a blanket.

Shannon could almost imagine it was a baby curled in her arms.

Just when she’d thought her boyfriend was as dense as post, he’d come through for her. No, it wasn’t the most romantic proposal she could have imagined, but it was absolutely one hundred percent John Palmer and that made it perfect.

It was good to know that she could put him off his game occasionally, though. She laughed lightly to herself, remembering the look on his face. That would be a look she would cherish for a long time. John was a smart man, sometimes too smart for his own good. Theconfident malepart of his personality had grown as he’d become more secure in their relationship. Which was fine. She loved that he was secure with her. But he’d gotten a little big for his britches, as her mother liked to say, and had needed to be knocked down a peg.

Her pregnancy had done that. John was about to be immersed into something he knew absolutely nothing about, babies. She had no doubt that books would be on the way to the house soon, though. That was one thing he did supremely well—research.