Page 18 of Safe
But those thoughts? Still not going to fly. Not with her. Not with me. Definitely not with Alex.
I forced my eyes forward and started the car. Whatever that flicker of attraction was, it needed to stay exactly where it belonged: ignored and locked down.
"How long did it take to pay her? Geeze, I was dying out here." Ah, there she was, good old Danielle. A fiery personality to match her fiery hair. I was about to snap back with something cutting, but I suddenly remembered everything she’d been through. She needed kindness.
"You really do look great, Danielle."
Her expression shifted from cold to surprised just as quickly as the words came out of my mouth. She was clearly expecting one of our usual barbed exchanges.
"Oh…thank you." She ran her fingers through her new hair and turned to the window, admiring herself in the sideview mirror through the glass. "Where are we going?"
"Your brother rented us a trailer under a fake nameabout a day's drive from here, on the outskirts near Grand Junction, in a small town out in the desert. We'll drive halfway and stop for the night at a hotel."
"The desert? A day away? Really?" She sighed. "At least it's remote, I guess."
We grabbed some dinner and lay low, resting for the night in another officer’s basement until morning, heading out before the sun rose. Danielle dozed on and off throughout the drive, and I tried to focus on my music instead of how good she looked, even while sleeping. These unwelcome thoughts about her needed to stay buried.
I pushed the speed limit, hoping to make the journey easier on her, until we reached a small town near St. Louis by dinner time. I pulled into a Fairfield Inn with several restaurants nearby.
"I think we should stop here for the night," I said, nodding toward the hotel.
"Fine with me. My leg is killing me."
She sighed, leaning her head against the window. The absence of her usual sharp wit and disdain told me the pain was real. Knowing I'd have to help her with rehab exercises later made my stomach twist. How could I maintain composure when these inappropriate thoughts kept surfacing? The thought of touching her right now made me feel like Alex would have a target on my head within seconds. I tried convincing myself it was just her dramatic transformation. These feelings would pass. They had to.
"Why don't we stop and grab some food, and when we get to the hotel, I'll help you with some rehab?"
I watched her face tighten at the suggestion. The idea of doing rehab, especially with me, while she was already in pain, clearly didn't appeal to her. But we both knew it wasn't optional, and like it or not, she needed my help.
"Okay," she conceded.
"Plus, we need to celebrate," I offered, trying to lift her spirits. Her confusion was evident. "You're out of the hospital now, you can have solid food!"
"Burgers!" She shouted the words out with unexpected enthusiasm before covering her mouth with her hand as if she had let me see part of her she shouldn’t have. It made me wonder if she was never allowed to show a shred of joy or excitement in all those years with Landon. It broke my heart a little bit.
I laughed, caught off guard by this rare glimpse of genuine excitement. "Okay, okay. Burgers, it is. Calm down, she-devil."
We picked up takeout and headed to the hotel. After checking in under the alias Alex provided, I helped Danielle navigate to our room. Once I had her settled on one of the beds with her food, I made a quick trip back to the car for our overnight bags. When I returned, I found her demolishing her burger with some honestly shocking speed.
"You'd better slow down. You haven't had anything firmer than mashed potatoes for months. Don't be surprised if you throw that up." The look she gave me could have withered plants. Clearly, I'd just become the villain who ruined her first real meal in months.
"But it's soooooooo good!" She taunted, exaggeratedly stuffing another massive bite into her mouth with a defiant grin. By all means, I should have at least found that unattractive, but it was oddly cute.
"Let's work on that leg so you can hopefully sleep tonight," I told her as I threw my trash out and pulled out Dr. Matthews' instructions.
The rehab team had been thorough, providing detailed explanations for every exercise: the how, why, when, and potential consequences of skipping them. I felt confident aboutmanaging most of it until I reached one particular instruction. My stomach dropped as I read it aloud.
"After Danielle finishes her walking exercises, her muscles are going to be very weak because of the muscular atrophy due to the limited use of her legs. Lightly massaging the muscles around her femur will help to stimulate blood flow, keep the muscles active, and prevent scar tissue from building up."
Danielle's playful demeanor vanished as fast as she let it slip free. She fixed me with an incredulous stare. "Seriously? That's gonna be a solid no. I can do it myself."
"Doctor's orders. Don't worry. I'm a professional, um, leg massager." I tried to lighten the tension with humor to no avail. "It's my job to keep you safe, not seductively massage you. Besides, I'd like to live to see thirty, and that milestone pretty much rests in your brother's hands right now." I stood up, preparing to help with her walking exercises.
"Exactly. It’s your job to keep me safe, not massage me."
"What makes you think I'd even be interested in someone like you, Danielle?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. However, if I were being honest with myself, I hadn’t been this interested in anyone since Riley. But I was undeniably interested in Danielle, at least in a physical aspect. Her expression shifted. It was clear that I had caught her off guard. Maybe she wasn't used to someone who could not only handle her caustic attitude but throw it right back at her. Apart from Alex, she probably hadn't met anyone who could and stuck around for it. At least not without beating her over it.
She rolled her eyes, but I swore I caught a flicker of something else in her expression. Maybe amusement, but maybe something deeper than that.
