Skittish. Nervous. Frightened of him. He could understand it; she didn’t know him, she was over a foot shorter and thin, delicate, even. He could practically wrap his hands around her waist and just scoop her up and carry her away. A smart woman would be nervous in the same situation. So why in the hell had she taken such a risk? They were a long way from the doors and were the only people in the damned back garage. “There’s supposed to be a security guard in here at all hours.”

She shrugged and kept her eyes on him, wary, as she unlocked the door of her classic car. He’d admired the car earlier. If she hadn’t been her he probably would have asked to take a look inside it. Rafe enjoyed cars. He always had. “Probably on break or something. Lanning fired the other one when we complained about this parking garage. Welcome to FCGH.”

He’d be speaking to the head of Security himself first thing in the morning. She turned toward him as she opened the driver’s side door. The light hit the side of her neck and his gaze landed on the scar.

He’d heard the rumors, or parts of them, and now he had to wonder... Rafe had seen far too many women with just that same look in their eyes.

Djibouti left a lasting impression on a man who’d gone there to try to help. Rafe had learned his lesson about helping really well.

He hadn’t noticed the scar in her garden that day. Or if he had, he hadn’t paid any attention. Why would he? He had some nasty scars of his own.

No wonder she looked so frightened. Young, afraid, defenseless—at that moment, she reminded him of every girl he’d treated in Africa, and every one he’d lost. “Hey, I’ll stick around until you make sure your engine starts, ok? Are you on the schedule tomorrow?”

She nodded. “Yes. Same hours.”

“Then there’ll be a security guard here when you leave.” He’d make sure of it. Two guards on duty at all times, one to escort people, if needed.

In a city this size, it was needed. The parking garage was an addition to the hospital, built in the 1980s, and not in the most secure of locations. It was poorly lit and too far from the ER entrance for his peace of mind.

He hated the damned parking garage, but it wasn’t as high on his list of priorities as it probably should be. He’d have to rethink that. Regardless of what the Board thought.

It was Rafe’s ultimate responsibility to keep the people in his hospital safe. A young woman walking alone at night was never fully safe. If something had happened to her tonight, the hospital would have been liable. Period. It was in his power to keep his people safe and he’d do it.

She slipped into the driver’s seat, then started the engine. “It started. Thank you. Good night.”

Rafe caught her door in his hand. For some reason, he wasn’t quite ready to see her drive away. Not yet. Not after everything he’d heard about her. He needed to reconcile what the rumors were against the woman he’d met in her garden. “No fire at me tonight, I see.”

“Excuse me? “She looked up at him, brown eyes so wary.

“Yesterday I thought you were going to toss a potted plant at my head. You’re a lot quieter this evening.”

“Just a long day. And you called my best friend and people that I consider a close part of my family leeches. Kind of hard to get over that. They are the best people I know, after all.” She shot a look of challenge at him.

He smiled. He’d accomplished what he’d intended—the fear had left those eyes of hers. “There it is. The fire.”

“Good night, doctor. Your sister is waiting for me to pick her up right now. You’re welcome to ride along and meet her for yourself. If you can be nice to her.” Jillian shot him a wicked expression. She had more bite than he would have ever expected.

He immediately pulled back, exactly as the red-headed devil no doubt wanted. “Good night, Nurse Jillian. I will see you tomorrow, I’m sure.”

He stayed next to his car until hers left the parking garage, staring after her like an idiot. Just who was the real Jillian? The frightened redhead or the one who breathed fire to protect her friends? Rafe couldn’t help but wonder.

He wished she worked in any other hospital but his—he had a feeling she was going to be more trouble than he ever could have anticipated.

The exact same kind of trouble he just did not need right now.