AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cheryse cursed and wished she didn’t have to deal with this. Actually, no—she wouldn’t deal with him. She wouldn’t get up and answer the door. “Go away!” she yelled.
A sequence of beeps sounded. She had given the beach crew her code. Most of them, anyway. They all had the codes or keys for each other’s places, and they periodically helped out while the others were out of town.
The door swung open. “Fine, then I’ll let myself in.”
“I don’t want you here!” she hollered. She’d gone from drowsy to ticked off in seconds, and the pain in her ankle flared to life.
“Hey.” Hunter strolled into her room. Without hesitation, he carefully lifted her foot and waited for her to turn. “How is it feeling?”
“It hurts,” she snapped.
Hunter grabbed a bottle next to her phone. “Kens said you need one of these.” He opened it and shook a small pill into his hand, then held it out to her and picked up the glass of water next to it.
She stared at him, wishing she could shoot lasers out of her eyes like Superman. Hunter would find that joke funny, if she were in a place to joke with him.
“You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t take it. Doctor’s orders. You can’t heal if you’re in pain.”
She crossed her arms. She didn’t want to take the pill just because he wanted her to. “How would you know?”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “That’s what my knee doctor told me after I had it scoped last year. But it’s actually not true. I never took a pain pill.” He shrugged. “But I’m more of a grin and bear it type of guy. Is that how you want to handle this?”
That was interesting. Cheryse had wondered how he’d gotten over his knee surgery last year and if he was okay.
Her pain ratcheted up a notch, and she winced.
He took her hand and opened it, placing the pill in the middle. “Take it. I’m making you some toast.”
She frowned, but obeyed.
She heard cupboard doors opening in her kitchen.
“How did you know my code?” she called over the noise.
“I’m a SEAL. I break codes for a living.”
“You’re not a SEAL anymore,” she said. It was a low blow, but she felt justified in being a jerk.
He was back with a plate of toast. “True. I’m not a SEAL anymore, but … my sister texted it to me. There. You like that answer better?”
Guilt filled her. Dang it. She hated being rude at all, and she hated hurting Hunter. Even if he deserved it.
He held the plate out to her, waiting for her to take it.
Reluctantly, she did. “Thank you.”
He snorted and moved to her ankle. They’d decided not to cast it yet because it was too swollen. Gently, he ran his hand over it. “I know it’s hurting, but did it wake you last night?”
She chewed a piece of toast. “No.”
He seemed to be doing his own examination, carefully placing a hand beneath her leg and turning it.
It was strange to have him touching her … and somehow normal.
“Ouch.” It didn’t hurt much, but she was afraid it would.
He put it down. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” She took another bite. She hated acting like a baby.
