Hayes laughed. "Keep it clean. Keep a bandage on it for a few days. And if it gets?—"
"I know the drill." Sterling watched as Hayes taped the gauze over the graze. "Thanks. I appreciate it. And thanks for the wine, tonight."
"No problem. Thanks for making sure that asshole didn't really shoot up the place." Hayes closed his medic kit. "And to your friend too."
"Sorry. That's Doyle. We ran JSOC missions together." Sterling tugged his sleeve down.
"Nice to meet you." Doyle held out his hand. "Did I hear you own this place?"
"Me, the police chief, along with our two buddies, Keaton and Fletcher. We all served in the Navy together. Fletcher owns the Marina with his wife, Baily. He also heads up our Parks and Rec Department."
"And Keaton runs Fish and Wildlife while his wife is a marketing specialist. We think," Sterling said. "No one actually knows exactly what she does, but she's fun to listen to sometimes."
"If you can keep up with her, she talks too fast." Hayes nodded. "I need to do some damage control. I'll talk to you later." Hayes made his way across the room and toward a group of employees gathered near the main dining room.
"That was like old times." Doyle bumped Sterling's good shoulder with his. "Kind of fun, you know."
"I wouldn't call it fun." Sterling looked at the hole in the ceiling. "But you've always had my six."
"Do you get that kind of action working with… I don't think I got the name of the firm you work for?"
Nope. Sterling hadn't told him. "It's the Aegis Network, and what are you implying?" Sterling jerked his head back.
"I didn’t mean it like it sounded." Doyle held his hands up. "I'm just curious if what you're doing is similar to my company. Lots of different types of security firms. Some just do bodyguard details. Others run background and do more private investigative work. But I've heard of the Aegis Network. Big deal, that outfit."
"Good people, and we run the full course of services," Sterling agreed. "But I'm not in it for the action. I'm glad not to be dodging bullets left and right most weeks. But it happens from time to time."
"Here comes your lady friend." Doyle jerked his chin. "We'll talk more at breakfast." He turned on his heels and double timed it right out the front door.
Typical Doyle. In like a wrecking ball, out like lightning.
"Hey you." Juniper reached out and touched his arm just below the bandage. "That was crazy."
"Things got a little intense."
"A little?" Her thumb moved along the edges of the dried blood. "You scared me."
"I think everyone here was frightened." He held her gaze. "Including me. But we're all okay." He took her hand and kissed the inside swell of her palm. No sweat. It wasn't shaking. No sign of any fear-based trauma.
And that made him an asshole.
"You were so calm in here," he said, lacing his fingers between hers. "Right when it went bad. You got people to safety. That's no small accomplishment."
"I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn’t do." She took in a slow, shallow breath as her gaze slid across his wound. "My late husband, Mark, drilled things like that into me."
"How to help people in a crisis?"
"Sort of," she said. "Because of his job, he was always looking for the exits, and the best cover. It drove me nuts sometimes, but whenever we went anywhere, he'd point them out to me. Safety was his whole personality." The corner of her mouth twitched into a small smile. "And I watch too much true crime. I started doing that after he passed. Reminds me of him."
"I'm sorry about your husband," he whispered. "And he taught you well. You did a good thing. Made it easier for Doyle and me to handle the situation."
"I'm glad I could assist."
Assist.Interesting choice of words. But he'd let that go for now. It was just a word. And in the half a year he'd come to know Juniper, he'd learned she had a unique vocabulary.
"Come on." He guided her out of the restaurant and into the parking lot. "It's a little crowded in there." Tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, he stared into her eyes. "This probably isn't the right time to do this."
"Probably not."
