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stutter as comprehension dawned. Oh, my, God ! No !
    “It knocked the bus off the road and onto its side. Kids were screaming, crying…pandemonium. The van…” his voice broke.
    His fingers dug into her back. She’d have bruises tomorrow, but what were a few marks compared to what he’d witnessed?
    “Seven kids…one family…all dead.”
    Tameka bit down on a knuckle to keep from crying out.
    “The oldest was seventeen. The youngest two…” his voice 51

    TAMEKA’S SMILE
    faded.
    They were both silent.
    “Too damn many body bags.”
    Tameka clung to him, sharing his horror, his grief. Dear God , that poor family. Those children . She even felt sorry for the truck driver. This was why she gave up her practice, too many broken-hearted people. People she couldn’t fix. Too many people looking for answers she didn’t have.
    “One of them bled to death in my arms before Rescue arrived. I couldn’t save him.” He swallowed. “He was such a cute kid.”
    By this point, tears were streaming down her face.
    “I lost it,” he confessed. “Rome sent me home. Told me to take a couple of days off. Get my head together.”
    “And you came to me,” she finished softly.
    He stiffened beneath her. “Should I have gone home?”
    “No,” she vehemently denied. “I’m glad you came to me.” She didn’t examine her reaction; just knew that it was true.
    He relaxed and let out the breath he was holding. “My job isn’t always easy. Most times it’s quiet—routine, but occasionally…it’s bad. Most women couldn’t deal with it.”
    “I’m not most women,” she assured him, not realizing the implications of what she was saying.
    “No, you’re not,” he agreed quietly.
    They lay in companionable silence until a growling stomach disturbed the quiet. Tameka raised her head and looked at him with a grin. “Someone’s hungry.”
    He brushed her hair back from her face. “I wouldn’t turn down another offer of food.”
    Her expression blossomed into a full-blown smile of relief.
    “Luckily for you, I grocery shopped this afternoon. I’m fully stocked.”
    The burgeoning smile on his face disappeared. “I should have been here to assist you.”
    Flustered, she didn’t know what to say. It was just food, after all, not furniture.
    Seeing that she was lost for words, he grinned crookedly at her. “Let’s go see what you’ve got.”
    Bemused, Tameka rose from the bed and followed him into 52

    ZENA WYNN
    the kitchen.

    * * * *
Hours later, Chad lay cradling his woman in his arms. She had no idea the priceless gift she’d given him today. No one had ever comforted him before Tameka. He dealt with the hard knocks of life on his own. He’d learned at an early age not to depend on any one but himself.
    Instinct…his wolf…something, had driven him to her today. Had he been thinking clearly, he’d have gone home to lick his wounds like he normally did. That she’d accepted him, cared for him when he was at his weakest…he didn’t have words to describe how that made him feel.
    If there’d ever been any hope of him letting her go, she’d killed it tonight with one simple act of kindness.
    Mate !
    He nuzzled his face in her hair, inhaling her perfect scent.
    She was his, and he’d kill anyone who tried to take her away from him. His wolf growled in agreement.
    53

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    Chapter Four
    Tameka woke to the news that she had not one, but two flat tires. Yawning widely while wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she stretched. “What are you talking about? I just put four new tires on my car before driving here. They can’t be flat.”
    “They are. Both of the back tires,” he said grimly.
    Tameka jolted fully awake. “Let me see.” She hopped out of bed, realized she was naked, and glanced around for something to wear.
    Chad tossed her his shirt. “Here, put this on.” She hesitated a moment, then checked to make sure all the stains from yesterday washed out. His uniform shirt, Polo in