In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue #4)(89)

“He does not!” She choked on a laugh. “I thought you didn’t want to have this conversation.”

His sigh was so exaggerated that she could hear it through the door. “I’ll suffer through it, as long as you and Jennings finally get together and stop with the fake just-friends deal.”

“It’s not fake!” When he didn’t respond, it was her turn to sigh. “We are friends. And Chris wants to be more than friends.”

“Finally,” Ian muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

Letting her head tip back against the wall, she ignored his comment. “I want that, too—so much—but I can’t do that to him.”

“Do what to him?” He sounded cranky. “See, this is why I hate these conversations. There are always these vague reasons why you have to make things complicated. Things are not complicated. You want him. He wants you. Therefore, you f—uh, date.”

“Ian!” A flare of anger burned through her misery. “I just beat you up for trying to save my life. I’ve locked myself in a room in a house that could explode at any second, and you think I should inflict this mess on Chris? He doesn’t deserve that.”

“You didn’t beat me up.” Of course that was what he focused on. “It was one lucky hit that took me by surprise.”

“Whatever. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m a crazy person who doesn’t leave her house.”

When he spoke, his tone was gentle. “Daisy. We’re all messes, just in different ways. I dragged Rory into my mess, and she dragged me into hers. It’s kind of the definition of a relationship. Besides, you’re getting better.”

She didn’t feel like she was better. The unlocked door seemed so small a step compared to her freak-out over leaving the house—a dangerous, gas-filled house. The reminder made her turn toward the door so quickly that her elbow hit the weight rack.

“Ow,” she yelped, cupping the throbbing joint with her other hand.

“You okay, Daisy?” His voice had sharpened. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Although she grimaced, she swallowed any other sounds of pain. “I’m fine. You need to leave, Ian. If the house explodes, I don’t want you in it.”

“It’s fine.” Daisy opened her mouth to protest, but he continued. “I’ve been listening to the other guys’ progress on the radio. The gas levels are almost down to nothing. That new ventilator we just got is kick ass.”

“You shouldn’t have stayed with me.” Now that the fear had ebbed, guilt was taking its place. “I would’ve felt so bad if you’d been blown up because of me.”

“No, you wouldn’t have, since you’d have been just as dead as me.” His matter-of-fact tone almost made her laugh. “You might want to start moving whatever you piled in front of the door out of the way, since they’re going to be letting people back into the area soon. That includes your man, who’s going to be charging in here as soon as they stop restraining him.”

Although she grimaced at the thought of facing everyone after the cowardly way she’d scurried to a dark corner, she started moving weights off the rack and back onto the mat. When Ian’s final couple of words belatedly sank in, she repeated, “Restraining him?”

“Yeah. Whenever the chief was talking, I could hear Jennings yelling in the background. I’m guessing it took at least a couple of guys to keep him out of here. Maybe handcuffs, too.” It sounded like the idea amused him.

“See,” she said, all desire to laugh gone, “all I do is cause problems for him.”

“Quit the whiny, self-pitying sh—crap and grow a pair, Daisy. If you dump him, you’re going to make him miserable. He loves you, and that includes your hatred of the great outdoors. So zip it.”

Her mouth hung open as she stared at the door. “I should grow a pair?”

“I didn’t mean that literally,” he grumbled. “Although, even if you actually did, Jennings would probably still follow you around like a puppy.”

Her laugh returned at that, and she started moving weights again. “Thanks, Ian.”

“Anytime, Daisy.”





Chapter 19


It was hard for her to unlock the training room door, but it wasn’t because of fear that time. She was embarrassed and didn’t want to face the people she’d made worry. Ian’s words about growing a pair rang in her head, giving her the strength to stiffen her shoulders and twist the dead bolt.

With the weights moved and the rack dragged off to one side, all she had to do was twist the knob and pull. Daisy decided she was sick of standing on the wrong side of doors because she was too scared to step through them. Blowing out a hard breath, she closed her fingers around the knob and opened the door.

Ian, looking extra-large in his bunker gear, was leaning one shoulder against the hallway wall. He’d removed his mask and pushed up the clear face shield onto his helmet. Reluctantly, she met his gaze and was surprised he didn’t look angry.

“Aren’t you mad?” she asked.

He seemed honestly confused by her question. “No. Why should I be?”

Before she could answer, Chris came barreling toward them. The force of his hug lifted her feet off the ground and squeezed the air out of her lungs.