Page 68 of Hero's Heart

Definite hesitation, but he didn’t know what it meant. Maybe she’d just been pretending to like the drink so it didn’t hurt his feelings? Maybe she didn’t plan to stay in Oak Creek long enough to get a drink?

Maybe she was saying she didn’t necessarily want to go have a drink withhim.

He didn’t know. He just knew that, once again, there were things she wasn’t telling him.

Their food arrived, and as Sloane took her first bite of the burger, a look of pure bliss spread across her face. “This is incredible.”

Callum watched her with a mix of amusement and something deeper. The way she enjoyed the simple things—a good meal, a scenic view—reminded him of the afternoon they’d shared crème brûlée in Moldova. That same look of wonder had crossed her face then too.

And had caused the same reaction to his body. He wasn’t sure exactly what it said about him that he got hard seeing herenjoy herself, but he couldn’t deny it was true. Maybe it was because she had the same look on her face when they made love.

Fuck. He needed to stop thinking about that right damn now before he ended up with an imprint of his jeans’ zipper along his dick.

“You okay?” Sloane asked, her voice breaking through his thoughts.

He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. “Yeah. Just glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Thank you, Callum. For everything.” She looked down at the bruises on her arms. “I know there’s a lot I haven’t told you. I…”

He reached over and grabbed her hand, stopping her. “It’s okay. Another time. Let’s just enjoy the Eagle’s Nest and obnoxious blue drinks. When you’re ready to talk about more, then we can. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

Callum didn’t know her plans and didn’t know if she did either. He didn’t even know of all the factors at play as she figured out her next steps. All he could do was offer whatever support he could. And not put any pressure on her to stay if that wasn’t what she wanted.

For right now, that would have to be enough.

Chapter 23

The next day, Sloane fidgeted on the exam table, the paper crinkling beneath her as Dr. Annie Mackay smiled warmly. “Well, your urine sample and blood work are processing, so we should have some answers soon—at least to rule out the worst-case scenarios. But I have to say, you’re looking much better than when I saw you a few days ago at Callum’s house.”

Sloane tried to return the smile, but it felt brittle on her face. She knew what the tests would show. The question was how to tell the kind doctor about those results—how to tell anyone, really. The secret churned in her gut.

“Thank you so much for lending me your extra car,” Sloane said instead.

“Not a problem at all. That car’s just sitting there—neither Zac nor I use it anymore. And trust me, I know what it’s like to be in Oak Creek and not quite have everything figured out in your life. So please, feel free to use it for as long as you need.”

“Okay.” Sloane hated to be beholden to anyone, but she was so glad to have a way to get herself around.

“Okay, deep breath.” Annie pressed the stethoscope to Sloane’s back. Sloane inhaled, exhaled, mechanically followingdirections as Annie checked her eyes, ears, and throat. The routine was almost soothing in its normalcy. For a moment, Sloane could pretend everything was fine.

“So, how are things going with you and Callum?” Annie asked casually as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Sloane’s arm. “Did he take care of you the way he was supposed to?”

Heat bloomed in Sloane’s cheeks. “Things are…good. I slept a lot the first couple days, but yesterday, he showed me around town, introduced me to some people. Told me about Linear Tactical.”

Annie chuckled. “Ah yes, I’ve stitched up my share of the Linear men and women over the years. Including my own husband more times than I can count.” She jotted down Sloane’s vitals on a clipboard. “They’re a brave bunch. Oak Creek is lucky to have them.”

“It seems like a great town,” Sloane said, looking down at her hands. “When Callum told me about it, back in Moldova… I don’t know, something just clicked. Like I was meant to come here.”

She could still hear Callum’s voice in her mind during all the hours he’d talked when she was forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other, then later when they were in their safe house. The people and places he’d gushed—as much as someone like Callumgushed—about had made her long to see this town for herself.

And, of course, the fact that Callum was here.

Sloane twisted her fingers together, a familiar ache building behind her eyes. She blinked hard. Dr. Annie was regarding her with a gentle, probing look that made Sloane want to spill all her secrets. But how could she begin to explain the mess she was in?

Annie set aside her clipboard, her expression turning serious yet compassionate. “Sloane, I know we don’t know each other well yet, but I want you to feel like you can talk to me. About anything.” She paused, seeming to choose her next wordscarefully. “What you went through…the kidnapping, being held captive… I can only imagine how traumatic that must have been.”

Sloane’s throat tightened. She gave a small nod, not trusting herself to speak.

“Have you had any physical problems since then? Pain, dizziness, anything like that?”

---