and he took that as a positive sign. Setting her feet on the top step of her stoop, he took her keys and opened the front door. Assisting her inside, he started to set her on the sofa when she cried out. “No! I don’t want to get blood anywhere!”
So used to blood on his uniform, he understood her concern. Making a decision he hoped would not offend her, he carried her to the bottom of the stairs and said, “Let me get you to your bedroom. That way you can shower, get the blood washed off, and change clothes.”
She nodded her acquiescence. “That’s a good idea. Thank you.”
He mounted the stairs easily, her weight slight in his arms. At the top, she directed him to the bedroom on the left, and he stalked inside. Placing her feet carefully on the floor, he held onto her while she pulled off her heels.
“Thank you, Rory. I know this was a lot of trouble and you went out of your way—”
“Not at all. I’m glad I was there to help.”
“You can just lock the front door as you pull it closed behind you, and I’ll be fine—”
“I’m not leaving. Not now. I want to stay close in case you become ill again.”
She blinked, her nose scrunching slightly. “I’m sure I’ll be—”
He interrupted her once again. “Seriously, Sandy. In good conscience, I couldn’t leave and not be sure. I know my staying up here would make you uncomfortable, so I’ll go downstairs and wait. Take your time in the shower. Do whatever you need to do. All I ask is that you leave the doors cracked so that if you need to call out to me, I can get to you.” Not giving her a chance to argue, he took her by the shoulders and gave her a slight nudge toward the en suite bathroom he could see through an open door. Also not wanting to cause her to be self-conscious, he walked out of the room and jogged down to the first floor.
Rounding the bottom of the stairs, he saw Ocee walking into the room, looking up at him as though assessing whether or not he would get fed. “Um… hey, buddy… Ocee.” He bent down, holding his hand out for the cat to sniff, pleased when Ocee purred and rubbed his head on Rory’s hand. He walked into the kitchen and looked around, discovering a dish on the floor. He opened the pantry and found a plastic tub of dry cat food. Uncertain of the feeding protocol, he put a little bit into the dish, which Ocee hurried to. While the cat munched, he continued to search her kitchen and found a stash of teabags. Microwaving a cup of water, he dunked the bag to steep.
Listening carefully, he heard the water from upstairs shut off. He gave her several minutes of privacy and then moved to the bottom of the stairs. “Sandy, I’m coming up,” he called out. Not hearing a response, he quickly bounded upstairs taking two at a time, halting outside her bedroom. Knocking on the doorframe, he called out again. “Hey, Sandy? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’ll be right there.”
He waited in the hallway until she appeared. Staring down at her, he was glad to see her eyes were bright and her face had color. “You look much better than you did earlier.”
As she smiled and nodded, he was struck with the memory of the first time he saw her… when she’d beamed her smile toward him at the Celtic Cock and he’d noticed it was slightly crooked. He’d thought it was adorable then, and staring at her right now, fresh from the shower with no makeup on, she was just as beautiful.
Her wet hair was combed and slicked back from her face. She was wearing flannel pajamas with furry socks on her feet. There was nothing overtly sexy about her outfit, and while it seemed incongruent with the image he’d formed of her, it now seemed to fit her perfectly. There was nothing about Sandy that fit neatly into a box. She was full of surprises.
“I’m really fine now, Rory. You don’t have to stay.”
“I know I don’t have to. But I want to. I hope that’s okay with you.”
She appeared hesitant, and he waited, holding his breath. Finally, as though making a decision, she nodded. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “I have no idea if I can get the blood out of those clothes, but