Page 22 of The Night Island

“Foster care?”

“I spent some time on the streets. Managed to get through high school. Joined the Marines the day I graduated.”

“Married?” she asked, wondering why she cared.

“Came close a couple of times but it never happened.”

“Kids?”

“No.”

No family. Foster care. Time spent living on the streets. And he’d gone through the trauma of a lost night without a support group. She tried to steel herself against the wave of sympathy that was welling up but she could not stop the tears from gathering in her eyes. She blinked hard and then reached for a napkin.

Luke looked at her, alarmed. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.” She dabbed at her eyes and crumpled the napkin. “Allergies.”

“You are not a good liar.”

“I’ll work on the problem.”

“Not until you tell me what is going on here. Why the tears?”

“Okay, you want to know the truth? I had a sudden urge to give you a hug. Don’t worry—I squashed it.”

He stared at her, stunned, but he recovered swiftly. “Good. That’s good. The last thing I need is your sympathy.”

“Right.” She straightened and squared her shoulders. “I get the point. You’re not a hugger. I don’t know what came over me. You’re a real loner, aren’t you?

Luke’s eyes got cold. “I don’t need therapy, either.”

She fired up her brightest, shiniest go-to-hell smile. “Noted.”

Apparently he did not know what to do with the smile.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I may not have a close-knit family, but I do have one. I’m not a loner. I’ve got some very good friends.”

“The podcast crew?”

“Yes.” She narrowed her eyes. “They are the kind of friends who would come looking for me if I up and vanished, especially if I was last seen in the company of a known non-hugger.”

“I’ll keep the threat in mind,” he said, totally serious.

She groaned. “That was sort of a joke.”

“I know.” His brows rose. “I’m also aware that you were only partially joking. Your friends really would come looking for you if you disappeared.”

“Absolutely.”

“And you would look for them if they vanished.”

“Yep.”

“Anyone else in the picture who might feel obligated to search for you?” he asked.

“You’re asking if I’ve got a significant other in my life. The answer is no. I haven’t had a serious date in over seven months.”

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