hoping you’d say that. I’ve been dying to find out what happened but didn’t want to cheat and watch ahead without you.”
“I almost streamed an episode in the hospital, but at the last moment I chose something else instead.”
“Excellent.” He smiled and she tried not to stare. “Where’s the most comfortable spot for you? I’ll get you settled, then go clear up the dishes.”
“Not this wheelchair, that’s for sure. How about back into the recliner?”
“You got it.”
Before she realized what he intended, and before she could tell him again that she was perfectly capable of transferring, he scooped her out of the wheelchair, taking care with her hip.
His body was warm, his muscles hard against her, and he smelled delicious. He always did. He must use some secret kind of fabric softener. She wanted to lean into him, throw her arms around his neck and stay right here all evening, nestled against him.
Too soon, he carefully lowered her to the recliner.
“How’s that?”
So good. She fought the urge to ask him if he would mind terribly just holding her again.
“I’m great, for now. Thank you. You do know I can transfer myself, right? You saw me do it earlier. I’m not completely helpless.”
“Maybe I just like taking care of you.”
A lump rose in her throat at his words and she wanted to burrow into him all over again. Since Steve died, she had fought every battle by herself. Losing Natalie, raising Caitlin, running the garden center.
Wouldn’t it be heavenly to have someone by her side, someone willing to walk beside her and let her lean against for support when she needed it?
Juliet swallowed a sigh. Henry was her dear friend and she cared about him too much to add another burden to his life.
“I need to clean up my mess in the kitchen. Are you good?”
“I have my book. I’m fine. Thanks.”
After he walked back outside for their dishes, her older cat, Felicity, came over and rubbed against her leg. She didn’t know where Felix was. Probably under the sofa being his usual obstinate self.
Before she could pick up Felicity, Otis trotted over and scrambled up into her lap, the little rascal. Felicity gave her a disgruntled look and wandered into the kitchen for water.
The cats had come to tolerate the little dog and she thought perhaps they secretly enjoyed having someone new in the house. She certainly did, far more than she’d expected. Maybe she wasn’t as set in her ways as she thought.
She petted him absently, her mind still on Henry and all the things that could never be between them.
14
OLIVIA
She stood outside the faded turquoise door of The Sea Shanty with her stomach in knots and her palms sweating.
Music thrummed into the night and she could hear the clink of glasses, the thud of billiards, the hum of conversation. It all sounded perfectly harmless, the kind of scene playing out at bars all over the world.
The chance of anything dangerous happening inside the tavern was as remote as it would have been the other day at the hospital cafeteria or the day she had stood outside the Kozy Kitchen near her apartment in Seattle.
She knew she would be perfectly safe. She wanted to celebrate Melody’s birthday with her. To do that, she would have to override her brain’s annoying, panicky new wiring in order to push open the door and go inside.
She could tell herself that a thousand times but she still couldn’t bring herself to do it.
This was getting ridiculous. In the nearly three weeks since the attack she’d witnessed, she seemed to be becoming more anxious, not less, about going into public areas.
Was she really going to let her cowardice control the rest of her life?
“What are you doing out here? Trying to decide whether to go in?”
She tensed at the familiar voice and turned around to find Cooper Vance walking up to The Shanty, wearing a curious expression.
“Something like that.”
“We can’t offer the kind of entertainment you’re probably used to in Seattle, but the cover band is a local favorite. They’re not bad, which I think is why Melody wanted to come here for her birthday celebration instead of going to The Lookout.”
“I’m sure they’re great.”
“Then why are you out here instead of in there?”
She couldn’t tell him what a coward she was. Cooper would never understand. The man risked his life on a daily basis to help others.
“It’s been a long few days. I’m worried about my mom and not really in the greatest