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“She doesn’t know you.”

“Well, I guess she’s going to get to know me.” I offered a reassuring smile and kneeled down to the dog, holding my palms out to her. Lucy tentatively sniffed my hands, and then her tail began to wag. Taking it as a good sign, I reached out to pat her head. “See? Fast friends already.”

Tessa nodded. “Okay. I won’t take long,” she said, and then disappeared into the shower while Lucy and I waited outside.

When Tessa was done, she came out, freshly showered and blood-free, swallowed by my scrubs. I handed her Lucy’s leash and then found a bag to put her dirty clothes in. “I’m going to take you and Lucy home,” I said. “After what just happened, you need the day off. Wait for me in the break area. I’m going to check on the woman, and then we’ll get out of here, all right?”

Tessa nodded and then abruptly threw her arms around me in a hug. “Evan… I… thanks,” she said, before she had Lucy headed for the break room.

CHAPTER 15

Tessa

“Turn right here,” I instructed.

Evan turned into the parking lot of my apartment complex. Seeing that we were home, Lucy stood in the backseat, poked her head out the window, and began wagging her tail.

“Thank you so much,” I said, unfastening my seatbelt.

“Not a problem,” Evan said.

We stared at each other for a moment. I wanted nothing more than to invite him inside, but I didn’t want to seem too forward and needy. He had already done enough for me. And for Lucy too.

I opened the passenger’s side door, climbed out, and then opened the backseat door to let Lucy hop out.

I looked up in surprise when I heard the driver’s side door open and close. Evan stood, watching me retrieve Lucy. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Don’t mind if I walk you ladies inside, do you?” he asked.

“No. No, not at all.”

Evan followed us up to our apartment. As we stood outside the door with Lucy panting beside us, I pulled out my keys and desperately tried to remember the condition I had left things in before I leaving that morning. I hoped the place wasn’t too much of a mess.

I pushed the door open and breathed a sigh of relief seeing that at least the front of my apartment didn’t look too bad.

I tossed my keys onto the table and closed the door behind us. “I really appreciate this, Evan. Take a seat. Make yourself at home.”

Evan cleared his throat and headed to the couch, where he sat down and looked around at the surroundings I called home.

I headed to the kitchen to get Lucy some fresh water. “Do you want anything?” I called out to Evan. For a moment I knew exactly what he probably wanted, me.

“Uh…sure. I’ll take some water too.”

I returned with a cup of cold water. “Let me change and give you your uniform back.”

Evan smirked. “There’s no rush. It looks good on you.”

“Ha ha.” I held my arms up, showing how long the sleeves were. “I’m going to get lost in this thing.”

He chuckled and took a sip of water, right as Lucy trotted back towards us. She sat at his feet and he began to scratch her behind the ears.

“Be right back,” I said.

I hurried off to my bedroom, which was far less tidy than the rest of the apartment. Hastily, I shoved my piles of dirty clothes into the hamper and closet—wherever they would fit. And then I searched my drawer for something to put on, quickly realizing I was putting far too much thought into it. So finally, I settled for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Something casual. Something easy to take off.

I neatly folded Evan’s uniform and returned to the living room, where he waited. “Here you go.”

He took the uniform and set it in front of him on the table. I sat down beside him. For a moment, we locked eyes again. A tingle went up my spine and I looked away. I so badly wanted to touch him…

So I settled for touching Lucy instead. She rested her head on my knee.