smile before hurrying off to his next patient, and started digging in her purse. What a disaster of a day. Her arm ached, and she battled tears once again, thinking of all she would need to do. Call her office. Fill out Workman’s Compensation paperwork. Explain to her boss what happened. Get back to the site to pick up her car. And somehow find Sean McBride, whose backseat still contained her evidence bag. Pulling out her phone, she started to dial her best friend’s number as she stopped at the outside doors.
“Harper,” a deep voice called out from nearby.
Suddenly two large, booted feet were directly in front of her much smaller ones, and she startled, coming to a halt before she slammed into a body. Hands reached out to grab her shoulders, steadying her.
“You’re determined to stay knocked off your feet today.”
Her gaze drifted upward, and she was stunned to see Sean. Rolling her eyes at his attempt at humor, she asked, “Detective McBride? What are you still doing here?”
“You need a ride.”
“I was going to call a friend.” She wiggled her phone in her good hand, presenting evidence she had a plan. “See?”
He grinned. “I can see that. But you don’t need to since I’m here.” He gentled his voice, bending closer. “Anyway, I’d really like to. Your injury was caused by me. Please, let me help.”
She tilted her head to the side, measuring his words before puffing out a breath. Grumpy to nice? Unable to come up with a reason to decline, she nodded. “Okay.”
“Just okay? No argument?”
Narrowing her eyes, she quipped, “Are you trying to piss me off?”
“No, ma’am.” He shifted to her side, carefully wrapping his hand around her good arm, and escorted her out to his SUV. He opened the door and assisted her up again. Nodding toward the seatbelt, he asked, “Can you manage?”
“Thanks, I’ve got it.”
He walked to the driver’s side and climbed in. Shocked he had waited on her, she asked, “Were you at the hospital the whole time?”
“No. I knew it would take a while. I delivered the biscuits to the fire station, had a chat with a friend and my brother while there. I can take you home and have someone bring your car to you.”
She jerked her head around. “No, just take me back to the warehouse. I need to finish collecting my samples and can take my own car home.”
His gaze dropped from her face down to her splinted arm and back up, landing on her eyes. “You have a broken arm.”
“It’s a hairline fracture.”
“It’s still a broken arm.”
“Okay, fine, it’s a broken arm. It’s not like my head was cut off. The splint takes the edge off the pain, and I can still collect my evidence samples and drive my car since I refused the narcotics. Anyway, I don’t know you, so I’m not going to give you my address so that somebody else I don’t know can bring it back to me. You’re a detective. You know that’s the safe play.”
With her peripheral vision, she could tell that he turned to look at her again, but she kept her eyes facing forward.
Finally, he sighed. “Okay, I’ll take you back to the warehouse.”
They drove along in silence, and she wished she could have more time with him looking at evidence, gaining from his knowledge. The fact that he was sexy as hell did not hurt either. Maybe I should have given him my address. Before she reconsidered, he parked next to her vehicle.
The same policeman still patrolled the area, and the idea of getting out and continuing her job made her want to cry. Perhaps it was because the throbbing of her arm made it difficult to think of anything other than going home, taking a pain pill, and laying down. Maybe arguing with him was not my smartest move.
For a moment they sat silently staring out the windshield. The blackened hulk of the warehouse rose before them. Remnants of fire always look like death.
4
His younger brothers and sisters always came to Sean when they needed help. As the oldest of six, he often filled the role of responsibility. Now, with pain etched across Harper’s face, he wondered when it would dawn on her that stubbornness was only going to make her feel worse. Although, her tenacity also made her more attractive. Something about her reminded him of his younger sister, Tara... calm and capable.
While Harper had been in the ER, he had driven back to the