by Lori Ryan
Sam nodded, her brows knit together. “It’s hard to imagine what it’s like to be in a war zone, having never gone through it, you know?”
They were quiet again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just thoughtful.
“How did you know what to do back there? When you pulled me away from the crosswalk?” Logan didn’t know where the question had come from.
The nagging sense that she’d known exactly what he was struggling with while waiting for the light hadn’t left him since they sat down. He didn’t know how he felt about it.
In some ways, he was grateful she’d snapped him out of his own head. In other ways, it disturbed the hell out of him that she’d seen through him so quickly. He’d thought he was doing a better job of hiding things. And, the thought that others might catch on set his neck muscles to gnashing again.
“Um …” Samantha squirmed in her seat.
He couldn’t help but laugh. Why would she feel weird about it? He should be the one feeling uncomfortable in this conversation. And yet, here she was once again, setting him at ease with something he sure as hell shouldn’t be comfortable with.
“I don’t really do well in relationships. Oh, wait! I don’t mean that that way. I didn’t mean to say we’re in a relationship, because obviously we’re not.” As he watched, her face blushed a furious red and she began to wave her hands in front of her as though she were trying to erase what she’d just said. “I mean, we work together. Not that I wouldn’t want a relationship with you. You’re hot. I mean, really truly hot. So, don’t be offended. I just meant relationship in the sense that I don’t relate well to people all the time. Not relationship like dating. I mean people think I’m weird and they don’t always get me and I don’t always get people or, well …”
Logan took pity on her. “Sam.”
“Huh?” She looked up at him, doe eyes huge.
“Stop. I get it.”
“Oh. Okay.” She nodded and took a deep breath. “So anyway, I don’t always get relationships and people and stuff. So, when Jack said some of you had a military background, I researched returning vets. I thought I could see what issues veterans deal with when they come back to the States. I found a lot of websites that talk about the kind of stuff you guys go through, so I could relate to what you were feeling. Only I don’t think I actually can. Not that I don’t want to, but I mean really, who can relate to a thing like war, unless you’ve lived in it? Right?”
Now, he did squirm.
“Oh! But, you don’t want to talk about that, right? Daisies.”
“What?”
“Daisies. I just planted daisies in a pot in my window. I’m not sure if they’re going to grow or not. I think I got them in early enough, but I’m not really great with plants. I mean, I get all the theory of them. I can look up all the information and follow the directions, but I don’t always seem to be able to apply all the information and get results, you know?”
Logan nodded as he realized she was changing the subject and letting him off the hook. The result was a little mind-spinning as she launched into a lecture of the dos and don’ts of growing daisies in a pot, in the window.
He had to admit, it helped. And, he couldn’t help but wonder at her assessment that she sucked at relationships and reading people. She seemed to be damned good at knowing exactly when he needed her to move on, and she did it. No questions asked. She might move on to some strange topic, like the care and growth of daisies, but she did it. He had a feeling she was a lot better with people than she realized.
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About the Author
Lori Ryan is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and sports romance. She lives with an extremely understanding husband, three wonderful children, and two mostly-behaved dogs in Austin, Texas. It’s a bit of a zoo, but she wouldn’t change a thing.
Lori published her first novel in April of 2013 and hasn’t looked back since then. She loves to connect with her readers.
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