“No. Just pain to the shoulder. It’s a dull ache until I extend my arm, then it becomes a sharp pain.” She looked at him. “Do you know what it might be?”
“I don’t think you’ve fractured or dislocated anything, because you can still move it. You may have a small rotator cuff tear.”
“That sounds bad.”
He was so close that her warm breath brushed his face on every word, and for some damn reason, it sent his blood raging through his veins. “Not if it’s minor. It should heal on its own. You’ll know within a week because it will start feeling better, but I wouldn’t be lifting anything heavy.”
Even after his examination, his hands remained on her shoulder as he massaged out some of the tension. At her groan, his own muscles tensed. Because that sound…it seeped inside him and did something to his chest.
“My shoulder has been killing me all morning, but when you touch it, it almost feels good.”
“I’m glad I can help.” He tilted his head. “Other than the shoulder, are you doing okay?” Memories of that asshole bumping into her a few nights ago flashed through his mind. Of her words about how speaking up makes it worse.
Her gaze clashed with his, a million different emotions running through it, but none of which he could name. “Why do you ask?”
“You look tired.”
“I did this at three thirty this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep.”
“Why were you up at three thirty this morning?”
She opened and closed her mouth. “Just a small leak issue.”
“Anything I can help with?”
Something that looked like hope lit her eyes, and for a moment he thought she might say yes. Then a knock sounded at the door.
“Hey, is Kayden in—” Pixie stopped, eyes widening as she took in the two of them. “Oh…sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
Kayden rose to his feet and opened his mouth to respond, but Tilly spoke first. “No, Pixie, you’re not. What can I help you with?”
Her gaze shifted between them before settling back on him. “I just wanted to let Kayden know that everything’s ready for the girl’s return.”
Kayden dipped his head. “Great.”
She focused on Tilly. “I also need some help with the new system, if that’s okay, Tilly?”
“Of course.” Tilly rose from her seat. “Thank you, Kayden. I really appreciate your help.”
She gave him one final smile before disappearing out of the office…and Kayden was left wondering why the hell he felt disappointed to not be touching her anymore.
CHAPTER 5
Cool air whipped across Tilly’s skin as she walked through the mountains, her feet sinking into the wet dirt on each step. Often, she liked to jog, but with her still injured shoulder, a power walk it was.
Man, it was beautiful out here. If there was one place that could bring her peace when peace was the last thing she should feel, it was the Smoky Mountains. The smell of the cool, fresh air, the mist on cold mornings that made the paths look almost magical.
When she was little, she’d pretended the mist was clouds and she was in the sky. Her mother, of course, had gone along with it, like every other game. She’d always made Tilly feel like she was the most important person in the world. Like everything about her was just the way it was supposed to be.
For a while, she’d thought that was the case for every child. That every mother treated their daughter like she was the center of their universe. It was only as she’d gotten older and noticed parents only half listening to their kids and barely making eye contact that she’d realized it wasn’t always the case.
Yeah, she was lucky. Or at least…had been lucky.
Her heart clenched and she sped up her steps. There were mountains around her house, but the paths weren’t as well maintained as they were here near the visitor’s center.
A week had passed since she’d hurt her shoulder, and she finally felt like she could move again without aching pain.
Kayden’s beautiful blue eyes flashed in her head and she almost stumbled. The way he’d touched her, soothed her pain…it had felt so much better than it probably should have. Since then, he’d checked in on her here and there, but she still felt the invisible wall between them. In the way his eyes shuttered and the emotions blanked from his face.
