“It actually looks a hell of a lot better. Definitely better than I expected. You sprain your ankle fairly often?” he asked, looking up at Ro.
“Yeah, it happens. I’ve broken both of them, and I’m not sure they’ve ever been totally right since. I bounce back pretty quickly though. I figured more than a day or two off it would be completely unnecessary. I can probably walk on it today and be fine.”
“Doll, how about you let the good doctor here make that determination,” Zach said. “So, Beau, what’s the verdict?”
Ro waited with great anticipation as Beau continued to manipulate her ankle. “Does that hurt?”
There was a twinge, okay, maybe a slice, of pain, but nothing Ro couldn’t handle. “Feels fine.”
“Don’t lie to him,” Graham said, dropping a heavy hand on her shoulder. “You won’t like the consequences.”
“It’s fine. Barely a twinge. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” Ro shot back. She didn’t take well to threats.
“Beau?”
“I’d suggest staying off it for the rest of the day today, at the very least. And preferably tomorrow, too. You might as well give it a chance to heal up right this time. Especially if you’re planning on walking on it eight hours a day like you’ve probably been doing.”
More like ten or twelve hours a day, Rowan thought.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Graham decreed. Rowan’s temper flared like a Roman candle.
“Excuse me? I’m headed out today, whether you like it or not. I don’t have time to screw around. I need to be somewhere, and I’ve got people waiting on me, and whether I stay or go is not your call.” Ro had put her family last on her list of priorities too many times during the last decade. They were first on her list now, and any desire to stay—regardless of the reason—had to be ruthlessly shoved to the bottom.
“How exactly do you think you’re getting out of here? Not a single person here is going to open the gate for you. You’re going to stay put until you’re healed up completely and I figure out what the hell to do with you.”
Zach spoke up then, as if sensing that Graham’s words were just pissing Rowan off more. Which would be an accurate assumption. “Sweetheart, it’s not safe for you to be out on the road alone. I know you made it this far, but we can’t in good conscience let you leave by yourself. We’d be throwing you to the wolves.”
“I’ll be fine. And regardless, I’m not your problem. I’m not far from where I’m going. It’ll only take me another day, maybe two, to get home.”
“I don’t care if you’re only crossing the street, you’re not going anywhere. And that’s final.” Graham reached down to pluck Rowan off the chair, but she shoved his shoulders back.
“I don’t know how things usually work around here, and I don’t really care, but this whole what I say goes attitude you’ve got going on doesn’t work for me. So just let me grab my pack and I’ll be on my way. You won’t need to trouble yourself with me again.”
Graham cursed, spun, and left the mess hall, slamming the door behind him.
“I think Mr. Graham is mad, Daddy,” Grace said to Jonah. “I think he doesn’t want Miss Rowan to go because he likes her like you like Mommy.”
Ro dropped her head into her hands. From the mouth of babes and all.
Zach lifted her chin and dropped a quick, and completely surprising, kiss on her lips. “Been wanting to do that since I saw you covered in mud. I’ll talk to Graham. We’ll figure something out.”
Zach left the mess hall and spotted Graham heading for the command post. He jogged to catch up.
“That could have gone better.”
Graham shot him an annoyed look. “No shit.”
“You got a plan besides telling her she ain’t leaving?”
“I’m still working on that.”
“Because she seems pretty damn determined to get on her way. I want her to stay as much as you do, but we can’t force her.”
“Says who?”
“Seriously, G. Don’t you want a willing woman in your bed?”
“As long as she’s in my bed, I don’t much care.”
Zach knew posturing when he saw it, especially in his best friend.
“There’s got to be some middle ground here.” And Zach was determined to find it. After all, he wanted her to stay, but even more, he wanted her to want to stay.
“You think she’ll figure a way out of the camp?”
“Not a chance in hell,” Graham said confidently.
“She’s a firecracker, all right. Might surprise you.”
“Everything that woman does surprises me. Can you imagine her setting out without any protection to walk home? Over a hundred miles?” Graham shook his head. “Un-fucking believable.”
“You have fire watch this morning?”
“Shit. I have a shift in the command post.” Graham looked down at his watch. “Which started five minutes ago.”
Graham took off for his post, and Zach called after him, “You ever been late before, G?”
Graham shot up his middle finger before he disappeared into the building.