Page 26 of A Touch of Fire

“Did she talk to you about what happened?” Megan asked Ash when they were done.

“No, but she told Laura she was driving with her dog to meet friends, and the guy ran out into the middle of the road. When she swerved and hit the tree, he started beating the hood of her car and ran off when you two arrived.”

“Had she ever seen him before?”

“Guess who one of the friends was.”

Megan winced. “Ouch. Drugs?”

“We don’t know, but she said she had never seen him like this before. Like he had a breakdown or something. Called his family too. They’re going to meet him at the hospital.”

“Damn,” said Troy. “He came out of nowhere and packed a punch I’ll be feeling for a while.” He rubbed a spot under his ribs.

“Want to press charges?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what he’s going through right now, but it’s something and I don’t want to add to it. I’ll be okay.”

Ash nodded and sent a small smile of approval toward Megan. “I’ll hang out until the girl’s family comes. Laura’s on the clock too, but you’re not, so you two are free to go if you want.”

Megan exchanged a glance with Troy.

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t mean for this evening to end this way.”

“I feel like that’s a common theme.” She blew out a breath and waved to Laura who gave her a thumbs-up from where she stood next to the ambulance where the girl was sitting. A gust of wind climbed the side of the overlook and rattled the foil blanket. Megan hugged her arms against herself and felt Troy’s coat cover her shoulders.

It was warm and, despite having been on the girl, smelled like his cologne and gave her a sense of peace she didn’t realize she needed. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and steered her up the hill back toward his truck.

“Want me to pick you up down here?”

“No, the walk will be fine. I need to work off the adrenaline.”

Troy looked relieved as they walked away from the accident, leaving the flashing lights behind them. “I’m glad you feel the same way. I’m not going to get her screaming out of my head for a while.”

Megan nodded. “Thank you for stopping him.”

Her mind flashed back to seeing Troy tangled up with the crazed naked man, fighting to restrain him from hurting the girl or herself.

“Training and instinct,” he said in a casual voice, but his eyes were cold and distant as he watched the dark road in front of them.

“You could’ve gotten hurt. Someone out of their mind like that can do some serious damage.”

Troy stayed silent except for the crunch of the gravel beneath them as they walked in step with each other, which felt like the most natural thing in the world.

“I wonder what caused that,” Troy said at last. “I’m glad I could help.”

“You did great. Oh, look at that.”

Megan pointed to the sky where the trees had opened up, exposing the bright full moon in the sparkling night sky.

“I guess you were right about the full moon after all.”

He let out a rueful laugh. “Maybe that’s what’s going on with that guy.” He shook himself and looked at her for a brief second before wrapping his arms around her. It was only then that she realized he was shaking.

“Are you okay?”

The shaking dialed back to a tremble, and she held on tight and gave him a squeeze before letting her head fall onto his chest. She drank in the scent of him and his warmth all around her. She could feel his strength through his shirt and his jacket she still wore, but for all his strength, she felt him weigh down on her while she held him steady as the moments ticked by to the sound of the night.

Troy looked up at her and gave her a true smile that warmed her chest. “I know this was a setup and a thank you dinner, but I wanted you to have a nice time.”

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