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Looking back at Mrs. Wolf, I said, “It looks like I’m having some soup.”

She clapped her hands and turned around, moving back toward her husband and rummaging through the bag he’dcarried in and set down. As she worked on that, Mr. Wolf came in my direction and held out his hand. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter until the paramedics arrived.”

I took his hand and shook it. “You’re welcome, sir. I don’t really need any thanks, though. I’m sure anyone else in my shoes would have done the same thing.”

“But it wasn’t anyone else. It was you. And I’m grateful.”

I gave him a nod in response.

A moment later, Mrs. Wolf had ladled out some soup into bowls, and after I’d taken a few bites and complimented her on it, she asked, “So, Ty, what is it that you do for a living?”

“Oh, I’m a bodyguard. I work for a company called Harper Security Ops.”

“I’ve heard of that place,” Mr. Wolf said. “Lots of talk about that company in the news, and it’s always been good.”

I smiled. “Yeah, we try to make a difference.”

“You’re a bodyguard? Do you think I could hire you to be with my daughter when she has to go to work? It makes me so nervous to see some of these stories she covers.”

Laughing, I promised, “If Alana is looking for a bodyguard, I’d be happy to help.”

Alana’s eyes were dancing as she pulled her spoon out of her mouth. Her mom sighed. “Ugh, she’s never going to agree to that. My daughter thinks she’s invincible.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, Mrs. Wolf, I have to tell you. Based on what I’ve learned about the extent of her foot injury, she really was a trooper yesterday. You’ve obviously raised one heck of a woman.”

“That’s kind of you to say. And I know she’s strong. I just wish she didn’t have to be in such dangerous situations, sometimes.”

“Sherry?” Mr. Wolf called.

“Yes, dear?”

“I think Ty gets it. For now, maybe we want to wait until Alana’s back at work before we start looking to hire someone to look after her,” he suggested.

Mrs. Wolf was clearly offended. “I’m being nice, Norman. I don’t think it’s wrong to be friendly with the man who saved our daughter’s life.”

He let out a sigh, resolving himself to the fact his wife was going to say her piece. I was amused, and when I focused my attention on Alana and saw the way she was looking at me, something warm spread through me. And though it was delicious, that warmth had nothing to do with the soup.

FIVE

Alana

Recovery was slower than I had anticipated.

Having been told I’d be given a walking boot, I had assumed I’d be up and moving around my house the day I went home.

I was sorely mistaken.

For the first two days that I was home, I spent most of my time on the couch with my foot elevated. While I was able to walk around—to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom—leaving my foot hanging down for too long led to increased pain and swelling. By days three and four, I was able to reduce the frequency with which I was taking the pain medication and had been able to switch from the narcotics the doctor had prescribed to the over-the-counter pain medication. With each day that passed since, everything improved, and I was able to accomplish more tasks around the house, even if they were minor.

Of course, my mom and dad had both stopped over to help me out, and they’d spent nearly all day with me the first two days. My brother finally had the opportunity to stop by on day five of being home from the hospital, which had been nice, too.

But now it was day eleven, and yesterday, I’d gone to see the surgical podiatrist who’d performed the surgery on my foot. He’d looked at the progress I’d made—inspecting the incision and stitches for any signs of infection. Overall, it was safe to say he was impressed with how quickly and nicely everything was healing.

I’d finally gotten permission to take my foot out of the boot whenever I was home and resting; though, I still needed to wear it any time I was walking. I needed to return to the doctor’s office next week to have the stitches removed—he wanted just a few more days with them in.

Best of all, since it was my left foot and I’d completed the cocktail of antibiotics he’d prescribed and was no longer taking any pain medications, I was also cleared to drive again. My car had been totaled in the accident, but my parents allowed me to use my mom’s car.

Yes, my mom’s car.

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