I nodded. That happened sometimes. Men and women would go through the training, but then not be able to handle the stress and emotional aspect of the job.
As Logan pulled the rig up and I took in the large SUV rolled onto its side, my mind quickly flashed to an image of the ambulance in the same position. I blinked and forced another deep breath into my lungs, pushing all that to the back of my mind so I could focus on what I needed to.
Lyla was fine. Alive. And at that moment, I needed to make sure the same could be said for these people.
Chapter Fourteen
LYLA
“Thank you for doing this.”I looked over at Adam as he put the car in park in front of my parents’ small farmhouse.
Things between us seemed back to normal, and there had been no more weird moments like the other morning. But there hadn’t been many opportunities for a repeat over the last two days, either. He’d left for his shifts before I woke up, and he’d been getting home late as well.
“Of course.” His smile had a hint of mischief behind it. “Maybe I can convince your mom to show me some embarrassing but adorable pictures of you from when you were a kid.”
Oh God.
My eyes widened almost comically. That was the last thing I wanted to happen. My hair always looked like I stuck my fingerin an electrical socket, and my cheeks were always unnaturally rosy, like I’d been running around for hours. Don’t even get me started about how my face reminded me of a squirrel carrying nuts.
He laughed as he climbed out of the car, and I rolled my eyes at his ridiculousness.
My mom met us at the door, ushering us inside. “Come on in, dinner’s almost done.”
“Can I help you with anything?” I asked her as Adam greeted my father.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
I followed her into the kitchen, leaving Adam in the living room with my dad.
After twenty questions about how I’d been feeling, if I was getting enough rest, eating enough, drinking enough, and her concerns about the lingering headaches, I was thankful I’d decided not to stay with them. She barely let me answer a question before she was rambling onto the next one. I loved her and knew she meant well, but sometimes she was exhausting. Finally, I let out a long sigh.
She studied me before her face fell. “I’m sorry. You know me, I worry about you.”
I nodded. “I know, Mom.”
“Do you want to let the boys know dinner’s ready?” she asked as she carried a bowl of corn to the table.
“Yeah.”
When I stepped into the living room, they were both fully engrossed in the football game on the TV, yelling about some bad play they both disagreed with. I couldn’t help but smile as they followed me back to the kitchen, talking the whole time about how each of the teams were playing.
Dinner started off just fine, but of course I couldn’t do anything without a catastrophe following close behind. Almost like it happened in slow motion, my hand swiped Adam’s glass of ice water, toppling it over and spilling the contents onto his lap.
“Damn it.” I grabbed the napkin from the table and began dabbing at his jeans. “I’m so sorry.”
He grasped my hand, pausing my movements just as I realized what I was doing.
“It’s okay.”
I glanced up at the rasp in his normally smooth voice, and something intense flickered in his gaze. I’d never seen that look before and I didn’t know what to make of it. Was he mad?
“See, I told you.” My mom snickered.
Reluctantly, I turned my attention over to my parents. My mom smirked at my dad while my dad narrowed his eyes on Adam.
Who knew what she was suddenly gloating about. Probably her theory that Adam and I were more than friends. I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like I spilled water on him on purpose just so I could try to cop a feel at the freaking dinner table.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and I cursed my clumsiness. The next five minutes crawled by, the awkwardness lingering until I reached for my own water, nearly knocking it over.
