Page 3 of Protection for Rowan

She wrote down a few notes about him having realistic dreams. “Have you been under more stress lately?”

He blew out a breath and glanced around. “This session isn’t being recorded, right?”

"No, it's not. I also have some clearance because of other agencies I work with. Just don't get into specifics."

He glanced down at the floor before meeting her gaze. “We’ve had a few attacks. We were on a mission that was sabotaged recently. It’s happening more often now. I wasn’t stuck on a plane going down or anything like that, but it was intense.”

Rowan waited a moment to see if he was done speaking. When he didn’t say more, she began. “How did it make you feel?”

“Trapped. Like I would never get free. I didn’t panic, but I guess I held onto that feeling because I had the nightmare, the one with you in it.”

He met her gaze and held it. There was no way she could treat this man. The feelings she had for him surfaced. Back then, they'd only kissed one time. It had been after the plane had started having trouble and before they'd crashed.

That moment played back in her mind, every detail hitting like a brick to her chest. The look in his eyes as the plane bucked and then the air masks dropped. The confession he made that he'd never kissed a girl. How he'd held her hand after the brief kiss. The situation had been weird, but still, it had been the best kiss she'd ever had. The moments after the crash when they were achy and in shock and how he’d held onto her. He’d helped her stand and pulled her to the exit, saving her life.

There were too many emotions tied up with this man. She wouldn’t be able to keep her distance. They were bound together in a way few people were.

“You’re thinking about it now, aren’t you?” he asked.

She drew in a shaky breath. “It would be wrong of meto continue to treat you, but if you’d like to talk as friends, we can.”

He liked that idea. He wanted to see her again. “I understand. Chatting would be nice.” He glanced around, taking in the degrees on her wall. “So you took the trauma and are using it to do good? I like that.”

She shrugged, trying not to sound too proud of herself. “Usually, I do good. I don’t know, though. Sometimes people get mad.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I grant or deny the okay for pilots and traffic controllers to work. They lose their jobs because of me. It’s tense sometimes.”

“Oh, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that. I guess someone who is too messed up to fly wouldn’t take it well if they were told they were too messed up to fly.”

“Nope, they don’t take it well.”

He lowered his chin and shot her a look. “But you don’t cause it, you know that, right?”

She shrugged. “I guess. But I’m the one that gives the okay or denies them the opportunity to get or keep a job.”

“That’s hard.”

His lips twitched up just a little, and her heart melted. She couldn't believe she was in the same room with this man. Years ago, they both lived across the country near the East Coast and now they were here in California. She wanted to see him again. Would he want that?

"If you're not seeing me in a professional capacity, would it be wrong for me to invite you to dinner?"

His question brought warmth and made her smile. “I think if you called me after today, I would say yes.”

His lips curved up shyly as he glanced down. A memory of him doing something similar when he’d learned they’d be on the same flight home hit. They’dcoordinated to sit together, and he’d given her that same shy smile as they’d taken their seats. Her heart squeezed. This man had come into her life at the perfect time. She was single and had been for a few years. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, but she wouldn’t push him away if he offered.

"I know you can’t treat me, but I'm glad I came in. I thought about canceling this appointment, but I'm happy I took the afternoon off and came over."

“Well, professionally, I think you should talk to someone about the stress. It’s not good that you’re having the nightmare this many years later.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I should see someone. Not you, though.”

She shook her head as heat rose from her chest up to her neck. What would have happened between them if the crash hadn’t happened? It was impossible to know, but they might have stayed in contact. Her phone had been destroyed in the crash, so she had no way of contacting him, and from what she remembered, his phone had been left on the plane, too.

She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she stayed in her seat. “I always wondered what happened to you. I should have tried to track you down.”

“I don’t have social media, though, and my phone is unlisted. It would have been difficult.”

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