Chapter 461
[ 523 words ]
Chapter 461:
Sal glanced once at the heavy brace locking Jarrod’s right arm against his chest and the splinted, swollen fingers of his left hand, then wisely said nothing. He set a cardboard meal carrier on the counter and began fitting the bowls into it one by one.
As Sal ladled the thick, steaming stew into disposable bowls, a figure suddenly brushed too close to Jarrod’s shoulder from behind. A tray clattered, and a woman let out a small, theatrical gasp.
“Oh, my goodness! I am so sorry, Colonel! I didn’t see you there!”
It was Ashley Wright, the young nurse from the hospital tent.
Jarrod didn’t even turn around. “Careful,” he said, his voice flat and cold. “You’re developing a habit of entering spaces without looking first, Nurse Wright.”
The color in Ashley’s face faltered for half a second. She knew exactly what he meant. The memory of his threat in Caroline’s room, the stockade, his voice like a blade, was still fresh enough to make her throat work. But embarrassment had never been the same thing as wisdom.
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Undeterred, Ashley scurried around to face him, a bright, adoring smile plastered on her face. “Colonel Romero,” she said, forcing a breathy little laugh, as if they had not already met under disastrous circumstances. “I wanted to apologize properly for earlier. I was completely out of line. I’m Ashley Wright, one of the new nurses. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re a true hero.”
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone.
Jarrod’s jaw tightened. Sal pushed the packed carrier toward him, but Jarrod did not pick it up. He gave the cook a brief look.
“Have one of your runners take that to Dr. Caroline Vale in the medical tent,” Jarrod said. “The extra bread is hers.”
“Yes, sir,” Sal said immediately, already flagging down a young private near the end of the line.
Ashley’s smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered, reaching out and placing a hand on the edge of the brace strapped across Jarrod’s forearm to stop him. “Colonel, you must be so tense after everything you’ve been through. I’m actually trained in physical therapy. I could give you a shoulder massage later, if you’d like? To help you relax.”
The touch, the offer, it was a line crossed so blatantly it was almost comical.
At that exact moment, Caroline, her patience worn thin, had decided to walk toward the mess tent after all. Brenna, who had just finished her own meal, met her at the entrance.
“Whoa, hold on,” Brenna said, grabbing Caroline’s arm and nodding toward the serving line. “Look over there.”
Caroline followed her gaze. And she saw it. She saw the pretty, young nurse with her hand on Jarrod’s brace, looking up at him with a hopeful, predatory expression.
Jarrod’s reaction was instantaneous and brutal.
He did not jerk his arm away. He couldn’t. The brace held him locked in place, and his left hand was in no condition to pry anyone off. Instead, he went perfectly still. His gaze dropped to Ashley’s hand as if it were something diseased, then rose slowly to her face.
“Remove your hand,” he said.
Ashley froze.
“Now.”
.
.
.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.