Page 8 of Savage Peril

The waiting room was fairly full, which wasn’t promising. Gunner signed in and took a seat, then stretched his leg out to flex his ankle. It wasn’t long before the nurse called him back, and he followed her down the hallway to an examination room.

“The doctor will be with you shortly,” the nurse said after escorting him to the room.

Gunner sat down, hoping he wouldn’t wait long. Maybe it didn’t hurt that bad after all. He could swing by the drugstore and get something to deal with the pain. Instead, he stayed put because he had already tried the home remedies.

The chair was uncomfortable, so Gunner stood to read posters tacked to the wall. Then there was a tap on the door before it opened. A gorgeous woman stepped inside. This medical appointment was certainly looking up.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Waters,” she said. “Gunner Cantrell?”

Gunner took in her beauty. Gazing down at her, he judged her to be just over five feet tall. She had blond hair twisted into a clip, and eyes as blue as the sky. The lab coat didn’t do her justice, but he didn’t miss her slender but shapely figure.

“You can sit on the exam table, if you like.”

Gunner hopped up there, willing to do much more than that. What he would like to do, he had better not say. But he was sure that the doc noticed his interest. “You’re not the usual staff doctor. If you were, I’d be coming in here a lot more often.”

The doctor gave him a smile that melted his heart. “I own a pain clinic in Santa Monica, but I volunteer here. It gets pretty busy, and I like to help out.”

“What’s your first name?”

After a slight hesitation, she said, “Lori…which puts us on a first-name basis. So, how’s that ankle?”

Gunner knew the routine, so he told her about the pain and a bit of the history. Meanwhile, he didn’t take his eyes off her. Although she handled it well, she had to be aware of the attention.

“I’m going to give you a shot, like the doctor did a few months ago,” Lori said. “I’d like to tell you that it won’t hurt, but…”

“No problem,” Gunner said. “I’ve had worse.” He felt different around Lori, but he couldn’t say why. She was a doctor, albeit a beautiful one. But there was something about her. Then he noticed that she looked sad.

“Did something happen?” Gunner blurted out his thought, in his usual style. He was used to being blunt and found the social graces awkward—but he wondered if he had blown it. Maybe Lori would think that question was too personal for a first appointment.

Lori furrowed her brow, making Gunner want to run his fingertip down her forehead. “What do you mean?”

“You look unhappy, that’s all,” Gunner said. “I wonder why.”

Lori looked at the clipboard and scribbled a note. “You’re pretty direct.”

“I’ve been told that,” Gunner said. “I shouldn’t pry. After all, we just met.”

Lori looked into his eyes, and Gunner’s heart skipped a beat. “My father died recently. I was very close to him. I suppose I don’t hide my grief well.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

The rest of the appointment, Gunner chewed on that news. While Lori prepped his ankle, he thought about her. She wasn’t much younger than he was and shouldn’t be burdened with grief. A death in the family was difficult.

Gunner wished he could do something to make Lori feel better. His protective instincts kicked in and he wanted to shield her from difficulties—only he didn’t know her. The inclination to ask her out had to be suppressed, as it wouldn’t go over well.

Lori held the syringe. “Ready?”

The shot didn’t hurt as much as Gunner expected. His heart ached more for Lori than his body hurt from the needle. There was something special about her. It wasn’t only her beauty. She was capable and intelligent, qualities that Gunner liked in a woman.

But what was he thinking?

Gunner wasn’t looking for a relationship. He would like to take Lori out, that was all. And boost her spirits if he could. But it wasn’t in the cards. She finished up then walked toward the door. “You can go, Gunner. Call if you need more help with that ankle.”

Lori paused, and Gunner sat there like a lump. Then she disappeared, probably out of his life for good. It was a bummer, but there wasn’t much he could do. Running after her in the VA and asking for a date wasn’t going to win her over. And Gunner was a bit light on charm; he lacked finesse.

As Gunner put his shoe back on, he regretted not pushing the issue. He should have talked to her more, asked how her dad died. The opportunity had passed. It wasn’t like he didn’t have dates. Women seemed to gravitate to his strength. But he didn’t want a date—he wanted Lori.

Gunner couldn’t fathom what had gotten into him, but all the way back to the office, he couldn’t stop thinking about Lori. It wasn’t only that she was sad. There was much more going on under the surface. He wished that he knew what it was so he could help her. Yet it wasn’t his business, and he would be smart to stay out of it.

Lori Waters wasn’t a woman to date and forget. Gunner could get attached to her. He already was, and he’d met her less than an hour ago. But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wasn’t relationship material; he’d only disappoint her.

Gunner had to let it go. He would go back to work, and hopefully, Travis would have a new client for him. If he was lucky, it would require long hours and tremendous focus. Then he wouldn’t have a chance to think about Lori.

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