something,” she lied.
“Mallory,” Kenna said with a glare. “What aren’t you telling me? You seem antsy or something. I’ve known you forever and I know when you’re not telling the truth.”
Mallory sighed and then looked up to meet Kenna’s eyes, knowing she wouldn’t drop it till she got the whole story.
“Can you keep a secret?” Mallory whispered and she could see Kenna’s face curl up in curiosity.
“That depends. Is it a good secret?” Kenna grinned and Mallory nodded. “Then yes, I can keep a secret.”
“Well, you know how Ryan and Nate said they were here working for a security company?” Kenna nodded quickly. “That was a lie.”
“Why are they here then?”
“They work for the Secret Service…at the Bush estate.” Kenna’s eyes were nearly bugging out of her head and she didn’t say anything for a while.
“Seriously?” she finally said and Mallory nodded. Kenna was quiet again, like she was thinking and then her ey es lit up. “So that’s where I’d seen them!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That first night at the bar. I knew I’d seen them before. I’d seen them earlier that day when the Bushes came into the restaurant for lunch. They kinda hung out in the corner. Now I know why! That’s crazy!” Kenna continued excitedly. “So how’d Ryan get shot?”
“He said there was some crazy guy trying to get on the property and he got shot in the shoulder and ended up in the ER when I was working. We started talking while he was there and today I helped him get settled after being released. That’s why I missed dinner.”
Kenna’s mouth was still dragging on the floor and Mallory waited for her to say something.
“I don’t get it. He blew you off and now you’re his personal nurse?”
“I’m not his personal nurse,” she said, glaring at her friend. “I was just helping him. He doesn’t have anyone here.”
“So, are you like seeing him or something?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I’m just helping him. We’re friends, that’s it.”
Kenna was smiling coyly and Mallory tried to suppress the grin that spreading across her face.
“Friends. Yeah…I don’t think so. You’d better not keep anymore secrets from me, got it?” Kenna said, pointing at Mallory with a stern expression. “Now, I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“Have a good night,” she said as Kenna winked and walked away.
Chapter Twelve
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Savannah,” Mallory said, flinging her bag over shoulder. Her feet were aching after a twelve hour shift and she just wanted to get home and relax.
“Are you off to see Gun Shot Hunk?”
Mallory stopped and looked over at her co-worker. Savannah was grinning widely as she looked over some charts.
“Gun Shot Hunk?”
“Yeah. That’s his nickname.” Savannah put the clip board down and stared back at Mallory with a playful smile.
“That’s a ridiculous nickname.”
“Yeah, it is, but it fits him. Now answer me. Are you heading off to see him? I saw you leave with him the other day. I didn’t know you two were giving it another try.”
“ We’re just friends and no, I’m not heading off to see him. I’m going home. I’ve been on my feet for twelve hours.”
Savannah just continued grinning and Mallory laughed as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.
“Alright,” Savannah said skeptically. “Have a good night.”
Mallory waved and walked out of the hos pital and into the warm afternoon air. It’d been a long day and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of Ryan… a lot, throughout her shift. As she unlocked her car door, she wondered when he’d call. She couldn’t let him take over her mind like a hormone crazed teenager, but as she got inside and started the ignition, she couldn’t deny her hormones had been raging the day before, especially at the sight of a shirtless Ryan. Giggling out loud at the memory,
“Mallory,” Kenna said with a glare. “What aren’t you telling me? You seem antsy or something. I’ve known you forever and I know when you’re not telling the truth.”
Mallory sighed and then looked up to meet Kenna’s eyes, knowing she wouldn’t drop it till she got the whole story.
“Can you keep a secret?” Mallory whispered and she could see Kenna’s face curl up in curiosity.
“That depends. Is it a good secret?” Kenna grinned and Mallory nodded. “Then yes, I can keep a secret.”
“Well, you know how Ryan and Nate said they were here working for a security company?” Kenna nodded quickly. “That was a lie.”
“Why are they here then?”
“They work for the Secret Service…at the Bush estate.” Kenna’s eyes were nearly bugging out of her head and she didn’t say anything for a while.
“Seriously?” she finally said and Mallory nodded. Kenna was quiet again, like she was thinking and then her ey es lit up. “So that’s where I’d seen them!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That first night at the bar. I knew I’d seen them before. I’d seen them earlier that day when the Bushes came into the restaurant for lunch. They kinda hung out in the corner. Now I know why! That’s crazy!” Kenna continued excitedly. “So how’d Ryan get shot?”
“He said there was some crazy guy trying to get on the property and he got shot in the shoulder and ended up in the ER when I was working. We started talking while he was there and today I helped him get settled after being released. That’s why I missed dinner.”
Kenna’s mouth was still dragging on the floor and Mallory waited for her to say something.
“I don’t get it. He blew you off and now you’re his personal nurse?”
“I’m not his personal nurse,” she said, glaring at her friend. “I was just helping him. He doesn’t have anyone here.”
“So, are you like seeing him or something?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I’m just helping him. We’re friends, that’s it.”
Kenna was smiling coyly and Mallory tried to suppress the grin that spreading across her face.
“Friends. Yeah…I don’t think so. You’d better not keep anymore secrets from me, got it?” Kenna said, pointing at Mallory with a stern expression. “Now, I’ve gotta get back to work.”
“Have a good night,” she said as Kenna winked and walked away.
Chapter Twelve
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Savannah,” Mallory said, flinging her bag over shoulder. Her feet were aching after a twelve hour shift and she just wanted to get home and relax.
“Are you off to see Gun Shot Hunk?”
Mallory stopped and looked over at her co-worker. Savannah was grinning widely as she looked over some charts.
“Gun Shot Hunk?”
“Yeah. That’s his nickname.” Savannah put the clip board down and stared back at Mallory with a playful smile.
“That’s a ridiculous nickname.”
“Yeah, it is, but it fits him. Now answer me. Are you heading off to see him? I saw you leave with him the other day. I didn’t know you two were giving it another try.”
“ We’re just friends and no, I’m not heading off to see him. I’m going home. I’ve been on my feet for twelve hours.”
Savannah just continued grinning and Mallory laughed as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.
“Alright,” Savannah said skeptically. “Have a good night.”
Mallory waved and walked out of the hos pital and into the warm afternoon air. It’d been a long day and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of Ryan… a lot, throughout her shift. As she unlocked her car door, she wondered when he’d call. She couldn’t let him take over her mind like a hormone crazed teenager, but as she got inside and started the ignition, she couldn’t deny her hormones had been raging the day before, especially at the sight of a shirtless Ryan. Giggling out loud at the memory,
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