Page 21 of Shielding Instinct

Confusion crossed his face but ended in a smile. “Petra, you’re a friend of a friend. This isn’t a play for you in any way, shape, or form.”

Well, that was embarrassing.

And disappointing.

Hawkeye was acting in service of a friend of a friend.

A girl can fantasize after the fact.That was an odd thought for her, and Petra wondered where it had come from when she remembered Tamika had suggested that morning—a lifetime ago when Petra knew her day was destined for the crapper—that Petra could turn it around by finding a warm body to make her feel good about life.

This wasn’t a rom-com after all.

But at least as the friend of a friend—a degree of distance even farther than being relegated to the friendship corner—Petra could be grateful she wasn’t navigating this shit show alone.

“You sound drunk, and Rowan would be pissed if I left you vulnerable so far from home.” Hawkeye’s tone was light and reasonable.

“You’re right. If something bad were to happen—worse —he’d expect you to,” she held up her hand and made an expansive gesture, “see it through in some way.”

“Do you remember where you’re staying?”

“Blue Fin Hotel.”

The nurse arrived with a wheelchair.

Petra moved from bed to chair in silence.

They were quiet as the nurse pushed Petra out the main hospital door and then waited while Hawkeye got Petra up into the front seat of what smelled like a rental.

They must have told him to bring the car around, or why would his car be parked here by the door? Had he told her about this?

Okay, still loopy.

He circled the front of the car and climbed in, adjusting the seat back as far as it would go and fixing the mirrors.

After pulling on his belt and checking that hers was securely clasped, Hawkeye set his phone in the cupholder and focused on the blue directional line.

“SUV, you’d need the headroom,” Petra said.

When he turned onto the road, he glanced her way, “I’m going to throw it out there and see what you think.” He turned his attention back to the road. “When we get to the hotel, we can ask and see if they have two adjoining rooms available. If they did, we could leave the doors open between the rooms. Cooper would serve as chaperone.”

“Cooper.” Petra turned and looked over her seat to the back.

“Cooper and your bags are waiting to see how things land, and then Halo will help with logistics. If I stayed in an adjoining room, it means someone could be there and get to you if things take a turn.”

Petra swiveled back in her seat to look at him, rerunning those sentences.

He drove silently, not pushing his agenda. He laid the offer down.

An offer. Take it or don’t.

As time passed, he didn’t up the pressure on her to accept.

He didn’t huff and puff that she didn’t answer and immediately accept his hero’s gesture.

He sat there patiently, hands on the wheel, letting her process as he drove through the twilight sky.

Petra thought about being on the plane with her sleeping mask on and how she had planned to invite Hawkeye for dinner or a drink once they landed.

The clock read eight-thirty. She hadn’t had anything to eat since dinner yesterday.

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