Page 68 of Legacy of Danger
Chapter 17
After an exhausting hour at the police station, giving her statement to the officer on duty, Mariah stood and stretched her back. Vaughn signed the paper in front of him as well and pushed to his feet. The grim set of his mouth confirmed her guess as to how successful their efforts would be.
Only another three years for loan repayment and then she could leave this town. Hopefully, nothing else bad would happen before then.
It was well after nine o'clock when they returned to his truck. She sighed. "So, I should get back to my car and head home. Work day tomorrow, and all."
"Why don't I take you home? The hospital is on the other side of town. I can arrange to have your car brought to your house."
"No way. I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking. I'm offering."
"Well." She paused, more to get the sudden flutters under control. When had someone truly tried to stop and help her? "I hate to impose. Only if it's no hardship for you."
He shook his head. "Absolutely not. Keys on the floorboard?"
"Under the mat. How did you know?"
"No one around here locks vehicles. Most freezing mornings, you'll see trucks and cars lined up in front of the diners, keys in ignition, running. No one around here would steal anything. Besides, with your unique... car, it would be pretty obvious who stole it." A quirk flashed across his normally hard-set mouth.
"You're not picking on my used Cooper are you? I got a great deal for it in my third year of medical school."
"Let's just say it's well suited to you." He punched in a text message on his phone. "Yep. Won't be a problem to get it back to your place." He stowed the phone in a pocket and shrugged. "Small town. Everyone knows about where everyone else lives." Buckling up, he put the truck into drive.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into her driveway. Then he hurried around to her door before she could open it. His warm hand supported her arm as she stepped down from the truck, the firm strength warming her through the coat fabric. With a flick of his wrist, he snagged her bag and then followed her through the garage door and into the kitchen.
It didn't escape her notice that he scanned the kitchen slowly, dark eyes observing everything in sight. Then he pinned her with a quiet gaze.
"Want to check the rest of the house?" she offered.
"You mind?"
"After tonight? No. Be my guest."
As he moved quickly through the two bedrooms and bathroom, she opened and closed the kitchen drawers. She turned to the fridge and rested her forehead on the freezer door.
"Are you okay?"
She jumped. How could someone that big move so silently? Willing her pulse to slow down, she turned to him. "I should offer you food."
"But you're exhausted."
"Yeah, but no way will I sleep with everything that happened tonight." She scrubbed at her face, as if she could wipe away the bad memories.
A minute of silence stretched to two.
Denim rustled as he shifted from one foot to the other. "Do you feel comfortable with me?" he finally said.
She frowned. "Um, sure, I guess."
"A resounding vote of confidence. Hey," he lifted his hand, "I get it. Strange dude in the house. I understand."
Her heart skidded as her past battered at her, superimposing images from Utah on the man standing in front of her.
Stop it.This was Vaughn. Different man. Different situation.
Not dangerous, at least not to Mariah. She knew it deep down inside.
