Page 3 of Heart of a Hero

Once there, she parked and grabbed her bags before approaching the door. When it flung open, she smiled at Brad, Bess’s boyfriend. “We meet again,” she said. “Although I do wish it was under better circumstances.”

Brad welcomed her inside, greeting her warmly. She was expecting a room bustling with friends but was surprised at seeing only one—a tall, dark-haired, striking man with a lean, runner’s body. He was dressed casually in jeans, but a button-up shirt and jacket gave an air of professionalism. Her attention was snagged by the badge clipped to his belt. He turned toward her, and their eyes met—his gaze dark, intense, and unreadable.

For a moment, Karen found herself frozen under his gaze. There was something magnetic about how he looked at her, his face composed but quietly assessing. He had the unmistakable build of someone who moved with purpose. She noticed the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, subtle hints of experience and a life lived. The few strands of silver in his dark hair added to the appearance of maturity.

Their eyes held for a moment longer than was polite, his expression giving nothing away. Karen was rarely self-conscious about her appearance. She was not one to fuss over what she wore to work, especially when her daughters often teased her about the practicality of her scrubs. But now, standing under his scrutiny, she suddenly wished her scrubs weren’t clinging so tightly to her torso, hips, and curves. She almost wished she had taken a few more minutes on her makeup this morning and done something to smooth away the exhaustion that showed beneath her eyes.

Shaking those thoughts out of her mind, she nodded, smiled, and walked toward him since he stood between her and the hall leading to the bedrooms.

Brad spoke up before she could move past the two men. “This is my partner, Detective Mark Robbins. This is Karen Drummond, the home health nurse. She took care of Belinda and now has Bess under her care.”

Karen turned back toward him, her heart softening as she smiled at Brad. “I hate the reason, but I feel lucky to have the Crowder sisters as friends as well as patients.” Her gaze shifted to his partner and inclined her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Detective Robbins.”

He nodded, offering a hint of a smile. “You can call me Mark, ma’am,” he said in a low voice. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

His voice was deep and quiet, reaching inside her. “And just Karen is fine,” she said with another nod.

Turning, she walked toward the bedroom where Bess was resting. Karen quickened her steps, hoping Mark wasn’t staring at her ass in the scrubs. When she reached the end of the hall, she glanced over her shoulder to find his eyes on her face. And she was struck with the comfort of knowing that even if he had been looking at her ass, he had the grace to do it when she wasn’t aware. Her heart skipped a beat when she caught his gaze. His eyes lingered on her face, warm and steady, as if he had been waiting for her to turn around.

At that moment, for some inexplicable reason, she felt a sense of comfort, knowing that beneath his stoic exterior, Detective Mark Robbins might just be the kind of man who saw more than he let on—a trait she shared.

Ducking into the room, she released a long exhalation and smiled at the beautiful woman lying on the bed with her leg bandaged and propped up on pillows. Adopting a lighter tone than where her thoughts had been, she said, “Bess, in all honesty, I’d love to just come into your bakery and have a cup of coffee and a treat without seeing you or your sister injured.”

Bess moaned and nodded. “I absolutely agree, Karen.”

She began her assessment, pleased to report that Bess didn’t have a fever, and there appeared to be no signs of infection where her leg had been sliced open on an old tool. After finishing her physical assessment, she looked around the room. “I see that you have a cane, which is good. Will you also need a walker?”

“No, I’m sure I won’t. But as you can imagine, Grandma Jules has more than one, so I can easily borrow one if needed.”

“Are you able to get into the shower? And to the toilet? We don’t want you to fall.”

“Either Belinda or Brad will be around to help,” Bess answered. “And with Grandma Jules and Great-Aunt Gwennie coming back with Mom and Dad in a couple of days, I’ll have more than enough help.”

“Good, then I’ll let you follow up with your regular doctor.” She eyed the wound placement. “If your doctor recommends physical therapy, then we can start that in the home with our at-home physical therapist or make a recommendation for someone through outpatient care.”

Bess eagerly agreed and promised to follow all the doctor's orders. Packing up her case, Karen smiled. “It really is good to see you again.”

“I’ll be back in my bakery soon, but let’s get together when we don’t have so much going on!”

Karen eagerly nodded but knew that with two daughters and their constant activities, finding time for anything other than her family and job was hard. “So, um… I met Brad’s partner?—”

“Mark? He’s nice.” Bess winced as she shifted upward against the plethora of pillows at her back. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Are you interested? I can ask Brad if he’s?—”

“No, no!” Karen tried to steady her features into a bland mask. “I was just surprised you didn’t have a houseful of people.”

Bess laughed. “I’ve had tons of phone calls, but Brad insists I need to rest.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Tomorrow, I have people coming over to keep me company while Brad is at the station.”

Karen laughed and shook her head, glad that Bess let go of the topic of Mark. “Well, just make sure you rest between your visitors.” After saying goodbye, she tossed a wave over her shoulder before walking down the hall. Her mind immediately turned to the handsome dark-haired detective, wondering if hewas still there. Stepping into the living room, she only spied Brad and felt a strange sense of disappointment.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she gave her assessment of Bess’s medical needs and left instructions for Brad to assist Bess in her recovery. “She can see her regular doctor from now on, but if she needs anything, call us.”

After shaking his hand, she headed out to her vehicle, the soft crunch of gravel beneath her shoes the only sound in the stillness of the day. As she approached her SUV, she froze, her eyes catching sight of the detective—Mark, leaning casually against the sheriff’s SUV parked in the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized her vehicle blocked his in.

There he was, effortlessly relaxed, leaning against the driver's door, one ankle crossed over the other in a nonchalant stance. His arms were folded across his chest, but his posture was easy and not the least bit irritated or rushed. In fact, he seemed almost amused.

Karen hurried toward him, her cheeks warming. "I’m so sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "I thought that was Brad’s vehicle, and I never imagined I was blocking anyone in!"

Mark's lips curved upward, just a hint of a smile tugging at the corners as he pushed off the door and straightened to his full height. As he did, Karen was struck by how imposing yet comfortable he appeared. She wasn’t short at five-foot-six, but standing before him, she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. His presence seemed to fill the space between them, the air thick with new unspoken emotions.

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