Page 58 of Whisper of Surrender (Whisper Lake 2)

Jess swatted his hand away from her and her expression morphed to anger. “I don’t care about her! Why didn’t you tell me you got hurt?”

“It’s not a big deal. I’ve been shot-”

“You got shot?!” Her voice cracked and whatever he still had left of his heart was transferred to her in that instant. And when he saw her lip tremble he knew that any chance he’d ever had of getting it back was over. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” He took her hand and pressed it to his chest covering it with his own. It was something that his dad had done for him when Ethan had been scared of him getting hurt. “Do you feel that? I’m fine.”

Her eyes softened for a moment before narrowing as she tugged her arm away and slapped his arm.

“What was that for?”

“For getting shot.” She said as she sat on the floor and spread her legs apart in a stretch he was very much a fan of. She lowered her body between her outstretched legs, spreading her arms out in front of her and her head lifted up so she could look at him. “Don’t do it again and if you do, tell me.”

“Okay.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Mr. Steele,” The drill sergeant called out. “Less talking, more stretching.”

“You got me in trouble,” he whispered as he bent over and touched his toes.

“You are trouble.” There was a seriousness in her tone that if he’d had a moment alone with her, he’d have followed up on, but he didn’t get the chance.

As soon as rehearsal was over, Jess hightailed it to her car. He followed behind, giving her the space she wanted but he’d expected her to stop at some point. Once they made it to the parking lot, Miss Penelope joined them and asked if Ethan would escort her to her house two blocks away since he was a man of the law.

He agreed, of course, and asked Jess to wait for him. She didn’t. Before he made it back to the parking lot, she’d texted him that she was tired and they could talk later.

Thankfully, he was a patient man.

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