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lot of information about what you did, but I get the impression it was pretty heroic.”
    His head tilted up to meet her gaze. “It wasn’t heroic.” His tone discouraged all argument—or at least it might have with anyone else.
    “I saw the little girl you saved, Noah. You got shot and yet you carried her back to camp. I’d say that’s the stuff of heroism.”
    He signed the prescription form, pressing the pen against the pad so firmly that she thought it might snap. “You don’t know any of what happened.” He said it so surely that Katie wondered if anyone really knew the story, if he’d ever told a soul. “Please don’t say it was heroic.”
    “You’re modest. That surprises me.”
    He stood abruptly, ripping off the prescription and holding it out. “It has nothing to do with modesty.”
    She studied him, wondering exactly what was going through his head. Clearly he felt strongly about the nonheroic bit, but why?
    “Have you done any interviews?” she asked, already suspecting she knew the answer.
    “No, and I don’t intend to.”
    “You should think about it. It sounds as if it’s quite a story. Everyone’s looking for a hero—people love reading about them.” She folded up her prescription and stuck it in the pocket of her sweatshirt.
    Noah opened her file and jotted down a few final notes, ignoring her.
    “I have connections at the newspaper,” she continued.
    That made him turn to look at her, his eyes hard.
    “My dad? The editor? He can assign someone good to write it. Someone who won’t screw up the story. I’d offer to do it myself, but I’m on vacation.” She climbed down from the table, trying to act casual, even though Noah looked as if he might strangle her.
    “Rest today. Call us if anything gets worse. Fever, pain, nausea... We’d need to see you right away.”
    “Probably would’ve been easier to let your dad handle this appointment, huh?” She grabbed her purse and walked out, feeling his eyes burning holes into her back.
    * * *
    “Y OU ’ VE COME TO HAUNT ME .” Katie opened her eyes wider, rubbing the sleep from them. She sat up on the deep-cushioned chaise lounge she’d been dozing on. She’d come out to the screened-in porch to read and rest and had apparently fallen asleep. Again. She’d crashed for practically the whole day.
    “Actually, I came to look at the house again,” Noah said, pulling up a lawn chair and sitting so that he faced her.
    She stifled a groan, barely. “So go look. Buy it. Whatever.” She adjusted the seat to a more upright position.
    “I already looked, thanks. I’ve been here for almost an hour with your dad.”
    Wasn’t that just fabulous. “Well, this is the back porch. See?” She waved an arm at the room. “Now you can go.”
    “Is that the magazine you work for?”
    He motioned to the latest edition of Rush on the end table next to her chair. She’d finished reading it before drifting off.
    “Yep. That’s it. It’s got my article on hang-gliding in it. Would you like it?”
    “I don’t want to take your copy. I’ll pick it up somewhere.”
    “I have others. I always have others. Take it.” She handed it to him.
    “So. Did you want something?”
    “I wanted to talk to you.”
    “I’m fine. I’ve rested all day. You can ask Claudia.”
    “Feeling any better?”
    “I just woke up. Can’t tell yet. Still hurts, though.” She risked running her fingers over her chin.
    Noah leaned forward and rested the side of his hand on her forehead. It took Katie by surprise, but her head was already against the chair back so she couldn’t move. He was close enough that she could smell his scent, a combination of soap and man, and she was surprised to realize she liked it. Liked his touch, here, away from the sterile exam room.
    “It feels like your fever is gone. That’s good.”
    “You should start advertising house calls. Not many people do this anymore.” She babbled to hide her physical reaction, which was growing