Page 14 of Shelter from the Storm

Gretchen visibly tensed. It looked like he’d gone a step too far. “Just one,” she replied. “An older brother. Shaw. He’s a Navy SEAL.”

Theo whistled, impressed. “A SEAL, huh? Pretty cool.”

That sadness he’d seen in her eyes during the interview returned. “It is. Unfortunately, it keeps him busy, so I’m afraid I haven’t seen him much the last few years.”

“That can’t be easy. I’d go crazy if I went so long without seeing one of my brothers.”

Gretchen glanced at him before looking away again, shrugging in a way she clearly meant to look indifferent. However, he could see she wasn’t happy about the estrangement from Shaw. “He’s typically deployed overseas. Because of time zone differences and the fact he has to go radio silent a lot of time, we don’t get to talk much.”

Theo hated the sadness that laced her words. “No phone calls? Emails? FaceTimes?”

She unclenched her hands, rubbing them along her jeans, a sign that his questions were making her uncomfortable. “Not for a while.”

“He doesn’t come to visit?”

Gretchen shook her head. “He went his own way after he graduated from high school, and there really wasn’t any reason to come back to Harrisburg all that often.”

“Except to see his sister,” Theo said with a bit more bite than he’d intended. It was just that she looked so damn sad about her brother. Theo knew if he had a little sister, he’d do a hell of a lot more than call her from time to time. He and his brothers were very close to—and overly protective of—their cousins, Mila, Remi, Nora, and Lucy, and there was no way they wouldn’t make time to see them.

Hell, Lucy left home a year ago and he’d seen her six times since: three times when she’d visited here, twice in Philadelphia—which was where Joey, Miles, and Lucy were living most of the time—and once when he and Maverick made an impromptu road trip to Baltimore to meet them for drinks at Pat’s Pub.

Unfortunately, Theo could see he’d stepped over the line with his comment, as Gretchen visibly shut down.

She nodded vaguely, though not necessarily in agreement. “I really should let you get back to work.” As she rose, he noticed the slightest wince, and realized she was in some pain. The problem was, he couldn’t tell where she was hurt.

Gretchen tugged up the turtleneck of her sweater, despite the fact she was obviously still hot. The air-conditioning wasn’t cooling her off enough.

Theo’s protector instincts rose to the forefront. He had a white knight personality, like most of the men in his family. The desire to rescue those in danger and help those in need ran strong in the Storm male genetics.

He stood as well. When he moved around his desk, intent on approaching her, she shrank back. Not a lot. Not even enough that most people would notice. But the fascination he felt for Gretchen that started during her interview didn’t hold a candle to now—so he was watching her more closely than he might anyone else he’d just met.

“I’m really looking forward to working with you, Gretchen.” Theo reached out to shake her hand.

She hesitated for a moment, staring at his hand like it was a snake poised to strike. Then he watched as that strength he’d witnessed during her interview reappeared. Theo would swear he saw her force her body into the appropriate position. Like doing something as normal as shaking a person’s hand required thought.

Her spine straightened and her shoulders lowered as she lifted her hand toward his. It was shaking slightly, and he couldn’t pass off that response as nerves or shyness. The wariness on her face gave her away.

His curiosity about this woman skyrocketed.

When Gretchen placed her hand in his, Theo felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. The Earth tilted on its axis, and a large part of him was shocked he managed to remain on his feet.

He tightened his grip, trying to calm her trembling—and now his own—even though the connection of their hands lingered past the normal length of time for a handshake.

If Theo had his way, he’d never let go.

Gretchen held his gaze, a multitude of emotions crossing her face, too many for Theo to take in. All he knew was that he wanted to understand every single one of them. Wanted to know why she looked scared, confused, sad, intrigued, regretful, determined, and even hopeful. It was all there, reflected in those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

“Gretchen,” he murmured, needing to feel her name on his lips again, smiling down at the slim, gorgeous woman, who stared back at him looking slightly startled.

Did she feel it too?

Suddenly, he recalled the story his father had often told about the first time he’d met Theo’s mother, the way he’d known in an instant that Mom was the woman he was going to marry.

Then he remembered a more recent conversation between him and Levi, who’d sworn he’d known the second he touched Kasi that she was meant to be his.

Theo had been amused by the story, even though he’d discounted it. Because that wasn’t how love worked.

Or so he’d thought.

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