Silver Blade Read Free Page A

is ‘no rest for the weary,’” she corrected.
    “That’s because you don’t know me very well.”
    Oz kicked off his boots and stepped into the pants that Tracy had left with him. They hung short, a couple of inches above his ankles. “I thought you said Tracy was big!” remarked Oz, and Angela laughed.
    ****
    Almost an hour had passed, and Angela sat in the waiting room reading a magazine. The fashion rag, full of lots of ads and very few articles, was only two months old—much fresher than she would have given the medical center credit for. She reached for the cup of cold coffee and then changed her mind.
    “Hey,” Oz said as he came around the corner with the sheriff. The officer continued on his way to the nurses’ desk.
    The big biker was a comical sight—too-short medical pants, motorcycle boots, bandaged ribs, and a leather jacket.
    She bit her lip to hide her laughter.
    “Thanks for the sympathy,” he said as he looked down at himself. “It’s either these or back to my briefs. I don’t think the sheriff would like me to walk around in those. How about you?”
    Angela felt her cheeks grow warm. She dropped the magazine back on the table and stood up. “You look fine. No one else will laugh. The bandages will make people feel sorry for you, even if the pants don’t.” She bit back another laugh.
    “So, what are you still doing here?”
    She had asked herself that same question half a dozen times in the last hour. She knew nothing of the giant man whose body suggested a rough and dangerous life, but she had always found it unfair that people misjudged her brother Bobby. She was not about to do the same. Yes, Oz might look dangerous, and his job might be dangerous, but that didn’t mean the man himself was a threat. And something about him intrigued her.
    “I didn’t know if you needed a lift back to your motorcycle, or home, or whatever.”
    “That’s…Thanks. The sheriff said my bike is in worse shape than me, and that it was towed to a local mechanic. Said I won’t be able to drive it ’til it’s fixed. Maybe you could take me over there?”
    “Sure. Oh, and here are your keys,” she said digging into her pocket and handing the set of keys and chain to Oz. “Do you have someone—a wife or friend—who can pick you up, or will you need a lift to your home?”
    “No wife. And I’m not sure how many friends are available right now. But you don’t even know where I live.”
    “Well, I assumed it wouldn’t be too far. Is it?”
    Oz gave a deep chuckle. “It’s about twenty minutes or so from here, and it’s toward Nevada where I believe you said you were headed. That okay?”
    “Sure. No problem.” Angela picked up her purse. “So, do you know where we can find that mechanic?”
    ****
    Oz went inside to talk to the mechanic while Angela sat in the car and waited.
    Why hadn’t she left last night? There must be a hotel somewhere nearby. Her brother always teased her about taking in strays, cats and dogs as a kid, men as she got older. There was something different about Oz though, something about this man that called to her.
    She chewed her bottom lip as she studied Oz. Even in his too-short hospital pants and leather jacket, he was a sexy and attractive man. A flashback of him in his boxers and the sudden heat returned to her core. She didn’t view his powerful build as a sign of danger; no, it suggested instead a haven of strength. He was a lot like her brother, and yet Bobby certainly never made her feel as sexy or as wanting as this giant man did. How would it feel to be held in the safety and strength of his arms?
    She shook her head. What would be the point? A full day’s drive separated their lives, and except for the fact he was a bounty hunter and rode a motorcycle, what else did she know of this imposing man?
    Despite the unseen fog of conflict that swirled around her, Angela took a peek in the rearview mirror, grabbed her eyeliner, and quickly touched up her