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Fine She could handle this, whatever this was, and slowly sat back down, braced for a good-bye Da at her in that way he had, steady, calm "You okay? You seeood-bye already I can’t iine it’s that hard for you"
His broent up "You think I’ood-bye? And that it wouldn’t be hard for me to do?"
"Would it?"
He stared at her, his eyes fathoood-bye Not yet anyway"
"Oh" She nodded, knowing she should be relieved, but she wasn’t Tension had gripped her in its hard fist, and she let out a slow, purposeful breath "I think I need a favor froo, I want you to just do it Don’t say good-bye Just go"
"You want me to just leave without a word"
"Yes" Her throat was tight Her heart was tight too "That would be best, I think" She stood and started to walk away
"I wanted to apologize for last night," he said, catching her hand "I was an ass"
She softened, and with a gentle squeeze of his fingers, sank back into her chair "Well,the lines of a scared-y cat"
He let out a rough laugh "Yeah That too"
"I understand, you know"
"You shouldn’t," he said
"Why? Because I’ve never faced anything that haunts aze never left hers "I’ht You’re stronger than anyone I know But I meant you shouldn’t understand, because you deserve better from me"
Before she could respond to that, the elevatorarea cut off and was replaced by an authoritative male voice "Code Red"
Mallory jumped up Code Red meant there was a fire, and personnel were to report in immediately Today was a scheduled drill but she’d expected it later in the day "You’re either about to be evacuated," she told Ty, "or it’s going to be a few minutes before you can leave" She slapped her employee card on the table "When the drill’s over, help yourself to so to eat"
"Code Red," the voice repeated "All personnel respond ireat tih eat chocolate
With the hospital in temporary lockdown, Ty leaned back and waited From where he sat, he could see out the cafeteria and across the reception area to the front door of the hospital In less than four ency personnel ca evacuated Ten h Mallory didn’t
"You want so to eat?" the cook called out to Ty
He realized he was starving He stood and walked over to the cook’s station and eyed all the various ingredients A few more people came in behind hian whispering between therilled turkey and cheese? A burger? I have a hell of a Cobb salad today, but that’s not going to fill up a big guy like you"
"Burger," Ty decided If the plane crash hadn’t killed him, or the second-story jump, then a little cholesterol couldn’t touch hi "In the Vets’ Hall," one of them whispered, "where anyone could have seen them"
"How do you know that?" the other whispered back
"Sheryl told Cissy who told Gail It’s really unlike her I mean, you’d expect it of any of the other Quinns but not her…"
The cook slid Ty an apologetic glance as she flipped his burger "Cheese?"
He nodded
The whispers continued "…thought she’d be e, ith the HSC at stake and all She’s still short a lot of money and needs everyone’s support"
"Do you think they did it in one of the closets here?"
Ty had never given a shit about ie, and he didn’t think Mallory did either, but this was really pissing hiasped and immediately busied the and hard, but neither of them spoke
So he did "Mind your own business"
They didn’t make eye contact and he turned back to the cook, who handed hiestured to the card he still held in his hand, the one Mallory had left hiside the register "Mallory’s card will get you anything you want on her account Should I add a drink? Chips?"
Mallory had given hi to take care of hi his head, he pulled out cash
"But--"
He gave the cook a look that had her quickly e Extre holes in his back with their beady eyes, he took his burger and headed back to his table
The to hilances that told his worse
And what the hell did he think he was doing anyway,soon but Lucky Harbor was her ho confused and uncertain, two entirely foreign eiving here, that he was the experienced one i a little wildness and the dubious honor of his worldly ways How fking nanimous of him
Especially since the truth was that Mallory had done all the giving, coth In the process, with nothing more than her soft voice and a backbone of steel, she’d wrapped him around her pinkie
Christ, he really was such an asshole He cleared his plate and headed out, slowing at the front entrance There was a box there, similar to a mailbox where people could drop donations for the Health Services Clinic He’d given raet the support for the HSC to reoing to do to give back to the woiven him so much
On Mallory’s drive home, she stopped at Eat Me Grace had sent a text that said there was an e in and found Grace and Airl shoes," A the box toward her "Happy birthday"
"My birthday was last month"
"Merry early Christs are always about uys’ turns"
"Nope," Grace said "We can only concentrate on one of us at a time"
"Then let it be Amy," Mallory said
"Yeah," Jan said fro TV at the other end of the counter "She’s screwed up She’s got that big, sexy, forest ranger sniffing around her, and all she does is give him dirty looks"
"Hey," Amy said "That is none of your business"