Chapter 6
“So, what did you want to ask me?” June inquired once they were seated in a corner booth. June knew how military men operated, so she put them in the corner and gave him the seat with his back to the wall and his view of the whole restaurant.
His gaze scanned the restaurant more than once. She wondered what it was like living that way. Always on the lookout for danger. Memorizing faces. Always in a constant state of fight or flight. It seemed awful and exhausting.
Her brother was a Delta Force operative. An elite. He was always in that same state. She didn’t know how Cora tolerated it. She said one got used to it after a while. June would have to take her word for it.
June supposed after a time, people got used to just about anything. It was like when she’d lost her legs. After a while, she’d adjusted to life without them and now she was adjusted again with them.
Rob’s gaze fell back to her, and she felt herself release a shuddery breath.
The man had a very intense look that went straight to her core and made her stomach flutter with butterflies.
She averted her eyes to her plate in front of her.
It was better to focus on that than his penetrating blue eyes.
“I wanted to see how you were doing after what happened Friday night.”
That was it? He’d waited for her session to end and followed her lunch to ask about Friday night. “I’m fine.”
“Just fine?” he pressed. “I know sometimes people can have flashbacks or shock from an event like that.”
“Have a lot of experience with people with shock?” She supposed in his line of work, there was a possibility.
Based on his physique, he did not look like a desk jockey.
She would take him for a field guy like her brother.
Not a Delta, but some kind of infantry. They experienced it first-hand with rescues and the repercussions of victims.
A wall seemed to come up between them, and June sensed that he didn’t like to talk about anything military; why, she couldn’t understand.
Her brother had one of the most secretive jobs, and he still told her stuff.
Nothing specific but enough to appease her curiosity about what he did for a living.
He probably wasn’t supposed to, but he told her enough so she didn’t worry about him.
“I’ve had some experience in the past.”
“So, you thought you would check up on me three days after the fact?” she asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Rob squirmed in his seat, looking uncomfortable. He was probably not a man used to being on the receiving side of interrogation. “It’s not like I have your number, and the clinic is closed on the weekends.”
True; she supposed she couldn’t be too upset with him for waiting to check on her. He hadn’t had a way to reach out to her until today. “Well, I appreciate you checking on me. As you can see, I’m fine.” She held her arms open to her sides to show him that she was completely fine.
“That you do.” June’s eyes fluttered up to his. Was his voice husky or was she hoping for things? “Look fine. I mean well,” he quickly amended.
It had been a scary situation—June couldn’t lie about that—but it hadn’t kept her up at night or made her jump at every shadow. She was just more cautious when she went out at night. June had also started carrying the knife her brother gave her when she’d decided to move here.
Not when she was at work but other times when she was out and about. Her brother Liam had suggested a gun when she’d come out here, but she didn’t like guns and worried she’d hurt herself more than the other person.
They had compromised on a knife, and her brother had given her one for her birthday when she’d moved here. It was a simple pocket knife, but it would do to keep her safe if someone like Troy came at her again. The experience had also made her think. Well, Casey had put the bug in her ear.
“Thanks, though I am starting to think self-defense lessons might not be the worst thing. Nothing huge, but something more effective than just screaming for help and hoping someone comes.”
That had been the worst. Yelling for help and no one caring except Rob. If he hadn’t come along when he had, she didn’t know what she would have done. True, she’d had a plan, but who knew if it would have worked?
June’s options had been limited. Her legs didn’t make for an easy run away or kicking an opponent. She did have a lot of upper body strength thanks to her job, but her punch to Troy hadn’t bought her much.
Rob took a bite of his sandwich. June watched mesmerized for a second by his strong jawline as he chewed his sandwich. “I could teach you.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Lessons with the guy she had fantasized about for years?
Yes, please. Casey had suggested it, but June hadn’t thought for one second that Rob would offer to teach her himself.
Maybe offer the name of someone he knew.
She couldn’t talk to her brother because he would suggest she move, and that was the last thing she wanted.
June loved her job and the life she had built here for herself.
She didn’t want to leave. “I’m sure I could find a studio or something in town.
” It hadn’t been something she had considered before, but she was sure there were plenty of places for her to choose to find some self-defense classes for people with her limited ability.
“You’re not; I’m offering.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She needed lessons, and who better to teach her than a former army combatant?
“You’re welcome.” He leaned down to take another bite of his sandwich before his head popped back up. “Oh, I should probably ask, are you dating anyone?”
“Why?” That was an odd question to ask now. What did it even matter? He wasn’t planning on getting too friendly with lessons, was he? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Rob’s cheeks warmed. He got so uncomfortable with direct questions.
It was adorable, though she would never say that out loud; he might take offense.
“I just realized after I asked you out and now offering to hang out more, there is a strong possibility you might be spoken for, and I should make sure before proceeding further.”
“You ask me that now? After the fact that you asked me out to lunch and offered to give me defense lessons? And if I’m seeing someone?
” she questioned, not waiting for his response.
“Would you retract your offer to help me if I was?” Not that she was seeing anyone, but she was curious what his answer would be.
“No,” he rushed out to answer. “But I don’t want someone getting jealous we’re spending time together and such. As the saying goes, ‘forewarned is forearmed.’”
“No, I’m not seeing anyone.” June leaned down to take a bite of her sandwich, but not before she caught his look of relief. Whether that was because he was interested in her or he wouldn’t have to deal with a boyfriend, she didn’t know.
It was then she realized that she knew nothing about him other than he was once in the army and a good fighter.
“Do you have a girlfriend, Rob?” she asked hesitantly. June had never seen him come into the clinic with anyone, but that didn’t mean anything. Her gaze fell to his left hand. His ring finger was empty, but again that could mean nothing. Some men didn’t wear wedding rings or hid them.
“No.”
“Wife? Boyfriend?” June didn’t think he was gay, but it never hurt to ask.
“No and no. Do I need to ask if there is a girlfriend in your life?” he inquired with a mock raised eyebrow.
“No.” She chuckled and took another bite of her sandwich as she thought of more questions to ask him. June wanted to know more about him but didn’t want to bombard him with a million questions at once.
“How old are you?”
June realized they didn’t know the most basic information about each other. No time like the present to learn. “Don’t you know you’re never supposed to ask a woman her age?”
“I could guess.” He grinned, knowing she wouldn’t like that at all.
June gaped at him in horror. “No, that’s even worse.”
“So then just tell me. I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours?”
“What is this, grade school?” June took a sip of her soda before blurting out, “Twenty-nine.”
“I’m thirty-four.”
“Old man.” He wasn’t all that old. She knew he was older than her but not by much.
“Ouch.” He clutched his heart in mock pain. “It’s not that old.”
“No, I’m just teasing. So, you said you can’t talk about what you used to do in the military, what do you do now?”
“What’s with all the questions?” he asked, sounding defensive.
“Well, I know nothing about you. If we are going to be spending time together, I feel I should know more than your name and that you used to be in the army and that you’re thirty-four.
I mean, how do I know you’re not just pretending to be a nice guy to lure me into your home and plan to wear my skin or something? ”
She expected Rob to look at her as if she had just sprouted a second head and start talking in Latin.
Not many people appreciated her oddball sense of humor.
It had been a far-fetched theory, and she didn’t really think that about him.
He didn’t give off serial killer vibes, but then again, she was sure serial killers didn’t either or they’d never have victims.
Rob sat back in his seat and seemed to look her over. “I could use another coat, but since you’re already on to my ploy, it will never work. I guess I’ll have to find myself another victim. One less suspecting.”
“Well, now I’m on to you, so I could just turn you in.”
Rob threw his hands up in mock anger. “I guess I’ll just have to add you to the bone yard in my backyard to silence you.”