Phoenix tilted his head. “A wounded blue bird is kind of adorable.”
Orchid attempted to dismiss her heart's traitorous thud with the wave of a hand. Too late. Her chin lowered, her lips resisted a smile, revealing her heart. She felt seen.
They arrived onto the dry sand, their shadows like a five-footed monstrosity.
“Can I take a look?” Phoenix asked.
Orchid bobbed her chin and held onto Tammy for support, while Phoenix kneeled and probed her fleshy instep.
“Ouch,” she said.
He looked up, his blue eyes checking hers. “Nasty gash, but I don’t see glass or anything.”
Orchid lifted her leg to peek at the damage. Red, glistening streaks formed erratic lines around her pale flesh. She stared at Phoenix’s concerned expression, feeling her eyelids frozen open. She shouldn’t have looked.Accident. Blood.
“How about we get you to an ER and see if you need stitches?” he said.
“E-R?” Orchid’s panic lengthened her syllables. “No hospitals.”
“Maybe I can find a clinic then.”
“No, no doctors.”
He studied her expression. “Tammy and I can get you to my car. My aunt and uncle have a place not far from here. How about we get you bandaged up there?” The tightness in his voice meant he’d noticed her fear. He motioned to Tammy to grasp her around the waist, checking her expression.
Orchid nodded. Her cheek wanted to rest against his chest, the safest place she could imagine in this moment.
Tammy scooped up Orchid’s tennis shoes and shoved her feet into her own sneakers. “Try breathing,” she said.
Orchid took several deep breaths as the three of them hobbled towards the parking lot.
“How are you feeling?” Phoenix was checking on her.
“Sheepish.”
“Baa,” Tammy offered.
At the car, Phoenix unlocked the passenger side and helped Orchid settle into the leather seat. Her sense of smell was heightened, and she noticed a faint odor of gasoline. She breathed through her mouth and refocused on Phoenix.
He pulled his tee-shirt over his head and snugged it around her arch, allowing her foot to rest on the elevated fabric instead of the sandy floor mat. His breath warmed her cheek as he leaned down to check on her. “You okay?”
The sight of his well-defined musculature evaporated her coworker status and awakened thewoman.“Just, sorry to ruin your day.” She looked away.
“Nothing could ruin this day,” he said, and brushed a hand over her arm before standing. The connection left a trail of sparks in its wake.
Phoenix turned towards Tammy, while Orchid was still marveling at his words.Nothing could ruin this day. What could cause him to utter such a generous sentiment?
“Their house isn’t far from here,” he said to Tammy. “Do you want to join us? We can order take out.”
“Thanks, but I need to run.”
“How about I call you in the morning about the campaign?”
“I guess.” Tammy frowned.
Orchid realized that this injury had sucked all the time Phoenix and Tammy were going to use to pitch their ideas.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, and headed to the back of the car.
