Page 45 of Emi's Hero

Emi walked with Sachie through the corridor and into the tack room, holding the hidden panel open with her foot.

Once in the tack room, Sachie turned to Emi and handed her a business card.

“I figure you’ve been through a really bad eight years. You’re probably suffering from PTSD. Here’s my card. When you’re ready to work through all that, give me a call. If you’re notcomfortable working with me, I can recommend other therapists on this island and most of the other islands.”

Emi took the card. “I’d rather see you. If I’m still in Hawaii after I get Sara back, I’ll be sure to look you up.” She took Sachie’s hands and squeezed them gently. “Thank you for everything.”

Sachie gave Emi a crooked smile. “I hope you find Sara soon.” She pulled Emi into a quick hug and stepped back. “Let me know if I can help in any other way.”

“I will. Thanks.” As Sachie exited the tack room, George joined Emi.

She looked over his shoulder into the corridor. “Were we done in there?” she asked.

George nodded. “Swede and Kyla are working with what you came up with. Now, we wait.”

Emi shook her head. “I can’t sit still forever. I need to move.”

“I might have just the thing to keep you moving,” he said with a secretive grin.

Emi’s eyes narrowed. “What do you have in mind?”

“Follow me,” George led the way to another outbuilding, threw open the door and stepped inside.

Emi followed, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dark interior before she went too far and tripped over something.

George left her by the door and walked away as if he had no problem seeing in the dark.

Once Emi could make out shapes, she smiled.

The building was a storage place for various kinds of farm equipment, including tractors, implements and four-wheelers.

George sat astride one and looked across to where Emi stood. “Do you want to drive one, ride on the back of one with me or skip it all together?”

“I’ve never driven one before,” Emi said. “On the back with you would be best.”

Her pulse rate increased at the thought of straddling the seat behind George. She could wrap her arms around him for a reason other than because she wanted to.

And she really wanted to.

Was that bad? She’d been held captive for eight years and raped whenever Fallon came to the compound. She’d thought that if she survived and finally got free, she would never want to be intimate with a man ever again.

But with George, she’d felt stirrings of something inside. Was it...desire?

Emi pushed that word to the back of her mind, not at all ready to explore her feelings. She’d probably need a lot of sessions with Sachie to come to terms with the trauma she’d endured before she’d be ready to date or make love with any man, no matter how handsome or kind.

But when she got to that point, she’d want someone like George.

The voice in her head said,Don’t fool yourself. You don’t want someone like George. You want George.

CHAPTER 11

George firedup the engine and drove the ATV out of the building.

Emi closed the door and climbed on the back, wrapping her arms around his waist.

For a moment, George closed his eyes, memorizing the feel of Emi’s arms around him, so warm and trusting. He liked it. Liked being close to her. He wished she wasn’t holding him just so she didn’t fall off. He’d like her to wrap her arms around him because she felt something for him and wanted to be close.

Opening his eyes, he focused on taking one step at a time with Emi. He’d settle for her hanging on to keep from falling off the back of the vehicle. It proved she trusted him enough to get that close to him. He could enjoy the warmth of her body pressed against his for as long as the ride lasted.

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