“Take care, Brad.” With a wave, Paul continued down the street.
Cara watched him leave, faint furrows denting her brow. “Maybe I should have told him about Natalie’s latest dizzy spell. I know they’re longtime friends.”
“If you want my opinion, you made the right choice. Natalie can tell him herself if she chooses to.”
The creases on her forehead smoothed out. “Thanks for the validation.”
A gust of wind whipped past as the dark clouds that had been massing on the horizon surged across the blue sky, dimming the sun and casting a shadow over the landscape.
Brad shifted around to scan the heavens. “It appears we may be in for a storm. Did you bring an umbrella?” When she didn’t respond, he turned back to her. “If you didn’t, I have one in my car you can borrow.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “One what?”
Huh.
Had she zoned out while he was talking?
That wasn’t consistent with the intense focus he’d picked up on Tuesday, but she could be distracted by Natalie’s health issue.
“An umbrella. The weather’s changing.” He swept a hand over the sky.
“Oh.” She inspected the expanse of menacing clouds. “I think we’ll be fine. Natalie should be finishing up, and we ought to be able to beat the—”
Another gust of wind pummeled Cara head on, sending her dark locks flying behind her.
But the blast of air did more than tousle her hair. It also revealed a beige device hooked behind each ear, with an attached wire that disappeared into the wavy strands.
He did a double take.
Those had to be hearing aids.
Meaning Cara was deaf to some degree in both ears. And she hadn’t been inattentive moments ago. She just hadn’t heard him.
Compromised hearing could also explain the unique nuance in her speech, especially if the issue was longstanding.
Before he could fully digest his discovery, she reached up and touched one of the exposed devices. The one he was staring at.
Heat crept up his neck, and he redirected his gaze to her face.
“I’m sorry if I’ve missed anything you said. As you can see, I’m deaf. The cochlear implants are a godsend, but I don’t always pick up everything. It’s easier for me to comprehend words when I can watch the other person’s lips.”
Ah. That explained her singular focus in conversations.
“I had no idea until the wind revealed your secret.”
She shrugged. “My deafness isn’t a secret, but there’s usuallyno reason to bring it up in brief exchanges.” She flashed him a tiny smile and checked her watch. “I appreciate the offer of an umbrella, but we’ll be in the car soon. It was a pleasure to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
“Enjoy the rest of your day—and stay dry.”
With that, she strode away, her carriage fluid, graceful, and elegant.
He watched until she disappeared around the corner, then wandered back across the street to the squad car.
What he knew about cochlear implants would fill a thimble.
But hadn’t he read somewhere that they were a last resort, after hearing aids failed to be of use?
