Page 49 of Nora
She didn’t want to look at him, but she was no coward. She might not understand what had just happened—or why—but Lucian wasn’t someone she needed to fear or run from. When her gaze met his again, she saw his hand twitch, as if he wanted to reach out and touch her. But he shoved it into his pocket and took a step back.
“You will let me know if I can help?” he asked. She nodded, not trusting her voice. “And you’ll lock up after I leave?” That brought a smile to her lips as she nodded again. His eyes searched her face, then he took a step, then another. “Be careful tomorrow.”
“Of course.”
“Will you come talk to me after you return?”
“Yes. If there’s time.” She needed to run the well-checks in the morning. Between those and the hike, she didn’t know if there’d be a free moment.
He hesitated, then nodded. “Lock the door,” he said again.
“As soon as it closes,” she answered.
His lips thinned, then he took the last step before leaving her line of sight. “Sweet dreams, Nora.”
She didn’t have anything to say to that.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Lucian was not happy.
Staring at the mirror in front of his treadmill, he watched the reflection of Nora chatting with Angelo and Jean. She’d been up late the night before, then gone on the hike that morning, which was followed by well-checks. Now, in the few free hours before dinner, she was at the gym with Angelo, Jean, and Marie. And him. He hadn’t wanted to visit the gym, but he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Nora all day. They weren’t talking now, either, but at least he could keep his eye on her.
And she looked exhausted.
It was a wonder no one else had noticed. Then again, they were probably distracted by her effortless smile and gentle voice. It was much easier to see what was right in front of them than to look any deeper. If any of them did bother to look, they’d see the circles under her eyes, the slight hesitation in her responses, and the effort she put into appearing as if nothing were wrong.
“How did you get into this line of work, Angelo?” she asked as she sumo squatted with a forty-pound cowbell.
Angelo shrugged. “It’s not a pretty story.”
In the mirror on the other side of the gym, Nora’s eyes flickered to his, then returned to Angelo. “Life often isn’t,” she said, leaving it up to Angelo to decide if he wanted to elaborate. And of course, he did. Nora was difficult to resist. She didn’t bully or push, but she was kind and patient and let people make their own decisions.
“My parents died when I was eleven and I had no other family so was put into a group home. I got into my fair share of trouble. I regret to say, I was not always a good person.”
“You were young and had lost your family. I’m sure they understood,” she said, setting down the cowbell and reaching for her water.
“In some ways, yes. In others, no. I wasn’t the only boy in the home. Their patience could only go so far. But then, when I was seventeen, I came across a lost puppy. I’d never had any animals before and this puppy, Gabriel I named him, well, I suppose he reminded me of me. He was young and had been abandoned. He was scared and alone. I wasn’t convinced the people who ran the home would let me keep him, but I also knew I had to try. So I scooped him up and brought him home with me.”
Nora smiled at the image. Lucian did not. It wasn’t that he didn’t applaud Angelo’s efforts to save the puppy, but it was a story he’d heard more than once. And each time, it shifted in subtle ways. Not that he thought Angelo was lying. He knew he wasn’t, because he’d read the man’s CV and recommendations before accepting him into the program. But with Nora listening, he embellished some of the details. Likening the puppy to himself was a new one.
“I suppose the people at the house thought the puppy might keep me out of trouble and surprisingly, they let me keep him. I started training him, then, when he got older, I joined the local search-and-rescue team. I was eighteen when we went on our first rescue, and Gabriel and I found the missing little girl. The head of the team was a former military officer and knew I had little time left in the home because of my age. He suggested I go into the military and apply to work with the dogs. And nine years later, here I am.”
Nora smiled and picked up a twenty-pound dumbbell. “That story may have started with difficulty, but it’s a good story, Angelo. I’m sure once you joined the army, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. But the odds were stacked against you, and look what you’ve accomplished.”
Angelo ducked his head and gave an abashed smile. “The dogs have always been my saving grace. Until I met my wife, of course. And now I have my son.”
Nora smiled again as she started a set of tricep curls. “And what about you, Jean? How did you end up in this program?”
Lucian was grateful for the mirror that let him watch the group behind him without appearing too interested. To be fair, he wasn’t that interested in Marie’s, Jean’s, and Angelo’s stories. But he was interested in Nora. Wait. He frowned. He wasn’tinterestedin Nora. He just wanted to look out for her. She didn’t seem to look out for herself very well, so obviously he needed to do it on her behalf.
“My story is not so dramatic,” the Frenchman started. “My older sister was a vet for the French military. I came to visit her and decided I liked the idea of joining the army. My sister was well known among the K9 groups. I think they hoped a little of her magic had rubbed off on me, because they invited me into the program. That was nine years ago.”
Nora smiled through her last set, then put the weight down. “That’s a very sweet story, and I’m sure they saw more in you than just someone who might be like your sister. Do you get to work with her much?”
Jean shook his head. “She died two years ago. A drunk driver hit her as she was out on an early-morning run.”
Lucian all but groaned. He knew exactly what would happen next.
