The knock at Kathryn’s door was demanding. She confirmed her suspicions through the peephole and stayed quiet.
“Open up, Kathryn. I traced your cell signal here.”
Dammit. Shouldn’t you be chasing bad guys?
After opening the door a cautious crack, she felt like an idiot and pulled it wide open. “Hi, Detective,” she said, greeting him with a wary smile. His hopeful expression didn’t go unnoticed, and she finally relented. “Come in.”
“Should I be offended by the warm welcome?”
Not ready to talk, she was embarrassed when her eyes filled with tears.
He gently touched her elbow. “Hey, Kathryn, what is it?”
She made her way to the couch and he followed, sitting on a chair with assurance in his eyes.
“Jake’s all right. He’s out of the woods.”
Shaking her head, she took a moment to let the tears pour out. He waited until she was ready to talk.
“It’s not that.” She tugged a few tissues free from the box, dabbing her cheeks and taking a breath into them. “Did you know Jake was engaged?”
Delaney’s face dropped. “What? No. I’ve known the guy for two years. I’m a detective. If he was engaged or even on the verge of it, I’d know. He’s never mentioned a woman in his life until you.”
“No,” she said, trying to explain. “Before his last deployment, he had a fiancée. He had . . . a whole life.”
Delaney sighed. “I don’t understand.”
“Did he tell you who I was?” she asked, and Delaney shook his head. “I’m the nurse who saved his life. He’s with me because he thinks he owes me. But he doesn’t.”
Kathryn dropped her gaze, staring at her hands twisting the tissues in her lap.
“I saw his fiancée. She’s still in love with him. And if I wasn’t in the way, he’d . . .” She sniffed into the tissues. “If I’m out of the picture, he’ll finally get the life that he was cheated out of. And he deserves it. He’s been through hell. He’s owed his life back. I have the power to make that happen. And I will.”