Page 15 of Wandering Souls

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hand reach down to Bruce. She buried her fingers in the dog’s fur but never took her eyes off him. “He really has taken a liking to you, Abigail. Please, let me show you my appreciation by taking you out for coffee. Say, tomorrow?”

She smiled down at the dog. “You’ll bring Bruce?”

“Only if you say yes.”

Abigail’s eyes narrowed at him. “Are you trying to blackmail me, Detective?”

He heard the playful lilt in her voice and wanted to sigh with relief. He’d never had to work so hard for a coffee date. It sent a thrill down his spine and he grinned. “Perhaps. Is it working?”

Her shoulders relaxed. “You could say that.”

“Excellent. I look forward to it.” He took a moment to look over at the growing number of cottages adorning the property and wondered just how many former soldiers Hollywood hoped to entertain. “Have you settled in okay?”

She gave a nod. “It’s beautiful out here.”

“Wills Crossing is full of surprises. How long do you plan to stay?”

With a shrug, she pointed to one of two wicker chairs in the fading sun. “Not long. Mind if I sit?”

Before he could answer, she turned and took a step, but her balance faltered on that left leg again. Ray rushed forward and caught her before she fell. In his arms, she looked up at him with cheeks flushed red and a look of frustration in her pale eyes.

“Sorry.”

Ray helped her to the chair, Bruce following along seemingly concerned. When she was seated, the dog rested his chin on her left thigh. “Are you okay?”

“Still recovering. Thank you for not letting me fall.”

His father would’ve had his hide if he’d let a woman crash to the ground. Chivalrous right to the end, his dad had been a picture of pure gentleman, from the way he’d loved Ray’s mother to the way he’d protected Ray’s sister when she announced she was single and pregnant at the tender age of fifteen. Though half a lifetime ago, Ray remembered it like it was yesterday.

He sat on the chair beside her and nodded toward her leg. “You were injured in the Army?”

“Yes.”

“In combat?”

To his surprise, she shook her head. “Aircraft accident.”

“You’re a pilot?” The news impressed him.

“I am, though I doubt they’ll let me fly again.”

“You have an injured leg, Abigail. How would that impact your ability to fly a plane?”

One corner of her mouth quirked upward. “Helicopters, Detective. I fly helicopters.”

Why did it become a turn-on to hear anyone call himdetective?“I stand corrected,” he winked, “and where did you fly them?”

“Afghanistan.”

“I thought the war was over in the Middle East.”

Sadness softened her eyes and she shook her head. “Active combat, yes, but there are still troops maintaining the peace and trying to rebuild a country. My job was to ferry medical supplies and personnel...” her voice trailed off.

“Until?”

Abigail’s face turned away, but not before he glimpsed the unshed tears about to fall. Seeing her distressed unsettled him. He decided to change the topic when she said, “Until I was blown out of the sky.”

Instinctively, he reached out and laid his hand on her bicep. She flinched, her entire body tensing at the contact. Bruce’s ears stood straight up on his head and a soft growl sounded in the Shepherd’s throat. Ray thought to drop his hand but he didn’t, wanting to show her she had his support.

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