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“So?” he prompted.
“No, I don’t have a boyfriend.” Mimicking his earlier statement, she said, “You seem surprised.”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “I am.”
Lexie took another sip of lemonade. How the hell could a woman this amazing be single? The only explanations he could come up with on the spot were that living on an island severely limited her options, or some asshole in her past did a number on her. Based on her timid nature and his gut instinct, which he trusted more than anything, he settled on the latter. Not that it should have mattered, he wasn’t here for that. And as the minutes they spent together convened to form the better part of half an hour, he figured it was about time he got to the point.
“I know I should have come a long time ago,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t.”
Lexie lifted one shoulder. “I had no expectations. Truthfully, I never thought I’d see you again. I certainly didn’t think you’d end up living here.”
Nico considered that. He could have stayed away, maybe should have. Why dredge up traumatic memories she’d probably rather forget? But here he was, so . . .
“I want to thank you for what you did for me that day, Lexie. You saved my life. It’s a debt I’ll never be able to repay, and I’m grateful.”
“Well, I can’t exactly say it was my pleasure”—she peeked at him from beneath long lashes—“but you’re welcome.” After a slight hesitation, she asked, “What happened that day?”
Nico shook his head. “Typical story. I was in a hurry, driving too fast, distracted. I took my eyes off the road for a second, maybe two. But that’s all it took. I saw the barricades too late, just lost control.” He kept his focus on the patterns across the linoleum floor as he continued, consciously staying disconnected from the emotional turmoil associated with the events of that day. “I remember going over the edge. I remember the trees, the sound of the water. Then, nothing. Until I opened my eyes and saw you.”
Lexie’s face held the same expression it had when she’d found him in that wreck, sympathy and worry mixing in the depths of those striking blue eyes.
“I was so scared,” she whispered. “I thought you were dead.”
“I damn near was,” he said. “Then the pain set in, reminding me that I wasn’t. Not yet anyway.”
“It must have been awful, being trapped like that. Not knowing when—or if—you were going to be found.”
“I think what came after was worse,” he said, recalling the grueling six months of physical therapy before he was cleared to return to active duty.
“I often wondered about you.”
He looked up to see her biting her lip like she was embarrassed by the admission. Nico liked that. He also liked the idea of him in her thoughts.
“You did, huh? Were you worried about me?”
“Of course. You looked like something out of a horror movie.”
He grimaced. “Yeah, I guess I did. I’m sorry you had to go through that, though I can’t say I’m sorry you found me. Who knows what would have happened if you didn’t?”
Oh, but he did know. All too well. The doctors outlined it in explicit detail. Another hour, max, and it would have been game over.
“Well,” she said, standing. “I should probably get back to work.”
Nico pushed away from the wall. “Yeah. I’d better go too. I, uh, hope I see you again sometime.”
“Like I said, it’s a small town.” She grinned.
“How about dinner?”
Predicting her reaction, knowing she would not be expecting such a blatant request for a date, Nico observed the way her eyes widened, and her face dropped. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, all but confirming the impending “no” in neon letters across her forehead.
“Relax.” He laughed. “No pressure. Just know the invitation is there if and when you ever want to take me up on it.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Okay then.”
She stepped toward the door, lifted her hand to open it, then stopped. He watched her turn and hesitate, saw the unsureness in her eyes, then stood still as a statue as she reached out, tentatively brushing his face—his scar—with her fingertips. Saying nothing, she gently wound her arms around his neck.
Vanilla. He caught the scent on her skin, breathed it in as she quietly said, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
