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“No, nothing’s resolved. Yuri and Dmitry haven’t been found, and the police believe David is in danger.” The anxiety lodged in Tess’s throat tightened, and she couldn’t rein in her worry before meeting his expectant gaze. The fact that her captors still roamed free sucked away her optimism.
“So, uh, you’re not mad at David? I mean, you took quite a hit for him.” Bouncing one of his knees, he rubbed the back of his neck.
“How could I blame him for this? No, I was unlucky.” She shook her head, all while noticing his nervousness. Conscious of his leg mere inches away, she found herself distracted by the heat radiating from his body.
“Well, I’m lucky you were there. We made an excellent team.”
He leaned over to squeeze her hand, and a part of her melted. His expression was open and earnest, hiding nothing.
“Indeed.” She reflected upon their first conversations and how well they worked together under pressure. Also, he reawakened a long-dormant, precious part of her, but she didn’t know how or if to tell him.
“Survival’s worth celebrating. In honor of living, I’d like to take you to dinner. What do you say?” He rubbed his hands together.
“Wonderful idea, but I’m not quite mobile yet.” She met his alluring gaze and smiled with excitement and regret.
“No worries. What if I pick up dinner? I don’t cook, but I’m excellent at ordering takeout.”
“I’d love to have dinner with you, but I need a shower first.” The playful sparkle in his gaze made her breath catch. Sensual pangs crackled inside her, incongruous with the faded flannel pajama pants and concert sweatshirt she wore.
“Take your time. I’ll head out and pick up dinner. Any suggestions?”
“How about Thai, Seattle’s comfort food? Thai Heaven down the hill is great.”
“Perfect. See you soon.” Mark headed out the front door and back into the rain.
After flicking off the fireplace, Tess climbed upstairs to freshen up. Standing naked in her shower, she relaxed as the steaming water warmed her bruised body. Her heart raced with excitement in anticipation of his return, making her giddy as a twenty-year-old going on a first date.
An hour later, darkness had set over the Seattle skyline when Mark returned, carrying a bottle of syrah and a bag towering with steaming boxes of Thai food. The scent of spicy curry and lemongrass permeated the air.
Tess carried plates from the kitchen to the dining room and found Mark studying the collage of Kyle’s pictures that adorned her fireplace mantel. She regretted leaving a shrine celebrating her past in such a prominent place but figured he kept a similar display of his lost family. “Dinner smells wonderful. Thanks for picking it up.” Tess clicked the stereo remote and selected jazz before sitting at the table.
“The boats on the waterfront here remind me of sailing as a young boy. Someday, I’m going to get my own sailboat.” Mark gazed at the lights flickering on Lake Union before taking a seat.
Opening a box of Pad Thai, she spooned out a serving and offered a warm smile. “Ah, so you’re a sailor. You’ll feel right at home in Seattle. Many Scandinavians settled here, and you can buy lutefisk in Ballard, a couple of miles away.”
“Ja, lutefisk.” Mark laughed as he corrected her pronunciation, and the mood in the room took a humorous turn. “People say St. Patrick invented it in Ireland to poison Viking raiders, but he wasn’t alive when the Vikings attacked Ireland. Besides, lutefisk makes Vikings even stronger.”
“Lye-soaked fish? Must be an acquired taste.” Finding his cheerful enthusiasm contagious, she couldn’t resist grinning while enjoying another bite of the spicy coconut curry dish. “How’d you end up in the US?”
Mark refilled their wine glasses with syrah. “I grew up with my parents and Ingrid, my sister, in the house our family has owned for generations in Bergen. I wanted to be a surgeon but opted to train in the US instead of Norway. After med school, I did my surgical residency in Washington, D.C.”
“Do you feel homesick?” Tess leaned forward in the plush dining chair, grazing her fingertips over its brushed texture.
“Always. Bergen’s home and my family are there. I’ll live there again someday, but not yet. America needs trauma surgeons more than Norway ever will.” He bit into a fresh spring roll before wiping his hands with a napkin.
“Why is that?” Tess asked.
“Because Americans can’t stop shooting each other. More kids here have been killed by gunshot wounds in the last twenty years than among police and military in the line of duty combined.” He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. “I cannot understand this, but I aim to save as many people as possible.”
Tess covered her face with her hands and groaned. “It’s awful, and it’s a shame we’re safer outside the US. Well, most days, anyhow. Canada should have been safe.”
He winced and rubbed his chest as if he’d been hit. “Right. Most days. Sorry to be so dark. You said your family relocated often.”
“We lived in Boston until my father joined the State Department when I was five. Then, we lived all over—Bangkok, Cairo, Bogotá, London, and Bern—but I returned to America for college.” She savored another sip of wine. The syrah emanated a smoky, blackberry bouquet and tasted luscious. “I’d planned to stay in London and even applied for British citizenship, but Kyle died. Kingsley Tech plans to build an engineering team in Seattle next year, if we secure enough venture capital. I thought creating a new home base might help me move on. No memories here for me, unlike London.”
“Life takes unpredictable turns. Meeting you was a surprise.” He took another sip of his wine and winked.
“Are there any other kind?” Unsure of what to say, she could only form an awkward smile.
