“Listen, nobody messes with my sister.”
“Yeah, okay, big guy.” Annika smiled at him and shook her head.
Nilay’s eyes got serious. “I mean it. If I ever find that guy—or even the dad at the school that insulted you—”
“What dad at the school?” Daniel’s voice thundered from behind Annika, startling her. She jumped up and turned around to find him standing in the doorway, his unkempt jaw clenched and green eyes fierce. She leaned on the chair for support.
“Daniel, what are you doing here?” She had no idea how she sounded; she only hoped she didn’t sound as heartbroken as she felt.
Daniel’s mouth was set in a line, and he was clearly trying to avoid looking at her. “I came to see the kid.” He lost his fight and looked at her, his voice and face immediately softening. “I walked by and saw you sitting here. I was leaving when I heard what he said.” He pressed his lips together. “What guy at the school?”
“The dad who told her he didn’t think ‘her kind’ should be teaching there,” Nilay spoke up. “You know, the one with the kid who doesn’t talk.”
Nowher brother decided to feel better and get all chatty.
“Mitch? Mitch’s father said that to you?” Daniel’s eyes widened. “That’s why he never came to your meetings?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Annika turned her head to glare at her brother.
“It does matter!” Both men spoke in unison.
“I know it matters, but neither one of you is punching him.” She pointed a finger at each of them.
“You really look like a mean teacher right now, pointing your finger like that,” Nilay quipped.
She bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling at him. “Good. Because I mean it.”
Daniel was not amused. “You have to teach that guy a lesson, call the cops or whatever.”
She turned back to Daniel. “I’ll teach him a lesson my way.”
“And what way is that?”
“By being me.” She raised her chin at Daniel, her heart banging in her chest, as if it were trying to get out and go to him, where it belonged.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means—” she grabbed her purse and jacket “—that I’ll handle it. It also means it’s not your problem. Not anymore.” She did her best to glare at him but was struck with a pang of sadness when his shoulders drooped and she knew she’d hurt him. “Bye, Nilay.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I need to get to work.”
She brushed past Daniel, the very air that passed between them charged with the intensity of their not touching. It took every last piece of willpower she had to not give in to the desire to reach out to him. Why did he smell so good?
He stood stoic in the door as she passed, his gaze never leaving Nilay.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DANIEL
DANIELSECUREDTHEsling on his last patient of the day, a fifteen-year-old budding daredevil who had an affinity for not quite succeeding in his tricks on his skateboard.
“You remember the instructions from last time?” Daniel grinned and raised an eyebrow.
The teen gave a small eye roll and an embarrassed grin. “Yes, sir.”
Daniel looked at the boy’s father. “Ortho will put on the cast tomorrow.”
The boy’s father shook his head behind him and gave a snort of laughter. “We’ll be putting Dr. Cross’s kids through college yet.”
Daniel laughed with the father and shook both of their hands before heading out to the nurses’ station to finish up for the day. His heart fell into his stomach at the sight of Anil Mehta seated in the waiting room. What the hell was Annika’s father doing in the ER waiting room?
