Everest waited until both men had left the room. Once the door shut behind them, he turned and offered her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that,” he said.
Mallory’s heart began to slow, and she shrugged off the young man’s actions. “Not your fault.”
Everest studied her a moment, his bright blue eyes seeming to see right through her. “I’m going to follow the officers, make sure they don’t need me for anything after they escort our guests off the ship. After that, would you like to grab a bite to eat?”
His invitation flustered her, and Mallory’s thoughts jumbled together as she searched for a response. “Um, that sounds nice. But I’m supposed to meet my friends for breakfast. They’re on board, and I’m trying to spend as much time with them as I can.” It was the truth, but it was also a convenient excuse.
Everest nodded, but she caught a glint of what might have been disappointment flash in his eyes. “Sure thing,” he said easily. “Another time, maybe.”
“You could join us,” she blurted. As soon as the words left her mouth, Mallory wondered what she was thinking. She didn’t know this man. And she didn’t strike up friendships with men. She had no business socializing with him.
But there was something about him that made her curious to know more. And really, what could it hurt? Olivia and Avery would be there, along with Logan and Grant. She’d have a table full of buffers to keep Everest from getting too close. Maybe it would be good to learn more about him. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need his help again, but anything was possible.
“Yeah? You don’t think they’d mind?” He sounded a little hopeful, and Mallory was surprised to find she actually wanted him to come. She was happy for her friends and their newfound loves, but having Everest at the table would keep her from feeling like a fifth wheel.
“Not at all,” she assured him. “I’m meeting them in the Yorktown dining room. I’ll save you a seat.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll try not to take too long.”
Mallory watched him leave, her gaze drawn to his legs and the subtle hitch in his gait as he walked away. For the first time in a long time, she actually felt safe around a man. Maybe it was his quiet, calm manner. He seemed to see everything in the room, and she had the sense that no matter what happened, he could handle it.
As evidenced by the way he’d physically intervened to keep Jeff from getting closer to her.
He hadn’t hesitated to act, and looking back on it, Mallory was impressed by how smoothly he’d handled the situation. Everest could have simply ignored Jeff—after all, the man was in handcuffs and being escorted by a police officer. Objectively, he didn’t pose much of a threat to anyone. But rather than let the arresting officer handle the situation, Everest had quickly and calmly placed himself in a position to make sure nothing happened. Mallory had never experienced such a gesture of protection before, and she had to admit, it felt...nice.
“Don’t read anything into it,” she muttered to herself. Everest had likely acted on instinct; he would have done the same thing if Jeff had lunged at one of the nurses, or anyone else, really. His action was simply that of a professional who worked in the security field. It was his job to keep the ship’s passengers and staff safe. That was all.
She glanced at her watch. It was time to head to the dining room so she wouldn’t be late for breakfast. Hopefully she would be able to explain the situation to Avery and Olivia before Everest joined them.
Assuming she was able to figure things out for herself first.
* * *
It didn’t take long to escort the troublemakers off the ship. The Jacksonville officers were quick and competent, and Everest had already emailed the relevant reports to the police department before the ship had docked this morning. All that was left was for him to walk with the group as they made their way down the gangplank and onto shore. Even though the Jacksonville police had already arrested the men, Everest still felt like they were his responsibility as long as they remained on board. Once their feet hit the dock, he could wash his hands of them.
“Thanks for your help today,” he told one of the officers. “It’s appreciated.”
“This isn’t over,” Jeff said. It was clear he wanted to say more, but his jaw snapped shut as the cop escorting him gave his arm a rough-looking tug and pulled him toward the waiting police cruiser.
The other officer rolled his eyes and sent Everest a knowing nod. “Our pleasure. Hope the rest of the voyage is quiet.”
“You and me both.”
He stood there for a moment, not sorry to see them go. He’d dealt with some crazy incidents while working on cruise ships, but for some reason, last night’s shenanigans had worried him more than he was used to. And as much as he hated to admit it, he knew why.
Mallory.
There was something about the ship’s doctor that intrigued him and made him want to get to know her better, both personally and professionally. It was an unfamiliar urge, and the intensity of it was surprising. It had been a few years since he’d had any kind of interest in a woman. His ex-fiancée had done a number on his confidence, and so he’d thrown his efforts into building a career outside the military. There simply hadn’t been time for romantic entanglements. But more important, he hadn’t felt up to dealing with all the rejections.
Leah had tried to be supportive after he’d been shipped home, battered and bruised. But as the weeks had dragged on, it had become apparent to both of them that he was missing more than just part of his leg. The IED had ripped through his group, killing two of his men and shattering any illusion that he’d had about his ability to keep his team safe. He’d been plagued by survivor’s guilt, and the grueling challenge of learning to walk again had very nearly pushed him over the edge. He had changed, and not in a good way.
Looking back, he couldn’t really blame Leah for leaving. Working through his grief and pain had been a long, messy process. And as the days had passed and her smile had grown more forced, he’d felt her slipping away. So he’d released her from her promise.
“You don’t have to stay.” He focused on the end of the bed, on the small bump his one remaining foot made under the thin hospital blanket. Maybe if he stared at it long enough, he’d get used to the visual reminder of his loss.
“I don’t mind,” she said. She pushed a tendril of honey-blond hair behind her ear and shifted in the chair. “Your physical therapy appointment isn’t for another hour.”
Everest winced at the thought of the upcoming torture session. He knew it was for his own good, but the exercises were downright painful. To make matters worse, the physical therapist was an unnaturally cheerful person who seemed to revel in his suffering like a born sadist. He just wanted to be left alone so he could cry in peace, but Scott refused to let him wallow in self-pity. It was annoying, to say the least.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Leah didn’t respond right away. When she spoke, she sounded hesitant, as if she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. “I don’t understand.”
Everest sighed and met her eyes for the first time. “We both know you didn’t sign up for this.” He gestured at the bed, his hand sweeping down to indicate his missing limb. “I can tell you don’t want to be here. Not really. You should go. Find someone whole. Someone who can make you happy.”
“You don’t mean that.” But there was doubt in her voice, along with something else. Hope.
In that moment, he knew he was doing the right thing. Leah was nothing if not loyal. She’d stick with him; that much he knew. But she would hate it. And eventually, she’d grow to resent him for it. He didn’t want that kind of life, that kind of marriage. Better for her to leave now, before the cement of these new circumstances hardened around them.
“I do.